[IRCA] Ultralight DXpeditions-- Suggestions for Success

[D1028Gary@xxxxxxx]

Hello All,
 
     To their great satisfaction, medium wave DXers  have discovered that 
Ultralight radios are the perfect choice for a casual  travel portable, or for 
checking the band outside of their local listening  area.  But for those 
planning a serious Ultralight DXpedition to chase TP's  or TA's, the following 
suggestions (based on a recent visit to Grayland, WA) may  be helpful.
 
1)  Choose an environment free of RF noise.  Ultralight radios  have no 
shielded antenna inputs, and usually rely on their own sensitivity to  make 
reception.  A noisy RF location, whether from TV's, computers or  electrical noise, 
will make your challenge that much tougher.
 
2)  Take along a "spotting receiver."  An ICF-2010 or E1 can be  very helpful 
in checking propagation trends and carrier levels.  It can  also confirm that 
a stock Ultralight is actually receiving a TP or TA, if  the signal is 
extremely weak.
 
3)  Take along at least one digital ULR.  The unfamiliar  environment of a 
DXpedition is hardly the place to sort out the new locals on an  analog ULR.  In 
Grayland, the Portland locals were more troublesome than  the Seattle ones, 
and also strangely unfamiliar.  Finding the  frequency on an analog ULR is much 
more challenging when your local "markers"  disappear.  A digital ULR will 
always tune the 9 kHz splits exactly on  frequency.
 
4)  Consider giving your ULR's an extra "boost."  Although good  conditions 
will usually provide a few TP's or TA's on sensitive stock ULR's like  the 
SRF-T615, SRF-39FP, SRF-59 and DT-200VX, if you can inductively couple an  
external antenna to your radios (or transplant a large ferrite loopstick into  the 
circuitry), your chances of great DX success will rise exponentially.
 
5)  Take along a good, noise-free audio recorder, and have it ready at  all 
times.  Almost everyone likes to hear an mp3 clip of a new country  logged on 
an Ultralight radio.  The recordings will all be in the AM  mode, by the way, 
and will sound quite different from typical SSB  recordings.  The AM mode makes 
QRM-free mp3 clips tougher to record, but  that's part of the challenge.
 
6)  Have some fun!  When you receive a group of TP's or TA's with  Ultralight 
radios, you will have thrills and satisfaction far greater than  routine 
loggings with table receivers.  Be prepared to lose some sleep  if you are chasing 
TP's... you probably will be too excited waiting for  sunrise anyway.
 
7)  Consider sending for QSL cards.  A TP or TA logged on a  ULR is a supreme 
accomplishment, and if you have a verification card or  letter to confirm 
such a challenging reception, you will value it far more  than routine QSL cards! 
 Even if you don't normally collect  QSL's, you should make an exception for 
Ultralight TP's or TA's.
 
     Finally, I hope every ULR DXer can experience the  great excitement and 
fun of logging a bunch of TP's or TA's at a serious ocean  beach location.  
You just may have the thrill of your DX life!
 
                                                                              
               73,  Gary DeBock 
 
                                                                              
            



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