| Critique:
The
Web boasts a wide range of DX and Contesting sites.
Here, more than anywhere else in our hobby, the rapid
exchange of information across geographic barriers
the Net promotes has been valuable, even superseding
packet clusters for the essential exchanges - "who's
on", "where", and "what band's
open now"? There are many such sites and mailing
lists to choose from; most of these are extensions
of mailing lists that do not make good use of the
potential of the Web as a medium for a formal electronic
newsletter.
Not
this one, though. This one has the distinction of
combining that type of dedication to catching the
rare and transient events to the world of broadcast
and shortwave DX as well as hamming. Its distinction
lies further in its presentation - a well-written,
almost elegant style, attractive but sparing use of
graphics, a well-written internal search, and timely
contents. The user also benefits from well-developed
technical articles - certainly, an excellent section
on loops and other types of antennas especially useful
in MF-HF. Since antennas are the common basis for
our triumphs and failures on air, information this
valuable should hold great appeal outside the DX community.
Their
flaw? Well, NOT modesty. The masthead humbly proclaims,
"Probably the best DX site in the world."
I would be chagrined by the puffery - but there's
no exaggeration here. It won't tell you where 4Q2LID
is going to be found in the next 3 minutes on 12 M
- but that's not what the Web is for, anyway. It will
tell you where the DX "industry" world-wide
- broadcast as well as amateur and utility - is headed,
and you can spin from that the implications for the
next WARC and how our organizations and governments
should be preparing. It IS that good.
Summary:
Living up to its title, the
intricacies of HF-MF DX'ing documented in elegant
and practical terms.
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