DX Resources
A collection of DX resources (Adapted from
a similar page that I did about a decade ago for the Iowa City ARC web
site. -KØCF)
(Note: All item headers are clickable links.)
- DX
Bulletins
- 425 DX News
- A superb DX news site from Italy, with a weekly bulletin
available via free email subscription. Usually arrives on Friday.
Subscription includes a DX Calendar.
- The Ohio/Penn DX Bulletin (OPDX), edited by Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW.
- Another good DX information resource. Delivered every
Sunday morning by free e-mail subscription.
- DX News Letter (DXNL), edited by Michael, DJ5AV.
- A good DX information source from Germany. Also available
via a free e-mail subscription.
- The Daily DX
- This is a paid DX newsletter, which arrives each weekday,
with extra editions for rapidly breaking news. Bernie McClenny, W3UR,
is the editor (and is also DX editor for QST magazine). A two-week free
trial is available on the web site. Rates are currently $28 for 6
months, or $49 per year. (It is well worth the cost! -KØCF)
- ARRL
DX Bulletin Archive
ARRL DX Bulletin Subscriptions - Another source for DX information. As with the above
newsletters, this is available via e-mail subscription on the ARRL
"Newsletters" page. It comes every Thursday afternoon.
- Other
DX Information Sources
- ARRL DXCC Program
- Most everyone who chases DX is after the DXCC award, or
endorsements to it. Here is the site with all the rules, "entity"
(i.e., country) list, entry forms, FAQ, etc.
- DX Summit
- Finnish web resource for DX information, including live
DX spots from all around the world.
- NG3K Amateur Radio Contest/DX Page
- A great source for scheduled DX operations, both for
general DX and contests. (Even if you are not a contester, DX contests
are a great time to pick up new countries.) Also a tremendous
collection of links for all things related to DX.
- DXWorld.net
- Features one-page graphical depictions of on-going
DXpeditions. Nicely done site with beautiful photography. (Suggested by
WØGXA.)
- The Complete DX'er -- by Bob Locher, W9KNI
- Far and away the most popular DX book ever written, "The
Complete DX'er" is both the highly entertaining diary of a serious DX
chaser, and at the same time full of lessons for DX'ing success.
Written in a warm, personal style, this is a work you will read again
and again. It very much respects and honors the traditions of DX'ing,
yet brings a sense of excitement to the chase. $19.95 plus S/H.
- QSL
Information
- This is the ARRL's
online logbook. Once signed up, you can upload your logs to LoTW. When
the DX you have worked uploads his logs, a "QSL" is generated. You can
download your QSL records to import into your computer log to show them
as confirmed. You can then submit these "QSLs" for DXCC, either a new
award or endorsements to an existing one. The only charge for using
LoTW is when you file to use the LoTW QSLs to apply to your DXCC. The
cost is much less than getting a paper QSL and submitting it.
Inaugurated in September 2003, LoTW has more than 829 million QSO records on file, with more than 145 million QSL records resulting. The system boasts just over 94,000 registered users.
Users of the ARRL's Logbook of the World may also apply their LoTW credits to applications for the League's Worked All States (WAS) award. (US Amateur Radio licensees must be ARRL members to apply for the WAS award.)
Some CQ Magazine awards are available through LoTW as well.
- IK3QAR QSL Manager Lookup
- From Italy, perhaps the most complete source for QSL
managers. If you are not aware of QSL managers, they are volunteers who
take care of QSLing chores for busy DX stations. Often, they are in the
USA, so a QSL only costs two 49¢ stamps, (one on your outer envelope,
one on your SASE) instead of a $1.15 airmail stamp and two US dollar
bills!
- Zero District QSL Bureau
- The QSL bureaus provide an inexpensive way of getting
your DX QSL cards. You send $6.00 to the bureau to buy 5 envelopes with
one 49¢ stamp on each, plus 8 extra stamps (at 21¢ each). When an
envelope gets full of DX QSL cards, they mail it to you. A good
explanation of both the incoming and outgoing QSL bureaus is available
at the ARRL's
Incoming QSL Bureaus page and the Outgoing QSL
Service page.
- How
to QSL
- Direct QSL Hints -- from K3KY
- QSLing -- Tips & Advice -- from The DX Reflector
- Direct QSLing to Russia and CIS -- from Dennis, RZ1AK
- How to Improve your QSL Returns -- from ZS6EZ
- QSL
card printers -- some sources for your own QSL
cards
- Thanks to Rich Haendel, W3ACO, for researching the data
in this table. Rich uses (and HIGHLY recommends) UX5UO for his QSLs.
Prices are current as of April 1, 2017 and are subject to change. Click
on the QSL Printer's name to visit their web site.
Printer Card Style Price
per 1,000E-Ham
RatingComments LZ1JZ 2 color 1 side See webpage 4.9/228 No charge for photos Others by quote CheapQSLs.com Black 1 side $9.99/100+S/H
$99.90/1000+S/H5.0/722 Fixed format Full color 2 side $28.95/100+S/H
$289.50/1000+S/HUX5UO 4 color 1 side $59.00 ppd 5.0/334 No charge for photos Full color + 1 color back $69.00 ppd Full color glossy + 1 color back $76.00 ppd QSL Shop Full color + black back $120.00+S/H 4.9/95 No charge for photos Franklin Printing
(WZ8P)Full color front + black back $143.00 ppd 5.0/1 - Propagation
- N6RT's Propagation Page
- Excellent near real time propagation information collected from numerous sources.
- ARRL Propagation Bulletin Archive
- ARRL's excellent weekly propagation bulletins by K7RA. Available by free email subscription on the ARRL web site, as well as in the archive page linked here.
- ARRL QST Propagation Charts
- These charts used to appear monthly in QST. Very useful graph of maximun and minimum usable frequency from the USA to various areas worldwide. (Requires Adobe Acrobat Reader to view.)
- NOAA GOES 1 min & 5 min X-ray Flux
- NOAA's plot of solar X-Ray flux, a measure of the intensity of ionization in the earth's ionosphere. Updated each minute, shows 6-hour and 3-day spans.
- NOAA Planetary K Index
- NOAA's plot of the geomagnetic K-index, a measure of disturbances in the earth's magnetic field, which is detrimental to HF propagation. Auroras often appear when the K-index is very high. Updated every five minutes, shows a 3-day span.
- Near-Real-Time MUF Map
- A very nice world map showing the Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) over the entire globe.
- NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
- A nice collection of NOAA propagation data. Links provided to other NOAA pages. They have a nice collection of charts.
- SpaceWeather.com
- Very nicely done site, with lots of information about space weather other than propagation-related info.
- SolarHam.net
- Provided by VE3EN. A lot of propagation-related info in one place. Very attractively done! (Suggested by KØVM.)
- VOACAP
- A very useful and elegantly designed propagation forecast site. You select both ends of a path, antenna type and transmitter power. The results appear on a world map and a 24-hour wheel that shows path reliability by band. A must-see resource!
- WM7D's Solar Resource Page
- A nice collection of propagation data by WM7D.
-
Logbook
of the World (LoTW)
Contest Resources
As a service to
other WriteLog users, I am making available "prefill" or "call
history"
files for contests where they are applicable. Please note that I am not
the source of the data used to create these files -- they come from the
N1MM+ call history site. If you have corrections or updates,
please contact VE2FK.
The N1MM+ call history files are plain text files, which I have converted to ADIF format for use with WriteLog.
The files below are all ZIP files, from which you must extract the .adi file. If you need a prefill file that is not listed here, please send an email to k0cf (at) arrl dot net, and I will try to create one for you.
The N1MM+ call history files are plain text files, which I have converted to ADIF format for use with WriteLog.
The files below are all ZIP files, from which you must extract the .adi file. If you need a prefill file that is not listed here, please send an email to k0cf (at) arrl dot net, and I will try to create one for you.
- NAQP_ALL (North American QSO Party -- All Modes), February 15, 2019.
- CQ WW RTTY (CQ World-Wide RTTY contest) September 28, 2018
- ARRL 160 M (ARRL 160 Meter contest) November 30, 2018
- ARRL 10 M (ARRL 10 Meter contest) December 5, 2018
- Stew Perry 160 M (Stew Perry 160 Meter contest) December 29, 2018
- ARRL RTTY RU (ARRL RTTY Roundup contest) December 28, 2018