I consider myself a both a Contester and a DXer. I started DXing the day I received my license with 15 years of age, the 31st of August 1981, and in the first day as an amateur radio operator I worked my first DX - Rwanda 9X5MH on 15 meters.

Eleven years and five months later, on the 26th of January 1993 I worked AH1A and reached DXCC #1 - all entities worked. One can say those were the true DXing days, without Internet or packet, I had to search and pouce up and down the bands looking for new ones.

Being a DX'er is a great asset for a contester, particualrly for SO2R operators. All the experience gathered throughout the years is a great tool to know what to do with the second radio and keep those "juicy" multipliers coming.

Although I had already worked all current entities I never bother to send my cards to DXCC Desk. First I decided to send my cards only upon reaching Honor Roll. When that target was achieved I decided to submit my cards only upon working all entities, and when I reached that I started to be scared about sending the QSL cards via the mail. I couldn't imagine loosing all the cards in the mail.Only thirteen years later In February 2006 I finally decided to send all my cards via UPS and got all my entities awarded - from zero to DXCC #1 (335 current entities at the time).

Mixed	SSB	CW
Worked all entities	Worked all entities	Missing P5 North Korea
340	340	339
DXCC #1	DXCC #1	DXCC Honor Roll