"DX"

"Working DX- literally, communicating with distant stations- appeals to nearly every ham sooner or later. It starts innocently enough: You answer the CQ of a foreign station and marvel that your signal has travelled so far. Suddenly you realize that the entire world is at your fingertips. You may continue to work domestic and foreign hams with equanimity, taking your DX casually when it comes along. Or you may find you're seeking out only foreign stations, particularly from countries you haven't worked yet."

"There is DX an there is rare DX. What's rare? Rare countries don't have active ham populations. They may be very near or very far, but activity is the determining factor, not distance. Of course, distant DX operators may be harder to work, but if they're active, sooner or later the determined DXer gets trough. The religious enclave of Mt Athos would be easy to work from anywhere in the United States if any active radio amateurs lived there!"

Jim Kearman, KR1S