This idea came from Eli, N6PF and we think it’s good.
Who remembers their first ever DX contact or first ever DX station heard (as SWL). How elated were you to contact a station on the other side of the world using a simple wire antenna?
To start off – with the hope others reply – I clearly remember both my first ever station heard as a Short Wave Listener (it was an EA5 in Benidorm, Spain in 1989 on 20M), and my first ever QSO was relatively recent in 2003 with an EA8 (also 20M). Both times I was beaming with excitement! Little did I know then that I’d write daily updates on this website about all things DX.
My only regret is that I cannot find the many folders of paper logs I kept from my SWL days. For sure, some very interesting DX back then and I now wonder how treasured some of those QSL cards might be – if I only I could find the folders and send a card first!
What first time DX memories do you have or cherish?
73 Col, MM0NDX @ DX-World
Main image: Young hams at LASA High School Amateur Radio Club, Texas.
I started shortwave-listening at the age of 15 (1968) using a TELEFUNKEN bajazzo de luxe portable radio with shortwave range of 49 to 19mts and a good working bandspread function. The main acticity was broadcast listening and reporting, so I started my nice QSL-collection. Around 1970 I heard my first amateur radio signals. At this time some stations were still using AM-mode!
But to here all stations now I had to buy a new special shortwave-receiver (TRIO 9R-59 DS) with BFO to listen to LSB-and SSB-signals. What for a new world!!
Very good ionospheric conditions allowed a rather simple reception from stations from all parts of the world; despite my simple indoor longwire-antenna. Well trained ears and enough time to scan the bands made this possible. Situation was: Receiver with analog scale, no internet help like DX-World or DX-Summit, no internt adress registers like QRZ.com.
At August 1971 I started to send out my first self-built QSL-cards directly (of ourse with SAE, IRC or GS!) to adresses given in the QSOs I heard or – the next useful investment – I could find them in the legendary “Radio Amateur Callbook”. Funny mixture to start: US-Canalzone, France, Malta, Suriname, Brazil, Sierra Leone, Isle of Man. I got very nice personal contacts by mail, some lasting for some years. And a another nice effect as stamp collector were the hundreds of interesting stamps from all over the world.
50 years later I am still working as SWL, morse-code and the lack of technical knowledge prevented to get a licence.-hi. For me it still is a fascinating hobby, although the bad ionospheric conditions and the electrical mist all around make recption more difficult as in the 70’s, especially when you can use only a small equipment (since 1985 YAESU FRG 8800 + indoor long wire).
Many thanks to all the stations who replied to my reports and made in this way my nice collection of 330 current DXCC and 570 IOTA possible.
73′
Dietmar , German SWL (DL-9753 B)
Two memorable early DX contacts. My first was working a VE3 as a novice. The second big one was working JA2GWY on 40 CW. I still remember that call, even though he’s no longer active.
Neither of them was really all that rare, but for a newly-minted ham, they were a thrill!
My first DX QSO & QSL was from PJ3AD on Aruba in 1961. I was in high school and really blown away. Not long after that John Glenn orbited the earth and things really got smaller. I have been chasing DX over 60 years and still thrill at the ability to work point to point with the far corners of the earth. I harbor in my head images of Stonehenge, The Eiffel Tower, the pyramids and crocks along The Nile. Sometimes the QSL cards exceed all my expectations. What a glorious hobby it is that preserves the feelings and excitement of youth in such a way! 73 & Long Live Amateur Radio, Hunt Turner – K0HT ex-W4ONA.
I started as SWL in 1970 being behind the “iron curtain.”Sadly, my old paper logs and QSL collection have been lost in fire, but I remember the first real DX I heard on 80m, it was 9Y4Z. And the first DX QSL was a beautiful card from YK1AA. One other remarkable thing was that a card from ET3USA made it’s way directly to my home mail box, not via box 88. Lots of memories from old good days.
73, Matt AF2F
In 1977 at age 11 I was gifted a 1 watt 27mhz cb handheld transceiver – its range was only about 500 metres on TX but I used to lay in bed fascinated by the fact that I could hear other 27mhz cbers in other suburbs – some as far as 5 or 6 kilometres away. This was my first taste of DX and I wanted more.
At age 12 I got an SBE SSB CB radio with power significantly boosted to around 10 watts and modified to TX from about 26.800 to about 27.800. These radios were illegal to buy and I still remember my father setting up the clandestine rendezvous with the radio seller in a local supermarket carpark with recognition established by flashing our headlights at each other.
I discovered that on the high part of 26 mhz I could actually hear and work New Zealand Cbers as for some reason ZL Cbers had been allocated this part of the band all away on their own. One morning whilst working the excitable Kiwis I had a very weak station call me – of course on CB callsigns gave no indication as to location – and the caller tried numerous times to spell out his QTH. After a few minutes the caller faded out and I rushed to my atlas to look up the place name he had doggedly conveyed. To my amazement I found that “Tenerife” was in the Canary Islands off the west coast of Africa. Little did I realise then that this qso would actually have been via longpath with about 3 watts of TX power into my rusty piece of pipe counterpoised against my metal roof as a rough 1/4 wave on 27 mhz- swr unknown – fed with a scrap piece of tv coaxial cable.
I had the dx bug and was licensed as a ham at 13 years old one year later.
Cheers
Paul – vk4ma
In February 1962 I had my novice license for 3 months. I could copy about 6 or 7 WPM. One morning I called CQ on 15m. Can’t quite remember the frequency of the Xtal I used. I got a reply but absolutely did not copy. I sent V??? The station called again. I thought it had to be a VE calling. I was wrong. The op called me again. And again. Slowly I put the call sign together VQ2W. I had no idea where the station was located. The very patient op gave me his name and location four or five times. I was very rattled but excited. When we finally ended the QSO I ran to my call sign directory and found the call was in Northern Rhodesia (which I then had to find on the map. A good geography lesson!). Months later the card came via the bureau.
VQ2W, Peter and I were friends for years. As a special kind of ham, he loved working novices and giving them the thrill of working DX.
Today, 60 years later, his QSL is the prize in my collection. All you young hams, save your QSLs. When you’re older you will remember those early QSOs and smile and relive the moments.
I got my license at age 15.
My first DX was QSO number 9 in my logbook. KA1FQD, Ben, in NH, USA on 10 meter CW in January 1981.
Since USA was not a rare DX for me after 2 months on the air, I did not jump up from chair when I heard a “K” station anymore – HI.
My first REAL DX:
I was tuning 15 meter CW in the early morning at 0530z on 3rd april 1981. I heard a station tuning several times on a frequency and then he stopped. I sent a “?” – and a “?” came back. I then identified with my callsign “DE LB2TB K” – and the other one answered “LB2TB de KH3AB K”.
Well, I went on with my “standard QSO” (I had that procedure on a piece of paper) – gave him his report “Ur RST is 539 539 539” – then “Name is Lars Lars Lars” – and then my QTH “Spikkestad Spikkestad Spikkestad” – HI. I then passed it over to KH3AB K.
He answered (very politely !) – “OK Lars, ur rst is 559 559 = My name is Bill Bill and my QTH is Johnston Island Johnston Island”. And he passed it over to me again.
I still did not know who I was talking to. I was just thinking “that must be an coastal island along the US east coast somewhere”.
Well – we finalized the QSO and “73 and tu”
It was later the same day, after school, that a ham friend of mine asked me if I worked anything special that morning. I told him about KH3AB… and a couple of UA9 stations on 15 meter – nothing extraordinary – HI.
Little did I know that I actually worked one of the rarest DXCC on earth ! – KH3, Johnston Island, is now number 8 on ClubLog Most Wanted list.
I got the QSL card !!!
73 de Lars, LB2TB
May 1969 – at that time I was in the army – I passed my examination from
licence class “C” (VHF only) to “A” and some days later I was allowed to
use the shortwave station of DL1OV with my new call.
Nice opening to Australia on 20m and I worked my 1st real dx in sideband
and was glad to get the confirmation from VK3ACD via the QSL Bureau
after some months.
Still keep this card in honor ……
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Nice idea indeed.
It reminds me of my early radio days when I used to be on air with my dad´s callsign. He didnt want me to do so as at the time I was at school having to study a lot (1979). My father had a very basic set up, Yaesu FT7A around 7/8 W output and homebrew wire dipole. That was all.
It was a late November evening in 1981 when decided to make a CQ as quietly as possible. It was right after my first CQ when received a reply from a station under callsign VP8ANT. I was at the moment not able to identify its location till the OM confirmed to me he was in Antarctica. I could not believe it.
That was my very first ever longest distance contact. It´s been over 40 years and still remember such exciting moments I lived.
Best 73s
Jose / EA5BCQ
My first ever HF QSO was in may 1995 with a HB9 station.
Still waiting for the QSL…
73 de ON5MF (ON4BCJ in that time)