Interest Groups
High Frequency Distant Communications (HF/DX)
Perhaps the best-known facet of amateur radio's many facets is the pursuit of world-wide communications with radio waves.
Despite the achievements in radio's first century of higher frequencies, satellites, computers, digital modes, and other advances, the original fascination with making world-wide contacts by sending radio waves through ever-changing atmospheric conditions has not diminished.
The allure of the DX (long distance) chase may come from its complexity.
All radio communications are affected by solar "winds" and other radiation-related influences of the sun, but DX communications especially so - in fact they depend upon them.
Influences ranging from the daily day/night rotation of the earth, through to the sun's eleven-year cycle of maximum-to-minimum solar activity, change radio's ability to communicate over long distances.
YRARC's DX-interested members are often knowledgeable about the sun and the various indexes of its activity, and about weather, and about annual variations in atmospheric conditions, all of which "open up" parts of the world under certain conditions, and make them difficult to hear under other conditions.
"DX-ers" also often have an advanced understanding of antenna theory, sometimes creating their own experimental antennas to improve their worldwide reach, and sometimes building sophisticated stations with antenna tuners, amplifiers, and other equipment.
However DX does not require such sophistication. Part of the fun for many amateurs comes from making DX contacts with a very low-powered radio and a well-placed piece of wire for an antenna (it's called "QRP" operating).
The aim of all of the amateur's knowledge and equipment is to make contacts. Some do it to meet people from around the world, others do it in contests or in other ways just to prove their abilities, but all do it for challenging fun.
There are many facets to the amateur radio hobby, and this is but one of them. The best way to become active in this fascinating world is to join a club like ours, learn through training and shared knowledge, trade/borrow/buy the equipment you need, and start trying it out!
For more information, come out to one of our meetings or contact us via our Contact Us page.
