Topband: K4M, FT5GA, et al

[William Hein]

At what point did DXing become The Special Olympics (everybody gets a  
gold medal)?  I sense a growing DXer entitlement mood that 'everybody  
deserves to work everything.'  This attitude makes me ponder WWWD?   
(What Would W1BB Do?)

I abandoned HF DXing several years ago.  It became too easy,  
especially with Megapeditions and Packetcluster, and my motivation  
waned.  Point, click and log.  I now satisfy my DX jones with MF  
(160m) and VHF (6m), two bands with inscrutable propagation where I  
nor anyone else (except 'ZV on Top Band one of these days) will ever  
work them all.  I can happily spend the rest of my life chasing DX on  
160 and 6 and never run short of challenge.

I don't mean to denigrate the Special Olympics (a wonderful  
organization doing brilliant work) nor the hams that put forth the  
time, money and energy to participate in the Megapeditions and indeed  
the low band operation from some of these big DXpeds has been  
astounding.  I just want everyone to remember how much fun it is to  
work the lone ham wandering the world on a sailboat who is in a tent  
on the beach running barefoot to a wire strung up in a palm tree and  
who doesn't have pilot stations, DX net 'helpers', and so on.

Back to WWWD - what would W1BB do today?  Would he be grateful for  
every single Q made by any DXpedition on Top Band and thrilled any  
DXpedition dedicated any time whatsoever to a low rate, noisy and  
unpredictable band (time is money, especially on a Megapedition)?   
Stew spent 60 years promoting 160m DXing and it took him decades to  
achieve 160m DXCC #1 - What would Stew think indeed and shouldn't we  
all be a little bit more like Stew?

Since I'm also a VHF fanatic allow me a shout out to SK Fred W5FF, 6m  
DXCC #1, and Dave W5UN, 2m DXCC #1.  Their DX efforts were  
painstaking, revolutionary, pioneering and inspiring.  In this hobby  
we stand on the shoulders of giants and its worth remembering and  
respecting the accomplishments of ops like these and value how they  
achieved same.

Disclosure -- I was the 160m op on XR0Y in 1995.  It was great fun  
giving DXers, especially in antipodal EU, a new one on TB.  It was  
also great fun being in an exotic locale with so many talented  
operators and interesting people.  The Battle Creek Special worked  
great and CEOY has wonderful propogation (thank goodness because it's  
not close to anywhere).

73,
Bill

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William Hein, AA4XT ex-NT1Y ex-AA6TT

mobile:  +1 (615) 967-1226
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