CHASING DX CQ DX Feb2025
Chasing DX CQ DX CQ DX…
DX Editor: Tony DiCenzo, KX1G, KX1G@ARRL.NET
Announced Top-100 DXPEDITIONS scheduled in January 2025
| DATES | ENTITY | CALLSIGN | QSL INFO | INFO |
| Feb 11-18 | Cocos Keeling #62 | VK9/W5EIT | LoTW | By W5EIT from West Island; HF; CW FT8, perhaps RTTY SSB |
| Feb 11-23 | Marshall Island #97 | V7 (TBD) | QSL via DJ4MX | 60-6m; CW SSB RTTY FT8; 4 stations |
| Feb 18 – Mar 4 | Christmas Island #69 | VK9XU | Via DL2AWG; LoTW after 6 months | 500w; 3 stations, 24/7 |
Also expected in February: Rwanda, Turks&Caicos, Senegal, Anguilla, Cape Verde, St. Helena, Bahamas, Togo, St Pierre&Miguelon, Sint Martin, St. Martin. For the latest info check Announced DX Operations https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html
Stay tuned for results of January Chasing DX Contest
While the results of the January Chasing DX contest won’t be official until February 7th, the last day logs can be submitted, I can report that there is a fair amount of interest in the contest. I will share with readers that at least one member has already worked the 100 DXCC entities as I put this column together in mid-January! All will be revealed and awards of the ‘I’d Rather Be Chasing DX’ coffee mugs will be made at the February TARC meeting. Stay tuned!
February DX Contests
https://www.contestcalendar.com/contestcal.htm
Feb 15-16 ARRL DX Contest CW – If you are a CW operator this is the Big one! (The SSB contest is March 1-2)
- Feb 1-2 European Union DX Contest
- Feb 8-9 CQ WW RTTY WPX Contest
- Feb 21-23 CQ 160-Meter Contest, SSB
Answer to the Question of the month for January
The question for January was A simple but important question this month:
You have a choice of tools to use for Chasing DX. Which have you found the most valuable?
The response to this question was immediate and plentiful. Gratifying to see that chasing DX is really catching on in the club. The other thing of note is that there are plenty of tools that DXers can use, many that are relatively new but effective. They include:
- Grid Tracker for FT8/4 digital
- Ham Alert
- DX Summit
- PSK Reporter
- CC User (DX Spotter by VE7CC)
I leave it to you to check them out and find the tools best suited to your DXing efforts.
I will add just one additional comment mentioned by every responder. The tools can help you locate active DX stations. But when chasing a DX station it pays to listen, listen, listen. Determine if the DX is working split. If it is, find out if it has a pattern to selection of stations to respond to and then throw your call in where you think it will listen next. You may not have a strong signal in comparison to the big guns, but your chances for success will increase significantly.
Question of the Month for February 2025
285 DXCC entities were activated in 2024. BUT it is believed that 55 were NOT …. 18 in Africa, 9 in Asia, 3 in Europe, 6 in North America, 13 in Oceania, 6 in South America, and one (1) in Antarctica.
What was prefix of the Antarctic Entity that was NOT activated in 2024?
(Chasing DX would like to thank Joe Reisert, W1JR, author of the 2024 DXCC Year-End Review, for the data used to formulate this question).
Got a suggestion/question for Chasing DX?? Please send it to KX1G@ARRL.NET.
73! KX1G