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Revised: 11-March-2007
One of the things that you'll hear DXers talking about is "tuning". This refers to a systematic method of scanning the ham bands and listening for new or interesting DX stations that may be on. Highly refined tuning skills are the hallmark of a good (and successful) DXer, and you will be happy to know that it is a skill that is very easy to learn. Although tuning alone can readily find DX stations, and we will discuss it as an independent method, it is important to emphasize that it is most effective when coupled with the use of two of the other DXing ingredients: information about DX operations and knowledge of signal propagation. We'll have more about these in other chapters. Also, check the References below for some of the "calendar" websites on which one can find information about upcoming DXpeditions and DX contests.
Today, many neophyte "DXers" (and some not so neo!) believe that tuning is a waste of time because now all one has to do is monitor a DX Cluster for DX station spots, and then pounce on the ones of interest. Before any more about Tuning, let's take a look at this. In the figure below one can see a screen snapshot of the spots appearing on the DXplorer feature of DXTelNet (by Fab, IK4VYX; see References).
The current worldwide system of reporting spots over local VHF packet nodes as well as via the Internet DX Cluster network, provides a wealth of instantaneous information to the DXer. The DXTelNet software also allows you to connect to any one of the many local packet clusters run by clubs or individual world-wide. In showing what stations are being heard and by whom, one can see how well signals are propagating; also, any breaking news will usually appear in the form of notes in the spots, or as "Announcements", another feature of the DX Cluster network. As an example, within minutes of its occurrence, worldwide DXers were among the first to know of the earthquake and terrible tsunami in the Indian Ocean on 26-December, 2004. At the time, there was a DXpedition to the Andaman Islands (VU4) in progress, and the VU4 operators began relaying the word of what they were experiencing. DXers hearing this immediately posted the info on the DX Cluster network for worldwide distribution. The figure below displays the results of a search of the DX Summit spots database for 2004 showing how the word first got out on 26-Dec-04.
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The use of station spotting among DXers is an old and acceptable practice that preceded the Internet by many years - using telephones and local repeaters, "spots" could be quickly distributed to the local DXers. In fact, "Needs" lists were - and still are - distributed among DXers indicating DX entities being pursued and the members' interest in being called (at any hour!) if someone should "spot" something on the list. Spotting stations for others is a large part of the fun of ham radio, and especially for DXers. The fun of being the first in your area (and occasionally the world!) to locate and "spot" a DX station on the bands is a thrill, and the availability of local and Internet-based spotting networks are invaluable aides to DXers. The practice of using "Needs" lists and the use of DX Cluster networks is highly recommended for all who are interested in chasing DX and is a very beneficial tool.
However, learning how to actually tune the bands and locate DX stations on your own without dependence upon "spots" is still an extremely important skill that must be developed if one is to become a successful DXer. Here a few reasons for this:
If you're wondering about "split" operation, it is discussed more in the chapter on "The QSO".
Here is a brief, very general, summary of the propagation characteristics of the HF and 6m bands, with suggestions about those segments in which one would most likely find DX. Some bands have a "DX window" where DX stations of general world-wide interest may call, usually operating "split", and all others are discouraged from using. Note that the information provided does NOT include the complete band plans or frequency allocations (see References).
| 1.800 - 1.810 MHz | CW, Digital Modes |
| 1.810 - 1.840 MHz | CW DX |
| 1.840 - 1.850 MHz | SSB DX |
| 3.500 - 3.520 MHz | CW DX |
| 3.580 - 3.600 MHz | RTTY |
| 3.700 - 3.800 MHz | SSB DX |
| 3.790 - 3.800 MHz | SSB DX Window |
| 5330.5 KHz | Channel 1 |
| 5346.5 KHz | Channel 2 |
| 5366.5 KHz | Channel 3 |
| 5371.5 KHz | Channel 4 |
| 5403.5 KHz | Channel 5: DX calling channel |
| 7.000 - 7.100 MHz | CW DX |
| 7.035 - 7.045 MHz | RTTY DX |
| 7.080 - 7.090 MHz | RTTY |
| 7.050 - 7.100 MHz | SSB DX (non-US) |
| 7.150 - 7.225 MHz | SSB DX (US) |
| 10.100 - 10.120 MHz | CW DX |
| 10.130 - 10.140 MHz | RTTY |
| 14.000 - 14.070 MHz | CW DX |
| 14.070 - 14.075 MHz | PSK31, & other digital |
| 14.080 - 14.100 MHz | RTTY |
| 14.100 - 14.150 MHz | SSB DX (non-US) |
| 14.150 - 14.275 MHz | SSB DX (US + non-US) |
| 14.190 - 14.200 MHz | DX window (SSB) |
| 18.068 - 18.100 MHz | CW DX |
| 18.100 - 18.110 MHz | PSK31, & other digital |
| 18.100 - 18.110 MHz | RTTY |
| 18.110 - 18.168 MHz | SSB DX |
| 21.000 - 21.070 MHz | CW DX |
| 21.070 - 21.080 MHz | PSK31, & other digital |
| 21.080 - 21.100 MHz | RTTY |
| 21.100 - 21.150 MHz | SSB DX (non-US) |
| 21.150 - 21.350 MHz | SSB DX (US + non-US) |
| 21.290 - 21.300 MHz | DX window (SSB) |
| 24.890 - 24.910 MHz | CW DX |
| 24.920 - 24.925 MHz | PSK31, & other digital |
| 24.920 - 24.930 MHz | RTTY |
| 24.930 - 24.990 MHz | SSB DX (US + non-US) |
| 28.000 - 28.080 MHz | CW DX |
| 28.080 - 28.100 MHz | RTTY |
| 28.120 - 28.125 MHz | PSK31, & other digital |
| 28.300 - 28.550 MHz | SSB DX (US + non-US) |
| 28.490 - 28.500 MHz | DX window (SSB) |
| 50.080 - 50.120 MHz | CW DX |
| 50.100 - 50.150 MHz | SSB DX |
| 50.100 - 50.125 MHz | DX window (CW,SSB) |
A final note about the bands: the 30m, 17m, and 12m bands, known as the "WARC bands" because they were allocated in the early 1980s by the ITU as a result of agreements forged during the 1979 Word Administrative Radio Conference (WARC; now called the World Radio Conference - WRC). These bands offer a great refuge for DXers whenever there are non-DX contests that may be causing disruption on the other bands because, as part of the allocation agreements, contests are prohibited in the "WARC" bands.
Here are a few tips on how and when to tune, along with a brief discussion about DX Nets and "List" operations, and some suggestions for tweaking weak signals.
First, there are two categories of tuning: general tuning, in which no particular DX station is in mind; and selective tuning, in which one is in pursuit of a particular station, entity, mode-counter, or band-counter.
Beginning DXers will be looking for any interesting DX station to add to the log, so the best approach is to employ the technique of general tuning, in which all sections of all of the bands are fair game at any available time that one has for ham radio. Learning to use this method is particularly important for beginning DXers in order to develop and hone the listening skills that will be useful in the future when, after working the most readily available DX, the pursuit becomes more selective. Here is a simple, point-by-point description of the general tuning technique:
When you find something of interest, begin planning how to make a contact, the techniques for which are discussed in the next chapter on "The QSO". That's it! Simple as it sounds, you will find that it does require considerable P.E.P.S.I. to be a good tuner.
After you have been at the DXing game for awhile, you will (1) begin to have a better "feel" for where and when to find DX, (2) have a list of "needs" showing the entities that you have not yet worked, and (3) will know of up-coming DX station operations of interest to you. At this point, you may well become more selective in your tuning. While the actual technique is the same as for general tuning, the way it is applied is different. The most frequent use of selective tuning is when information is available about the operating habits of a station of interest. For example, perhaps 5V (Togo) is on your "Needs" list, but despite all of your diligent tuning, you still have not yet heard any stations there yet. The reason may well be that there are no active resident hams. However, you come across a note in one of the DX bulletins about a VE operator who is expected to be active there for two weeks, beginning on 15 March. The blurb also mentions that the operator expects to concentrate on 20 meter CW. Although that is several months away, you immediately make note of it on your handy desk calendar, and continue your general tuning until the day before the operation is to begin. Then, on 14 March, you go into your selective tuning mode:
Depending upon the extent of the information that one collects about a particular DX station activity or the plans for a forth-coming DXpedition, selective tuning can be applied broadly (e.g., over many bands for several modes) or specifically (e.g., a single frequency, mode, and/or time). A notable case of the latter occurred when P5/4L4FN first became active from North Korea, a country in which ham activity had always been banned. After a pair of very limited operations by one of the icons of DXing, Martti Laine, OH2BH, in which a few hundred contacts were made as a demonstration of amateur radio activity, North Korea (P5) was officially added to the DXCC list in early 1995. The DXing community was ecstatic and anticipated an easement of restrictions on ham radio following these sanctioned demonstrations. However, much to our collective disappointment, this did not happen. Since P5 had been officially added to the DXCC list, that meant that anyone who did not work the limited operation (most of the world!) was now one entity short of having "worked 'em all". Despite many attempts by other notable DXers through the end of the decade of the 1990's, no further ham radio activity was allowed. Then, in November of 2000, without prior notice or fanfare, a station began to operate with the callsign P5/4L4FN. Despite the fact that many proclaimed this to be a pirate operation, the experienced DXers knew to WFWL! The operator, Ed, from the Georgian Republic (4L), said that he was with the World Food Program of the UN, and was operating from Pyongyang with a small transceiver and a wire antenna. He indicated that he was not a DXer; however, he soon began to respond more openly to the increasing pileups, trying to accommodate as many of the clamoring DXers as he could. Initially, the only activity was on 28.475 MHz SSB between the hours of 2200 - 0200 UTC. Although the frequency of operation changed to 21.225 MHz after a few months, and he also broadened his time of operation to include 0330 - 0630 UTC and 1100 - 1330 UTC, the tuning for this very rare DX station remained highly selective, generating huge pileups of thousands of stations calling simultaneously.
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When the operation was finally approved for DXCC credit in March, 2001, one could almost feel the heat of the joy that emanated from the DXing community! For many of The Deserving, it meant the Top of the Honor Role at last!
- DX Nets
Apart from tuning, there is another way in which some DX stations may be found and contacted, and that is on a HF DX Net operation. A typical HF DX Net meets regularly at a specified time and frequency for the purpose of attracting both local and DX stations to check in, giving each the opportunity to work one another, and it may also provide some useful DX information (see the chapter on DX Info Sources for access to DX net schedules). Note that there are both HF and VHF/UHF DX Nets. The VHF/UHF DX nets are local meetings usually sponsored by DX Clubs to provide a local on-the-air forum for discussion of DXing and for the dissemination of DX news, whereas the HF DX nets have worldwide participation. In this chapter, discussion of nets and lists will refer to HF DXing.
The usual procedure on a HF DX net is for the Net Control Station (NCS) to begin the net with some brief introduction, statement of purpose, and a summary of the net protocol. Regular check-ins are then taken, either by role call or area, and then the NCS calls for any DX stations to check in. If there are no DX stations, the NCS may proceed with some announcements or news, allowing time for stragglers to tune into the net. If there are several DX check-ins, the NCS will then ask whether anyone wants to make a "DX call", and will stand by to take down any stations, along with the DX station of their choice. In some instances, a relatively rare DX station will check into the net creating a pileup when the NCS asks if anyone would like to make a call. In such cases, the NCS will resort to the List Operation procedure discussed under pileups in the chapter on "The Contact".
It must be mentioned that the use of DX nets to work DX does not meet with universal approval all DXers. Many DXers feel that it is an un-sportsmanlike approach and should not be used. The reasons given are many; here are a few of the criticisms:
As with any of the myriad human endeavors, some of these criticisms are probably valid in some cases; however, it is highly doubtful that there is a DXer alive today that has not participated in some form of "DX Net" protocol at some time or other in order to work a needed station. Indeed, there have been several occasions in which a relatively rare DX station preferred to operate solely on DX Nets and could only be found there. This is usually due to a combination of factors: an inexperienced operator in a high-demand DX location who may not have a very good command of English, the de facto universal language of ham radio. Being a DX station, especially in a rare location, is not for the timid! It is patently unfair for anyone who has not been "on the other side" of a DX pileup to criticize a novice DX operator for using the assistance of a DX Net. It is also unfair to suggest that all DX Net activities are bogus or otherwise unacceptable. DXing, as a facet of ham radio, is a hobby. As in any hobby, the satisfaction provided is a personal thing that is to be judged by the individual and not the group. Therefore, those who enjoy the DX contacts afforded by DX Nets should be allowed to do so without rude commentary by others.
A final word on DX Nets must include this caveat: the number of DX entities that one can work in this manner is very limited in comparison to the methods of tuning that have been discussed. While you should certainly feel free to learn about and explore the available DX Nets, do not do so at the expense of developing your complete DX skills!
Often, the signal of most interest will be weak and "in the noise". Here are a few tips on weak signal reception for improving the Signal-to-noise ratio:
Switch the Automatic Gain Control (AGC) to Fast (preferred default for DXing), or turn it off.
If all of this fails to improve the reception of the signal that you know it is a DX station you need, then just wait and keep listening, because conditions very often fluctuate significantly in time, and the signal strength may build up enough for you to hear. Be ready to give a call and make the contact quickly, as improved conditions may last just for a minute or two, or even only a few seconds!
If you operate on CW, you undoubtedly noticed that you can change the tonal pitch of the received signals by using the "Pitch" control on the receiver, or by slightly changing the frequency. In the Equipment chapter, we will discuss Receiver capabilities, such as sensitivity and selectivity, that are important for DXers; but perhaps this is a good point to mention another aspect of signal detection that comes to play when we are tuning. It is that each person's hearing may be different, although we rarely appreciate this during normal everyday conversation. However, our aural sensitivity and selectivity capabilities are more of an issue when we are tuning for CW signals, and especially when we are searching for weak signal DX! In late 2006, Eric, K3NA, posted an interesting comment on the Topband reflector in regard to adjustment of CW pitch, that led me to draw the receiver analogies below. (See also his subsequent 2-part article, "Can I Hear You Now? Adjusting the Receiver Audio Chain", in the Nov/Dec 2006 and Jan/Feb 2007 issues of the National Contest Journal - www.ncjweb.com/; also check Eric's website at www.k3na.org/ for a future posting of the article).
We know that our hearing abilities result from the ear-brain system. Much like the specification of receiver capabilities, we can also categorize the key aspects of our human hearing system. Here are three that DXers may want to consider more closely (Note - the terms in parentheses are those used in audiology):
From this, we can draw these conclusions: (i) there is a band of tonal frequencies that are optimally perceptible to each of us; (ii) if we select the lowest tonal frequency within this band that we can readily hear (detect), it may be the best for CW tuning, as it will be most readily heard and suffer the least amount of blocking by nearby loud higher-frequency tones.
Usually, most of us will just defer to the manufacturer's default settings
for the pitch of a CW signal when the receiver bandpass is centered on the desired
signal, and that tone is generally 900 - 1,000 Hz. However, this may not be
the best setting for reception under difficult conditions. How does one determine
which tonal frequencies are best? Personal preference and experience usually
provides a pretty accurate selection process, but if you want to approach it
more analytically, the "Hearing & Speech Lab" at the University
of California at Irvine has a really interesting online test at www.ucihs.uci.edu/hesp.
Give it a try ... it may help you to work that really rare one some day! 
Thanks to Eric Scace, K3NA, for his comments and info for this section.
- WHEN should I do General Tuning?
The answer to this question is very simple: aside from all of the issues of propagation and/or prior information, the "best time" to tune is any time that you have a few minutes! Local sunrise and sunset can often provide good propagation conditions, so these should be prime times on your list. For the most likely bands and times, review the band-characteristics summary above, along with the chapter on Propagation, then begin to learn about your local propagation conditions as a function of the phase of the Solar cycle.
As a rule, make it a habit to try to tune for awhile before leaving home in the morning, or during lunch break if you're lucky enough to be home for lunch, or before and after dinner in the early evening, and finally just before bedtime. Begin on the highest frequency band for which you can hear any signals, working your way down through the lower frequency bands. If you're still unfamiliar with the characteristics of the various bands, review the chapter on "RF Propagation", and take a look at the info posted on the DX 101 website below. As noted before, the early morning/evening times within your grayline usually provide opportune propagation conditions, not only by short path, but also frequently by long path. Remember that even 15 minutes of tuning at peak propagation times can often be very productive, once you learn how to do it.
Plan on occasionally tuning during late evening-early morning hours, especially on the 40, 80, & 160m bands. For DXers in North America, late evenings correspond to dawn in the Middle East, Europe, and Africa, while early mornings cover times of sunset in the far-Pacific, Asia, and Australia. Whenever you are tuning, always keep in mind what time of the day it is in the far-reaches of the DX world!
Finally, when you begin to stalk particular DX stations, you will want to use the propagation prediction software described above to provide a guide for tuning times. When tuning for a particular station (or location), determine the times of the local sun-rise/set there, as these can also be prime propagation times from that location. For the path between your location and any specified DXCC entity, this type of software will estimate optimal times and frequencies, depending upon the level of solar activity on the days of interest.
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You found 'em, so lets make " The Contact "...