How to Complete A QSO With A DX Station

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You have been searching for the bands, and you hear your first DX station. Here are some tips to complete that QSO.

First: Make sure you have the license privileges to transmit on that frequency. It is known that some DXpeditions will be in the extra or advanced sections of the bands to help reduce the size of the pileup.

Next: If you need to tune your antenna or amplifier, move off the DX frequency and tune elsewhere. DO. NOT. TUNE. ON. THE. DX. STATION.

After that, LISTEN.

Then LISTEN.

AND THEN LISTEN AGAIN.

if the DX station calls for certain call districts or certain countries, follow their directions. It is extremely rude to butt in when it is not your turn. Just simply wait for your turn. Most stations go back to calling CQ when they work everyone else in the pileup.

If you can not hear the DX station – DO NOT CALL. If you can’t hear them, how do you know they are calling you?

Typically, a DX station will handle QSOs like this:
Kilo Papa 2 Echo, you are 5-9.
…
Thanks, 73. QRZ – This is Papa 5 Kilo India Mike – Up 5!

After they stop transmitting, you are free to transmit. If they are calling simplex, that means you can transmit on their frequency. If they are calling ‘Up 5’ or ‘Up 3’, you will need to have your radio in Split to complete the contact. Try the link at the bottom of the page to find out what Split is.

If they call for a different callsign (other than yours, just wait until they say QRZ again or CQ. Don’t interrupt the QSO in progress; that may slow them down and take longer to get you in the log.

If the DX station hears you, they will say:
‘Whiskey Charlie 7 Lima, you are 59.’
To which you will respond with:
Roger, you are 59.
The DX station will say Thanks or 73 and then call QRZ. A DX QSO can be over in a matter of seconds.

If you are having trouble making contact with the DX station, try these few things:
Increase power.
Turn your antenna to face them.
If using CW, ensure you are sending at the same speed as the DX.
If using SSB, use the monitor feature to ensure your audio is not over- or under-driven.
Try again later when the pileup is smaller or when conditions improve. They may also switch to another band.