Actually that's why I'm careful. I don't give out my call sign  unless I
trust the person. I guess I'm over careful but I choose to remain safe.

-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of John Miller
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 2:01 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Wild DX Contact

you don't need Google anymore for that, it's right on QRZ I believe. These
days, I'm not so sure that is a good thing. Sometimes I think I missed out
not being a ham, or even alive back then.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phil Scovell" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 4:42 PM
Subject: Wild DX Contact


> My Famous Japanese 10 Meter sideband Contact
>
> I don't think I've told this story before.
>
>
> This was back in 1970 when I was a senior in a public high school.  I 
> = went to school half days because I only needed one credit to 
> graduate so = I took three classes just in case but left at 11:30 
> since my first class = was at 7:30 in the morning.  So I spent my 
> afternoons working 10 meter = DX with a 3 element triband yagi up 
> about 25 feet and had a blast.  = Japan, back then, had 4 levels of 
> ham tickets and the novice version of = their listen was 10 watts on 
> 10 meters only.  I worked hundreds of = Japanese stations over the 
> years, probably thousands, and after 40 years = plus of DX operations, 
> I wouldn?t be surprised if I had close to a = million DX contacts if 
> you add up all the DX contests and all that I = worked.  Anyhow, 10 
> meters had tons of Japanese operators since that was = the low powered 
> novice band.  It wasn?t unusual to work a 10 over S9 = signal from 
> Japan, running 10 watts, and a 10 element, wide spaced, huge = 10 
> meter mono band beam.  So keep that in mind as I tell this humorous =
story.  You had to be there.
>
> So it is mid afternoon.  I drop down to about the bottom 10 KHz of the 
> = 10 meter phone band, swing the beam around to the northwest, and 
> call CQ = on side band.  A Japanese station calls and I answer.  Now, 
> keep in mind = that I have never been very good with foreign accents.  
> That?s probably = why I like CW DX more than side band.  Anyhow, this 
> guy is running 10 = watts and a big beam and is S9 into Denver.  He 
> starts asking me = questions, which I can?t seem to understand, but 
> not wishing to be rude, = I ask him to repeat and repeat and repeat.  
> First, he asks what city.  I = tell him Denver but had to make him 
> repeat his question about 10 times.  = Then he gets it across, after 
> several repeats, do I really live in = Denver or a suburb.  I got it 
> so I said, Lakewood, which I had to spell = a couple of times using 
> phonetics, of course.  Then he asked another = question which I didn?t 
> understand so he repeated it a half a dozen = times until I realize he 
> was asking for my address.  Oh, good, I think.  = He wants to QSL 
> direct.  I give him my address.  Fortunately, it is all = numbers 
> except for the word West 6Th Avenue.  Then he asks another = question 
> which takes several times before I figure it out.  His question = was, 
> what is your cross street.  Boy, that was a difficult one to = 
> understand for me, too.  I told him the cross street was Car, spelling 
> = it, like you drive.  You understand?  He comes back, happy as he can 
> be, = and says, Oh, so good.  I have map.  I see exactly where you 
> live on = map.  Is this ok, and he repeats my address and cross 
> street.  Wow, what = a dedicated ham.  Of course, now, guys just pull 
> up google and focus on = your house from the sky.  Sort of takes the fun
out of getting to know = someone from another country.
>
> Phil.
> K0NX