Sept 2026 Event

September 2026 Club Meeting – All about DXing

By Dave Christie, N5JEY
Meeting Date: Thursday, September 24th 2026
Time: 7:00 PM EDT
Location: Fayette County Emergency Operations Center
110 Volunteer Way, Fayetteville, GA

Presentation Overview
This presentation provides a practical introduction to amateur radio DXing—the art and thrill of making long-distance radio contacts across the globe. We will examine the core appeal of working rare entities, how space weather and ionospheric propagation dictate band openings, and how tools like DX clusters, reverse beacon networks, and propagation charts reveal precisely when and where to listen. From essential gear and optimized antenna setups to high-impact operating techniques and receiver settings for breaking through pileups, this session equips operators to pull weak signals out of the noise. Finally, we demystify the pursuit of the prestigious ARRL DXCC award, covering qualification criteria and the modern methods available to confirm contacts for credit, including Logbook of The World (LoTW) and traditional paper QSL cards.

About the Presenter:
Dave Christie, N5JEY, is a retired chemical engineer who worked for 44 years implementing computerized process control on oil refinery and chemical process units. Dave’s interest in radio was sparked in 1971 by listening to overseas shortwave broadcast stations on a Hallicrafters receiver from Radio Shack. He earned his Novice ticket in 1973 at age 25 and soon progressed up through General, Advanced and Extra Class.

One of Dave’s interests in ham radio is Emergency Service Communications. In the Emergency Service capacity he has been a member at various times of ARES, RACES, Civil Defense, and American Red Cross. Dave currently serves as an Assistant Emergency Coordinator for Fayette County ARES and supports many local field service and training activities. Activity is on both voice and digital modes such as Winlink, VarAC, and others.

In the realm of HF operation, CW is by far Dave’s favorite mode. He is a moderately active DXer within the constraint of HOA antenna covenants. In addition to membership in the Fayette County KK4GQ club and the Newnan Regional Amateur Radio club, he is a member of the Southeastern DX club. As of now, he has a total of 262 DX countries confirmed on mixed modes, with 204 on CW but only 40 on SSB. He has also worked all CQ Zones on both Mixed and CW modes for the WAZ Award.

Eating Before the Meeting
Join us for a social hour and dinner before the meeting begins!
• Time: 5:00 PM
• Location: City Cafe and Bakery
• Address: 215 Glynn St S, Fayetteville, GA 30214
• RSVP: Not required, but helpful for seating—email fcarcsecretary@gmail.com.

Club Business & Virtual Attendance
• 2026 Dues: If you haven’t yet renewed your membership for the year, you can do so at the meeting (cash/check) or online at kk4gq.org.
• Zoom Link: The meeting will be live-streamed for those unable to attend in person.
◦ Link: Join Zoom Meeting
◦ Meeting ID: 255 894 6756
◦ Passcode: 654863