Sun. Dec 3rd, 2023

DXing, taken from DX, the telegraphic shorthand for “distance” or “distant”, is the hobby of receiving and identifying distant radio or television signals, or making two-way radio contact with distant stations in amateur radio, citizens band radio or other two-way radio communications. Many DXers also attempt to obtain written verifications of reception or contact, sometimes referred to as “QSLs” or “veries”.

The practice of DXing arose during the early days of radio broadcasting. Listeners would mail “reception reports” to radio broadcasting stations in hopes of getting a written acknowledgement or a QSL card that served to officially verify they had heard a distant station1. Collecting these cards became popular with radio listeners in the 1920s and 1930s, and reception reports were often used by early broadcasters to gauge the effectiveness of their transmissions.

Although international shortwave broadcasts are on the decline, DXing remains popular among dedicated shortwave listeners. The pursuit of two-way contact between distant amateur radio operators is also a significant activity within the amateur radio hobby.

In essence, DXing means listening to far-away — usually foreign — radio stations. Listening to your regular hometown station is not DXing, but listening to a similar station thousands of kilometers away, outside the normal coverage area, is DXing. The term DX is most often explained like this: “D” is said to mean distance, and “X” refers to the unknown

By 26 DT716 Steven

As one of the the News Editors for The Delta Tango DX Group. I would like to encourage you to share your expertise with the rest of our community. Writing articles or creating videos that highlight your experiences and knowledge can be an excellent way to give back and assist others who are just starting out in the hobby. We are more than happy to publish any articles or content you create on our Network News Pages. So, don't hesitate to share your insights and help us all grow together!

One thought on “What is DXing”
  1. What can I say, I simply love Dxing even if it’s just across the neighboring countries in my case 30 Division or even 106 Division which are both very close to the 55 Division, it’s all about having great QSOs with other fellow radio operators, obviously, a big plus when we all qso with members from other countries which we haven’t worked before as we say, or even when we copy once again radio operators we have qso before which sometimes it can even be years when you or we copy them again, as this is one of the wonders of our great hobby.

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