Letter from the TBDXC President, Petr OK1RP
Dear fellow DXers,
It is my pleasure to write to you and welcome you once again to the True Blue DXers Club.
This initiative is barely a week old, and has already attracted great support, together with – inevitably – some controversy. As I write, we have gathered as many as 273 members. In just over a week, we think this is a remarkable success and makes us optimistic about the future.
Any controversy seems to originate in people misunderstanding (or wanting to misunderstand…) what the Club stands for. In this respect, let me remind you once again that the TBDXC has NOTHING against FT8 or other digital modes, nothing against those who are using them and, especially, NOTHING against Joe, K1JT. The TBDXC applauds technical innovation, and we are glad that so many people have found a new way for their amateur radio passion.
Rather, the Club was created to bring together like-minded Amateurs who may feel that their ethos and approach to DX communication is dying off in the wake of the “digital revolution” brought about by FT8. Given the level of enthusiasm the Club has triggered in only its first week of existence, this is obviously not the case. Practically, the aim of the Club is to a) to promote the use of radiotelegraphy (CW) and radiotelephony (SSB) in long-distance communications on the amateur bands; and b) to encourage the continuous improvement and refinement of the human, personal skills needed to do so.
Our programme of work for the next few weeks includes:
1. Setting the club’s meeting frequencies
2. Promoting regular CW/SSB on-air nets
3. Developing the CW/SSB Award program
4. Finding ways to support beginners to develop top on-air operating skills.
Changes happen almost daily (frequencies have been set, for instance, and both the schedule for on-air nets and the first awards to be offered by the Club will be announced very soon). Therefore, you have to check the Website www.tbdxc.net regularly, as all updates will be published there.
Also, if the Club is to continue to grow, we count on your support for
spreading the word” amongst amateurs who share our passion for person-to-person, long-distance amateur radio communication.
The vision for the True Blue DXers Club is to be a point of reference for the values we stand for, and to create a platform where like-minded hams can recognize each other and gather. In essence, the TBDXC is a group of people who take care of the Ham Radio legacy. We have our own way to do that – some may call us “traditionalists” – and therefore we have a clear identity. DXing is our lifestyle and we stand up for that.
Thank you again for joining the Club and for reading this letter. You will only receive occasional emails from us – please refer to the website for news and updates.
77 and Long Live DX!
Petr Ourednik OK1RP TBDXC #12
PS: 77? What is 77? The “77” at the end of a QSO is the special feature True Blue DXers share on the air in order to cast out their identity. It originates from repeating twice the letters T (like True) and B (like Blue) in Morse Code, sent continuously, in the tradition of those prosigns used in the practice of radiotelegraphy. Hence, the T (-) and the B (-…) are sent straightforward like a 7 (—…), becoming the way True Blue DXers salute each other in CW and SSB, wishing either good luck and a lot of DX!
