Welcome to 14DA033 Laurent
July 18, 2010 by Darren
The western France commune of Saint-Lyphard in the Loire-Atlantique department is home QTH to accomplished eleven meter DXer 14DA033 Laurent, the newest face in the Dx Adventure Radio Club (DA-RC).
Through previous associations with his former clubs (Fox Radio, Florida Alfa Tango and the Zolou Kilo DX Group) 14DA033 Laurent has carved out a reputation as being a DXpeditioner of some note, with many successful ventures in the field to diminutive French Isles and lighthouses on far-flung coastlines, as well as a long list of Mills also.
In 2006, for example, Laurent teamed up with both 14DA161 Dorota and 14DA058 John (then with Fox Radio) for an activation of Hoedic Island off the south coast of Brittany in north-western France as 14FR/AT-017 (See bottom right).
In 2009, Laurent also took to the shores of delightful Bacchus Island for a DIFM activation as 14ZK/AT-139 and later from the 220 year old Pointe du Scal/Vilaine lighthouse as 14ZK/FRA-602 (See left).
In addition to achieving the DXpeditioner classification for DA-RC membership, Laurent also qualifies in the DX Chaser category with 160 DXCC worked and confirmed to his name (See http://www.delta-alfa.com/about/become-a-member/ )
Laurent’s interest in radio communications is far deeper than his love for hunting DX, participating in contests on 11m, exchanging QSL cards and a thirst for IOTA, IWI, MILL and SOTA adventures. In fact, he has a number of sub-interests in the hobby which include radio engineering, scanning and HIFISSB audio which occupy his time!
When he’s not behind the Behringer studio microphone of his Yaesu FT-450 in his home shack or out DXing in the field, 14DA033 Laurent enjoys trekking through bushland on hills and mountains and spending time with his extended family which also includes a couple of much loved dogs.
On behalf of the DA-RC Team, welcome to the club, mate. We hope you enjoy your membership with us and make many new friendships 
Welcome to 14DA041 Jean-Claude
July 9, 2010 by Darren
The Dx Adventure Radio Club (DA-RC) is pleased to present to you its most up-to-date member from central France who is 14DA041 Jean-Claude.
Previously identified on the eleven meter band with the callsigns 14SD581, 14DR581 and also with the Golf Tango DX group as 14GT041, Jean-Claude has worked and confirmed an astonishing 260 DXCC and 305 islands in his time in the hobby and easily complies with the DX Chaser classification for DA-RC Membership!
One of France’s well-known and popular radio operators, 14DA041 Jean-Claude resides in the capital of Loir-et-Cher department, Blois, which is situated on the banks of the lower river Loire between Orléans and Tours. In addition to an 18th century stone bridge which spans the Loire, as well as its winding and steep pathways which run which through Jean-Claude’s city, this beautiful QTH is famous for the Château de Blois, a Renaissance château once occupied by King Louis XII, which is located in the centre of the city. The royal castle of Blois is not only one of the most prestigious Renaissance monuments in France but also a brilliant illustration of the evolution of the French architecture from the 
Middle Ages to the 17th century.
“There are some local castles to activate,” says JC, “I will try to do some Castles On The Air (COTA) activities for the DA-RC. Of course, I’m very interested to contact all the other DARC activities on the air also!”
When he’s not in the radio shack chasing DX from behind the mic of his Kenwood rigs or working DX from the field, the club’s freshest face from continental Europe enjoys spending time in the great outdoors by the banks of the Loire Rive with a fishing rod in hand. By all reports, the Loire River which is regarded by many as the last wild river in Western Europe, is a major salmon fishery for France The fast or slow-flowing waters of the Loire river are Jean-Claude’s favourite spot for tackling trout, tench, carp, pike and sea mullet, which during the summer swim back up the river as far as Amboise.
“I’m glad to join a stable and friendly group where the HQ is really independent and not a dictatorial HQ,” reaffirms JC. “I want to do radio for the pleasure and not more else — like other DA-RC members!”
On behalf of the DA-RC HQ Team and everyone involved with the club, welcome Jean Claude. We trust you will enjoy your time in the future with old and new mates and be a valuable addition to the DA Family in so many ways
Welcome to 91DA002 Andi
June 30, 2010 by Darren
The diminutive Indonesian island of Bali (OC-022) is home to the DX Adventure Radio Club’s newest member who is 91DA002 Andi. A distinguished and experienced Dxer, Andi’s home QTH is the delightful Balinese city of Denpasar on the southern coast of the island, a city famous for its white sandy surfing beaches such as Kuta, Legian and Canggu Beach, as well as its beautiful Balinese handicrafts which include artwork, pottery, textiles and silver jewellery.
Previously recognised on the eleven meter band as 91SD202 and a renowned “big gun” on the amateur bands, DA-RC’s first member in 91 Division qualifies for membership via the DX Chaser classification with 284 DXCC and 150 IOTA worked and confirmed to his name over a hobby career spanning almost 30 years.
Having carried out a couple of Islands On The Air (IOTA) activations himself for his former club Sugar Delta (e.g. Bali and Nusa Penida Island) in the early 2000’s, Andi also meets the requirements for DA-RC membership via the DXpeditioner classification we well!
At 5632 km², 91DA002 Andi’s picturesque island QTH is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Southeast Asia and is renowned for its highly developed arts, including dance, sculpture, painting, leather, metalworking and music. According to the atlas, it is located in the westernmost end of the Lesser Sunda Islands, lying between Java to the west and Lombok to the east and is one of the country’s 33 provinces, not to mention a prize catch for any serious IOTA Chaser.
In addition to antenna and propagation theory, rag-chewing, military comms, SWL, contesting and chasing international DX from the comfort of his own island station, 91DA002 Andi enjoys going portable in the field from locations such as the Jimbaran Hill where he has previously participated in the now defunct WWRO Field Day almost a decade ago. He also enjoys the challenging domain of QRP (operating at low power) and is a previous Indonesian Coordinator for the Radio Papa QRP DX Group.
When he’s not logging overseas stations in radio comms on 11m and other ham bands, Andi likes to escape to the Balinese seascapes near his home city to do some fishing. Here dogtooth tuna, amberjacks, ruby snapper, golden trevally, wahoo, spanish mackerel, blue marlin and many other species of fish are always on Andi’s hit list and make great eating!
Of course, like with many of us, these relaxing recreational activities are regularly interrupted by employment and often take a back seat to Andi’s work at the Hard Rock Hotel in Bali as an Audio Visual Supervisor. There he also looks after the rock bands which travel to and from the island and manages other important functions also.
At a different pace is Andi’s third love which is collecting definitive and commemorative postage stamps. Having RX thousands of QSL cards from all around the world, Andi has accumulated quite a wonderful collection of stamps over the years too. No doubt he will continue to do so with his new 91DA002 callsign and as a valued member of the Dx Adventure Radio Club!
Welcome to the DA-RC Team, Andi. It’s great having you among us
Welcome to 11DA011 Alvin
June 26, 2010 by Darren
The main island of Puerto Rico in the north-eastern Caribbean Sea, east of the Dominican Republic and west of the Virgin Islands, is home to the Dx Adventure Radio Club’s newest member whom is 11DA011 Alvin.
11DA011 Alvin has been involved in radio communications since 1979 when he inherited a Panasonic RF-2200 SW radio from his father. In 1987 he became a licensed radio amateur and continues a strong interest in HF/SSB DX, HF packet, SSTV and SWL radio communications (broadcast stations DXing, pirates and utilities), as well as antenna theory, all types of DXpedition work, portable/field DXing and more!
A previous member of the well known G.R.I. Alfa Tango Club (ex-11AT011), Alvin joins his new club via the DX Chaser classification with more than 200 DXCC worked and confirmed on eleven meters. He was also part of the 299AT0 DXpedition team which activated the small uninhabited island of Desecheo Island in 1992 and has carried out an IOTA activation of his own island as 11AT/NA-099 thus qualifying him for the DXpeditioner classification also.
Away from the world of radio communications, Alvin’s interests are diverse to say the least. To make up for hours of radio shack ‘down time’ spent behind the microphone of his various Yaesu, ICOM and Kenwood rigs (e.g. FT-747, FT-901, FT-840, IC-706 MKII, TS-440S), DA-RC’s newest member enjoys keeping fit by jogging the streets near his home, the challenge of long distance road cycling, and mountaineering and backpacking through the rugged mountains and thick forests of his island.
Located in the tropics, Puerto Rico has an average temperature of 28 °C throughout the year with temperatures which fares well for a couple more of Alvin’s main passions which are diving and spear fishing. As well as hunting fish in the ocean’s underwater kingdom, 11DA011 Alvin likes to collect old spear guns and spear fishing books. He also likes to scuba dive with vintage scuba equipment!
On behalf of all DA-RC members, welcome to the club, mate. We look forward to hearing you on the band soon and working your nice island station, as well as hearing stories of your many adventures in the Puerto Rico countryside!
Welcome to 14DA244 Jose
June 14, 2010 by Darren
The DA-RC World HQ Team is delighted to broadcast that popular European DXer 14DA244 Jose is the most up-to-date affiliate of the Dx Adventure Radio Club.
Jose, whom is DA-RC’s most recent inclusion into the Directory compiled by 14DA115 Muriel, resides in the Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray commune in the Seine-Maritime department in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.
Also a member of the famous Fox Radio (FR) and International Radio (IR) Clubs as 14FR244 and 14IR244 respectively, and a previous member of the Thracian Rose Radio (TRC) Club as well, Jose is looked upon as one of the most proficient QSL Managers in the eleven meter dx community, supporting many of the world’s popular dx events (e.g. FR MOTA Festival and the old WWRO Islands Festival and Filed Days) and providing an efficient service to the world dx community in general.
Jose has also worked as his former club’s activations manager, making decisions on the merits of proposed DXpedition work in accordance with his club’s DXpedition guidelines.
In addition to the Leadership Category in which Jose meets the criteria for membership with DA-RC easily, the club’s newest face also qualifies under the guise of DX Chaser with 180 DXCC confirmed and also in the DXpeditioner category with adventures in Lighthouse On The Air (LOTA), Islands On The Air (IOTA) activities in his DXer’s resume. In 2003, Jose and his FR team mates, for instance, activated the Antifer Lighthouse located atop the cliffs west of Étretat with the callsign 14FR/FRA221. In the same year the team activated the Brighton lighthouse (Cayeux) under the callsign 14IR/FRA-232 too which proved to be a very fashionable event.
An ICOM man, 14DA224 Jose is also ultra experienced in the area of regional and special event stations (SES), having undertaken numerous activities to commemorate D-Day, as well as his own Department 88. Still inside the realm of radio comms and Jose’s interests extend further into the area of Military Communications, summits On the Air (SOTA) and Inland Water Islands (IWI) DXing and meeting friends who share the same passion during activations and/or at hamfests.
Away from the hobby and Jose enjoys caravanning and photography and is often able to combine these favourite past times with his main hobby…DXing.
On behalf of your new club, welcome Jose. Enjoy your new Delta-Alfa callsign!
Welcome to 45DA007 Nemanja
June 6, 2010 by Darren
The Republic of Serbia, a landlocked QTH at the crossroads of Central and South-eastern Europe, covering the southern lowlands of the Carpathian basin and central part of the Balkans, is home to the Dx Adventure Radio Club’s newest member who is 45DA007 Nemanja.
Nemanja, or Nemo as he is affectionately know, hails from the Municipality of Sombor, which is known for its wealth of greenery and rich culture of many interesting buildings and cultural institutions.
One of Europe’s best known and respected DXers and one with more than 15 years experience in the hobby, Nemo joins DA-RC via the DX Chaser and DX Leadership categories respectively. (See http://www.delta-alfa.com/about/become-a-member/) In addition to being a former Country Coordinator, QSL Manager and Activations Manager for his previous club Sugar Delta, 45DA007 Nemo is also experienced in the area of regional activations, having completed successful field activations of the Vojvodina region (e.g. Srem, Banat and Bačka) in the past.
In the realm of eleven meter band communications, Nemo is keen on exchanging QSL cards, rag chewing, Inland Water Islands (IWI) DXing and contesting. On the subject of contesting which is popular amongst most DA-RC members, Nemo finished in 3rd place in the 2009 SD European Contest — a terrific achievement indeed. He also enjoys ham radio comms and listening to short wave radio broadcasts when the conditions on eleven meters are not conducive for good dx.
When he’s not behind the microphone of his Dragon SS-497 transceiver driving out big signals through his Sirio SY-4 yagi antenna (See pictured), DA-RC’s latest member in EU likes sweating it out on the sporting fields of Sombor where his main game is soccer. Nemo also keeps fit in the luxury of his own home gym, sculpting his muscles for regular trips to the ocean with his YL (See pictured).
You can also find him crashed out on the couch in front of the television watching his favourite tv show Only Fools and Horses which is a popular British television sitcom made and broadcast by the BBC.
On behalf of the HQ Team and Members, welcome to the club, Nemanja. It’s a pleasure having you in the team!
Welcome to 14DA214 Marc
June 5, 2010 by Darren
Team France has been boosted with the recent membership of 14DA214 Marc from the Hettange-Grande commune in the Moselle department in Lorraine. This QTH in north-western France is located close to the borders between France (14 Division), Germany (13 Division) and Luxembourg (54 Division).
A current member of the Delta Quebec DX group and formerly associated with the famous Florida Romeo International (FRI) DX Group, Marc joins DA-RC via the DX Hunter category with over 100 Divisions worked and confirmed on 11m under his belt.
The club’s newest member in Europe has many rich and diverse interests in the radio communications hobby which demand his time and attention. In addition to an attraction for Lighthouse On The Air (LOTA) and Islands On The Air (IOTA) concepts made famous by the Amateur Radio Lighthouse Society (ARLHS) and Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB) respectively, Marc is a keen HF contester who has his sights set on some of his new club’s competitive DX challenges and bagging himself some great prizes.
On the topic of IOTA, Marc is already involved in dx adventures with his new callsign, commencing a week long holiday DX activity from Jersey island (EU-013) as 167/14DA214.
In the ham ionosphere where he spends a large amount of his time, Marc enjoys chasing DXCC, digimodes APRS, scanning, UHF/VHF radio and propagation theory.
Like many DA-RC members, 14DA214 Marc also enjoys taking to the field for portable DX work on ham and 11m frequencies. Here he prefers the Antron 99 by US company Solarcon or his own system of elaborate wire antennas which have been carefully tested over many hours.
Outside of the realms of radio comms, Marc enjoys chillaxing with a guitar in hand and listening to music or surfing the web for music and radio websites to update his material. Perhaps the creation of a soundtrack for his new club is not out of the question hihi!?!?!?
On behalf of all DA-RC members, welcome to the club, Marc. We hope you will enjoy using your new Delta-Alfa callsign and make many new great mates in the hobby.
Welcome to 69DA961 Jorge
May 22, 2010 by Darren
The Dx Adventure Radio Club (DA-RC) is pleased to introduce its most recent member from Central America…69DA961 Jorge (or ‘Jo’ as he likes to be called).
Previously recognised on the eleven meter band as 69XX001 and indeed one of Costa Rica’s most adept DXers, Jo joins DA-RC via the DX Chaser classification (See http://www.delta-alfa.com/about/become-a-member/ ) with well over 200 DXCC scalps to his credit.
Furthermore, Jo is also a veteran ham and field-station operative with a bundle of impressive achievements in this domain to his credit, including world long path records.
69DA961 Jo’s QTH, the Republic of Costa Rica (69 Division), is bordered by Nicaragua (126) to the north, Panama (24) to the east and south, the Pacific Ocean to the west and south and the Caribbean Sea to the east. Jo resides in the province of Alajuela, the birthplace of Juan Santamaría whom is the national hero of Costa Rica. Alajuela is also the home of one of Costa Rica’s two most successful football clubs, Liga Deportiva Alajuelense.
According to our club’s newest member, “It’s a prime DX location for openings with North and South America, as well as the Pacific area too!”
In addition to being ‘DX friendly’, Costa Rica is also considered by many in the know to be the ‘greenest country in the world’ thanks to initiatives by the local government to make it wholly carbon neutral by 2021. It’s no doubt then that DA-RC’s Emissions Offset Project (See http://www.delta-alfa.com/da-rc-projects-2/carbon-emission-offset-program/ ) and the club’s efforts to offset all DXpedition airline travel will appeal to Jo’s environmental sensitivities.
A proud Kenwood man whose radio shack consists of a Kenwood TS-140s transceiver and large yagi antenna, Jo also has an intense interest in the ham inspired area of Power Amplifier Theory (PAT).
Away from the microphone and burgeoning antenna farm in his backyard, though, 69DA961 Jo is committed to charity work and local community fundraising initiatives involving helping orphans. In fact, much of his time is spent contributing to the betterment of humanity.
In addition to ham and 11m radio communications, Jo is a passionate motorcyclist who enjoys riding his bike around the Alajuela countryside whenever time allows. In fact, bike rides through the Coastal Mountain Range and alongside the great Río Grande River allow him to escape the often disheartening situations encountered in his employment.
“When in the radio hobby, I like to work DXCC, hunt IOTA and also special call stations on 11m,” explains Jo. “I work 27.555 MHz USB and also monitor 27.385 MHz LSB…”
On behalf of all DA-RC members and the World HQ Team, welcome to the club, Jo. We’re sure you’ll develop many new friendships with your new Delta-Alfa callsign and look forward to not only hearing your station on the band soon but also speaking with you on some of the other DA-RC forums.
Welcome to 2DA155 Rod
May 1, 2010 by Darren
2DA155 Rod is the Dx Adventure Radio Club’s newest member from North America and it’s with great pleasure that we welcome him to the group.
An experienced amateur radio operator with an extensive list of accomplishments in the ham world over a period of 20 years, Rod also enjoys a love of eleven meter DXing and has been a frequent voice on the various 11m call frequencies (e.g. 27.555 MHz USB, 27.385 MHz LSB, etc.) for more than 3 decades.
2DA155 Rod’s QTH is the early 19th century town of Camden in the state of Delaware which is located in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States (2 Division). The second smallest state in area after Rhode Island and home to the prominent Dover Air Force Base, this diminutive US state is one of the most sought after DX entities of its kind on the eleven meter DX landscape.
Like many other DA-RC members, Rod’s contribution to his local and world community is admirable. As a ham, Rod has lead emergency responses to hurricanes and earthquakes in both the United States and Europe. Indeed these efforts have helped save many lives and lessened the hardship for thousands of people touched by natural disaster.
Away from the hobby, in fact, Rod maintains a career in the US Military where he teaches emergency communications using voice/data/ale, as well as antenna and propagation theory.
“After 30 years in the military, however, I can’t wait to retire and do some travelling to places where people like me and don’t want to shoot me 
,” he says with tongue firmly in cheek. “Maybe retire to a mountain top location and chase DX fulltime!”
An owner of no less than four Harley-Davidson motorcycles, including a legendary Fatboy which is often described by Harley enthusiasts as the “big dog on the road”, 2DA155 Rod also enjoys taking to the open road with his wife and family or kicking back at his Kent County home chillaxing to blues, rock & roll and country music.
Still on the topic of high adrenaline motorsports and Rod also drags Ford Mustangs — a pastime which his 7 grandchildren no doubt find breathtaking to watch also!
In the radio communications hobby though, DA-RC’s newest member balances his time on 27MHz behind the microphone of no less than five 10m transceivers. These include the RCI-2995DX, the Galaxy 2547 and Galaxy Saturn Turbo, the RC-I2980 and RCI-2985. As well as a Mars Station and PSK-31, Rod’s radio shack bench-top also plays host to a collection of other rigs such as the Kenwood TS-440 and TS-430 and the FT-856 and FT-847 by Yaesu. All rigs are set up with RWI Interface too and are backed up with solar power!
“In the air for 11m,” explains Rod, “I have a 3 element hf yagi and a 10-30 log periodic which I’m going to try out very soon..!”
No doubt then that we’ll all be hearing lots more of DA-RC’s latest recruit when the band is open with the Americas and lining up for one of Rod’s new 2 Division QSL cards!
Welcome to 43DA379 Jim
March 21, 2010 by Darren
The Dx Adventure Radio Club is pleased to present to you 43DA379 Jim who is our latest addition to the team in Australia. A previous affiliate of the Thracian Rose (TRC), Victor Lima (France) and Delta Tango radio clubs respectively, Jim is one of 43 Division’s most practised and respected DXers and comes highly recommended from existing members such as 43DA162 Brett, 43DA021 Brian and 43DA225 Frank.
Joining DA-RC via the DX Chaser classification with more than 50 Divisions worked and confirmed to his credit (See http://www.delta-alfa.com/about/become-a-member/ ), 43DA379 Jim possesses a nice station which consists of an IC-718 by ICOM with a vintage Turner microphone which gets great reviews by all reports, a Uniden Grant (his old fave) for use on the citizens band, a Werner Wolf 5 element yagi for chasing international DX, and a Sirtel 5/8 wave vertical antenna for local comms.
43DA379 Jim’s home QTH in the Land Down Under is Park Holme. This is a lovely suburb of Adelaide in the City of Marion, South Australia with a population of just over 2000 people. Flanked by the Sturt River, the inner south-western suburb of Park Holme is within a brisk gallop of one of Adelaide’s racecourses, Morphettville, and is famous as being the home of one of the country’s leading Swim Centres.
Outside of the radio communications hobby which has been a major part of his life for the past 35 years, Jim enjoys spending time with family and playing Play station with his grand children. One of Jim’s passions is also listening to music and he is an avid collector of old records and tapes which he picks up as bargains from the local markets or second hand dealers.
“In the time available to me on radio,” says DA-RC’s newest face in OC-001, “I will promote the DA Club and its members as A1 class in Australia and overseas. I have many friends who are also members so it will be nice to join the team and use the callsign…!!!”
On behalf of the World HQ Team and everyone associated with the Club, welcome to DA-RC Jim. We trust you will enjoy making many new friendships within the Club and love using the call when chasing DX on the band.
