*MEET* 23DA2210 Dain

Keen fisherman, Freeband DXer, and aspiring ham…

In the North Atlantic region, our Dx Adventure Radio Club (DA-RC) is honored to introduce to you 23DA2210 Dain from the vibrant West Indian country of Jamaica.

A dynamic DX Hunter on the eleven meter band, with ambitions to be one of the leading DX Hunters in the Northern Hemisphere, 23DA2210 Dain (Seen pictured above left) connects with our club via the DX Hunter category on July 1, 2022.

[See: https://www.delta-alfa.com/about/membership/]



On the world map, 23DA2210 Dain’s striking island QTH — Jamaica — referenced as NA-097 in keeping with the World IOTA Program — is located southeast of the Gulf of Mexico and 630 km north-east of mainland Central America.

The third largest island in the Caribbean Sea, this pocket-sized island DXstination is part of the chain of Caribbean islands called the Greater Antilles, along with Cuba (NA-015), Hispaniola (NA-096), and Puerto Rico (NA-099).



Known as the “birthplace of reggae music,” Jamaica offers travelers a treasure trove of natural jewels and a colorful African vibe.

Golden sandy beaches, lush, green mountains, turquoise seas, fish-swarming coral reefs, rainforests, and rivers are just some of the 23DA2210 Daid’s island’s enviable natural assets.

While Jamaica’s colourful culture — which embraces music, festivals, dancing, art, craft markets, and more — dominates it’s identity, the country is also home to some unique wildlife.



Bird watchers, for instance, enjoy the 250 bird species that can be seen on the island, including 26 birds that are found nowhere else.

Jamaica’s national bird is the beautiful streamertail hummingbird, or “doctor bird.”

Shown right, it has long tail feathers and a scarlet bill.

The vervain, the world’s second smallest bird is also found here.

Pictured above, this tiny hummingbird is only 8 cm long.



An interesting fact about Jamaica is that it’s home to the endangered Homerus swallowtail, the largest butterfly in the Western Hemisphere.

Seen pictured above, its wingspan is 25 cm, which makes this insect larger than many of the island’s birds.



23DA2210 Dain’s home is Montego Bay, the capital city of the parish of St. James.

Sometimes referred to as “The Second City”, “MoBay” or “Bay”, this city is a popular tourist destination featuring duty-free shopping, a cruise line terminal and several beautiful beaches, golf courses and resorts.

Built between 1775 and 1782, the St. James Parish Church is noted as the grandest church in Montego Bay, with the amusement park at Walter Fletcher Beach provides a contrasting source of entertainment for the younger generation.



Montego Bay is known as the best place for snorkeling in Jamaica, especially the popular Doctor’s Cave Beach.

23DA2210 Dain will also tell you that the Bay is a great space for fishing, which is one of his favourite pastimes.

“I catch yellowtail, grunter, amberjack, bonefish, barracuda, grouper, wahoo, tuna, mahi-mahi, marlin, and barracuda you name it,” he says.



23DA2210 Dain’s DX weaponry includes a 4 element yagi and 3 element yagi for different portions of the 11m band, erected high above his home on the streets of MoBay.

On his radio shack benchtop, a modified 148 GTL COBRA CB radio with a standard handheld microphone provides simple DX functionality.

This classic rig possesses a public address, built-in SWR, single side band (SSB), dynamike boost, noise reduction (NB/ANL), RF gain, and tactile controls that make it one of the best ever radios of its kind ever made.

23DA2210 Dain’s TX oomph is enhanced with the addition of a Yaesu FL-2000B which enables him to apply the blow torch to international DX.

This classic amateur HF all-mode linear amplifier has a maximum power output on SSB of 2000 watts (PEP).



Always with an eager ear to the transceiver, 23DA2210 Dain monitors the Caribbean chat frequency 27.515 MHz LSB which is dominated by operators from the likes of Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Antigua, Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Trinidad and Tobago.

He also enjoys chasing the Americas skip on 27.385 MHz LSB where he’s developed quite a following from island chasers in the country’s 52 states.

The DA-RC’s beautiful 23 Division QSL card is available to confirm any contact made with 23DA2210 Daid’s station with standard contribution of $3 US + SAE.



QSL INFOS

DA-RC HQ OC ● PO Box 3140 ● Browns Plains LPO ● Q Australia ● 4118