By Gus Browning, printed in 73 Magazines in 1965-08 reprint by PA0ABM Gus Browning story, Part 04 Preparations. In planning my first DXpedition one of the first problems I faced was getting equipment to use- I had been told by lots of fellows that getting equipment for a DXpedition was very easy, Well, maybe it's easy for some fellows but in my case it was not. I wrote a nice letter to every manufacturer I knew of telling them my plans. Only one bothered to answer my letter! That was the equipment I took with me and it must have been good gear because I had no trouble with it at alL I began to write letters about then to the fellows who said they had spare bedrooms for visiting hams, I mean to tell you I really wrote letters, getting telephone numbers, street addresses, and directions as to how to find their homes • I also wrote many letters to the licensing people in many countries too. Let me add right here I have found that this (in my case) is not the best thing to do— it gives them too much time to read the fine print in their regulations. To this day I think the "out of a clear sky" approach is the best— don't even give them any warning that you are on the way* In fact, it's best to not tell anyone where you are going, because then someone will try to beat yoii there, or foul you up! I was in a lucky position that I had a good partner with me at our broadcasting station. Things were going smoothly (as smoothly as they usually go at a BC station) and it was OK for me to stay away from my station any reasonable length of time. It would operate all OK whether I was there or not. My wife had her own radio and TV shop with a good technician working for her. All the children were out of school and one or two of them were about to get married. My wife had given me the Official Nod. (I told you I had one out of a thousand wives— didn't I?) The news of my DXpedition was really getting around by this time. The "LW" gang helped lots (14050 KC-Sundays at 1300 GMT) Oh yes, let me tell you how W5UX and I organized this ""LW" net. I had always heard about these big city 2 meter and 6 meter DX nets— I think most of them have one by now, I once made a trip to Philly to visit my in laws and found out about that big club meeting there, I sneaked into their meeting and sat down in the back row where it was dark. I heard the trial of one of theii- members. Up on the platform were the club's secretary, president, vice president, and a few of the club's officials. After reading the minutes of the last meeting, calling the roll, and discussing other run-of- the- mill business, they called one certain ham up to the platform to be tried. They first asked him if he were at home the past Tuesday night, He answered yes. Then they asked him if he worked a VR3 that night at about 3 am. He said yes, he had. Then they asked him if his 2 meter DX net station was in working order— he said no. Then they asked him if he had a telephone. He answered yes. They asked if he had his list of the club members who needed VE3 and he said yes. Then they asked him why he did not telephone the boys who needed VR3, and he said his telephone was in his bedroom and he did not want to wake their baby. They asked him if he had ever read the by-laws of the club about having the telephone placed where it could be used anytime day or night without disturbing anyone, I think his answer to that was that he was planning on having it moved to a better location in the house soon. Well, I think it was a $50.00 fine given to him. Right then I said to myself, boy, us fellows in small cities just don't have a chance to work lots of good DX with clubs like this being organized like they are. When I got back down to South Carolina I gave lots of thought to how to overcome our disadvantages of not having a big club and all their members to act as our ears for alerting us fellows in small towns across the USA. I had a QSO with Bob and told him that we fellows in towns with no DX 2 meter nets should get organized. I suggested that we start a 'Lone Wolf" (LW) DX club and for us to meet every Sunday. So the LW got going— this was a number of years ago—and it still is going strong. For a DXpedition to understand the problems the USA gang faces in working DX, [ think it's the best training in the world to chase DX from the USA for a number of years. Then you see how things go with them and bear the problems that they face when working DX. Anyone not living in the USA just can't picture the sounds of kilowatts QRMing each other, or understand how eager most of the gang is to work DX, They can never understand the strength of those KW's when we have short skip. they can't picture the competition between the fellows. They just don't know how badly a DX station can get covered up with QRM especially if the DX station is in the USA portion of our phone bands. All of this knowledge has helped me to see how a DXpedition should be run, especially when the W/K's are coming through . It's even good to know of the 2 meter net boys alerting each other when something good is coming through. The odd part is that many of the DX stations don't realize that they have the situation in their control— if they will control things right! Danny Weil (VP2VD) taught me lots about handling the pile-ups and I think old Dick (KV4AA) taught Danny! I have heard so many DX fellows trying to handle things the wrong way that I made up my mind that I most certainly did not want to make their mistakes. I will admit some of them don't show "good bringing up" and they do get downright dirty at times, but I figure it's all in the game. You know the old saying, "all's fair in love and war and chasing DX" With me it's no holds barred, do what you want, von can't make me mad and I won't Black List you either. Course I just might not "hear you"! hi hi. And if I work you, your call might not get into the log, and then no QSL and that's bad! You will be surprised how fine 99.99999% of the fellows are though. When the news really gets around that you are going on a DXpedition, you begin to get lots of mail Everyone tells you where to go, how to operate, what frequency to use, to listen for them. Some fellows offer you things to take along with you, some fellows suggest what medicines to take with you. You can make all the plans you want when you are sitting down in your office or at home, but when you get to the rare spots, all of your plans seem to change. Things just don*t work out like you thought they would. A lot of the time you just have to go along with the wind. Lots of fellows asked me if I had ever traveled much and I told them I once drove to Mexico and had also driven to Niagra Falls on my honeymoon. Then they asked me if I had ever been out at sea in a boat. My answer to that was a flat no— but I was sure I would not get sea sick-- They usually answered "Brother, you have a lot to learn" or something like that, I was pretty sure that I could control things OK at sea because I had too much at stake to do otherwise— and to this day I still believe what I said! I even believe that I can control myself with mild sickness too* You have just gotta say to yourself— ''Look here, you cannot afford to get sick." And if you really mean what you say, you just won't get sick— or at least you can pull yourself out of it before it gets you down. Things were coming along nicely on my DXpedition plans. Buck W4TO over in Atlanta, told me he would be glad to handle the QSL cards and would assist with funds. In fact, we both put money in the bank. Buck matched what I had and said he would see if he could get some contributors lined up in case their help was needed- Buck did a very splendid job in keeping me going too. It's very rough to get over-seas and have to worry about your funds running out on you. Before you do anything in the line of a DXpedition, get rid of your money troubles and worries. Stay home if that problem is not solved, unless you are filthy rich I After a number of meetings with Buck I was ready to depart— I wanted to get going. But there were a number of things I had to do yet. For instance, I had to get my passport, and visas for the countries I wanted to visit. Don't ever mention the word radio or radio amateur to those Consulates in Washington, because they will tell you they will have to write to their home government to get your visa approved. Just tell them you will be a tourist. Tell them you want to buy— BUY— lots of pretty things in their country (they like that word BUY) and you will be surprised how fast you get your visa. Act like you have no money worries at all (that was hard for me to do). At last I was all fixed with visas, all my clothes were packed (much too many too), my little address book was in my pocket, my little money was changed to Travelers Checks and my health card was OK. I had the little electronic keyer W3KVQ had built for me and that fine paddle, Sandy W5AZB had made. The equipment was to be shipped to me in Amsterdam. Even a getting- together date was arranged, to meet Lee W0AIW, Mike W0MAF, and Mac W0UQV in Nairobi. We four were going to VQ9 land together. I could see a lot of interesting developments in the wind. The BIG ADVENTURE was about to commence. I was going to be on the other end of the DX pile ups, and I was going to see some of the world and meet some of the DX fellows I had been talking to all these years. When the plane left New York at 4:30 pm 1 decided I would let my wrist watch just stay on E.S.T, I found that Cokes were free on the plane, so I more than drank my share, I saw other people on the plane sleeping, but there was none for me. I guess, I was excited too much and had too much on my mind to think about sleep. I just kept drinking Cokes and watching my watch and at 1:30 (by my watch) the sun came up. I said to myself, boy, that sure was a short night. The plane came in and landed— I was in PA0 land! Immediately I took another plane for Hamburg, Germany and then I was in DL land. Things were going just fine with me, no trouble with Customs at all (Boy I had a lot to learn)! I was met at the Hamburg Airport by DL6ZZ— good old Brother Gus, whom I had QSO'ed many, many times and his nice XYL-Helene. Just like I had told him 1 would do, I ran up and planted a big kiss on Helene, I think they were both surprised when this happened, because people over there just don't run around kissing people at airports. Over the air Gus had used almost perfect English, but when we met in person I found that I really had to talk very, very slowly for him to even almost understand me. Gus and Helene went all out to treat me very, very good. They wanted my stay in Hamburg to be a memorable occasion. It seemed like we were always eating and drinking at their house. The best darn sauerkraut I had ever had, and boy, those German weiners were out of this world, (Here in Bhutan where I am now, I do good to even get yak meat. Oh yes, we do have yak butter tea a few times each day— I guess just to keep the taste in your mouth—and let me tell you, that taste sure sticks with you a long time after you have had a cup of that stuff— hi hi). Gus evidently had taken a few days off from his work just to show me around. We went everywhere in Hamburg, which is a very nice city. I met many of Gus's and Helene's friends and many of his relatives. All of them were real down to earth kind of people and very friendly. Of course, at each house we had to be served coffee and cakes, and even at times a Coke would appear, Gus had two sons, one away in the army and one at home. The one at home had a very pretty girl friend who I got to sit on my lap and we took a picture of that. This picture was discussed at length with my XYL when I got back home— I mean it was discussed and discussed, and a little hard to explain I must say. (Boys, be very careful of those pictures you take!) After staying with Gus and his family about 5 or 6 days my allotted time finally ran out, and it was time for me to depart. The time was much too short and I would have liked to have stayed much longer, because 1 was having such a nice time. They asked me where I was going when I left, and I said East Berlin— that did it! Helene cried and Gus tried his best to discourage me going there- He told me all kinds of things that might happen to me and said it might even be a one way trip! But I told them I had promised some of the boys in East Berlin that I was going to visit them and that was what I was going to do regardless of the consequences. I told them I was not afraid of anything that anyone would do to me. I had not done anything to anyone and I was no spy. Against their better wishes they finally more or less gave in. Then they asked me how was I going to get to East Berlin and I said by train, since it was the cheapest way and the cheapest way was all I could afford. This brought tears in the eyes of Helene again. They told me that I should not go by train because the train has to run nearly all the way from Hamburg to Berlin through East Germany with police all over the place and everybody suspecting almost everyone of being a spy. All this time, I was telephoning Amsterdam Airport daily asking them if my equipment had arrived there from New York. Up to the day I departed for Berlin it had not arrived, which probably was best or I might have had it with me when I arrived in Berlin, and then the fun would have started sure enough. Gus-, Helene, and their son came down to the train to see me off. They were not happy seeing me leaving for East Germany, After the train left the Hamburg station it was not long before it stopped and the West German conductors and train crew along with got off the train J and the East German officials the immigration officials got off the train, and of course their Police and special officers took over the train and it was under their jurisdiction from then on, until the train arrived to the border of West Berlin and East Germany. They gave me the eye any number of times. [ was asked why I was going to West Berlin ind what business I had there. My answer was always "I am a tourist, and I want to see as much of Europe as possible".' They really went through my little suitcase, even looking in the pockets of every garment. At every stop along the way they made every passenger getting off the train show their identification pass and a few questions were asked if each person with a nod or two from the official asking the question. Police were everywhere at each stop along the way, I was it last seeing a police state in operation. Sometimes two or three of their Police would look at me and say something to each other, I was a little concerned about this and I wondered what would happen before I got to West Berlin. Here was old Gus in the middle of Communism— these fellows did not smile at all. What was in store for me? — Next month, boys— Gus