The beauty of the chase

There is something magical in the fact that for a DX chaser, there is always something to chase. You can get up at 3 o’clock in the morning or turn the radio on at midday – there is a DX out there waiting for you.

For the past few days, many of us are busy chasing Pista, HA5AO. A Hungarian fellow who with nothing better to do has embarked on a three-country-solo-expedition to Africa.

Currently in Zimbabwe, operating as Z22AO, with activity from Zambia (9J2AO) and Botswana (A25AO) to follow.

Pista is a cool dude; a well seasoned DXpeditioner and traveller. This year he is celebrating 50 years of being a licensed amateur radio operator. But this solo trip is going to be a true challenge: loaded with 92Kg of gear, he will be doing it all by himself: travelling, setting up stations, making thousands of contacts around the clock. This is an extreme challenge, both physically and mentally to even an athlete in his prime, let alone for a 73 year old veteran. Just travelling through rural Africa is a challenge in itself.

So when you see him on the air, spare a moment to try and put yourself in his position. Contact with HA5AO is not just a ‘new one’ or merely a new box to tick; it is the result of significant effort, where all the hard work has been done not by us, the chasers, but the man who is madly in love with this hobby of ours – the best hobby of all.