Zone 41

Romeo Stepanenko was the most infamous DXpeditioner of all times. Spanning the years 1989 to 1996, this Ukrainian born radio operator managed to activate a number of extremely rare DX countries, some of which have been off air for decades. The list is long: Myanmar, Spratly island, Afghanistan, Iran, Syria, Libya, North Korea and Maly Vysotsky Island. Romeo was everywhere, entering countries, obtaining operating permits, making contacts. What was impossible to all other hams, it was a piece of cake for Romeo. He was celebrated as a hero, invited to every major hamvention, an honoured guest and everybody’s darling. But the fame was short-lived…

In 1996 after realising that many of his claimed operations were too good to be true, the ARRL declared him as a cheat: “After a review of all material available, the Awards Committee voted unanimously to disqualify Romeo Stepanenko from participation in the DXCC program.”

But the story does not end there. Based on information revealed by the U.S. Secret Service, Romeo, aside from his Ukrainian and Russian passports issued on the name “Stepanenko”, had been holding a few more passports: Estonian, Belgian, Greek, Guatemalan, Costa Rican, and United Kingdom, issued with the different names. He was arrested and extradited from Cyprus to the United States in March of 2004. Charged with 40 counts of wire fraud and trafficking in stolen credit card numbers, he was jailed that year.

It took almost ten years before he was finally sentenced in New York, to 18 years of prison.  

One could only imagine the consequences of confinement to a man who was a relentless traveller and adventurer. Even in jail he continued his ham radio adventure, issuing Jail-pedition QSL cards. Those hand signed individually numbered cards were sent as return cards to anyone who would ‘QSL’ him directly.

Romeo served his 18 years. On February 1, 2020 he was released, then escorted to an aeroplane jetway at JFK airport; on that same day he landed in Russia.

Is he on air now, as I type this? We can’t tell with certainty, though I’d bet my last cent he is.

Maybe you too have been away from ham radio for twenty or thirty years, contemplating a return.

Here is a list of six things which are significantly different today than back in your time.

1. RTTY is dead as a dodo. You can safely throw that HAL DXP-38 in the rubbish. It’s worthless.  

Apart from a CQWW RTTY contest which incidentally is coming in a week, no one is using this archaic, power hungry brute force mode.

Especially not DXpeditions.

2. 6m band is hot! Thanks to FT8 mode both committed and casual chasers are now able to take advantage of even the most marginal openings.

The legal 120W on digital modes is enough, but a decent 5 el yagi is a must. Built one of YU7EF’s design. Popa is my personal friend, and an internationally renowned antenna designer you can trust. We are approaching sunspot maximum and 6m band will remain attractive for at least next 3-4 years. Enough to work your 6m DXCC .

3. Remote is the future of ham radio and all the necessary technology for setting up a remote station is here. The days of suburban “Hills tower and a tri-bander” setups are long gone, never to be repeated. For a number of reasons: whether you live in Dubbo or Double Bay, your council will not approve any tower, of any decent height. And even  if they eventually do, such approval will take years off your life. It’s not worth it. Ironically, even if council does approve the tower, your next door neighbour won’t. The world has changed. Self entitled woke pricks are in charge of what is acceptable, what looks ‘appropriate’, and what is safe. Your neighbours will turn your enjoyment of ham radio into your worst nightmare. And they will win. Screw them, set your station hundreds of kilometres away, completely out of their sight, and enjoy the hobby in total privacy. No, it is not the same thing as physically sitting in front of your radio and tuning the VFO knob, but the low noise of a remote QTH will make the chase immensely satisfying.

4. Knob-less software Defined Radios are still struggling to establish themselves as a mainstream product. The majority of amateurs are slow adopters. The truth is, the past 20 years were still teething years. And finally, SDR technology is able to deliver what it has promised, so you didn’t miss much. Actually, you’ve arrived just on time.

5. Amazingly, many of your old friends are still around. Unfortunately, not on the air, but pursuing the hobby on social media. Especially those who never built their own gear, nor chased DX, nor won competitions. Amateurs who were always and predominantly interested in social interaction. To them, Facebook is a new frontier, a place where they can vent out, make a statement, be seen and heard, rightly or wrongly – it does not matter, as long as there is a like or a comment. A fantasy world which rewards the lowest denominator, where cynical trolls and self-important moderators reign supreme.

To get best of ham radio, you should focus on what radio used to be. Build, chase, win, improve your operating skills. And most importantly: be a good ambassador to the best hobby of all. Meaning – building new relationships with people who share your values.

6. In 2024, chasing DX is easy.

Some would argue – too easy. Thanks to the internet, chasers can trace DXpeditions in real time. Frequency, mode, last 30 calls worked, instant log search – it’s all there for our convenience. Where decades ago, a good expedition would log 20k contacts, today 120k contacts is not uncommon.

DX are everywhere!

(To be continued)