For those of you who have recently joined our Ultralight DX group and also for those who have been with us for the duration (since late 2007), we are honored to have you in one of the radio community's fastest growing groups!

Ultralight radio DXing is all about accepting the challenge of chasing distant radio stations with basic equipment, and relying on one's own skill and propagation knowledge instead of depending upon computer-controlled software for DXing success. YOU need to make the decisions about when to chase DX and what frequencies to check, and this forces you to learn the basics of propagation in order to have much chance of long range DXing success. Since you can only tune one frequency at a time, this also forces you to research which frequencies are likely to be the most productive, and choose those frequencies during enhanced (and very brief) propagation openings around sunrise and sunset. These are the keys to transoceanic DXing success with Ultralights, although they are also the key to success chasing long range domestic AM-DX, whether you are in North America, Europe or Australia.

For those who have recently joined there is an extensive 39-page review of the top Ultralight radios in the current market, with extremely detailed reviews of the XHDATA D-808, the Radiwow R-108, the C. Crane Skywave (Basic and SSB), the Tecsun PL-330 and the Tecsun PL-380. The radios' relative performance on MW (AM), FM, Shortwave and AIR bands is thoroughly reviewed, with MP3 links provided so you can make your own judgement. A technical review and final verdict is given for each model, describing each radio's advantages and disadvantages in the current market. This "2021 Ultralight Radio Shoutout" review is posted at https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/8y6855bnfmy45rnk46mzr7hb4pwjz8u8

For those who are technically inclined this hobby is a paradise, with Ultralight Radio enthusiasts leading the radio community in the design of FSL (ferrite sleeve loop) antennas, enhanced loopstick antenna transplants and ocean cliff transoceanic propagation research. The FSL antennas used by Paul in Alaska (and Paul in Australia) were designed here, as well as multiple XHDATA D-808, Pl-380 and CC Skywave "supercharged" portables with enhanced 7.5 inch (19cm) transplanted AM and Longwave loopsticks. A full construction article for the XHDATA D-808 upgrade loopstick transplant is posted at 
https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/5d0pi85jfptgmrj4pd0jsmaybgb6gteh
and the one for the Tecsun PL-380 is posted at 
https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/m10hxsm6eo6x8w9t4pbog1ohpqe2hrwz

If you are just starting out in AM-DX and want to know how to greatly increase your long range DXing results, the following article will describe all the expert technical tricks on how to boost your chances of success. Good luck!  https://dreamcrafts.box.com/s/kp487ahn3wm3dd7rkb6thvddyt7wixgb

73 and Good Ultralight DX,
Gary DeBock (in Puyallup, WA, USA)
Ultralight DXing Group Co-Founder