With the upcoming and much anticipated 3YØK DXpedition to Bouvet Island due to start very soon (weather conditions depending), I thought it would be good time to go through the concept of working 'Split'
Operating 'Split' is something which understandably confuses many amateur radio operators who are new to the hobby. It's mainly used when stations are expecting large pile-ups, and you are likely to hear something like 'Listening Up 5'. Why is it used, and how is it used?
Before you start, it's really important to listen to the station before pressing that PTT button. Listen to a few QSOs and be clear what frequencies are being used for the split. Unfortunately it's often the case that experienced ham radio operators who should know better, don't listen first. Instead they end up annoying other operators.
When is it used?
Operating Split is commonly used during DX (long-distance) communications to manage large numbers of calling stations and reduce interference. In Split mode the operator adjusts the transceiver to transmit on one frequency and receive on a different frequency. With the other stations complementing this operational arrangement, the pile up chaos is reduced significantly.
How is it used?
Most modern radios have functionality to make split operation relatively easy. The Yaesu 710 & DX10 radios have a 'Clarifier' control, whilst the ICOM 7300 has a 'Split' control. There are lots of videos on YouTube to get you started.
There is a great tutorial to operating Split here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1787070508410564/permalink/2358948704556072/?rdid=jrPAOr5DDJuKOQpj#
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