The following is the whole text from an email recently sent to be by
Steve Birkhill, G8AKQ, who is perhaps more widely known for his
professional SAT TV work than his amateur radio. He has asked for the
information to be posted widely and so here it is on the newsgroup ...

Peter, G3PHO

.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. ..


Dear All,

For some time now I've been considering the launch of a Web forum
('message
board') specifically for DX enthusiasts, but spanning the wide range
of disciplines this embraces, including radio and TV amateurs,
broadcast engineers and listeners/viewers, satellite enthusiasts,
space communications professionals and radio astronomers.

Today I'm writing and sending this to a short-list of 40 names,
selected either because we're acquainted (or have been in years gone
by) or because of their pre-eminence in one or more of the fields to
which I'm dedicating the forum. This is a one-off, as I'm not in the
spam business, and I hope none of you will consider this an intrusion.

I have set up the categories and boards in the experimental forum to
include at least one in which you might have an interest. In those
where I have any significant personal or professional background, I've
posted an introductory message summarising this.

Naturally, as I'm only launching the forum today, all the content so
far is my own. Please don't let this (either the fact or the content)
put you off! My intention is that this be a place of information
exchange, discussion, debate and argument on anything to do with
electromagnetic wave communication, especially using experimental or
unconventional modes or techniques. Once it develops (if it does) a
momentum of its own (which of course depends on you, the 40 invited
pilot members) I intend to take a back seat and let it run itself. To
this end I will in due course be looking to appoint moderators for the
various boards making up the forum.

To make it work, I need you to visit the Website, browse around,
decide whether it has potential, and perhaps post your own message. If
you intend to post or to start a new thread you must first register as
a member: it needs no more than an e-mail address, which will be held
in strictest confidence. But mainly, if you like what you see, I need
you to tell your colleagues and contacts about the forum and urge them
also to visit. Please feel free to publicise the forum in your column
or journal, and place a link on your Website.

Use the forum however you wish, within the broad scope of the 'rules'.
You should regard it as flexible: if some of the boards don't work out
I'll delete them; if we need to reorganise, I'll do that -- I may have
got everything wrong. I have no axe to grind -- it's a totally
non-commercial, non-profit venture for the benefit of members. If
nobody comes I'll quietly close it all down and do something else. But
for now you can find the new forum at:

http://www.dx-forum.com

Just one request: this is a spare-time project for me, a person
normally considered as having a negative amount of this quantity. If
you all reply to me saying what you think, making suggestions or
telling me I'm wasting my time, I just won't be able to cope. At the
very least you'll think me rude for not replying. So please, if you
have comments or questions post them in the forum itself, for all to
see. If it's something specific that needs my input, I'll respond
there.

Hope to see you in the DX Forum!

Regards & 73

Stephen J Birkill (G8AKQ), DX Forum administrator