DX Century Club
Encyclopedia
The DX Century Club, or DXCC, is an amateur radio operating award
earned by making contact with 100 or more geographic entities around the world.
The award is granted by (and a registered trademark of) the American Radio Relay League
. Radio amateurs worldwide are eligible to apply although applicants from the US, its possessions and Puerto Rico must be ARRL members. Proof of two way contacts, either in the form of QSL
cards or via digital entry into Logbook of The World
(LoTW), must be submitted to qualify. Each DXCC award certificate is dated and individually numbered.
As amateur radio grew, achievement awards for working several distant places were developed. As early as 1926 the International Amateur Radio Union
started issuing the Worked All Continents
certificate. In 1934 R/9 magazine began the Worked All Zones
award. The ARRL started to examine the issue in 1932 and, after considerable work to determine what a "country" was, presented its criteria in 1935. The first DXCC certificates were awarded in 1937, but the system was suspended during World War II
. A new start began when American amateurs returned to the air on November 15, 1945, and the program has continued since that time.
The basic certificate is awarded to those amateur radio operator
s who successfully complete and confirm amateur radio
communications with land based amateur radio station
s located in at least 100 different entities on the DXCC List.
Entities are often, but not always, countries
. Each entity contains some definable political or geographical distinctiveness. For example, although Hawaii
is not a separate country from the United States
, it is a separate DXCC entity due to its distance from the rest of the US.
amateur radio contact using the radio bands or transmission modes called for in the award rules. Mode-based awards are Mixed (any combination of modes), Phone (radiotelephone
), CW (radiotelegraphy
), RTTY (radioteletype
), and Satellite (see OSCAR
). Single-band awards are issued for 160 meters, 80 meters
, 40 meters, 30 meters, 20 meters, 17 meters, 15 meters
, 12 meters, 10 meters
, 6 meters, and 2 meters.
As of October 2011, there are 341 entities on the current published DXCC List. The most recent additions to the DXCC List were the four arising out of the former Netherlands Antilles
, which were added on October 13, 2010., and South Sudan
on July 14, 2011. Another 60 entities are also listed and marked as "Deleted", although count for credit if worked while still in existence. Examples in this group include former countries such as Czechoslovakia
and extinct colonial areas like French West Africa
.
), CW (radiotelegraphy
) and RTTY (radioteletype
).
), CW (radiotelegraphy
) and RTTY (radioteletype
).
.
Amateur radio operating award
An amateur radio operating award is earned by an amateur radio operator for establishing two-way communication with other amateur radio stations. Awards are sponsored by national amateur radio societies, radio enthusiast magazines, or amateur radio clubs, and aim to promote activity on the amateur...
earned by making contact with 100 or more geographic entities around the world.
The award is granted by (and a registered trademark of) the American Radio Relay League
American Radio Relay League
The American Radio Relay League is the largest membership association of amateur radio enthusiasts in the USA. ARRL is a non-profit organization, and was founded in May 1914 by Hiram Percy Maxim of Hartford, Connecticut...
. Radio amateurs worldwide are eligible to apply although applicants from the US, its possessions and Puerto Rico must be ARRL members. Proof of two way contacts, either in the form of QSL
QSL
QSL is one of the Q codes used in radiocommunication and radio broadcasting. A Q code message can stand for a statement or a question . In this case, QSL? means "do you confirm receipt of my transmission?" while QSL means "I confirm receipt of your transmission". Some also take it to mean "Query...
cards or via digital entry into Logbook of The World
Logbook of The World
Logbook of the World is a web-accessed database provided by the American Radio Relay League to implement a contact verification service among amateur radio operators. Using LoTW, radio amateurs can claim and verify contacts made with other amateurs, generally for claiming credit for operating...
(LoTW), must be submitted to qualify. Each DXCC award certificate is dated and individually numbered.
As amateur radio grew, achievement awards for working several distant places were developed. As early as 1926 the International Amateur Radio Union
International Amateur Radio Union
The International Amateur Radio Union is an international confederation of national amateur radio organisations that allows a forum for common matters of concern and collectively represents matters to the International Telecommunication Union...
started issuing the Worked All Continents
Worked All Continents
Worked All Continents, or WAC, is an amateur radio award given to those amateur radio operators who successfully complete two-way amateur radio communications with other amateur radio stations located in each of six continental areas of the world...
certificate. In 1934 R/9 magazine began the Worked All Zones
Worked All Zones
Worked All Zones, or WAZ, is an amateur radio operating award given to those amateur radio operators who successfully complete two-way amateur radio communications with other amateur radio stations located in each of the 40 geographic zones of the world, as defined by the award sponsor, CQ Amateur...
award. The ARRL started to examine the issue in 1932 and, after considerable work to determine what a "country" was, presented its criteria in 1935. The first DXCC certificates were awarded in 1937, but the system was suspended during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. A new start began when American amateurs returned to the air on November 15, 1945, and the program has continued since that time.
The basic certificate is awarded to those amateur radio operator
Amateur radio operator
An amateur radio operator is an individual who typically uses equipment at an amateur radio station to engage in two-way personal communications with other similar individuals on radio frequencies assigned to the amateur radio service. Amateur radio operators have been granted an amateur radio...
s who successfully complete and confirm amateur radio
Amateur radio
Amateur radio is the use of designated radio frequency spectrum for purposes of private recreation, non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, and emergency communication...
communications with land based amateur radio station
Amateur radio station
An amateur radio station is an installation designed to provide radiocommunications in the amateur radio service for an amateur radio operator. Radio amateurs build and operate several types of amateur radio stations, including fixed ground stations, mobile stations, space stations, and temporary...
s located in at least 100 different entities on the DXCC List.
Entities are often, but not always, countries
Country
A country is a region legally identified as a distinct entity in political geography. A country may be an independent sovereign state or one that is occupied by another state, as a non-sovereign or formerly sovereign political division, or a geographic region associated with a previously...
. Each entity contains some definable political or geographical distinctiveness. For example, although Hawaii
Hawaii
Hawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
is not a separate country from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, it is a separate DXCC entity due to its distance from the rest of the US.
The basic awards
There are 16 DXCC awards. Each award is earned the same way: by submission of proof of two-wayTwo-way communication
Two-way communication - uses communication to negotiate with the public, resolve conflict, and promote mutual understanding and respect between the organization and its public. Two-Way Communication in Public Relations...
amateur radio contact using the radio bands or transmission modes called for in the award rules. Mode-based awards are Mixed (any combination of modes), Phone (radiotelephone
Telephony
In telecommunications, telephony encompasses the general use of equipment to provide communication over distances, specifically by connecting telephones to each other....
), CW (radiotelegraphy
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
), RTTY (radioteletype
Radioteletype
Radioteletype is a telecommunications system consisting originally of two or more electromechanical teleprinters in different locations, later superseded by personal computers running software to emulate teleprinters, connected by radio rather than a wired link.The term radioteletype is used to...
), and Satellite (see OSCAR
OSCAR
OSCAR is an acronym for Orbiting Satellite Carrying Amateur Radio. OSCAR series satellites use amateur radio frequencies to facilitate communication between amateur radio stations. These satellites can be used for free by licensed amateur radio operators for voice and data communications...
). Single-band awards are issued for 160 meters, 80 meters
80 meters
The 80 meter or 3.5 MHz band is a core amateur radio frequency band, allocated frequencies from 3.5 to 4.0 MHz in IARU Region 2, and generally 3.5 to 3.8 or 3.9 MHz in Regions 1 and 3 respectively. The portion of the band used for phone communications is sometimes referred to as 75 meters...
, 40 meters, 30 meters, 20 meters, 17 meters, 15 meters
15 meters
The 15-meter band is an amateur radio frequency band spanning the shortwave spectrum from 21 to 21.45 MHz. Almost all countries permit amateur communications on the entire band....
, 12 meters, 10 meters
10 meters
The 10-metre band is a portion of the shortwave radio spectrum internationally allocated to amateur radio and amateur satellite use on a primary basis. The band consists of frequencies stretching from 28000 to 29700 kHz.-History:...
, 6 meters, and 2 meters.
Endorsements
Endorsement stickers for affixing to certificates or pins will be awarded as additional DXCC credits are granted. For the Mixed, Phone, CW, RTTY, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12 and 10-Meter DXCC, stickers are provided in exact multiples of 50 (i.e. 150, 200) etc. between 100 and 250 DXCC credits, in multiples of 25 between 250 and 300, and in multiples of 5 above 300 DXCC credits.As of October 2011, there are 341 entities on the current published DXCC List. The most recent additions to the DXCC List were the four arising out of the former Netherlands Antilles
Netherlands Antilles
The Netherlands Antilles , also referred to informally as the Dutch Antilles, was an autonomous Caribbean country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, consisting of two groups of islands in the Lesser Antilles: Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao , in Leeward Antilles just off the Venezuelan coast; and Sint...
, which were added on October 13, 2010., and South Sudan
South Sudan
South Sudan , officially the Republic of South Sudan, is a landlocked country located in the Sahel region of northeastern Africa. It is also part of the North Africa UN sub-region. Its current capital is Juba, which is also its largest city; the capital city is planned to be moved to the more...
on July 14, 2011. Another 60 entities are also listed and marked as "Deleted", although count for credit if worked while still in existence. Examples in this group include former countries such as Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
and extinct colonial areas like French West Africa
French West Africa
French West Africa was a federation of eight French colonial territories in Africa: Mauritania, Senegal, French Sudan , French Guinea , Côte d'Ivoire , Upper Volta , Dahomey and Niger...
.
5-Band DXCC
A 5-band DXCC award is awarded to hams who successfully complete and confirm two-way contacts with 100 or more entities on the current DXCC List on each of the 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter amateur radio bands. Endorsements are awarded for working and confirming 100 or more entities on the current DXCC List on any of the 160, 30, 17, 12, 6 or 2 meter amateur radio bands. A 5-Band DXCC award plaque may also be purchased.
DXCC Honor Roll
A radio amateur who has confirmed contacts with 331 (total count - 10) or more entities on the current DXCC List is eligible for the DXCC Honor Roll. Honor Roll qualifiers receive an Honor Roll endorsement sticker for their DXCC certificate and are eligible for an Honor Roll lapel pin and an Honor Roll plaque. Mode-based Honor Roll awards are Mixed (any combination of modes), Phone (radiotelephone
Telephony
In telecommunications, telephony encompasses the general use of equipment to provide communication over distances, specifically by connecting telephones to each other....
), CW (radiotelegraphy
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
) and RTTY (radioteletype
Radioteletype
Radioteletype is a telecommunications system consisting originally of two or more electromechanical teleprinters in different locations, later superseded by personal computers running software to emulate teleprinters, connected by radio rather than a wired link.The term radioteletype is used to...
).
DXCC #1 Honor Roll
A radio amateur who has confirmed contacts with all 340 entities on the current DXCC List is eligible for the #1 Honor Roll plaque. #1 Honor Roll qualifiers receive a #1 Honor Roll endorsement sticker for their DXCC certificate and are eligible for a #1 Honor Roll lapel pin and a #1 Honor Roll plaque. Mode-based DXCC #1 Honor Roll awards are Mixed (any combination of modes), Phone (radiotelephone
Telephony
In telecommunications, telephony encompasses the general use of equipment to provide communication over distances, specifically by connecting telephones to each other....
), CW (radiotelegraphy
Telegraphy
Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages via some form of signalling technology. Telegraphy requires messages to be converted to a code which is known to both sender and receiver...
) and RTTY (radioteletype
Radioteletype
Radioteletype is a telecommunications system consisting originally of two or more electromechanical teleprinters in different locations, later superseded by personal computers running software to emulate teleprinters, connected by radio rather than a wired link.The term radioteletype is used to...
).
DXCC Challenge
The DXCC Challenge Award recognizes radio amateurs who have contacted a combined total of at least 1000 current band-entities on the current DXCC List on any combination of amateur radio bands from 160 to 6 meters. The amateur with the highest DXCC Challenge total at the end of each year is awarded the Desoto Cup. The DeSoto Cup honors the memory of Clinton B. DeSoto, W1CBD, who wrote the definitive 1935 QST article that inspired the original DXCC program. Silver and bronze medals will be awarded to the second and third place winners each year. A gold medal will be awarded to a first place winner who had won the Desoto Cup in a prior year. Each year, the ARRL announces the winner of the Desoto Cup and the top contenders above the 3000 level.
QRP DXCC
The QRP DXCC award recognizes radio amateurs who have contacted at least 100 DXCC entities using 5 watts output power or less. Contacts made any time in the past will count, and no QSLs are required.Satellite DXCC
The Satellite DXCC award band endorsements recognize radio amateurs who have contacted at least 100 DXCC entries via amateur satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
.