DX Century Club

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The DX Century Club, or DXCC, is the premier operating award in all of Amateur Radio. The award is granted by (and a registered trademark of) the American Radio Relay League. The award is available to radio amateurs world-wide although applicants from the US, its possessions and Puerto Rico must be ARRL members. Written proof of contacts, usually in the form of QSL cards, must be submitted to qualify. Each award certificate is dated and individually numbered. The basic certificate is awarded to those amateur radio operators who successfully complete and confirm amateur radio communications with land based amateur radio stations located in at least 100 different entities on the DXCC List.

Entities are usually, but not always, countries. Each entity contains some definable political or geographical distinctiveness specified in the DXCC Award rules. For example, although Hawaii is not a separate country from the United States, it is a separate entity due to its distance from the rest of the US.

1 The basic awards
2 Endorsements
3 5-Band DXCC
4 DXCC Honor Roll
5 DXCC #1 Honor Roll
6 DXCC Challenge
7 QRP DXCC
8 See also
9 External links

[edit] The basic awards

There are 16 DXCC awards. Each award is earned the same way: by submission of proof of two-way 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.

[edit] Endorsements

As of July 2006, there are 337 entities on the current DXCC List. The most recent addition to the DXCC List was Swains Island - on July 22, 2006. After the 100-entity level has been achieved, endorsements are available for each additional 50 entities worked and confirmed. As an award-holder gets closer to "working them all", the endorsement increments get smaller.

[edit] 5-Band DXCC

In addition to the awards described above, 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.

[edit] DXCC Honor Roll

A radio amateur who has confirmed contacts with 328 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), CW (radiotelegraphy) and RTTY (radioteletype).

[edit] DXCC #1 Honor Roll

A radio amateur who has confirmed contacts with all 337 entities on the current DXCC List can get a plaque recognizing their status as #1 Honor Roll. #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), CW (radiotelegraphy) and RTTY (radioteletype).

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.