DX Century Club Totally Explained

Everything about The Dx Century Club totally explained

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. 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. 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 isn't a separate country from the United States, it's a separate 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-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

Endorsements

As of December 2007, there are 338 entities on the current published DXCC List. The most recent addition

to the DXCC List was Saint Barthelemy - on December 14, 2007.
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.

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 329 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).

DXCC #1 Honor Roll

A radio amateur who has confirmed contacts with all 338 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), CW (radiotelegraphy) and RTTY (radioteletype).

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.

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 band endorsements recognize radio amateurs who have contacted at least 100 DXCC entries via amateur satellite.

Further Information

Get more info on 'Dx Century Club'.

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