DXCC

When I started my blog I mentioned that there were a number of different aspects to this wonderful hobby. It might be working satellites or building equipment but for me it's DXCC. DXCC is the name given to the ARRL award for working as many different countries on different bands as possible. DXCC Website

In the old days you would set up your station and start making contacts on CW or SSB and then after a wait of about 6 months a nice shiny QSL card would arrive. You would then mark the contact confirmed on a paper chart and once you had reached 100 countries (the minimum for the award) you could submit a verified entry to the ARRL and receive your certificate. Now, in the 21^st century things are much more hi-tech and there are electronic spreadsheets to record country scores along with the ARRL’s “Logbook of the World” where contacts can be confirmed almost immediately. Logbook of the World is not an electronic method of storing QSL cards, it simply confirms that a contact took place and keeps a running total of the number of contacts confirmed electronically. 

I find Logbook of the World a tremendous asset to my operations as a Radio Ham and I enjoy dropping by the site to see how the totals have changed. You require a password to log on to the system and there are various security measures in place on the site to ensure that only licensed Radio Amateurs can log on. Full details of how to apply for a password can be found here. Logbook of the World

Although DXCC has been my interest for many years I always concentrated on working stations and didn’t bother too much with checking them all off as separate entities. My PC logging software told me when I worked a new country and logged it appropriately. Over the last year or so I decided it was time to see how well I was doing and having registered on the Logbook of the World site I found that I had enough contacts just from electronic entries to exceed the 100 countries required for a basic certificate. I have now started the process of checking what physical QSL cards I have and marking them off on an electronic spreadsheet. I sourced the spreadsheet here. The DXCC Spreadsheet

I have little doubt that it will take me quite a while to check through all my QSL cards and my records on Logbook of the World but this is a fantastic side of the hobby and where you feel a real sense of achievement. Why not take some time to consider DXCC and some of the other great awards on offer.