The following is an excerpt from ARRL Bulletin 8 (ARL008):
"Approved by the Board were rules changes for the DXCC program that
had been recommended by the DXCC 2000 Committee. Under the new
criteria, no countries currently on the DXCC list will be removed.
In the future, countries will be referred to as entities. A
political entity will be added to the DXCC list if it meets any one
of three criteria: it is a UN member state, it has an ITU prefix
block assigned, or it has a separate IARU member society. The new
criteria also replace all DXCC measurements, including physical
separation distances, with metric system figures roughly equivalent
to the former distances. While the 57 entities on the deleted list
will remain, no new countries will be added to the deleted list in
the future. Deleted entities simply will be removed. In addition,
the new rules specify a minimum ''island'' size of 100 meters
measured in a straight line. The DXCC field checking program will
remain in place. The effective date of the changes will be
announced later this year. The DXCC 2000 Committee was discharged
with the Board's thanks."
Here are the new DXCC Rules adopted by the Board of Directors during their
January meeting last weekend. The implementation date is March 31, 1998.
Revision dated: 17 January, 1998
American Radio Relay League
DX Century Club Rules
INTRODUCTION
The DXCC List is based upon the principle espoused by Clinton B. DeSoto,
W1CBD, in his landmark 1935 QST article, "How to Count Countries Worked, A
New DX Scoring System." DeSoto's article discussed problems DXers had in
determining how to count the DX they had worked. He presented the solution
that has worked successfully for succeeding generations of DXers.
In DeSoto's words, "The basic rule is simple and direct: Each discrete
geographical or political entity is considered to be a country." This rule
has stood the test of time � from the original list published in 1937 to
the ARRL DXCC List of today. For more than 60 years, the DXCC List has
been the standard for DXers around the world.
DeSoto never intended that all DXCC "countries" would be countries in the
traditional, or dictionary, meaning of the word. Rather, they are the
distinct geographic and political Entities which DXers seek to contact.
Individual achievement is measured by working and confirming the various
Entities comprising the DXCC List. This is the essence of the DXCC
program.
DXCC activity was interrupted by World War II. In 1947, the program
started anew. Contacts were valid from November 15, 1945, the date US
amateurs were authorized by the FCC to return to the air.
Over time, the criteria for the List have changed. However, Entities are
not removed when changes are made. The List remains unchanged until an
Entity no longer satisfies the criteria under which it was added. Thus,
today's DXCC List does not fully conform with today's criteria. Changes
are announced under DXCC Notes in QST.
SECTION I. BASIC RULES
1. The DX Century Club Award, with certificate and lapel pin (there is a
nominal fee of $5 for the DXCC lapel pin) is available to Amateur Radio
operators throughout the world (see #15 below for the DXCC Award Fee
Schedule). ARRL membership is required for DXCC applicants in the US, its
possessions, and Puerto Rico. ARRL membership is not required for foreign
applicants. All DXCCs are endorsable (see Rule 5). There are 12 separate
DXCC awards available, plus the DXCC Honor Roll:
a) Mixed (general type): Contacts may be made using any mode since November
15, 1945.
b) Phone: Contacts must be made using radiotelephone since November 15,
1945. Confirmations for cross-mode contacts for this award must be dated
September 30, 1981, or earlier.
c) CW: Contacts must be made using CW since January 1, 1975. Confirmations
for cross-mode contacts for this award must be dated September 30, 1981, or
earlier.
d) RTTY: Contacts must be made using radioteletype since November 15, 1945.
(Baudot, ASCII, AMTOR and packet count as RTTY.) Confirmations for
cross-mode contacts for this award must be dated September 30, 1981, or
earlier.
e) 160 Meter: Contacts must be made on 160 meters since November 15, 1945.
f) 80 Meter: Contacts must be made on 80 meters since November 15, 1945.
g) 40 Meter: Contacts must be made on 40 meters since November 15, 1945.
h) 10 Meter: Contacts must be made on 10 meters since November 15, 1945.
i) 6 Meter: Contacts must be made on 6 meters since November 15, 1945.
j) 2 Meter: Contacts must be made on 2 meters since November 15, 1945.
k) Satellite: Contacts must be made using satellites since March 1, 1965.
Confirmations must indicate satellite QSO.
l) Five-Band DXCC (5BDXCC): The 5BDXCC certificate is available for working
and confirming 100 current DXCC countries (deleted countries don't count
for this award) on each of the following five bands: 80, 40, 20, 15, and 10
Meters. Contacts are valid from November 15, 1945.
The 5BDXCC is endorsable for these additional bands: 160, 17, 12,
6, and 2 Meters. 5BDXCC qualifiers are eligible for an individually
engraved plaque (at a charge of $30.00 US plus shipping).
m) Honor Roll: Attaining the DXCC Honor Roll represents the pinnacle of DX
achievement:
i) Mixed--To qualify, you must have a total confirmed country count that
places you among the numerical top ten DXCC countries total on the current
DXCC Countries List (example: if there are 329 current DXCC countries, you
must have at least 320 countries confirmed).
ii) Phone--same as Mixed.
iii) CW--same as Mixed.
iv) RTTY--same as Mixed.
To establish the number of DXCC country credits needed to qualify for the
Honor Roll, the maximum possible number of current countries available for
credit is published monthly in QST. First-time Honor Roll members are
recognized monthly in QST. Complete Honor Roll standings are published
annually in QST, usually in the July issue. See DXCC notes in QST for
specific information on qualifying for this Honor Roll standings list. Once
recognized on this list or in a subsequent monthly update of new members,
you retain your Honor Roll standing until the next standings list is
published. In addition, Honor Roll members are recognized in the DXCC
Annual List for those who have been listed in the previous Honor Roll
listings or have gained Honor Roll status in a subsequent monthly listing.
Honor Roll qualifiers receive an Honor Roll endorsement sticker for their
DXCC certificate and are eligible for an Honor Roll lapel pin ($5) and an
Honor Roll plaque ($30 plus shipping). Write the DXCC Desk for details or
check out the Century Club Item Order Form at
http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/
v) #1 Honor Roll: To qualify for a Mixed, Phone, CW or RTTY Number One
plaque, you must have worked every country on the current DXCC Countries
List. Write the DXCC Desk for details. #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 ($5) and a #1 Honor Roll plaque ($50
plus shipping).
2. Written proof (i.e., QSL cards) of two-way communication (contacts) must
be submitted directly to ARRL Headquarters for all DXCC credits claimed.
Photocopies and electronically transmitted confirmations (including, but
not limited to fax, telex and telegram) are not currently acceptable for
DXCC purposes. Staff may accept electronic confirmations when procedures to
do so are adopted.
The use of a current official DXCC application form or an approved
facsimile (for example, exactly reproduced by a computer program) is
required. Such forms must include provision for listing callsign, date,
band, mode, and DXCC country name. Complete application materials are
available from ARRL Headquarters. Confirmations for a total of 100 or more
different DXCC Credits must be included with your first application.
Cards contained in the original received envelopes or in albums
will be returned at applicant's expense without processing.
By action of the ARRL Board of Directors, 10-MHz confirmations may
be credited to Mixed, CW and RTTY awards only.
3. The ARRL DXCC List is based on the DXCC List Criteria.
4. Confirmation data for two-way communications must include the call signs
of both stations, the Entity name as shown in the DXCC List, mode, and
date, time and band. Except as permitted in Rule 1, cross mode contacts are
not permitted for DXCC credits. Confirmations not containing all required
information may be rejected.
5. Endorsement stickers for affixing to certificates or pins will be
awarded as additional DXCC credits are granted. For the Mixed, Phone, CW,
RTTY, 80, 40, 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.
For 160-Meter, 6-Meter, 2-Meter and Satellite DXCC, the stickers
are issued in exact multiples of 25 starting at 100 and multiples of 10
above 200, and in multiples of 5 between 250 and 300. Confirmations for
DXCC credit may be submitted in any increment, but stickers and listings
are providing only after a new level has been attained.
6. All contacts must be made with amateur stations working in the
authorized amateur bands or with other stations licensed or authorized to
work amateurs. Contacts made through "repeater" devices or any other power
relay methods (other than satellites for Satellite DXCC) are invalid for
DXCC credit.
7. Any Amateur Radio operation should take place only with the complete
approval and understanding of appropriate administration officials. In
countries where amateurs are licensed in the normal manner, credit may be
claimed only for stations using regular government-assigned call signs or
portable call signs where reciprocal agreements exist or the host
government has so authorized portable operation. Without documentation
supporting the operation of an amateur station, credit will not be allowed
for contacts with such stations in any country that has temporarily or
permanently closed down Amateur Radio operations by special government
edict or policy where amateur licenses were formerly issued in the normal
manner. In any case, credit will be given for contacts where adequate
evidence of authorization by appropriate authorities exits, notwithstanding
any such previous or subsequent edict or policy.
8. All stations contacted must be "land stations." Contacts with ships and
boats, anchored or underway, and airborne aircraft, cannot be counted. For
the purpose of this award, remote control operating points must also be
land based. Exception: Permanently docked exhibition ships, such as the
Queen Mary and other historic ships will be considered land based.
9. All stations must be contacted from the same DXCC Entity. The location
of any station shall be defined as the location of the transmitter. For
the purposes of this award, remote operating points must be located within
the same DXCC Entity as the transmitter.
10. All contacts must be made using callsigns issued to the same station
licensee. Operation by an operator other than the licensee must be in
accordance with the regulations governing the license grant. You may
combine confirmations from several call signs held for credit to one DXCC
award, as long as the provisions of Rule 9 are met. Contacts made from
club stations using a club callsign may not be used for credit to an
individual's DXCC.
11. All confirmations must be submitted exactly as received by the
applicant. The submission of altered, forged, or otherwise invalid
confirmations for DXCC credit may result in disqualification of the
applicant. Any holder of a DXCC award who knowingly submits altered,
forged or otherwise invalid confirmations will forfeit the right to
continued DXCC membership. The ARRL Awards Committee shall rule in these
matters. The Awards Committee shall also determine the future eligibility
of any DXCC applicant who has ever been barred from DXCC.
12. Conduct:
Exemplary conduct is expected of all amateur radio operators
participating in the DXCC program. Evidence of intentionally disruptive
operating practices or inappropriate ethical conduct in any aspect of DXCC
participation may lead to disqualification from all participation in the
program by action of the ARRL Awards Committee.
Actions that may lead to disqualification include, but are not
limited to:
a) The submission of forged or altered confirmations.
b) The presentation of forged or altered documents in support of an
operation.
c) Participation in activities that create an unfavorable impression of
amateur radio with government authorities. Such activities include
malicious attempts to cause disruption or disaccreditation of an operation.
d) Blatant inequities in confirmation (QSL) procedures. Continued refusal
to issue QSLs under certain circumstances may lead to disqualification.
Complaints relating to monetary issues involved in QSLing will generally
not be considered, however.
13. Each DXCC applicant, by applying, or submitting documentation,
stipulates to:
a) Having observed all pertinent governmental regulations for Amateur Radio
in the country or countries concerned.
b) Having observed all DXCC rules.
c) Being bound by the DXCC rules.
d) Being bound by the decisions of the ARRL Awards Committee.
14. All DXCC applications (for both new awards and endorsements) must
include sufficient funds to cover the cost of returning all confirmations
(QSL cards) via the method selected. Funds must be in US dollars using US
currency, check or money order made payable to the ARRL, or International
Reply Coupons (IRCs). Address all correspondence and inquiries relating to
the various DXCC awards and all applications to: ARRL Headquarters, DXCC
Desk, 225 Main St., Newington, CT 06111, USA.
15. Fees.
Effective October 1, 1990, all amateurs applying for their very first DXCC
Award will be charged a one-time registration fee of $10.00. This same fee
applies to both ARRL members and foreign non-members, and both will receive
one DXCC certificate and a DXCC pin. Applicants must provide funds for
postage charges for QSL return.
a) A $10.00 shipping and handling fee will be charged for each additional
DXCC certificate issued, whether new or replacement. A DXCC pin will be
included with each certificate.
b) Endorsements and new applications may be presented in person at ARRL HQ,
and at certain ARRL conventions. When presented in this manner, such
applications shall be limited to 120 QSOs maximum, and a $5.00 handling
charge will apply, in addition to other applicable fees.
c) Each ARRL member will be charged $10.00 for the first submission of the
year, up to 120 QSOs and return postage.
d) A $0.15 fee will be charged for each QSO credited beyond the limits
described in 15. b), 15. c), and 15. f).
e) Foreign non-ARRL members will be charged a $20.00 DXCC Award fee for
their first yearly submission, in addition to return postage charges. Fees
in 15. a), 15. b), and 15. d), and 15. f) also apply.
f) DXCC participants who wish to submit more than once per calendar year
will be charged a DXCC fee for each additional submission made during the
remainder of the calendar year. These fees are dependent upon membership
status: ARRL Members: $20.00 (for the first 100 QSOs) Foreign non-members:
$30.00 (for the first 100 QSOs). Additionally, return postage must be
provided by applicant, and charges from 15. a), 15. b) and 15. d) also.
16. The ARRL DX Advisory Committee (DXAC) requests your comments and
suggestions for improving DXCC. Address correspondence, including
petitions for new listing consideration, to ARRL Headquarters, DXAC, 225
Main St., Newington, CT 06111, USA. The DXAC may be contacted by e-mail to
[email protected]. Note that this address is valid for the DXAC only.
Correspondence on routine DXCC matters should be addressed to the DXCC
Desk, or by e-mail to [email protected].
SECTION II. DXCC LIST CRITERIA
Introduction:
The ARRL DXCC List is the result of progressive changes in DXing since
1945. Each Entity on the DXCC List contains some definable political or
geographical distinctiveness. While the general policy for qualifying
Entities for the DXCC List has remained the same, there has been gradual
evolution in the specific details of criteria which are used to test
Entities for their qualifications. The full DXCC List does not conform
completely with current criteria, for some of the listings were recognized
from pre-WWII or were accredited with earlier versions of the criteria. In
order to maintain continuity with the past, as well as to maintain a robust
DXCC List, all Entities on the List at the time the 1998 revision became
effective were retained.
Definitions:
Certain terms occur frequently in the DXCC criteria and are listed here.
Not all of the definitions given are used directly in the criteria, but are
listed in anticipation of their future use.
Entity: A listing on the DXCC List; a counter for DXCC awards. Previously
denoted a DXCC "Country."
Event: An historical occurrence, such as date of admission to UN, ITU, or
IARU, that may be used in determining listing status.
Event Date: The date an Event occurs. This is the Start Date of all Event
Entities.
Event Entity: An Entity created as the result of the occurrence of an
Event.
Discovery Entity: An Entity "Discovered" after the listing is complete.
This applies only to Geographic Entities, and may occur after a future rule
change, or after an Event has changed its status.
Discovery Date: Date of the rule change or Event which prompts addition of
the Entity. This is the Start Date for a Discovery Entity.
Original Listing: An Entity which was on the DXCC List at the time of
inception.
Start Date: The date after which confirmed two-way contact credits may be
counted for DXCC awards.
Add Date: The date when the Entity will be added to the List, and cards
will be accepted. This date is for administrative purposes only, and will
occur after the Start Date.
Island: A naturally formed area of land surrounded by water, the surface of
which is above water at high tide. For the purposes of this award, it must
consist of connected land, of which at least two surface points must be
separated from each other by not less than 100 meters measured in a
straight line from point to point. All of the connected land must be above
the high tide mark, as demonstrated on a chart of sufficient scale. For the
purposes of this award, any island, reef, or rocks of less than this size
shall not be considered in the application of the water separation criteria
described in Part 2 of the criteria.
Criteria:
Additions to the DXCC List may be made from time to time as world
conditions dictate. Entities may also be removed from the List as a result
of political or geographic change. Entities removed from the List may be
returned to the List in the future, should they requalify under this
criteria. However, an Entity requalified does so as a totally new Entity,
not as a reinstated old one.
For inclusion in the DXCC List, conditions as set out below must be met.
Listing is not contingent upon whether operation has occurred or will
occur, but only upon the qualifications of the Entity.
There are five parts to the criteria, as follows:
1. Political Entities
2. Geographical Entities
3. Special Areas
4. Ineligible Areas
5. Removal Criteria
1. Political Entities:
Political Entities are those areas which are separated by reason of
government or political division. They generally contain an indigenous
population which is not predominantly composed of military or scientific
personnel.
An Entity will be added to the DXCC List as a Political Entity if it meets
any one of the following three criteria:
a) The entity is a UN Member State.
b) The entity has been assigned a callsign prefix bloc by the ITU . A
provisional prefix bloc assignment may be made by the Secretary General of
ITU. Should such provisional assignments not be ratified later by the full
ITU, the Entity will be removed from the DXCC List.
c) The Entity has a separate IARU Member Society.
New Entities satisfying any one or more of the three conditions above will
be added to the DXCC List by administrative action as of their "Event
Date."
Entities qualifying under this section will be referred to as the "Parent"
when considering separation under the section "Geographical Separation."
Only Entities in this group will be acceptable as a Parent for separation
purposes.
2. Geographic Separation Entity:
A Geographic Separation Entity may result when a single Political Entity is
physically separated into two or more parts. The part of such a Political
Entity that contains the capital city is considered the Parent for tests
under these criteria. One or more of the remaining parts resulting from
the separation may then qualify for separate status as a DXCC Entity if
they satisfy paragraph a) or b) of the Geographic Separation Criteria, as
follows.
a) Land Areas:
A new Entity results when part of a DXCC Entity is separated from its
Parent by 100 kilometers or more of land of another DXCC Entity. Inland
waters may be included in the measurement. The test for separation into
two areas requires that a line drawn along a great circle in any direction
from any part of the proposed Entity must not touch the Parent before
crossing 100 kilometers of the intervening DXCC Entity.
b) Island Areas:
A new Entity results in the case of an island under the following
conditions:
i) The island is separated from its Parent by 350 kilometers or more.
Measurement of islands in a group begins with measurement from the island
containing the capital city. Only one Entity of this type may be attached
to any Parent.
ii) The island is separated from its Parent by 350 kilometers or more, and
from any other island attached to that Parent in the same or a different
island group by 800 kilometers or more.
iii) The island is separated from its Parent by intervening land or islands
that are part of another DXCC Entity, such that a line drawn along a great
circle in any direction from any part of the island does not touch the
Parent before touching the intervening DXCC Entity. There is no minimum
separation distance under this section.
3. Special Areas:
The Special Areas listed here may not be divided into additional Entities
under the DXCC Rules. None of these constitute a Parent Entity, and none
creates a precedent for the addition of similar or additional Entities.
a) The International Telecommunications Union in Geneva (4U1ITU) shall,
because of its significance to world telecommunications, be considered as a
Special Entity. No additional UN locations will be considered under this
ruling.
b) The Antarctic Treaty, signed on 1 December 1959 and entered into force
on 23 June 1961, establishes the legal framework for the management of
Antarctica. The treaty covers, as stated in Article 6, all land and ice
shelves below 60 degrees South. This area is known as the Antarctic Treaty
Zone. Article 4 establishes that parties to the treaty will not recognize,
dispute, or establish territorial claims and that they will assert no new
claims while the treaty is in force. Under Article 10, the treaty States
will discourage activities by any country in Antarctica that are contrary
to the terms of the treaty. In view of these Treaty provisions, no new
Entities below 60 degrees South will be added to the DXCC List as long as
the Treaty remains in force.
c) The Spratly Islands, due to the nature of conflicting claims, and
without recognizing or refuting any claim, is recognized as a Special
Entity. Operations from this area will be accepted with the necessary
permissions issued by an occupying Entity. Operations without such
permissions, such as with a self-assigned (e.g., 1S) callsign, will not be
recognized for DXCC credit.
d) Control of Western Sahara (S0) is currently at issue between Morocco and
the indigenous population. The UN has stationed a peacekeeping force there.
Until the sovereignty issue is settled, only operations licensed by the
RASD shall count for DXCC purposes.
e) Entities on the 1997 DXCC List that do not qualify under the current
criteria remain as long as they retain the status under which they were
originally added. A change in that status will result in a review in
accordance with Rule 5 of this Section.
4. Ineligible Areas:
a) Areas having the following characteristics are not eligible for
inclusion on the DXCC List, and are considered as part of the host Entity
for DXCC purposes:
i) Any extraterritorial legal Entity of any nature including, but not
limited to, embassies, consulates, monuments, offices of the United Nations
agencies or related organizations, other inter-governmental organizations
or diplomatic missions;
ii) Any area with limited sovereignty or ceremonial status, such as
monuments, indigenous areas, reservations, and homelands.
iii) Any area classified as a Demilitarized Zone, Neutral Zone or Buffer
Zone.
b) Any area which is unclaimed or not owned by any recognized government is
not eligible for inclusion on the DXCC List and will not count for DXCC
purposes.
5. Removal Criteria:
a) An Entity may be removed from the List if it no longer satisfies the
criteria under which it was added. However, if the Entity continues to meet
one or more currently existing rules, it will remain on the List.
b) An Entity may be removed from the List if it was added to the List:
i) Based on a factual error (Examples of factual errors include inaccurate
measurements, or observations from incomplete, inaccurate or outdated
charts or maps); and
ii) The error was made less than five years earlier than its proposed
removal date.
c) A change in the DXCC Criteria shall not affect the status of any Entity
on the DXCC List at the time of the change. In other words, criteria
changes will not be applied retroactively to Entities on the List.
SECTION III. ACCREDITATION CRITERIA
1. Each nation of the world manages its telecommunications affairs
differently. Therefore, a rigid, universal accreditation procedure cannot
be applied in all situations. During more than 50 years of DXCC
administration, basic standards have evolved in establishing the legitimacy
of an operation.
It is the purpose of this section to establish guidelines that will
assure that DXCC credit is given only for contacts with operations that are
conducted with proper licensing and have established a legitimate physical
presence within the Entity to be credited. Any operation that satisfies
these conditions (in addition to the applicable elements of SECTION I.,
Rules 6, 7, 8, and 9) will be accredited. It is the intent of the DXCC
administration to be guided by the actions of sovereign nations when
considering the accreditation of amateur radio operation within their
jurisdiction. DXCC will be reasonably flexible in reviewing licensing
documentation. Conversely, findings by a host government indicating
non-compliance with their amateur radio regulations may cause denial or
revocation of accreditation.
2. The following points should be of particular interest to those seeking
accreditation for a DX operation:
a) The vast majority of operations are accredited routinely without a
requirement for the submission of authenticating documentation. However,
all such documents should be retained by the operator in the unlikely event
of a protest.
b) In countries where Amateur Radio operation has not been permitted or has
been
suspended or where some reluctance to authorize amateur stations has been
noted, authenticating documents may be required before accrediting an
operation.
c) Special permission may be required from a governmental agency or private
party before entering certain DXCC Entities for the purpose of conducting
amateur radio operations even though the Entity is part of a country with
no amateur radio restrictions. Examples of such Entities are Desecheo I.
(KP5); Palmyra I. (KH5); and Glorioso Islands (FR/G).
3) For those cases where supporting documentation is required, the
following can be used as a guide to identify those documents necessary for
accreditation.
a) Photocopy of license or operating authorization.
b) Photocopy of passport entry and exit stamps.
c) For islands, a landing permit and a signed statement of the transporting
ship's, boat's, or aircraft's captain, showing all pertinent data, such as
date, place of landing, etc.
d) For locations where special permission is known to be required to gain
access, evidence of this permission must be presented.
4) These accreditation requirements are intended to preserve the integrity
of the DXCC program and to ensure that the program does not encourage
amateurs to "bend the rules" in their enthusiasm, possibly jeopardizing the
future development of Amateur Radio. Every effort will be made to apply
these criteria uniformly and to make a determination consistent with these
objectives.
SECTION IV. FIELD CHECKING OF QSL CARDS
QSL cards for new DXCC awards and endorsements may be checked by two DXCC
Field Representatives. This program applies to any DXCC award for an
individual or station. Specifically excluded from this program are 6-meter,
2-meter, Satellite DXCC and all 160-meter QSLs.
1) Countries Eligible for Field Checking:
a) Eligible countries will be indicated in the ARRL DXCC Countries List,
and are subject to change. Only cards from these eligible countries may be
checked by DXCC Field Representatives. QSLs for other DXCC countries must
be submitted directly to ARRL Headquarters.
b) The ARRL Awards Committee determines which countries are eligible for
Field Checking.
2) DXCC Field Representatives:
a) DXCC Field Representatives must be ARRL members who have a DXCC award
endorsed for at least 300 countries.
b) To become a DXCC Field Representative, a person must be nominated by a
DX club. (A DX club is an ARRL affiliated club with at least 25 members who
are DXCC members and which has, as its primary interest, DX. If there are
any questions regarding the validity of a DX club, the issue shall be
determined by the Division Director where the DX club is located.) A person
does not have to be a member to be nominated by a DX club.
c) DXCC Field Representatives are approved by the Director of the ARRL
Division in which they reside and appointed by the President of the ARRL.
d) DXCC Field Representative appointments must be renewed annually.
3) Card Checking Process:
a) Only cards from the list of eligible countries can be checked by DXCC
Field Representatives. An application for a new award shall contain a
minimum of 100 QSL confirmations from the list and shall not contain any
QSLs from countries that are not on the list of eligible countries.
Additional cards should not be sent to HQ with field checked applications.
The application may contain the maximum number of countries that appear on
the list of eligible countries. That is, if there are 245 countries on the
list, field-checked applications could contain 245 countries.
b) It is the applicant's responsibility to get cards to and from the DXCC
Field Representatives.
c) Field Representatives may, at their own discretion, handle members'
cards by mail.
d) The ARRL is not responsible for cards handled by DXCC Field
Representatives and will not honor any claims.
e) The QSL cards must be checked by two DXCC Field Representatives.
f) The applicant and both DXCC Field Representatives must sign the
application form. (See Section I no. 11 regarding altered, forged or
otherwise invalid confirmations.)
g) The applicant shall provide a stamped no. 10 envelope (business size)
addressed to ARRL HQ to the DXCC Field Representatives. The applicant shall
also provide the applicable fees (check or money order payable to ARRL-no
cash).
h) The DXCC Field Representatives will forward completed applications and
appropriate fee(s) to ARRL HQ.
4) ARRL HQ involvement in the card checking process:
a) ARRL HQ staff will receive field-checked applications, enter application
data into DXCC records and issue DXCC credits and awards as appropriate.
b) ARRL HQ staff will perform random audits of applications. Applicants or
members may be requested to forward cards to HQ for checking before or
after credit is issued.
c) The applicant and both DXCC Field Representatives will be advised of any
errors or discrepancies encountered by ARRL staff.
d) ARRL HQ staff provides instructions and guidelines to DXCC Field
Representatives.
5) Applicants and DXCC members may send cards to ARRL Headquarters at any
time for review or recheck if the individual feels that an incorrect
determination has been made.
