Recent Updates July 24, 2012
Added new active stations (July 24, 2012) - (Active Stations)
Updated Diamond DXCC entities list and scorecard with clarifying notes.
The scorecard has not cahnged with regard to any new entities.
Diamond DXCC
2012 is the 75th anniversary of the ARRL’s DXCC Award--the world’s preeminent DXing award continues to be DXCC, so reaching the “Diamond milestone” is an event that we all want to celebrate. Going back to the roots of the award, and specifically reading the 1937 DXCC List (January, 1937 QST pages 52-3), we can learn what countries were counted at the onset led us to create the Diamond DXCC Challenge. ...Full story
The intent of this 75th anniversary award is to capture the essence and spirit of the first DXCC List with a fun operating activity that allows us to look back and appreciate the wonderful geography of Amateur Radio. We don’t intend to try to fit every existing scrap of land into one of the 1937 entities. Some stations we work today will not count towards any entity from 1937. Nor do some of the places we have chosen to represent a certain entity fully match what existed in 1937. The Diamond DXCC awards are not numbered, so relax and enjoy the chase for this is a year-long operating event. We will continue to roll-out improvements in the web tools and information provided.
ARRL Diamond DXCC Challenge
2012 is the 75th anniversary of the ARRL’s DXCC Award. The world’s preeminent DXing award continues to be DXCC, so reaching the “Diamond milestone” is an event that we all want to celebrate. Going back to the roots of the award, and specifically reading the
1937 DXCC List (January, 1937 QST pages 52-3) to learn what countries were counted at the onset led us to create the Diamond DXCC Challenge.
The country list that we will use for the Diamond DXCC Challenge is based upon the list of 231 places shown in 1937. We tried to find corresponding entities today that would represent the places listed in 1937, but there are five places (Baluchistan, British Cameroons, Canal Zone, Hejas, Spanish Morocco, and New Guinea Territory) that were on the oldest list that just don’t exist today in a form that could even loosely be represented by someplace current. The Diamond DXCC List represents 226 of the 231
1937 “countries.” The list is fascinating and leads us to learn more about world history and how geopolitics has changed leading up to today.
As you “check-off” these entities during the course of 2012 working DX (which is an achievement even today) using spotting networks, pan-adapters, 200 watt rigs, and stacked tribanders, imagine how DXing was different in the early years of radio and DXCC! Working Tibet or Aldabra with 50 watts and crystal-controlled transmitters to simple wire antennas, had to be a thrill like no other in that time for Ham Radio operators.
We anticipate that this award will be very popular thanks to the unique nature of the entities which we will try to put-into the log in 2012. Not only are there traditional, DXCC entities, but there are cities, Islands on the Air (IOTA by RSGB) island groups, and various sub-political entities inside DXCC entities, such as the Indian State of Goa, and many States in Malaysia and islands in Indonesia. There are even three “countries” that make up Yemen (7O – Yemen, Socotra Islands, and the City of Aden)! Yes, we would like to have even one of them on the air. An interesting factoid about this 1937 list came via
the late Jim Maxwell, W6CF. Jim said that the only entity from the 1937 list to be removed without a single QSO being made was Wrangel Island.
The Diamond DXCC Challenge is an “Honor Award” and will not require acquisition or inspection of QSLs or proof of confirmation, although it still will be fun and useful to seek out cards or LoTW confirmations. We will provide forms online to use at your operating position to track what you have worked, and forms for applying for awards and endorsements. As the year goes on, we will also provide hints and tips about what is happening with the Diamond DXCC Award and for instance, who might be on the air from Goa or Gdansk!
The Diamond DXCC certificate will be available for working 100 of the 226 entities, and will be endorsable at 5 levels: 125, 150, 175, 200, and 225. If anyone works all 226, there will be a special award for that remarkable achievement! We hope to publish award recipient’s call signs online during the year, and identify high numbers.
There will be a Diamond DXCC Challenge Honor Roll. The Honor Roll level will be determined by the leader in worked entities submitted to HQ, and the bottom of the Honor Roll will be 9 entities less than that of the leader. Example: If W1AW has worked
165 entities, the bottom of the Honor Roll will be 156 entities. In February, 2013, HQ
will issue a final Honor Roll tally with overall leaders.
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