Chasing DX and Awards Jim Reisert AD1C What kind of awards are out there? How can contesting help you earn them? How you can you help yourself earn them?

Band-specific (VUCC, 160 meters) Closed-ended (WAZ, WAS) Types of awards Worldwide (DXCC, IOTA) Regional (USA-CA, RDA) Band-specific (VUCC, 160 meters) Closed-ended (WAZ, WAS) Open-ended (WPX) Cumulative (DXCC Challenge) Open ended – new ones popping up all the time.

How many awards is this QSL good for?

Answer: at least 8! WAC – Asia DXCC – Asiatic Russia (UA9) WAZ – Zone 18 WPX – RU0 IOTA – AS-057 (Uyedineniya I.) RRA – RR-06-17 WLH – 0102 ARLHS – ASR-083

Many contests are award-based ARRL DX -> DXCC, WAS ARRL SS -> WAS CQ WW -> WAZ CQ WPX -> WPX ARRL/CQ VHF -> VUCC ARRL/CQ 160M -> DXCC, WAS State QSO Parties -> USA-CA ARRL SS not good for 5BWAS Don’t work stateside stations in ARRL DX

Contests give you best bang for the buck Qualify for an award in a weekend! 100 “Entities” (CQ WW or ARRL DX) 50 States (ARRL SS) 40 CQ Zones (CQ WW) 100 VUCC grids (ARRL/CQ VHF) 500 Counties (MARAC/US Counties) Limits time away from family, chores and other activities. Have I come close to this in any contest?

Contests can make it easier to work that rare place! Contest DXpeditions Rare station may be on for full contest period, begging for QSOs near the end Everyone is spread out all over the bands, instead of on the same packet spot State QSO parties – lots of counties! If you are a multiplier in the contest, rare stations might call YOU

You don’t need a big station 100W, G5RV, AV-640 vertical DXCC: 253 mixed, >100 40-10M WAZ: 40 zones, >30 on 10-30M WAS on CW, SSB, RTTY, 20M WPX: 1061 mixed, 661 SSB, 713 CW IOTA: 421 mixed USA-CA: 3037 mixed VUCC: 308 grids on 6 meters

But we’re at the bottom of the cycle! Look through old QSL cards Mail QSLs for new award counters Fill in holes on low bands or VHF Try a new band or mode

How to improve your award chasing Computer logging and record-keeping DX Cluster Read the DX Bulletins Get on in the little contests, even if just for a couple of hours Use LoTW or eQSL Listen, listen, listen