The OPDX Bulletin - Internet Edition
OPDX 340.1 January 21, 1998

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The Ohio/Penn Dx PacketCluster
DX Bulletin No. 340.1
BID: $OPDX.340.1
January 21, 1998
Editor Tedd Mirgliotta, KB8NW
Provided by BARF-80 BBS Cleveland, Ohio
Online at 440-237-8208 28.8k-1200 8/N/1 (New Area Code!)

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 
dxac@arrl.org.  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 dxcc@arrl.org. 

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. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE! Users of the online BARF-80 BBS (Home of the OPDX Bulletin) take note, the area code has change as of August 16th. The new 440 area code will replace the 216 area code. Currently both area codes can be used, but the 216 area code will be permanently replaced in April 1998. BARF-80 BBS online at 440-237-8208 28.8k-1200 Baud 8/N/1

SPECIAL NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
Please send all DX announcements/information "ONLY" to the addresses below and "NOT" to the distribution InterNet address of: dxinfo@barf80.nshore.org

OPDX INTERNET SUBSCRIBE/UNSUBSCRIBE REQUEST:
opdx-request@nshore.org

OPDX WORLD-WIDE WEB HOME (provided by John, K8YSE):
http://www.en.com/users/k8yse/opdx.html

OPDX SPANISH WEB SITE. (provided by "QTC Magazine" and Tony Pernas, EA1CSI):
http://www.intercom.es/qtc/qtcopdx.htm

Excerpts and distribution of The OPDX Bulletin are granted as long as KB8NW/OPDX/BARF80 receive credit. To contribute DX info, call BARF-80 BBS online at 440-237-8208 28800/14400/9600/2400/1200 and leave a message with the Sysop or send InterNet Mail to one of the two following addresses:

kb8nw@barf80.nshore.org -or- aq474@cleveland.freenet.edu
- OR -
Send a message via packet to KB8NW @ WA8BXN.OH.USA.NA
- OR -
Use the VOICE or FAX answering machine at 440-237-8208
which shares the same phone line as BARF-80 BBS using a data/fax/phone switch. To access: 1) Dial Number. 2) Wait for first ring (the second ring should be a false ring from the fax/data switch box) and then dial four quick ones ("1111"). (NOTE: Some FAX machines that send single "BEEPS" every second will not have to do this step.) 3) The phone will pick up and after the "BEEP" leave your voice message or FAX.

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