Today, December 16, 2011 ARRL welcomed Louise B. Evans, KE7LSF to the A1 Operators Club as a full member!

 

 

 

First licensed at 80 years old, she let her license original lapse, so just a few years ago Louise retook the test and attained her Technician license -at age 98.  Now at the age of 102, Louise passed her General class license (passing the test “with flying colors” according to Ernest Zum Brunnen, W9UOM, one of the founders of the Willamette View Club).   Louise is active with the Clackamas Amateur Radio Emergency Service, and together with 14 others operate the Willamette View Radio Club station, KE70IM at the local retirement community where she participates as net control operator for the emergency net.

 

 

 

For more on Louise please visit http://www.oregonlive.com/milwaukie/index.ssf/2011/12/milwaukie_seniors_keep_ham_rad.html

 

 

 Article and picture published with permission of Janet  Goetze, Special to The Oregonian

 

 

The Russian call sign system was changed in mid-2010

http://www.iaru-r1.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=648:new-russian-callsign-system&catid=41:hf&Itemid=93

 

This entry is mainly to note the clarification that some call signs that were originally considered to be Asiatic Russia, (8 and 9 F, G, and X) are now to be considered European Russia.

 

The following list of prefix information clarifies what calls are in DXCC entities European Russia, and Asiatic Russia, under the new Russian call sign system and do not apply to calls from before the change.  Yes, of course Franz Josef (RI1FJ) and Antarctic call signs (RI1AN) are not in European Russia.

 

--

 

For the purposes of the DXCC and WAC awards, the following Russian prefixes count as European Russia:

 

Any call with the prefixes UA through UI and the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

 

Any call with the prefix U and the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

 

Any call with the prefixes RA through RZ and the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

 

Any call with the prefix R and the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.

Exception: 

 

Prefixes R, U, UA-UI, and RA-RZ, the number 2, and suffixes beginning with F or K, count as Kaliningrad.  Also, some legacy calls such as UA2CZ are in Kaliningrad.

***And from 1 December, 2011 forward, any QSO (with any date) with stations using the following prefixes, count for European Russia:***

Any call  with the prefixes UA through UI, or the prefix U,  and the numbers 8, and 9, followed by a suffix beginning with the letters F, G, or X (Perm and Komi).

 

Any call with the prefixes  RA through RZ, or the prefix R, and the numbers 8, and 9, followed by a suffix beginning with the letters F, G, or X (Perm and Komi).
 

 

Since Russia joined CEPT, there are stations active with call signs that do not indicate DXCC entity, such as RA/N6TR who operated from Asiatic Russia, and RA/SM6LRR who operates from European Russia.  These types of portable call signs will be managed individually in the DXCC system.

 

I have been getting many questions regarding the handling of ST0R cards and I believe a further clarification may be in order.

First, we ARE NOT creating a separate application logging in the DXCC system for just these cards. If you already made a submission in 2011 we are ONLY adding these QSOs to that application. So, you WILL NOT see an application in the application list on the applications received page. By doing this we are saving alot of time as you may know that we are approaching our busy period so doing things to save time (and improve the response) is to handle it this way.

If you DID NOT make an application in 2011 the $5 or $6 fee DOES NOT apply as this will count as your 2011 submission.

If your card(s) have more than one QSO we will credit all ST0R cards and QSOs we receive.

DXCC is not sending a complete credit slip and matrix with returns. This can be downloaded from your LoTW account. If you do not have a LoTW account you can easily mark this on your current report or, send $3 to DXCC for a replacement.

If you send cards other than ST0R with your ST0R card(s) this counts as a full submission where all standard submission fees will apply.

An application form is not necessary (but it is a good idea to include), just be sure to include the appropriate fee and return postage. The special fee of $5 or $6 DOES NOT include postage.

ARRL IS NOT the QSL manager for this operation You MUST send your request to EA5RM and get the card. Personal cards sent to DXCC to get an ST0R confirmation will be returned.

If you have QSO matches in your LoTW account you must still do an electronic application (as you would with a normal submission) to move these QSOs from LoTW into your DXCC record. DXCC cannot do this for you.

Lastly, remember that this special offer ends on December 31, 2011. Submissions postmarked December 31, 2011, but received in January 2012, will be handled as 2011 submissions according to the special offer.

Send questions to bmoore@arrl.org
 

 Bill Moore NC1L
Awards Branch Manager
ARRL - The national association for Amateur Radio™
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111
Telephone: (860) 594 0234
Fax: (860) 594-0346
email: bmoore@arrl.org
DXCC Web Site: www.arrl.org/dxcc
Blog: http://www.arrl.org/awards-blog
Twitter: arrl_dxcc

 

 

DXCC Desk Offers Special “Paper Application Offer” for ST0R QSLs

The cards for the 2011 ST0R operation from the new DXCC entity of South Sudan are now being received by DXers around the world. With next year’s publishing deadline for 2011 results fast approaching on December 31, 2011, the ARRL DXCC Desk is offering a special reduced price option for those DXCC participants who have already made at least one application during 2011.

To take advantage of this offer to send in a single QSL for ST0R, you must have already made a submission in the 2011 calendar year via either Logbook of The World (LoTW) or via a traditional paper application. If you have already made an application in 2011, you may then submit a paper ST0R QSL (no other cards, just the ST0R South Sudan card) following these rules:

• Enclose $5 (check, money order, credit card number or cash at your risk) for amateurs in the US.
• Enclose $6 (check, money order, credit card number or cash at your risk) for amateurs who reside outside the US.
• Enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope for the return of the ST0R card.
• This special submission is only for the ST0R card.
• If any other card(s) are included, this will be considered a full submission subject to full fees, even if you already submitted in 2011.
• These submission conditions apply only if you have already made a submission in 2011 and this offer does not apply if you have not yet made your 2011 submission. All DXCC fees are in effect, as you can include this card with your regular submission.

ARRL IS NOT THE QSL MANAGER FOR ST0R.  You must obtain the QSL from EA5RM.

This special offer expires on December 31, 2011 and will not be extended into 2012. If you have any questions concerning these procedures, please contact ARRL Awards Branch Manager Manager Bill Moore, NC1L, via e-mail.

Oct 20, 2011: ST0R in LoTW -- REPUBLIC OF SOUTH SUDAN.  Co-leader of the ST0R operation Antonio, EA5RM, reports, "As you may know, the distribution of ST0R QSL cards has begun.  The Republic of South Sudan was recently added to the DXCC entities list, so each QSO confirmed by our manager will be the confirmation of a new one.  The DXCC Desk has expressed the concern that they may be overwhelmed by thousands of applications to credit the new entity.  Consequently, we have decided to make an exception, and upload to the LOTW all the individual donor QSOs and OQRS ones, by November 1st."

This is a reminder that the deadline for the DXCC Annual List (for the 2011 DXCC Yearbook) and the Honor Roll listing (scheduled to be published in August 2012 QST) is rapidly approaching.

In order to appear in these listing, upon qualification, you must have your 2011 submission into DXCC by December 31, 2011. As always, all mail postmarked by December 31 will be OK for these listings. 

Remember these qualifications to appear in the listings:

DXCC Honor Roll:

You must achieve, and maintain, Honor Roll during the 2011 calendar year. The total number of current entities on the DXCC list for this period is 341 and entry level for the Honor Roll is 332. (Remember, deleted entities do not count towards the Honor Roll. (See DXCC Rules Section I rule 1(u) for Honor Roll information).

DXCC Annual List:

In order to appear in the 2011 DXCC Annual Listing you must:
 

• Present a submission during the 2011 calendar year;
• Have an active award for the award caterogy to be shown (you must have a certificate); (just qualifying with 100 or more in an award category does not mean you will appear in the listing);
• Your total for the award must increase by, at least, one point from the previous period;
• If you are current on the DXCC Honor Roll, the Honor Roll category(s) will appear automatically, even if you do not make a submission. But, if you do not make a submission, active award categories other than the Honor Roll will not appear in the listing.

 

If you have not presented a submission yet to DXCC for 2011, there is plenty of time remaining to get this in. Also, it is not recommended that you wait to the last possible minute to make your submission. Remember, this is the Christmas holiday season and additional delays can occur.

I strongly recommend that you use a traceable method of mailing. DXCC is not responsible for mail that does not reach us, or, for mailing once they have gone out. Use of your local DXCC Card Checker is always recommended. There is no quicker processing by using this system, but rather than have your cards go through the mail it is much safer for card checkers to do the checking for you so that only the paper application needs to be handled by the mail system. (Also, be sure to make a copy of any submission paperwork before sending it to your card checker or to the DXCC Desk.

You can contact the ARRL DXCC department with any questions or concerns at:

E-mail: arrladmin@arrl.org
Telephone: (860)594-0200
Fax: (860)594-0346

73 es DX!

Bill Moore NC1L
Awards Branch Manager

 

In accordance with Minute 29 of the July 2011 ARRL Board of Directors meeting, the DXCC award for RTTY is now changed to Digital.
 

Digital will now replace RTTY on these certificates effective July 25, 2011.

73 es DX!
 

It is with pleasure that I announce that Mark Ammann, KMØA, of Florissant, MO has been awarded the ARRL Fred Fish Memorial Award #4. Mark submitted the final batch of QSLs to ARRL late last week, and the cards have been approved by myself and ARRL Awards Branch Manager Bill Moore, NC1L.

 

Mark's last-needed grid, CM93, was provided courtesy of a Grid DXpedition put on by Barry, KS7DX and Dennis, K7BV just a few weeks ago. K7BV also provided Mark with two of his last-needed grids in early June: CN77 and CN78, during a Grid DXpedition to Washington.

 

Also included in Mark's last submission was a QSL from Pat Rose, W5OZI, recipient of FFMA #2, during his 1991 Grid DXpedition to DL88. It seems fitting that one FFMA recipient should help another earn their FFMA.

 

More information on the Fred Fish Memorial Award and a photo of Mark holding his last QSL at http://www.arrl.org/FFMA

 

 

Please join me in congratulating Mark on his achievement.

 

73,

 

Sean Kutzko, KX9X

Contest Branch Manager

Questions have been asked about other e-QSL services who are asking for their LoTW login and password.

It is STRONGLY recommended that you do not give this information out.

No other e-QSL services are acceptable for LoTW and, use of any QSL(s) from these services may result in disqualification of these QSLs from one's DXCC record.

Passwords and logins are usually meant for your private and personal use and should NEVER be given out for the obvious implications.

The DXCC/Awards Desk is now on Twitter at:
 

@DXCC_Desk
 

Questions are being asked as to "Why am I not listed?"

 

Remember, the yearbook is designed to be for the period noted (ie: 2009). It represents activity for the 2009 calendar year. This also includes the DXCC Annual List.

 

In order to be listed (and to receive the free copy) you must have made a submission during the calendar year, and, have increased the totals for an active award by, at least, one point. (ARRL membership is also required for the free copy). If you had 275 on Mixed in the 2008 yearbook and ended 2009 at 275, this award category will not be listed. The only exception is a current Honor Roll category for Mixed, Phone, CW and/or RTTY).

 

This has been part of the original design of the yearbook since the first edition in 1993. Future plans have been discussed towards expanding the list but no final decision can be made based on the current software design.

73 es DX!

 

Bill Moore NC1L
ARRL Awards Manager

 

 

When you look at your DXCC Account Status on your LoTW userpage, you see that you can "Link Account."

 

Linking your account is one of the most useful things you can do with LoTW -- IF you have a DXCC award already. The value of linking your DXCC account to your LoTW account is that you then allow LoTW to find new countries in your matched QSOs. It is one of the most powerful tools in LoTW at this time.

 

Sometimes users submit a 'Link Request' in LoTW from their DXCC accounts only to have the request rejected, usually with a message noting that the system cannot find an existing DXCC record.

 

LoTW can only link to an existing "computerized" DXCC account. But, if your last submission was prior to computerization (late 1990 or so) you can still submit a link request. DXCC staff always checks the paper files for possible old paper record(s). If we find that there is a DXCC issued before 1991, we type-in whatever credits are recorded on the old paper record(s), then complete the link request. "Computerizing" old DXCC records may take a few days depending on workload.

 

Frequently, users who ask for a link request are actually attempting to "merge" two or more call signs. In this case linking is not the correct procedure, and, it won't work. Merging calls can only be done for calls that are "owned" by the same user, in the same DXCC entity. The typical use of a merge is after someone is issued a new call sign, and he/she wants to combine the new call sign(s) with the data contained in the account of the old call sign. Club calls cannot be merged with individual calls.

 

If you do not have a DXCC award, please do not do a link request. As mentioned before, it will never work and it will be rejected. But, if you just want to merge callsigns you can do this yourself.

 

To merge call signs, look for a link called "Modify Account." This is the link you want. The current account name will be in the upper portion and if there are other call signs to be merged they will be under this. Just highlight the call sign(s) you want to merge into your current account call sign then submit the modification. It could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on data being processed by LoTW, including log files. Note, you only need to do thins once. If it seems to be taking a while please do not try multiple attempts, only one is needed.

 

If you have a DXCC and feel a rejected link request was in error, send an e-mail to dxccadmin@arrl.org. Before contacting DXCC please gather this information:

(1) Award number and dates from your certificates; and

(2) Any old callsigns you may have held.

 

There are about 40,000 old paper records and it may take a little while to resolve, but having the above information ready will help expedite our search.

 

73 es DX!

Bill Moore, NC1L
Awards Branch Manager
ARRLL - The national association for Amateur Radio™
225 Main Street
Newington, CT 06111
Telephone: (860) 594 0234
Fax: (860) 594-0346
email: dxccadmin@arrl.org
DXCC Web Site: www.arrl.org/dxcc

As you know the DXCC yearbook is sent to ARRL members both USA and non-USA as long as the criteria for being listed is met. However, a number of non-USA hams are ARRL members, but, the membership is under a USA callsign and not necessarily the callsign of the home country.

In this case since ARRL membership is under a USA call sign the non-USA call sign will not show a membership record so in this case a DXCC yearbook will not have been sent.

For non-USA hams if you are an ARRL member under a USA assigned call sign but your DXCC is under your home country call sign, send a note to dxccadmin@arrl.org.

Remember, this is for non-USA ARRL members who do not have their memberships under their home country call sign only, but membership IS under a USA call sign.


 

It is with great pleasure that I announce that ARRL First Vice President Rick Roderick, K5UR has achieved the #3 spot worldwide for the ARRL's Fred Fish Memorial Award.

The "FFMA" is awarded to any Amateur that can confirm all 488 grid squares in the 48 contiguous United States on 6 Meters. Fred Fish, W5FF (SK) was the first Amateur to accomplish this feat. Rick is awarded FFMA #3; FFMA #1 was awarded posthumously to Fred Fish himself. Rick becomes only the third person, worldwide, to qualify for this prestigious award!

Roderick worked his last-needed grid, FN57, thanks to Daniel Dunphy in New Brunswick, Canada. The QSL was received at ARRL HQ and approved by the ARRL Awards Branch just moments ago.

More information on the Fred Fish Memorial Award can be found on the ARRL web site at http://www.arrl.org/ffma
 

On behalf of everybody at ARRL Headquarters, congratulations, Rick!

73,

Sean Kutzko, KX9X
Contest Branch Manager

ARRL Awards Committee Statement on Dissolution of the Netherlands Antillies:

To clarify the administrative process by which the anticipated changes to the two existing Netherlands Antilles DXCC entities will be made, the ARRL Awards Committee has determined that at 0400Z (12:00 AM local time in the islands) on 10 October 2010, the two Netherland Antilles DXCC entities will be deleted. 

Commencing at 0400Z (12:00 AM local time) on 10 October, 2010, operation from the islands of Curacao, Bonaire, Sint Maarten, Saba, and St Eustatius will count for a yet-to-be-determined number of new entities under the DXCC List Criteria, and Political Entities, Rule 1 and/or Rule 2 Geographic Separation Entities.  When the Awards Committee determines what Rule 1 or Rule 2 actions apply, it will announce the final disposition of the entities on the DXCC list.

The DXCC desk will not accept confirmations for these new entities until after 1 January, 2011. 

 

This information is provided, in advance, to those who use the DXCC assigned country/entity codes for programming software:

 

Below are what will be the DXCC assigned country codes for the new entities once they are entered into the DXCC system:

 

517 – Curacao

518 – Sint Maarten

519 – Saba and St. Eustatius

520 -  Bonaire

 

Note, the country codes for what will be the deleted entities will not change, they will just be flagged as deleted entities.

 

Online, the only place where these codes are posted is in the text version of the DXCC list. Once we officially add the new entities to the DXCC software this list will then be updated to show the official changes to the DXCC list.

 

You may submit all your QSOs with PJ stations to LoTW anytime.  There is no need to hold them out of your log or do anything differently from what you already have been doing.  You do not need to assign country names or identifiers.  After we issue certificates to the PJ license holders, LoTW will make matches and assign the correct entities automatically.
 

Due to the possibility of skewing the 2010 Annual and Honor Roll list numbers, DXCC cannot add these new entities to the DXCC and LoTW systems until we complete 2010 applications. We expect this to happen near mid-March. Since the DXCC year ends on December 31 each year, everyone will hae plenty of time to get their submissions into DXCC in time for the 2011 Annual and Honor Roll listings.

 

When you look at your DXCC Account Status on your LoTW userpage, you see that you can "Link Account."

 

Linking your account is one of the most useful things you can do with LoTW -- IF you have a DXCC award already. The value of linking your DXCC account to your LoTW account is that you then allow LoTW to find new countries in your matched QSOs. It is one of the most powerful tools in LoTW at this time.

 

Sometimes users submit a 'Link Request' in LoTW from their DXCC accounts only to have the request rejected, usually with a message noting that the system cannot find an existing DXCC record.

 

LoTW can only link to an existing "computerized" DXCC account. But, if your last submission was prior to computerization (late 1990 or so) you can still submit a link request. DXCC staff always checks the paper files for possible old paper record(s). If we find that there is a DXCC issued before 1991, we type-in whatever credits are recorded on the old paper record(s), then complete the link request. "Computerizing" old DXCC records may take a few days depending on workload.

 

Frequently, users who ask for a link request are actually attempting to "merge" two or more call signs. In this case linking is not the correct procedure, and, it won't work. Merging calls can only be done for calls that are "owned" by the same user, in the same DXCC entity. The typical use of a merge is after someone is issued a new call sign, and he/she wants to combine the new call sign(s) with the data contained in the account of the old call sign. Club calls cannot be merged with individual calls.

 

If you do not have a DXCC award, please do not do a link request. As mentioned before, it will never work and it will be rejected. But, if you just want to merge callsigns you can do this yourself.

 

To merge call signs, look for a link called "Modify Account." This is the link you want. The current account name will be in the upper portion and if there are other call signs to be merged they will be under this. Just highlight the call sign(s) you want to merge into your current account call sign then submit the modification. It could take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours depending on data being processed by LoTW, including log files. Note, you only need to do thins once. If it seems to be taking a while please do not try multiple attempts, only one is needed.

 

If you have a DXCC and feel a rejected link request was in error, send an e-mail to dxccadmin@arrl.org. Before contacting DXCC please gather this information:

(1) Award number and dates from your certificates; and

(2) Any old callsigns you may have held.

 

There are about 40,000 old paper records and it may take a little while to resolve, but having the above information ready will help expedite our search.