It had been a quiet couple of months of incoming QSL cards. But a couple of QSL Bureau envelopes came in with some interesting cards including one for a brand new country. I worked TO4A on the island of Martinique on 10M, 15M and 20M using CW during the ARRL DX Contest. All contacts were […]
Germany has one of the largest Amateur Radio populations in Europe. If you’re looking for a way to incentivize making more QSOs with DLs then the European Ros Club has something for you. The ERC issues the DL Grid Award to Amateur Radio operators who work German stations in at least 5 different Maidenhead Gridsquares. Additional certificates […]
The Roman Empire at its height spanned the entire Mediterranean Sea. But it’s trade routes went out even further. The Vele Romane Award from IK3GER is awarded to Amateur Radio operators who make contact with countries and regions taking part in this trade. For the purposes of this award, Paolo (IK3GER) has defined 66 entities. […]
For modest North American stations, particularly on the west coast, working African stations can be somewhat of a challenge. After you do log a nice list of stations it’s time to look for an award to celebrate the achievement. The Africa Stations Award (AFSA) from the FT8 Digital Mode Club (FT8DMC) is here to help. […]
The Valley of the Moon ARC (VOMARC) held their annual picnic at Sugarloaf Ridge State Park in 2025. The weather cooperated and there were plenty of shady spots to get out of the Sun. In addition to some grilling and chatting, the club did another Parks on the Air (POTA) activation. We made a total […]
Countries come in all shapes and sizes. On maps the large countries dominate. The smaller countries are easy to overlook without the aid of a magnifying glass. The FT8 Digital Mode Club promotes an award that gives these smaller countries (more accurately, DXCC entities) some well deserved attention. They issue the Worked Little Countries Award […]
The Activity Group of Belarus (AGB) offers a large number of Amateur Radio operating awards. Several of their awards are based on the zones of the world created as part of CQ Magazine’s Worked All Zones program. Zone 20 covers countries at the boundary between Europe and Asia. AGB offers up the Zone 20 Award for working Ham Radio […]
Working places on 5 bands has become a goal for those wishing to push their station’s capabilities beyond the basic level. DXCC and WAS leads to 5BDXCC and 5BWAC. The New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters issues the Tiki Award for working Amateur Radio operators in New Zealand on five different bands. The entry point […]
The Tropic of Capricorn is an imaginary line of latitude along the surface of the Earth. It lies along the southernmost points where the Sun can appear directly overhead at the time of the December solstice. The FT8 Digital Mode Club (FT8DMC) sponsors the Tropic of Capricorn Award for working Amateur Radio stations in countries through which the line […]
A number of different organizations offer awards for working Amateur Radio stations on all continents of the world. The American Radio Relay League’s WAC award requires just six different contacts. Thus, Continental Awards represent a low barrier to entry for modest home stations, particularly when using modes such as FT8. Interestingly, the definitions concerning what […]