Chasing after operating awards is one of my main activities in Amateur Radio. In this category on my site you’ll find descriptions of many awards that I’ve received and how you can go about receiving your own.
There are many awards you can chase that base achievements on the number of grids worked. Maidenhead grid squares were introduced in 1980 to replace the QRA locator system used for VHF activity in Europe. The new grid scheme could be applied worldwide and its popularity exploded. Though originally intended for VHF/UHF operations, its use […]
The VHF/UHF Century Club (VUCC) is the world’s premier VHF/UHF operating award. The American Radio Relay League (ARRL) offers the award for all bands above 50 MHz (with a couple of exceptions noted below). The requirements for VUCC vary widely depending upon the band in question. The lower VHF bands requires contacts with stations in […]
Indonesia has a growing Amateur Radio population. The European Ros Club has an award to incentivize making contacts with Indonesian stations across the archipelago. Their Indonesia Grid Locators Award requires Amateur Radio operators to work Indonesian stations in at least 5 different Maidenhead Gridsquares. Additional certificates can be had by working more grids within Indonesia. A grand total […]
Founded in 1945, Arabic speaking countries formed the Arab League to draw its members closer and foster cooperation. Today there are 22 member states. The FT8 Digital Mode Club (FT8DMC) sponsors the Arab League Award (ALA) for working Amateur Radio stations residing within those countries. But there’s another FT8DMC award requiring contacts with Arab League nations solely in Africa. That would […]
Of all of the Continents defined for Amateur Radio purposes, Oceania may cover the greatest expanse on the planet. The FT8 Digital Mode Club (FT8DMC) offers up the Worked All Oceania Award to track progress in contacting Ham Radio stations in the many countries that dat its extent. The entry level Bronze award requires contact […]
To celebrate the widespread exploration of British naval officer James Cook, the FT8 Digital Mode Club (FT8DMC) offers the Captain James Cook Award. To obtain the award, applicants need to make contact with stations in the places Cook visited. This award is a synonym for the Captain James Cook Award from NZART. The award is […]
The Arab League consists of 22 members states across Africa and Asia. The FT8 Digital Mode Club (FT8DMC) sponsors the Arab League Prefixes Award (ALPA) for working Amateur Radio stations residing within those countries with differing prefixes of their callsign. The entry point for the award is 10 unique prefixes. There are certainly more but it’s hard to determine […]
Awards come in all levels of difficulty. If you are looking for a quick way to earn an operating award look no further than the My Birthday Award, sponsored by Paolo Corsetti, IK3GER. To qualify for the award you need only make 5 contacts via Amateur Radio on your birthday. That’s it! There is no […]
You can earn the Worked All Japan Call Area from the European ROS Club (ERC) by working Amateur Radio stations in each of the 10 Japanese call areas. This award is a synonym of the Japan Amateur Radio League‘s All Japan Districts award. But this award doesn’t cost anything! In addition to the basic award […]
The Worked All Zones Award from CQ Magazine (SK) is one of the oldest Amateur Radio awards in existence. An alternative to WAZ, also called Worked All Zones, is available for free from the FT8 Digital Mode Club (FT8DMC). To obtain it you need to work at least one station in each of the 40 […]