The original intent of DXCC was to make it a real challenge and achieving the award was something to cherish and be proud of. It was not meant to be for everyone and signified an elite status level.
Where do you get that idea, Carl?
I did some research, and from what I read, there was never any intent that DXCC was "not meant to be for everyone" nor that it "signified an elite status level". Rather it was simply a challenge to be met.
The original DXCC, announced in 1937, would list the calls in QST of anyone who submitted 75 or more confirmations. Achieving 100 would get the certificate. Originally, the confirmations had to be QSLs or the written equivalent, but after a time, ARRL began allowing contacts logged in the ARRL DX contest if both stations submitted logs and the log entries matched.
After WW2, DXCC was restarted with some rather complicated rules about pre-war vs. post-war credits. By the end of 1950, just four years after V-J Day, more than 1000 post-war DXCC certificates had been issued. Considering how few hams there were then, it seems odd to claim it was "not meant to be for everyone" or involved "an elite status level".
And....how about this: In 1958, KN4RID, who was a teenager at the time, was awarded DXCC #3717. He had 125 worked and 115 countries confirmed
as a Novice. That was back when the Novice license was only good for a year, the Novice bands were small parts of 80, 40 and 15, and the Novice power limit was 75 watts input and crystal controlled. (Almost all of his countries were on 15, where he had a 3 element beam. His rx was a 75A-4.....)
If a new Novice could make DXCC with such a modest setup in less than a year, why wasn't DXCC "watered down" back then?
Now it is so watered down it means nothing yet some now want to use a pay as you go remote super station or multiple ones and not even have to own a radio.
Sure. But, for many years, a ham could use borrowed stations and do the same thing, right? All the remote thing does is to avoid the need to travel and to know someone who will lend a station.
It was bad enough when contacts from all continental 48 states were permitted. I had to start over 5 times when the 25 mile rule was in effect for decades.
What "25 mile rule", Carl?
Originally, DXCC Rule 9 required that all QSOs be made from the same country, and, if the country had call districts, from the same call district. Which meant that a ham who moved from, say, Camden NJ to Philadelphia PA, which is just across the river, had to start DXCC all over again, but a ham who moved from southeastern Arizona to northwestern Washington, a distance of 1500+ miles, did not. Lots of other examples.
By 1948, Rule 9 had been changed so that there was an exception: If a ham moved across call district lines but the move was less than 150 miles, s/he did not have to start DXCC all over again.
I'm not sure exactly when Rule 9 was changed to "all within the same country", but the old rule was in place in 1967 and gone by 1988.
I can find absolutely no evidence of a "25 mile rule".
DXCC is now worthless IMO unless major changes are made TO RAISE THE BAR.
So....if a ham with a 100 watt rig, a simple wire or vertical antenna, makes DXCC without using remotes, it's "worthless"? Why?
These days, even at the sun spot low, someone with 100W and HOA restrictions can work 100+ in a good contest weekend on CW and maybe two contests on SSB; it isnt hard.
Have you done it, Carl?
Have you actually worked 100+ countries on a good contest weekend on CW, with a basic 100W rig and an HOA-restricted antenna, from a typical urban or suburban postage-stamp lot? You say "it isn't hard" - but, have
you actually done it?
With the new Digital DXCC it can probably be done with 10W in 6 months or less with an indoor antenna since there is no FT8 contest....yet.
Have you done it, Carl?
Have you actually worked 100+ countries on FT8 in 6 months with 10 watts and an indoor antenna in a typical urban or suburban antenna-restricted location full of the usual RF noisemakers? You say "it can probably be done" - but, have
you actually done it?
I reached Honor Roll Phone and CW level years ago, 9B DXCC (no award available) with an amp was nothing hard except I have better than average antennas for 160....the 5BDXCC award is for 80-10 only, any modes, plus there are individual band awards.
That's great!
For a personal challenge only I made 9BDXCC with a QRP 5W, on CW and 160 took 30 years but only about 10 really pushing it once I gave it a go. Im up to 19 on 160 with 100 milliwatts. A goodly part of all that was with a 1934 National FB XA receiver and a 1940 Meissner Signal Shifter VFO that I restored.
Prior to that I worked 118 DXCC, confirmed 100+ with a homebrew push pull pair of WW2 surplus 211A/VT-4's in a self excited oscillator, aka Yooper at around 90W. It took months to get it to sound respectable and 2 1/2 years to get the QSL's mostly via the ARRL bureau.
But....what did you use for antennas?
You speak of "raising the bar" - what would you change?
Would you ban LoTW because it makes confirmations so much easier, faster and cheaper?
Would you forbid the use of modern rigs? At what level should the technology be stopped?
Would you ban the use of spotting networks and such? Go back to the times when the only way to know who was on was to listen, listen, listen, or have a buddy phone you?
Would you go back to the old 1000 watt power limit? Ban the use of big antennas? Not allow guest operation of stations not owned by the operator?
Or what?
And.....why? Why are you so intent on devaluing the accomplishments of others?
Or are you just trolling for a reaction?
Jim, N2EY