[SADXA] Fwd: Requesting change in DXCC Program

[Wes]

FYI.  So far only one reply from W9JJ.


-------- Forwarded Message --------
Subject: 	Requesting change in DXCC Program
Date: 	Thu, 14 Apr 2022 11:34:34 -0700
From: 	Wes <wes_n7ws at triconet.org>
To: 	K6FG at arrl.net
CC: 	k5uz at arrl.org, w9jj at arrl.org, staratula at arrl.org



Dear Mark, et.al.

I have been DXing since I became a ham in 1958, although I didn't formally join 
the DXCC program until 1981.  I have the 5-Band DXCC award, as well as 
endorsements for 160, 30, 17 and 12 meters.  I also hold CW and (traditional) 
RTTY awards and I am on the DXCC Honor Roll, both Mixed and Phone.

During these 64 years of DXing I have seen many changes. Countries became 
entities, band awards and DXCC Challenge were introduced.  Logbook of the World 
and electronic QSLing became the new norm.  Contests, spotting networks, 
skimmers, DXpeditions, big and small, proliferated, and so on and so forth.  But 
none of these changes was as rapid and overwhelming as the emergence of WSJT in 
it's various forms.

When the League decided to include these modes into the DXCC program I think it 
was thought that they're digital so let's turn the RTTY award into a Digital 
award and lump them all together. I don't think anyone could have predicted the 
sea change that WSJT would make upon the way some of us work DX. Personally, 
while I operate using FT-4 and FT-8 and I QSL for my QSO partner's benefit, I 
have chosen to NOT apply for DXCC credit for these contacts.

I believe that the skills needed to make contacts using these modes are enough 
different that they should be recognized as such by having separate awards.  So 
I'm proposing that the RTTY DXCC be resurrected, any non-RTTY credits be removed 
and applied to a newly created Digital award.

The League itself has made the case for this revision by way of the announcement 
of the *ARRL International Digital Contest 
<http://arrl.org/arrl-digital-contest>. *That announcement includes the 
verbiage, "All non-RTTY modes are permitted. Going forward, RTTY will be the 
sole mode for the ARRL RTTY Roundup, which will continue to take place in January."

Clearly, the contest people see the difference, I think the DXCC program should 
see it too.

Respectfully submitted,

Wes Stewart, N7WS