[SFDXA] ARRL EXPO at the Dayton Hamvention(R): Where the DX Comes to You!

[The Romagni's]

ARRL EXPO at the Dayton Hamvention®: Where the DX Comes to You!

As part of the *ARRL EXPO* <http://www.arrl.org/arrl-expo> -- part of the
2012 *Dayton Hamvention* <http://www.hamvention.org/>® -- the ARRL is
pleased to present a plethora of DX activities. Visitors to the ARRL EXPO
will see a lot of activities relating to DX, including DXCC card checking
and a chance to drop off QSL cards for the ARRL Outgoing QSL Bureau, as
well as representatives from the International Amateur Radio Union
(*IARU*<http://www.iaru.org/>)
and IARU Member-Societies. The Dayton Hamvention will take place May 18-20
at Hara Arena, located near Dayton, Ohio.

*Get Internationally Connected at the ARRL EXPO *

The Deutscher Amateur Radio Club (*DARC* <http://www.darc.de/>), the Japan
Amateur Radio League (*JARL* <http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/0-2.htm>) and
the Radio Society of Great Britain (*RSGB* <http://www.rsgb.org/>) will be
on hand within the ARRL EXPO. “The theme of the 2012 Hamvention is
*Internationally
Connected*,” explained ARRL Marketing Manager Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R. “What
better way to get connected than meeting with fellow radio amateurs from
around the world?” In addition, representatives from the International
Amateur Radio Union (*IARU* <http://www.iaru.org/>) -- including IARU
President Tim Ellam, VE6SH, IARU President Emeritus Larry Price, W4RA,
IARU Vice
President Ole Garpestad, LA2RR, and IARU Secretary Rod Stafford, W6ROD --
will also be on hand in the ARRL EXPO area to greet visitors.

*JARL Awards *

Representatives from JARL will be accepting applications for certain JARL
awards (*AJD*<http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/4_Library/A-4-2_Awards/Award_Main.htm>,
*WAJA* <http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/4_Library/A-4-2_Awards/Award_Main.htm>,
*JCC* <http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/4_Library/A-4-2_Awards/Award_Main.htm>,
*ADXA* <http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/4_Library/A-4-2_Awards/Award_Main.htm>,
*ADXA-Half*<http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/4_Library/A-4-2_Awards/Award_Main.htm>and
*Fuji* <http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/4_Library/A-4-2_Awards/Award_Main.htm>),
as well as the IARU’s Worked All Continent (*WAC* <http://www.iaru.org/wac/>)
and 5-Band WAC awards at the JARL table within the ARRL EXPO. Amateurs who
qualify for these JARL and IARU awards will be issued the certificates
right on the spot. JARL staff member Masa Ebisawa, JA1DM, will also be
checking applications for other JARL awards; certificates for these awards
will be mailed from JARL Headquarters *after* Hamvention.

Applicants for JARL awards do not need to have the QSL cards with them; a
list showing the call signs of stations worked, date, band and mode (or
other data required by each award) of the contacts is sufficient.
Applicants will need to sign and attach a statement to the application,
verifying that the QSL cards of the contacts listed are in their possession
and that the items are correctly listed. Applicants may use a *DXCC Record
Sheet <http://www.arrl.org/files/file/DXCC/DXCC20Sheet%202012.pdf>* for
their QSL card list. Ebisawa will be glad to answer questions about JARL
activities, including *reciprocal licensing
procedures*<http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/3_Application/A-3.htm>.
Check the JARL website for *more information about JARL
awards*<http://www.jarl.or.jp/English/4_Library/A-4-2_Awards/Award_Main.htm>,
including award fees.

*IARU Region 3 Operating Award *

JARL will also be accepting applications for the *IARU Region 3 Operating
Award* <http://www.iaru-r3.org/r3award.htm>. JARL will forward these
applications to the New Zealand Association of Radio Transmitters
(*NZART*<http://www.nzart.org.nz/assets/awards/iaru-region-iii-log.pdf>),
which administers the award. NZART will then send applicants their award
certificate with any endorsements *after* Hamvention.

To be eligible for the IARU Region 3 Operating Award, hams must present the
completed *application*<http://www.nzart.org.nz/assets/awards/iaru-region-iii-log.pdf>,
listing at least seven contacts from entities in IARU Region 3 whose
amateur societies are Member-Societies of the IARU. These countries include
Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei, China (PRC), Chinese Taipei (Taiwan), Fiji,
French Polynesia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Macau,
Malaysia, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea,
Philippines, Pitcairn Island, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka,
Thailand, Tonga, Vanuatu and Vietnam. Applicants must also have at least
one QSO with one of the following: the US Territories in the Pacific from
Guam, Northern Marianas, American Samoa, Wake Island, Baker Howland Group,
as represented by ARRL, or the Chago Archipelago (VQ9), as represented by
RSGB. No QSL cards are necessary, but only contacts made after April 5,
1982 are eligible.

There are 34 available entities for the IARU Region 3 Award. Hams who
present seven QSOs will be awarded the Basic Award. Hams who present 15
QSOs will be achieve the Silver Endorsement, while those who present 20
QSOs will receive the Gold Endorsement. The award fee is US $4 or four IRCs.

*ARRL Card Checking and Outgoing QSL Bureau Services*

ARRL staff and *DXCC* <http://www.arrl.org/dxcc> volunteer card checkers
will once again offer full DXCC card checking -- including deleted
countries and cards for 160 meters -- and award application processing this
year at the ARRL EXPO. They will also be able to check applications and
QSLs for the Worked All States (*WAS* <http://www.arrl.org/was>) and the
VHF/UHF Century Club (*VUCC* <http://www.arrl.org/vucc>) awards.
Applications will be limited to 101 cards (more cards will be checked as
time -- and volunteer card checkers -- becomes available). Use the new *Online
DXCC* <https://p1k.arrl.org/onlinedxcc/> tool and save money on your
application! Remember to bring a printout of your application, card list *
and* your cards (in the order in which they are entered into the Online
DXCC) with you to Dayton.

ARRL members will also be able to drop off their QSL cards to be sent
through the *ARRL Outgoing QSL
Bureau*<http://www.arrl.org/outgoing-qsl-service>.
If you have QSLs that you would like to send through the ARRL Outgoing QSL
Bureau (your QSLs going to foreign stations -- no US-to-US QSLs, please),
you can save the shipping cost to ARRL by bringing them to Dayton and the
League will transport your cards to the Bureau in Newington.

In order to take advantage of this exciting benefit, all of the standard
QSL Bureau rules must be followed: Cards must be sorted by DXCC country,
they must go to countries where a bureau exists and you must be an ARRL
member to use the Outgoing QSL Bureau. Hams utilizing this service do not
need to box the cards, but they should be wrapped with rubber bands; ARRL
will weigh the cards on-site in the ARRL EXPO area.

The rates are *$6* for the first .5 pounds of cards or portion thereof.
Keep in mind that approximately 75 cards weigh .5 pounds. The rates
increase to *$12* for one pound, and then *$6* for each additional
half-pound. For example, a package containing 1.5 pounds of cards should
include the fee of *$18*. A package of only 10 cards or fewer costs just *$2
* and 11-20 cards are *$3**. *Members can pay for this service via check,
cash or credit card.
The ARRL EXPO -- located in the Ballarena Hall (near the 400-numbered
booths) of the large Hara Arena -- will include more than 20 exhibits
staffed by ARRL program representatives