Acting on a recommendation by ARRL Membership and Volunteer Programs Manager Dave Patton, NN1N, the ARRL’s Programs and Services Committee (PSC) adopted new rules for ARRL field card checkers. ARRL card checkers now may check QSL cards for those entities deleted from the DXCC list and, with certain exceptions, check cards for 160 meters. In addition, the PSC decided not to change the process by which card checkers are appointed.

Prior to April 16, 2012, these cards could only be checked at ARRL Headquarters. According to Patton, the reason for this was that some QSL cards for 18 MHz can be altered to show 1.8 MHz without the alteration being detected. Therefore, the time of the QSO becomes significant. Some cards for deleted entities date back prior to 1960, making it difficult in the field to sometimes determine which entity the card ought to count for. Deleted entities do not count for the DXCC Challenge or for the Honor Roll, but do count toward all-time totals.

Old rule [Section IV, Rule 1 (a)]:

1. Entities Eligible for Field Checking:
a. All current entities dating back to November 15, 1945 can be checked. Cards for deleted entities and cards indicating 160 meters must be submitted to ARRL HQ.

New rule [Section IV, Rule 1 (a)(i-iv)]:

1. Entities Eligible for Field Checking:
a. All entities dating back to November 15, 1945 can be checked as follows:
i) Cards for deleted entities may be checked by all DXCC card checkers.
ii) If the DXCC card checker cannot determine the entity of a QSL for a QSO with a deleted entity, the card checker may photograph both sides of the card and e-mail those images to the DXCC desk for final entity determination. The card checker must certify on the application that those images are made by him/her and are a true representation of the card. HQ will assign the final entity name as determined to the applicant’s DXCC.
iii) Cards for 160 meters may be checked by DXCC card checkers who have themselves earned DXCC on 160 meters. Those card checkers who do not have 160 meter DXCC may not check cards for QSOs on 160 meters.
iv) All other bands (other than 160), modes and all entities may be checked by all DXCC Card Checkers.

Benefits of these rules changes include:

• Further improvement in member/customer service at ARRL Headquarters.
• Improvement in applicants’ experience with DXCC participation.
• Improvement in QSO-validity review by allowing experienced DXers who are card checkers to review the 160 meter data.
• Enhancement of the use and value of the new Online DXCC web tool.

“These new rules are a good step forward for the DXCC field card checking program,” said ARRL Delta Division Director and PSC Chairman David Norris, K5UZ. “It will add additional flexibility to the program and increase the value of the services that we provide to our members. In the past, it has been difficult for hams with QSL cards for 160 meters to get their cards checked. Now that card checkers can check cards for 160 meters in the field, the DXCC program should see an increase in the number of confirmed 160 meter QSOs.”