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DXpedition

From HamWiki
DXpedition
PurposePutting a rare DXCC entity, island or area on the air for other hams
SizeFrom one traveling operator to teams of 20 or more
FundingThe operators themselves, clubs, DX foundations and equipment sponsors
Award creditARRL DXCC, which may ask for licenses, landing permits and other documents
On the air
Pileup toolsSplit operation, calling by region or number, pilot stations
On FT8Fox and Hound or SuperFox mode in WSJT-X
OnlineClub Log log search and OQRS
3Y0KBouvet Island, March 2026
Recent example

DXpedition (from "DX", ham shorthand for distance, and "expedition") is a trip to a place where few or no hams are active, made so that operators around the world can contact it. It can be one ham with a radio on a holiday island, or a large team running several stations around the clock for weeks on an uninhabited rock, giving thousands of people a contact with a rare entity for awards such as DXCC. For the wider hobby, see DXing.

Why some places are rare

Some DXCC entities have plenty of resident hams. Others are rare because nobody lives there, because getting there is hard or costly, or because the government restricts amateur radio. They may be on the air only when an expedition visits, sometimes years apart.

Club Log, a free online log service, publishes a DXCC Most Wanted list built from the logs its users upload: an entity ranks high when a large share of users still need it as an "all-time new one" (ATNO). It can be filtered by continent, band and mode.[1][2]

Planning and money

The first job is permission: a license from the country concerned (see Operating abroad) and, for some places, a landing permit. The ARRL's DXCC rules note that entities such as Desecheo Island, Palmyra Island and the Glorioso Islands need special permission from a government agency or private party.[3] Many remote islands are nature reserves. Sub-Antarctic Bouvet Island has been a Norwegian reserve since 1971; landing by helicopter needs a permit from the Norwegian Polar Institute, and visitors must clean their gear so that no seeds or soil reach the island.[4]

Then come transport and supplies: perhaps a chartered ship and a helicopter, plus radios, amplifiers, antennas, tents, food, generators and fuel. Storms can wreck antennas or force an early departure, and with no rescue service nearby, the most remote teams may include a doctor.[5]

Team members usually pay a large share themselves; clubs, DXers and DX foundations donate, and manufacturers lend or give equipment. The ARRL's Colvin Award, funded by an endowment established by Lloyd and Iris Colvin, supports DX projects that promote international goodwill.[6]

DXCC acceptance

Contacts count for DXCC only if the ARRL accepts the operation. Most are accepted routinely, though operators should keep their documents in case of a protest. Where amateur radio has been banned, suspended or authorized reluctantly, the ARRL may ask for documents first: the license, passport stamps and, for an island, a landing permit and a signed statement from the ship's or aircraft's captain. Expeditions are also expected to obey local environmental rules.[3]

On the air

To keep its own frequency clear amid huge pileups, the DX station works split, listening a little higher, such as "up 1" on CW and "up 5" on SSB.[5] Operators may also take calls by region ("Europe only") or call-area number.

On FT8, expeditions use special modes in WSJT-X. In Fox and Hound mode, the expedition (the Fox) sends up to five signals at once, and callers (Hounds) call between 1000 and 4000 Hz.[7] The newer SuperFox mode, in WSJT-X 2.7.0-rc5 and later, sends one full-power signal that can answer up to nine Hounds. Each message carries a digital signature, made with a key the Northern California DX Foundation issues to genuine expeditions, so callers' software shows the Fox as "verified" and pirates are easier to spot.[8]

Large teams use pilot stations, volunteers at home in different regions who relay reports to the team.[5] Many expeditions upload logs to Club Log during the trip, so callers can check that they are in it. Club Log's OQRS (Online QSL Request Service) then lets anyone in the log order a card direct, paid online, or through the QSL bureau.[9] Most also confirm through Logbook of the World.

Recent examples

3Y0K, the Delta-Xray Group's expedition to Bouvet Island, had a budget of about $1.7 million, of which about $1.2 million was for the polar vessel. Its team was announced as 24 operators from 14 countries, and grants included $100,000 from the Northern California DX Foundation and $5,000 from the Colvin Award.[6][5] The team operated from March 1 to March 14, 2026, despite winds that damaged its 160-meter antenna and a 20-meter Yagi. Club Log shows just over 102,000 contacts.[5][10]

With a much smaller team and budget, the V73WW group of six young European operators spent two weeks in the Marshall Islands in February 2025 and made 103,864 contacts.[11]

Etiquette for callers

The DX Code of Conduct, posted by IARU Region 1 and other societies, sums up pileup manners: listen first, call only if you can copy the DX station, never transmit on its frequency, send your full call sign, and stay quiet when it asks for another call or region.[12] Work an expedition once per band and mode, and check the log instead of making "insurance" contacts. See also How to work your first DX and Operating etiquette.

Once you are in a DXpedition's log on a band and mode, don't call it there again. Every duplicate takes a turn from someone who still needs that entity.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Understanding the Most Wanted list, G7VJR blog, May 2014.
  2. ↑ Why does the Most Wanted list feature not also include a filter by club?, Club Log support.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 DXCC Rules, ARRL.
  4. ↑ Bouvetøya: information for visitors, Norwegian Polar Institute.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 3Y0K Bouvet Island DXpedition 2026, 3Y0K team.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 ARRL Awards Colvin Grant to Bouvet DXpedition, ARRL, January 2026.
  7. ↑ FT8 DXpedition Mode User Guide, Joe Taylor, K1JT, May 2018.
  8. ↑ SuperFox Mode User Guide, Joe Taylor, K1JT, June 2024.
  9. ↑ OQRS (Online QSL), Club Log support.
  10. ↑ 3Y0K statistics, Club Log, viewed October 2026.
  11. ↑ V73WW: 100k QSOs from the Pacific Ocean, RSGB, September 2025.
  12. ↑ DX Code of Conduct, IARU Region 1, January 2020.
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