The ARRL is celebrating the 75th anniversary of its DX Century Club (DXCC) program with a special year-long activity throughout 2012. According to the ARRL Letter, the Diamond DXCC Challenge will provide a special certificate to amateurs who contact other hams in all of the 231 entities on the original 1937 DXCC list. Many of these countries no longer exist, have been divided into multiple countries or absorbed into larger countries. QSLs are not required. The program will use an Excel® spreadsheet, similar to that used by the CQ DX Marathon, on which participants may track and submit their entries. Complete details are available at <http://bit.ly/AneQzL>.In a related story, the ARRL reports that traditional DXCC applications in 2011 rose by 57% over the number for 2010, most likely reflective of the overall improvement in DX conditions brought about by the rising sunspot cycle.
