The DXShame Award

NCDXF Press Release

In April 2021, NCDXF announced the creation of an award – “The DXcellence Award”– to be awarded to the outstanding DXpedition of the last 12 months, which received funding from NCDXF. The award is intended to recognize excellence in a DXpedition, exemplified by practices, ethics, management, transparency, impact upon the DXing community, and lastly exhibited FUN!

The winner of the award is determined by the NCDXF Board of Directors. The Board considers several factors, including performance, complexity of the DXpedition, and impact on Club Log’s most wanted ranking. Especially important are activities associated with humanitarian efforts and education.

On celebration of our 50th year of operation, NCDXF is proud to award its 2023 DXcellence Award to Thierry Mazel, F6CUK. Thierry is recognized for the outstanding performance of a well-organized DXpedition to Crozet, FT8WW, that had a significant impact on Club Log users’ totals from the #3 Most Wanted entity.

The NCDXF looks forward to other DXpeditions this year that will qualify for the next award in 2024. We are hopeful that many DXpeditions will be funded by NCDXF and qualify for this award. Congratulations to FT8WW on the second annual award!

Take a closer look at this expedition:

Here is an accurate evaluation borrowed from Steve, VK6VZ:

FT-8 is so much less labour and operator skill-intensive than CW/SSB that it has a fatal attraction for DXpeditions – more people can be worked more easily and more quickly. Added to this, “He who holds the gold makes the rules” and DXpeditions mostly hold the gold as we want to work them. So if increasing numbers of DXpeditions are intending to use FT-8 what can we CW/SSB ops do about it to turn this around?

To start with, we can stop using FT-8 at all in our day-to-day operation. The less stations there are on FT-8 the less temptation/likelihood there is of a DXpedition using FT-8 it – particularly if all stations with good transmit and receive antennas aren’t using it.

Perhaps even more important – and we come back to the gold metaphor – when you make a DXpedition donation – and please do so – clearly state you are interested in CW/SSB and do not use FT-8.

However, the situation is even worse – the work on FT8 can be robotized so that the operator does not even have to be present! So the question is, why is FT8 mode so widely supported by e.g. the ARRL or the owner and creator of Club Log? How is it possible that the so-called “QSO” on the FT8 are built equal to CW and SSB?

Therefore, I consider the awarding of this would-be NCDXF prestigious award to the expeditioner who made 70.6% of all his QSO on FT8 a step aside, by which the NCDXF itself loses its credit in the eyes of the public.

It’s a disgrace, not an appreciation of skill, artistry and courage, and by awarding it under such conditions, NCDXF is contributing to the demise of ham radio as a hobby for smart, creative people.