How to Sort Out Those Confusing DXCC Numbers 

Current?  Deleted?  Worked?  Challenge?  etc. 

Don Butler, N5LZ  

To understand the ARRL DXCC program one must first understand the difference between CURRENT entities and DELETED entities.   Since the ARRL DXCC program began in 1945, almost 400 different entities have been recognized at one time or another, but many have been deleted over the years for various reasons (political, countries merging, country divided, administration change, etc.).  The current number of entities (total minus deleted) is 338.  None have been deleted since 1994, so all entity credits earned by DXers licensed during the past 15 years are likely to be current.  

The ARRL DXCC desk tracks confirmed entities only, and keeps a running total, which INCLUDES DELETED ENTITIES, for each DXCC certificate holder (Mixed, Phone, CW, RTTY, single band, etc.).  They do it that way to recognize long term achievement in DXing.  The longer a guy has been chasing DX, the higher his numbers are likely to be, and there’s no way the young guys will ever catch the oldtimers.  

The DXCC Honor Roll and DXCC Challenge programs, on the other hand, are awards based upon confirmed contacts with CURRENT ENTITIES ONLY.  This system levels the playing field for active DXers; a relatively new DXer can achieve number one DXCC honor roll status just like an oldtimer can.  A DXCC certificate holder (Mixed, Phone, CW or RTTY) whose current confirmed total is within 10 of the 338 maximum earns a spot on the honor roll.  The DXCC Challenge award was created to recognize achievement on all bands, and is based upon the total number of confirmed current entities on each band from 6M through 160M (excluding 60M).  It requires a minimum total of 1000 for the basic award.  Please review the DXCC rules at http://www.arrl.org/awards/dxcc/ for further clarification on all of the above.  

To further complicate matters, reports produced by logging software packages seem to differ from one another.  Each program tracks worked and confirmed entities, and does distinguish deleted entities from current entities, but some use different names and each report seems to have slightly different information.  ARRL reports from the DXCC desk and LOTW list confirmed and verified entities only.  

We’d like to keep the reports posted on our website consistent with those from the DXCC desk, but have also added “worked” totals to our reports to make them a bit more interesting.  If you wish to share your DXCC progress for listing on our website, please submit the following totals:  

Mixed – Any mode any band 6M through 160M          

Worked – total entities worked or confirmed, including deleted entities          

Confirmed – total entities confirmed, including deleted entities          

Current – total entities confirmed, EXCLUDING deleted entities

Phone – Voice mode contacts on any band 6M through 160M  

Worked – total entities worked or confirmed, including deleted entities          

Confirmed – total entities confirmed, including deleted entities          

Current – total entities confirmed, EXCLUDING deleted entities 

CW – CW contacts on any band 6M through 160M (after January 1975 only)

Worked – total entities worked or confirmed, including deleted entities          

Confirmed – total entities confirmed, including deleted entities          

Current – total entities confirmed, EXCLUDING deleted entities 

RTTY – RTTY contacts on any band 6M through 160M          

Worked – total entities worked or confirmed, including deleted entities          

Confirmed – total entities confirmed, including deleted entities          

Current – total entities confirmed, EXCLUDING deleted entities

If you also track band entities and are pursuing the DXCC Challenge award, please submit these numbers as well:  For each band 6M through 160M (any mode)          

Worked – total worked or confirmed, including deleted entities          

Confirmed – total entities confirmed, including deleted entities  

DXCC Challenge Total – the grand total of all CONFIRMED CURRENT ENTITIES (any mode) on each band 6M through 160M.  EXCLUDE 60M contacts and deleted entities from this total

Please submit information and updates via email to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  The preferred method would be to attach or paste reports from your logging software program into the email.  A copy of an LOTW report will also work, but remember that the LOTW report includes confirmed totals only, so worked totals will also need to be submitted.