NASWA Awards, August 1997
Last Updated on October 12, 2005 by Ralph Brandi
Howdy and welcome to summer in Virginia! The weather can’t seem to make up its mind if it wants to be hot or cold but thunder storms somewhere on the earth make listening conditions remind me that it is indeed summer. The awards business has been slow and it has been several months since there has been enough to write about. The summer months are a perfect time to stay in touch with your hobby by organizing your QSL albums (besides, that can be done in the air conditioned house). Be sure to check your cards against the NASWA awards booklet and see if you qualify for an award or two that might have slipped through a crack somewhere.
Here are the latest folks to bother their spouses by hanging those beautiful NASWA greens all over the house:
- James Clar
- DXer de Pacifica
- James Evans
- African Continental DXpert
- Master European DXer
- North American Continental DXpert
- Master Pacifica DXer
- Eric Falkenhan
- All VOA
- Richard Hankison
- Senior DX Centurion
- Master European DXer
- Australian DXer
- Rick Krzemien
- 210 country endorsement
- Steve Lare
- African Continental DXpert
- Bill Matthews
- Master British Commonwealth DXer
- Gary Neal
- Senior Ecclesiastic DXer
- Senior China DXer
- Stephen Pitts
- Senior DX Centurion
- Michael Prindle
- DX Centurion
- Pirate DXer
- John Wilkins
- The following endorsements:
- Senior Ecclesiastic Dxer–84
- Australian Dxer–15
- All VOA–23
- Master PNG–20
- Senior Ecuadorian–15
- Senior Peruvian–51
- All American Dxer–34
- Asian Continental Dxer–62
Congratulations to all these hard-working DXers–hope to see your name here next time.
Featured Award
As you plow over your country lists and QSLs working on that next NASWA award, you no doubt have in the back of your mind that some day you will be first a DX Centurion, then a Senior DX Centurion and finally, a Master DX Centurion, the grand-daddy of them all. Most DXers find that the first hundred countries in the quest go pretty quickly. Then each country seems to get progressively more difficult and hope seems to dim that 150 will ever be reached. When 150 countries are finally heard (and verified), things really slow down–that last 50 can take the rest of your life in the hobby. If you feel this way, you are in good company, but there are folks who have made it. Since the awards program started in May 1974, NASWA has created 178 DX Centurions, 71 Senior DX Centurions and 31 Master DX Centurions. Master DX Centurion #1 is Don Jensen; the rest of the folks, in order, are Gerry Dexter, Richard Pistek, Dan Henderson, Al Sizer, Merlyn Field, Jerry Berg, Kent Magill, Gordon Darling, Al Miller, Ed Kusalik, Tom Gavarar, John Sgrolrtta, Chris Stark, Bill Flynn, Gerry Bishop, Harold Cones, Roland Schultz, Vern Hyson, Terry Palmershein, John Herkimer, Sheryl Paszkiewicz, Dave Valko, Richard Davis, Paul Buer, Steve Lare, Rick Krzemien, John Wilkins, Joe DiLeo, Bill Matthews and Stephen Pitts.
So you see, it can be done. It takes lots of work, careful researching and a lot of patience, but you are in good company. Most award-getters suggest that you work especially hard on the “twoffers”–the countries you can count for two (or even three) NASWA awards. Hang in there and I will look forward to seeing your name on the Master DX Centurion list some day soon.
Stay cool–and a good way to do that is to think about the next Winter SWL Fest in Kulpsville.