HAM Radio 101

Earn Your ARRL VUCC Award

There’s a lot more to being a Ham than working HF. Just ask the operators who devote their on-air time to earning the ARRL’s VHF/UHF Century Club Award (VUCC). The VHF/UHF Century Club is awarded for making contact with a minimum number of Maidenhead 2 degrees by 1 degree grid locators per band as indicated here:

100 Credits: 50 MHz, 144 MHz and Satellite

50 Credits: 222 MHz and 432 MHz

25 Credits: 902 MHz and 1296 MHz

10 Credits: 2.3 GHz

5 Credits: 3.4 GHz, 5.7 GHz, 10 GHz, 24 GHz, 47 GHz, 75 GHz, 119 GHz, 142 GHz, 241 GHz and Laser 300 GHz and above

Click here for complete rules.

What does it take to earn the award? Check out this article by OnAllBands blogger Dino Papas, KL0S, on how he used his home-brew 3-element Yagi attic antenna to earn the VUCC Award with more than 150 Maidenhead grids confirmed on 6M. For Amateur Radio satellite enthusiasts, read Sean Kutzko, KX9X’s article, Satellite Roving: More Grids than You Can Shake a Yagi At. And you’ll also want to peruse Sean’s blog, 15 Things to do with a Technician License.

For all your VHF/UHF operating needs, including transceivers like the Icom IC-9700, you’ll find what you’re looking for at DXEngineering.com. Interested in sprucing up your shack? DX Engineering carries full-color DX and Grid Square Maps from CQMaps.

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