The International Short Wave
League (ISWL) was formed in 1946 and for 61 Years has provided
facilities enabling members to enjoy their hobby to the great
advantage to themselves and fellow enthusiasts. We also run a very efficient QSL Bureau for our members, as mentioned below.
Unlike most radio societies, the League effectively caters for
members interested in both the Amateur and Broadcast Bands,
membership being equally open to licensed amateurs and SWLs.
The International Short Wave League is a non profit making
organisation run by volunteers, who are elected biennially by the League's
members.
Click here to visit the official ISWL Web Pages
at: www.iswl.org.uk
ISWL Information sheets, Membership Forms and Award Claim forms
can be downloaded via the above link.
If you require any information regarding anything you
have seen here
please contact our Honorary Treasurer
or email for
an information sheet to :-
ISWL QSL BUREAU
The ISWL operates a most
efficient QSL Bureau which is well known throughout the world for
its fast through-put with outgoing cards cleared on an ongoing
basis. Members pay an annual surcharge for the use of the Bureau, which at
the present time is 6 Pounds. However, the Bureau is unique in
that all cards addressed to members are dispatched at the
Leagues expense, with costly self-addressed and stamped envelopes
not being required. Also unlike some QSL bureau’s cards
are never thrown away.
The ISWL QSL Bureau Manager is :-
The QSL Bureau Manager for ALL ISWL Club
& Special Event Callsigns is:-
ISWL AWARDS
The International Short Wave League's Awards are available to ALL
short wave listeners and licensed amateurs.
Most ISWL awards now have 3 levels of achievement, i.e.
Bronze, Silver and
Gold.
The recent changes also allow for awards to be claimed, on a
"Worked", "Heard" or
"Verified" Basis.
This is due to the increasing costs and difficulties, that both Hams and SWL's
are experiencing, in obtaining QSL cards from radio stations around the world.
The ISWL was one of the first organisations, to accept e-mail QSL's for all of it's awards.
In the undermentioned award details, AM = Amateur Bands and BC = Broadcast Bands
Mixed amateur and broadcast band claims are NOT
accepted for any ISWL awards.
The current ISWL Awards Manager is:
or email to :-
OR:
I can also send you the Claim forms for all awards - via e-Mail.
Century
Club
For
working, hearing or verified contact / reception of 100 countries, as defined on the
DXCC Country List. With stickers available for each additional 25
countries up to a maximum of 350.
5
Band Century Award
For
working, hearing or verified contact / reception of 100 different countries, as defined on the
DXCC Country List, on each of the 3.5, 7, 14, 21, and 28 MHz amateur bands, totalling 500 in all.
The Verified 5 band award is the mark of a true DX'er.
Commonwealth
Award
For working, hearing or verified contact / reception, of
countries
within the British Commonwealth of Nations. As listed on the ISWL's claim form.
BC: Bronze = 20 - Silver = 28 - Gold = 35 countries.
AM: Bronze = 30 - Silver = 45 - Gold = 60 countries.
African DX Diploma
For working, hearing or verified contact / reception, of
countries
located in Continental Africa. As listed on the ISWL's claim form.
BC: Bronze = 25 - Silver = 35 - Gold = 45 countries.
AM: Bronze = 25 - Silver = 35 - Gold = 45 countries.
Continental
Award
For working, hearing or verified contact / reception,
of 10 stations
in each of the six continents, 60 countries in total.
European
Award
For working, hearing or verified contact / reception, of different
DXCC countries within the continent of Europe.
BC: Bronze = 22 - Silver = 30 - Gold = 38 countries.
AM: Bronze = 40 - Silver = 50 - Gold = 60 countries.
Monitor
Award - current ISWL Members only
Licensed members - For working, hearing or verified contact / reception,
of 25 licensed ISWL members since 1st January 1987,
with stickers
for each additional 25 members.
Licensed members may also count cards
from ISWL SWL members for this award.
Short Wave Listeners - For hearing or verified reception,
of 15 licensed ISWL members since 1st January 1987,
with stickers for each additional 15 members.
Pacific
Ocean Award
For working, hearing or verified contact / reception, of countries
having
the whole or some part of their coastline bordering the Pacific Ocean.
As listed on the ISWL's claim form.
BC: Bronze = 15 - Silver = 23 - Gold = 30 countries.
AM: Bronze = 30 - Silver = 45 - Gold = 60 countries.
States
Award
(Not for broadcast band listeners)
For working, hearing or verified contact / reception,
of the states of the United States
of America.
AM: Bronze = 30 - Silver = 40 - Gold = 50 States.
The Americas
Award
For working, hearing or verified contact / reception, of different
DXCC countries within the continents of North and South America.
BC: Bronze = 20 - Silver = 28 - Gold = 35 Countries.
AM: Bronze = 30 - Silver = 40 - Gold = 50 Countries.
Zone
Award
For working, hearing or verified contact / reception,
of ITU Zones as defined on an ITU Zone map.
BC: Bronze = 20 - Silver = 35 - Gold = 50 Zones.
AM: Bronze = 40 - Silver = 50 - Gold = 60 Zones.
Short
Wave Broadcast Bands DX Award
(For broadcast band listeners only)
Available
to all Broadcast Bands listeners for hearing or verified reception of short
wave broadcast stations in all 6 continents. The number of
countries which must be heard or verified in each continent when applying
for a particular Class is shown below:
| Class |
Europe |
Africa |
Asia |
N.America |
S.America |
Oceanic |
| Class 1 |
35 |
40 |
35 |
12 |
10 |
8 |
| Class 2 |
30 |
30 |
27 |
10 |
7 |
6 |
| Class 3 |
25 |
22 |
18 |
7 |
5 |
3 |
| Class 4 |
17 |
15 |
10 |
4 |
3 |
1 |
| Total
Countries Heard or Verified |
Class |
| 140 |
Class 1 |
| 110 |
Class 2 |
| 80 |
Class 3 |
| 50 |
Class 4 |
AWARD COSTS:
All ISWL Awards are free and post free to CURRENT ISWL members.
Non Members:
All UK Claimants
The first certificate in any claim is £2.
All additional certificates or stickers claimed at the same time,
will only cost 50 pence each. (Including postage etc).
European Claimants (Including Eire):
The first certificate in any claim is $3 U.S., €3 (Euro), or 5 IRC's.
All additional certificates or stickers claimed at the same time,
will only cost $1 U.S., €1, or 1 IRC each. (Including Airmail postage etc).
Non European Claimants:
The first certificate in any claim is $4 U.S. or 6
IRC's.
All additional certificates or stickers claimed at the same time,
will only cost $1 U.S., or 1 IRC each. (Including Airmail postage etc).
Claim forms can be obtained from the ISWL Awards Manager,
or myself, (via e-Mail) as previously mentioned.
Snail mail requests for award claim forms
UK stations please enclose return postage.
Overseas stations please enclose 2 IRC's or $1
to help cover return postage
costs etc.
Only cheques drawn directly on a UK bank can be accepted.
(Payable to: International Shortwave League).
Sorry! - NO Foreign cheques or Eurocheques can be accepted,
as UK banks charge large sums of money to encash them.
Also, NO foreign currency other than
Euro's and US Dollars can be accepted.
The DX'ers ATLAS
A Superb and very functional Atlas
An Ideal tool for checking awards etc.
