The local Arkansas and Oklahoma area has an ARRL (American Radio Relay League) approved card checker! Rory Bowers, K5CKS in Fort Smith is the man you want to get to know if you chase ARRL awards by using QSL cards. Rory can check your cards for either DXCC (DX Century Club) or VUCC (VHF-UHF Century Club) awards. In this day of convenience, many people are leaning toward Logbook of the World (LoTW) to confirm their awards. Many still prefer the old fashioned way by exchanging QSL cards with other hams. You can also collect ARRL awards via the online method which involves both LoTW and QSL cards. If you are using QSL cards at all, this is where Rory can help you. Follow the instructions from the ARRL as to how to sort your cards and fill out the appropriate form(s) if any, pay any applicable fees and Rory can confirm those QSL cards for states, grid squares or countries you have, with the ARRL for credit. Rory is a member of the Ft. Smith Area Amateur Radio Club and Arkansas DX Association and is glad to help you get your awards through the ARRL. Give him a shout on the 146.640 club repeater and he will go over the details with you. The service is free from him. You might even catch him in person at the FSAARC Hamfest the first weekend in April or at our monthly FSAARC club meetings on the 3rd Monday of each month. So get those cards out and sorted and who knows, you may have enough to qualify for an award and you didn’t even know it! Heck. You might as well have some wallpaper on your shack wall. You definitely earned it! FSAARC 73 and Good DX,
Jeff Ricketts- K5KDX
Secretary- FSAARC