Purpose: The purpose of this award is to promote activity on the CW amateur bands, to encourage the exchange of information that might lead to rag chewing and also to encourage interaction between FISTS members and non-FISTS members. It also provides a goal for those who need a reason to get on the air and make some QSOs!

Time Period: Contacts must be made on or after January 1, 2009.  This is an open-ended award with no finishing deadline.

Goal: To chat with hams who live in 100 different telephone area code districts. The area codes may be anywhere in the world, and the hams include all legally licensed operators. Contacts must be valid two-way Morse code contacts made on any of the legal ham bands.

Exchange: Any information may be exchanged during the course of the QSO, but the minimum information must include Name, QTH, signal report and area code.

Points:  Each area code equals one point, with 100 points needed to earn the award. Each area code must be counted only once.  An area code is defined as the area code for the telephone number of the phone the person uses most often. One area code is allowed per callsign.  You must use the same area code for all QSO’s that you make during the course of the year unless your station is physically moved to another area code.

For example, if you work someone and they give you the area code of their home phone, you cannot work them again and receive the area code of their cell phone or work phone for another point.  Mobiles use the same area code as they use while operating fixed.  One area code  per callsign only, unless you move your place of residence.

No multipliers or bonus points for club stations.  Everyone is worth one point.

Log Submission: A dupe sheet  must be included with the log and will be available on the web page http://www.fists.org.  Information to be included on the award log submission is Date of contact, Name, RST, QTH and area code.   Awards can be postal mailed to Dennis K6DF, 4658 CAPITAN DR FREMONT CA 94536-5448. Contact Dennis via  fistsawards@gmail.com for information on emailing logs to him.

Certificates will be issued free of charge to FISTS members. Non-FISTS members, including those whose memberships are not in good standing meaning you haven’t paid your dues and your membership has lapsed at the time of application) please include $4 to cover the cost of the certificate, envelope and postage.