Setting CQ DX Marathon Award Objectives
On the Awards tab of DXKeeper's Config window, checking the Realtime Award Progress box in the Marathon Bands & Modes panel enables realtime award tracking for the CQ DX Marathon award administered by CQ Magazine. With this box checked, boxes in the Marathon panel determine
which active DX stations SpotCollector highlights as needed and announces audibly, with a M in the Needed column for a needed CQ Marathon country and and an N in the Needed column for a needed CQ Marathon zone
which callsigns are highlighted as needed in DXKeeper's Main and Capture windows and in WinWarbler's QSO Info panel (via bold red font)
- which newly-imported QSOs DXKeeper reports as working needed CQ Marathon zones and countries
For the new Challenge class, check the 80m, 40m,30m,20m,17m,15m,12m, and 10m boxes in this panel.
The CQ DX Marathon Rules state that "Contacts through repeaters or satellites are not allowed for credit, nor are contacts with maritime or aeronautical mobile stations. All contacts must be made entirely over amateur radio frequencies – i.e., Echolink-type contacts do not count." To prevent QSOs made via non-terrestrial means such as EME, repeaters, or satellites from being considered when tracking Marathon award progress or generating a Marathon submission, DXKeeper ignores QSOs whose propagation mode items don't specify a terrestrial propagation mode. QSOs that do not specify a propagation mode item will thus be ignored for Marathon tracking and submission unless you enable the Marathon Bands & Modes panel's Include QSOs with no prop option. Note that you can specify a default propagation mode to be logged with each QSO via the Defaults tab on DXKeeper's Configuration window.
In the Filter panel at the bottom of the SpotCollector's Main window, check the Mrthn box so that Spot Database Entries "needed" for Marathon will be highlighted with the appropriate font color. Early in the year, the large number of Spot Database Entries "needed" for Marathon can obscure Spot Database Entries needed for other awards; you can temporarily uncheck the Mrthn box to remove the highlighting from entries "needed" for Marathon; be sure to check the Mrthn box after you're done.
The CQ DX Marathon Scoresheet you submit at the end of the year must be for a single Category: Mixed, single-band, or single-mode. However, aggressive competitors may pursue CQ DX Marathon on multiple bands and multiple modes through the course of a year, and then at year-end submit the Mixed, single-band, or single-mode Score Sheet that gives them the best chance for a win. If for the current year CQ DX Marathon
you're considering submitting a Mixed Category Score Sheet at the end of the year, check the Mixed box
- you're considering submitting a single-band Category Score Sheet at the end of the year, check the box for each band you'll pursue during the year
- you're considering submitting a single-mode Category Score Sheet at the end of the year, check the box for each mode you'll pursue during the year
After all changes are complete, click the Recompute button on the Main window's Check Progress tab. After DXKeeper completes the Recompute operation, if you are using SpotCollector, open the the Spot Database tab of SpotCollector's Config window, and click the Recomputation panel's Recompute button.
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