News from the Sterling Park Amateur Radio Club (SPARC)

International DX Association, Inc.
P.O. Box 123
Catawba, SC 29704
U.S.A.

January 25, 2008

GORDON R MILLER, NQ4K
STERLING PARK ARC
PO BOX 599
STERLING, VA 20167-0599

Dear :

We are sending this letter to you as the contact for STERLING PARK ARC
as identified on the ARRL’s list of affiliated amateur radio clubs. We wish to provide
you some information about the International DX Association—most often referred
to as INDEXA—and ask that you share our message with all of your members, either
at one of your meetings or via your club newsletter. If you or other members
of your group find what we are doing is worthwhile, then we ask that you support
INDEXA by becoming a member.

In 1983 INDEXA was incorporated as a non-profit organization to provide assistance
to various DXpeditions to rare and semi-rare DXCC entities. This year we are
celebrating our 25th anniversary of providing that support. In that time,
INDEXA has helped over 175 expeditions to operate from many countries on the
DX “most wanted” list. We have supported expeditions to many very rare DXCC
entities, sometimes more than once. In our earlier years we actually supplied
radio equipment such as rigs, antennas, coax , etc., along with purely financial
support. Over time our support has become principally financial contributions
since most of today’s DXpeditions are receiving valuable support from the various
equipment manufacturers.

The latest information on propagation predictions are that the next Solar Cycle
began in early January 2008. It looks like we are now beginning that positive
climb to what is believed to be a very strong cycle which in turn leads to
great propagation on the bands. This positive propagation trend will certainly
lead to more DXpeditions wanting to activate countries from the “Most Wanted”
DXCC list. Between December 2007 and March 2008, INDEXA is supporting five
separate DXpeditions. We have a lot more fun in store the next few years in
our DXing hobby.

What does this mean for INDEXA? Simply, INDEXA will be solicited for financial
support to help send DXpeditions on their way. DXpeditions make possible all
time new DXCC entities for some and new band entities/countries for many.
Yet, many DXpeditions are undertaken only when sufficient “seed money” is pledged
to render them possible, and that is where an organization like INDEXA comes
into play.

As a group which has expressed interest in Amateur Radio DXing, we presume
your club is interested in making DX happen. Beyond financial support that
your organization may already be providing—often after the fact, via contributions
with your QSL activity—we ask that members of your group join INDEXA, a non-profit
DX organization which has as one of its main goals provision of financial aid
to DXpeditions seeking to activate rare DX entities. A visit to our web site
at www.indexa.org will provide an informative overview of our organization
and our DXing history. The web site also provides information on how to join
electronically or by mail.

If you are already a member of INDEXA, we value your support so we can continue
supporting DXpeditions as we have done for a quarter century.

Thanks and best DX !!

-73 Gary Dixon, K4MQG, INDEXA President

John Scott, K8YC, INDEXA Vice-President

Bill Jennings, W4UNP, INDEXA Secretary-Treasurer