CDXC 2025 AGM

Chairman’s Report

Chris Duckling, G3SVL – Chairman

The CDXC Committee works diligently throughout the year to ensure the Club meets its core objectives of providing a community for DXers, encouraging new DXers, sponsoring DXpeditions to rarer DXCCs and IOTAs, running membership DX Challenges and producing one of the best magazines for those interested in DXing. All of this is carried out by a team of seven volunteers.

This year we have made real progress in certain areas and, additionally, had to handle a curved ball thrown at us. I’d like to take the opportunity to expand on these.

The first success of the year was the appointment of Steve, G4JVG as the Digest editor. Steve has an exemplary background as an author and an editor and, as those who worked him from Bonaire as PJ4DX will attest, is a true DXer. Steve took over the task rapidly and has produced excellent Digests from the word go. Thank you Steve.

Our DXpedition sponsorship reached what we think is a record of 21 DXpeditions in one year which cumulatively have produced in excess of one million QSOs. We can take pride in the fact that the CDXC logo and flag is seen on all major DXpeditions these days.

The LF, HF and Marathon DX Challenges produced strong competition for trophies and salvers and I’d like to recognise Lee, 2E0LMA’s contribution as awards adjudicator and Andrew, G8GNI’s contribution as trophy manager. We will celebrate the award winners’ achievements immediately after the AGM.

I mentioned at last year’s AGM our intention to move away from the membership management and website provider we have used since 2009. Whilst it does everything we want its annual cost has increased to a level that does not offer value for money. A small working group was set up of G4IRN, M1SMH, G4FZN, G8GNI and myself to research and implement a replacement. We first produced a requirements document with input from those at GMDX and FOC who had trodden a similar path last year and with Stuart, M1SMH’s expertise we set up a WordPress account and designed a new website. We have purchased software to cover the membership functions and are in the process of setting up and testing that. We will transition to the new system in mid to late August this year. We envisage this will save the Club in excess of £1,000 per annum.

And the curved ball I mentioned? Our DX Chat and DX Spots facility has run on the Skype platform since its inception but at the end of February Microsoft announced two months end-of-life for Skype. Chris, G4FZN with help from Pauline, G8HQW evaluated 11 different options. ‘Slack’. the chosen solution, was seamlessly introduced after a short testing process and is preferred by the majority of users.

Quite a year!

The presentations from the Membership Secretary and the Treasurer will provide further detail on the year but I’d like to thank the Committee for their time, professionalism and dedication and our President Don, G3XTT for his advice and guidance throughout the year.

73 & Good DX

Chris, G3SVL

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