The European Castles Award (ECA) is sponsored by the BAVARIAN RADIO FRIENDS to further promote amateur radio activity from castles or fortresses all over Europe. It is meant to support the national castles award programs, which exist in several European countries, and to give a new challenge to all castle hunters.

The award series is open to all radio amateurs (OP) as well as listeners (SWL).

There are no band, mode or date restrictions.

There are different awards for every hundred castles confirmed, so for 100, 200, 300, etc European castles (no upper limit). The applicant must have castles from at least three different countries confirmed by QSL card. Each award has a picture of a different castle.

You need not apply for each of the awards. That is you do not have to have applied for the ECA 100 and 200 before, if you want to apply for the ECA 300. You can, start at a higher award level but please be aware that each award looks different.

Non-European castle hunters can multiply their number of castles confirmed by four, so they will receive the same awards in steps of 25 castles, but the three countries rule also applies to them.

For the application no QSL cards must be sent in, but the applicant must be in possession of the QSL cards. These QSL cards must clearly state the castle number of the respective national castle awards (like e.g. DCI, DFCF, BCA, COTA-Russia etc.).

To make application as easy and time-saving as possible, there is no detailed GCR list required. All that is required is a listing of the number of castles confirmed per country (e.g. Italy 123, France, 68, Belgium 23, Russia 10, etc.). So, you just have to count the QSLs, not write long lists. This list does not have to be verified by anybody. It is regarded as a matter of honor that participants do not cheat.

Castle activators may count each castle they have activated as confirmed.

9. The award fee is 5 € or 8 $ or 8 IRCs (only the very new ones) for one award. If you apply, however, for more than one awards in one application, the fee for the other awards is 2 €, or 3 $ or 3 IRCs per award. So if you apply for ECA 100, 200, 300 and 400 in one application, the fee is 11 € or 17 $ or 17 IRCs for the four awards.

The applications must be sent to:
DE3EAR, Hans-Jurgen Schmelzer, P.O. Box 1204, 95634 Tirschenreuth, Germany

If you have questions you can write an e-mail to: de3ear@darc.de