A DX-pedition normally is an expedition to an exotic place. An exotic place for an amateur radio operator is any Country or Island that doesn't have many amateurs at that location.

There are several awards sponsored by various organizations based on contacting many different countries. Perhaps the most famous of these is the DXCC award sponsored by the ARRL. The base level of this award involves contacting and confirming 100 countries.

DX-peditions are usually formed in pursuit of this and similar awards. The object of the DX-pedition is to put rare countries on the radio map.

A "country" for radio award purposes is any location that is both politically and physically remote from other jurisdictions/locations. Even though Alaska and Hawaii are politically part of the United States, they are separate DX countries.

When amateurs travel to remote locations they must first obtain permission to operate from that location from whatever political jurisdiction rules the area they wish to travel too.

Once operating permission is assured, then transportation must be arranged. This can be both expensive and dangerous. Many locations are coral Atolls that submerge at high tide!

The amateur must next take care of the basic necessities such as food, water and power. Once these basic issues are assured, then the DX-pedition paritipants will concern themselves with the radio equipment they'll use.

Smaller radios which run off of 12V, and antenna systems which are more easily transported are favored over larger equipment that might be found in a home station.

Finally - when the individual or group arrives at the DX-pedition destination, they must setup their station and get on the air. DX-peditions are usually group affairs since the desire is to make as many contacts as possible from the location. Round the clock operations on multiple HF bands are typical, thus it is a more likely a group activity.

Many DX-peditions are organized around various radio contests that happen through-out the year.