Worked All Zones

Worked All Zones. It is one of the most historic and sought-after operating achievements in amateur radio, administered by CQ Amateur Radio magazine. The award is granted to operators who successfully confirm two-way radio contacts with stations located in all forty of the CQ world zones, a geographical partitioning system distinct from political boundaries. Earning this credential is considered a significant milestone, demonstrating global operating skill and persistence across various HF bands and modes.

Overview

The award's foundation is the CQ zone map, created by the magazine to facilitate DXing and contest logging, which divides the world into forty zones based on longitude. This system is separate from entities defined by the DX Century Club or political countries, focusing instead on radio propagation geography. Pursuing the award involves strategic operation, often during major events like the CQ World Wide DX Contest or through scheduled QSL exchanges with rare zones. The achievement is recognized with a certificate and often a physical plaque, symbolizing a comprehensive mastery of HF band global communication. Many elite operators, including members of the Radio Society of Great Britain and the American Radio Relay League, list it among their premier accomplishments.

Award Structure

Basic certification requires confirmed contacts with all forty zones, with endorsements available for mixed-mode, single-band, and all-band achievements across the HF spectrum. Higher-tier endorsements, such as the "WAZ Honor Roll," recognize those with confirmed contacts on multiple bands, including the challenging WARC bands. The program also features specialized awards like the Five Band WAZ and WAZ Satellite, the latter for contacts made via AMSAT spacecraft. All applications must be submitted with physical QSL cards or electronic confirmations from systems like LoTW, verified by the CQ Amateur Radio awards manager. Famed operators from clubs like the Northern California DX Foundation often pursue these endorsements to showcase their versatility.

Operating Procedures

Operators typically use SSB, CW, or digital modes like FT8 on HF bands from 160 meters to 10 meters to reach needed zones. Strategic activity peaks during major contests such as the ARRL International DX Contest or expeditions to rare zones like Zone 39 in Antarctica or Zone 23 in Central Asia. Successful hunters often rely on DX-peditions organized by groups like the German Amateur Radio Club or the Japan Amateur Radio League to access difficult regions. Logging and verification are critical, with many using software like DXLab and submitting through the CQ Amateur Radio online system, while traditionalists may still mail cards to QSL bureaus in countries like Switzerland or Bulgaria.

History

The award was inaugurated in 1947 by CQ Amateur Radio magazine, founded by Dick Ross, to promote global communication in the post-World War II era. Early recipients were pioneers in the golden age of amateur radio, utilizing vacuum tube equipment to work zones across continents like Africa and South America. The program evolved with technological shifts, incorporating new bands after the World Administrative Radio Conference and recognizing modes like RTTY and satellite communication via OSCAR satellites. Its administration has been overseen by notable figures such as Joseph Reisert, and it remains a benchmark event referenced in publications from the Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation and the International Amateur Radio Union.

Related Awards

The achievement is part of a family of prestigious awards, including the DX Century Club for contacting political entities and the Worked All Continents award. Other zone-based challenges include the CQ World Wide DX Contest and the CQ WPX Award, which focuses on contacting prefixes. Similar global operating awards are the ARRL DX Century Club and the Russian DX Contest, while satellite operators may pursue the AMSAT Satellite Worked All Zones credential. These programs are often highlighted in events like the Dayton Hamvention and supported by organizations such as the International DX Association.