What are your toughest 3 Zones to work?

[NU4B]

I just noticed I have over 160 zones for my 5B WAZ but I don't have zone 26 anywhere  - so I don't qualify for anything. 

XW4 was LOUD tonight around 0000Z here in MD on my dipole, worked with 100 watts.

Paul

    ......... sigh...... I missed it. One of these days. Thanks for the info, I will keep an eye out. Good job with 100 watts !

[W7ETA]

ITU zone 48.  Zone 49 has some some tough ones.

A couple of zone 48s were only reachable via long path on 20.

73
Bob

[NU4B]

I just noticed I have over 160 zones for my 5B WAZ but I don't have zone 26 anywhere  - so I don't qualify for anything. 

XW4 was LOUD tonight around 0000Z here in MD on my dipole, worked with 100 watts.

Paul

XW4XR had a kicking signal last night. Sadly, for me, there were too many people after his signal came up. At one point he changed freq and I thought I might have a chance but then he was spotted 6 times in 30 seconds and the pileup got really big. When you hear a secondary pileup under the main pileup you know its a big one. Maybe during the week after the weekend warriors are gone.

[KD6KWZ]

Zone 39 usually isn't much of a problem with 3B8CF on but he doesn't seem to be as loud as he used to be.

I hope he stays active. Zone 37 & 39 still look tough from here.

I've been using the remote in nearby Salinas, 100 watts into a dipole, either a TS-480 or a K3. Better central & So. America results than just 10 meters.

I noticed that early local morning is nice on 12 & 15 meters lately, I've gotten Bosnia & Herzegovina E77DX on 15 & Madiera Island CT9/Dl5AXX on 12. That puts Europe in the doable position. I've heard 5N7M on 30 meters at night, but he didn't hear me.

[KI4PRK]

Zone 23, 24, and 26 are the hardest for me. I've heard a Z23 exactly twice; it was during the CQWW last year, and on Friday and Saturday night I heard JT5DX, and worked him Friday night.   I've heard several BY stations that more than likely were Z24's, but haven't worked one yet. I know they're loudest in the early morning here in Virginia, but like typical teenagers I have a hard time dragging myself out of bed early enough to get them (though when I have, I've been rewarded with some juicy Middle Eastern and Indian Ocean fellows!) I've heard a few Z26's, but the only one I worked was XW0ZJZ back in January. He had a signal like XW4XR has had lately, maybe even louder, and correspondingly had a gigantic pileup, but the night before he disappeared I worked him on his CQ call before he was spotted — one of my favorite catches I've made.

   I've found all the Asiatic Russian zones to be pretty easy. 20 meters opens to there not long after sunset, and will stay open until about 11 o'clock, and later as we near summer. I haven't gone back and looked, but I'm almost sure I have 17, 18, and 19, as I worked about 10 different UA9/0's in the ARRL DX contest and have a lot of others.

73, Brennen

[AB8MA]

One of my missing zones is zone 2. Looking at the map, it seems that only polar bears could inhabit that part of the world. Are there any indigenous hams up there? They shouldn't be that hard to reach from my qth.

[NU4B]

One of my missing zones is zone 2. Looking at the map, it seems that only polar bears could inhabit that part of the world. Are there any indigenous hams up there? They shouldn't be that hard to reach from my qth.

VO2! VO2NS been very active lately. And there are several more. If you get real desperate there is a Canada Contest in the summer and one in the winter. Normally all Canadian provinces and territories are on the air. Also watch out for VY0 IOTA operations in the spring, summer, and fall.

[W2IRT]

Yuri, VE3DZ usually operates from Sept Isles, Québec during CQWW-CW and there's almost always a team there for CQWW-SSB. I can't recall a year when there hasn't been a Zone-2 team for a CQWW contest. Labrador, as mentioned, is also in Z2.

[AB8MA]

One of my missing zones is zone 2. Looking at the map, it seems that only polar bears could inhabit that part of the world. Are there any indigenous hams up there? They shouldn't be that hard to reach from my qth.

VO2! VO2NS been very active lately. And there are several more. If you get real desperate there is a Canada Contest in the summer and one in the winter. Normally all Canadian provinces and territories are on the air. Also watch out for VY0 IOTA operations in the spring, summer, and fall.

Thanks. I got VO2NS loud and clear on 20 CW a few minutes ago. Thanks to your post, I remembered zone 2. Again.

Oh look, a squirrel ...  

Now, since I am only 2 short of having worked all of them, am I on an honor roll?

[W2IRT]

Anybody who needs Zone 26 and is around this afternoon, HS0ZJU is on 17 SSB with a crushingly-loud signal as of 2:15pm Eastern time

[AB8MA]

I had to go to school all day today.  >:
I can retire in 13 months. Maybe I'll have a job by then.

[AB8MA]

One of my missing zones is zone 2. Looking at the map, it seems that only polar bears could inhabit that part of the world. Are there any indigenous hams up there? They shouldn't be that hard to reach from my qth.

VO2! VO2NS been very active lately. And there are several more. If you get real desperate there is a Canada Contest in the summer and one in the winter. Normally all Canadian provinces and territories are on the air. Also watch out for VY0 IOTA operations in the spring, summer, and fall.

Thanks. I got VO2NS loud and clear on 20 CW a few minutes ago. Thanks to your post, I remembered zone 2. Again.

Oh look, a squirrel ...  

Now, since I am only 2 short of having worked all of them, am I on an honor roll?

For closure, I got the Zone 2 confirmation from VO2NS in the mail today. With the earlier confirmation for a 2009 contact into Zone 3 with VE7XF (thank you dxkeeper and Dave) that now officially leaves Zones 24 and 26.