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Author Topic: 5B-WAZ achieved!  (Read 1052 times)

W1VT

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #30 on: February 11, 2023, 02:23:14 PM »

I've worked 10M WAS in the ARRL 10 meter contest!  Even worked DC as well!
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K4HB

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #31 on: February 11, 2023, 02:23:56 PM »

Award #1121 shows UA4SKW. My 5BWAZ award number is 1684. The list and my award number match.
Did CQ print the wrong award number on W2IRT's award? Or am I missing something?

Beats me, he's number 1546 on the link you sent and also on this newest link...
https://cq-amateur-radio.com/cq_awards/cq_waz_awards/Jan2023-5_Band_Listing.pdf

It should be noted that numbers are assigned with the first submission for 5BWAZ, even at entry level.

<edit> Something must have changed with the award format. Here's mine, which was awarded 2001. My name was drawn in cursive by an artist, and the sticker on the left is for all 200.  https://www.k4hb.com/5BWAZ.html
« Last Edit: February 11, 2023, 02:44:03 PM by K4HB »
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AA6G

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #32 on: February 11, 2023, 02:26:22 PM »

Okay, but #1174 says N1UR, as it should. #1121 says UA4SKW, not W2IRT. Still seems wrong to me.

I did not submit cards until I had all 200. If I had submitted at the 150 level my number would likely be under 100. Yeah I've been doing this for a long time.  :)

Chuck - AA6G
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AA6G

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #33 on: February 11, 2023, 02:32:01 PM »

Beats me, he's number 1546 on the link you sent and also on this newest link...
https://cq-amateur-radio.com/cq_awards/cq_waz_awards/Jan2023-5_Band_Listing.pdf

It should be noted that numbers are assigned with the first submission for 5BWAZ, even at entry level.

Well, if I was W2IRT I'd be asking why my previously assigned number and on my award don't match.
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K4HB

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #34 on: February 11, 2023, 03:03:28 PM »

Well, if I was W2IRT I'd be asking why my previously assigned number and on my award don't match.

Compare his award to yours. Take a good look at his award and look at the date.
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W2IRT

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #35 on: February 11, 2023, 03:05:04 PM »

I'm really confused. What's up with the award numbering? Here's a CQ List of 5BWAZ awards.
https://cq-amateur-radio.com/cq_awards/cq_waz_awards/cq_waz_5_band_award.html
Award #1121 shows UA4SKW. My 5BWAZ award number is 1684. The list and my award number match.
Did CQ print the wrong award number on W2IRT's award? Or am I missing something?

According to the letter I received from José this morning, the 5B-WAZ certificate that was initially issued to me on 11 May, 2007 (at the 172-Zone level) was number 1546, and that's the number on the framed certificate on my wall. I am the 1121st person to attain the full 200 Zone award. It's a bit confusing, yes.
« Last Edit: February 11, 2023, 03:07:47 PM by W2IRT »
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Night gathers and now my watch begins. It shall not end until I reach Top of the Honor Roll

Great times are at hand, and soon there will be DX for all—although more for some than for others.

AA6G

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #36 on: February 11, 2023, 03:28:24 PM »

According to the letter I received from José this morning, the 5B-WAZ certificate that was initially issued to me on 11 May, 2007 (at the 172-Zone level) was number 1546, and that's the number on the framed certificate on my wall. I am the 1121st person to attain the full 200 Zone award. It's a bit confusing, yes.

So you have two awards? One dated in 2007 with the award #1546 and one in 2023 with the award #1121? I only have one dated in 2010. I don't have a lower numbered award for those with 200 zones.

I found my 5BWAZ letter from CQ. It says I'm the 820th station to achieve all 200 zones. I don't have an award with "820" on it. Maybe they've changed what they're doing. This certainly makes it confusing.

Chuck - AA6G
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W2IRT

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #37 on: February 11, 2023, 03:55:58 PM »

According to the letter I received from José this morning, the 5B-WAZ certificate that was initially issued to me on 11 May, 2007 (at the 172-Zone level) was number 1546, and that's the number on the framed certificate on my wall. I am the 1121st person to attain the full 200 Zone award. It's a bit confusing, yes.

So you have two awards? One dated in 2007 with the award #1546 and one in 2023 with the award #1121? I only have one dated in 2010. I don't have a lower numbered award for those with 200 zones.


The one I posted (#1121 for the full achievement) was a PDF I received from José via email today, along with the letter of congratulations. That gets put in the filing cabinet. The one on my wall, with calligraphic writing, is #1546. I hope I can get the second gold sticker to affix to that one, and will accompany the acrylic plaque that will come in a week or two. I also have entry-level WAZ certificates for 6m and 160m, but barring a miracle I know I'll never get all 40 zones on either of those. I'm working to finish off the mode-specific awards on the WARC bands as well.
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Night gathers and now my watch begins. It shall not end until I reach Top of the Honor Roll

Great times are at hand, and soon there will be DX for all—although more for some than for others.

VK3HJ

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #38 on: February 11, 2023, 04:16:06 PM »

I think you would be hard pressed to get 30 zones on 80M in today's DXing world without using FT8.

Ed  N1UR
Since the introduction of FT8, I see the majority of 80 m DX in that mode. There are some stations plugging away on CW, but most have transitioned to FT8. So what has happened is that 40 Zones on 80 m CW is just not available now, unless you organise skeds for the Zones you need. Opinion on skeds has been covered.
I'm missing Zone 34 on 80 m, and there is just NO 80 m CW activity from that Zone. 5A1AL was spotted yesterday on 80 m FT8. Two factors made a QSO impossible. Abu Baker has a very limited station for security reasons, and is hard to work on ANY band from here. He was on about 2 hours before my sunset, so was just not possible anyway. I had hoped to arrange a sked with Vlad SU9VB, but he told me that he couldn't hear anything when he tried on 80 m.
I won't go on, but I've enjoyed the challenge of 5BWAZ, and look forward to, eventually, knocking off that last one!
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K4HB

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #39 on: February 11, 2023, 05:06:08 PM »

Looks like there's been a lot of changes since Jose took the job as manager. Never thought anyone would be getting an award and plaque so quickly, especially considering how slow they have been in the past. When I saw W2IRT's award and the date, thought he was pulling our legs with satire.

Jose has built a nice station in IN, both inside and out, after retiring from the Navy...  https://www.qrz.com/db/N4BAA

Like his working conditions...  "I am happily married. We have 5 kids, 2 grandkids, 4 dogs, 21 chickens, 5 acres and 4 towers! I am busy!"
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W2IRT

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #40 on: February 11, 2023, 05:44:07 PM »

Looks like there's been a lot of changes since Jose took the job as manager. Never thought anyone would be getting an award and plaque so quickly, especially considering how slow they have been in the past. When I saw W2IRT's award and the date, thought he was pulling our legs with satire.
That "200" certificate is just a PDF file that José emailed me this morning. I printed it off on my laser printer. Whether or not there will be a second calligraphic certificate I don't know. The plaque manufacturing process is very quick now and I can't wait, but honestly just knowing I was successful in earning the award means more than anything. That second gold seal for the certificate is all I need, but plaques really do look nice :) :) :)
« Last Edit: February 11, 2023, 05:47:28 PM by W2IRT »
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Night gathers and now my watch begins. It shall not end until I reach Top of the Honor Roll

Great times are at hand, and soon there will be DX for all—although more for some than for others.

WO7R

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #41 on: February 11, 2023, 08:18:08 PM »

Quote
I'm missing Zone 34 on 80 m, and there is just NO 80 m CW activity from that Zone

Yep.  I have been informally keeping track of a second 5BWAZ since I came to Arizona and that's the one slot I am still missing.  If I somehow get it reasonably soon, I would have done it in about one sunspot cycle.  But, of course, experience helps in this game.  (The "second time" has a small asterisk as it includes a handful of tough zones from my original.  But as an art-of-the-possible statement, it says something).

Still, the 80m situation on zone 34 is part of the game.  Even a decade is a long time, in the end.  But, being shut out of various zones, especially on 80m, due to either low activity or low activity when you are in darkness is a major thing.  I spent a long time chasing zone 23 on both 10 and 80 meters.  Easier now than it once was, but "easier", not "easy".

This is why it is so hard to be dogmatic about modes.  Sometimes, you have to take what's there.  Sometimes, you have to wait for something to be there.

Not everyone is active on 80 and not everyone has a good station.  And, oh by the way, a lot of the activity on the low bands is moving to FT8.  So if there's only one station that's active when you have prop, you'd better work their mode. Nowadays, that's very often FT8.

Or, you can wait.  And wait.  And wait.  And maybe take the dirt nap while waiting.  Your choice.  But, the devil of this award is that even if you need but 40 slots per band, there are bands for which there is scant activity and for which you might only have mutual propagation for a few hours a day, a few seasons a year.  Or, peak sunspots only.

That's why the awards is hard and why I never gave a hoot about mode. 
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K0UA

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #42 on: February 12, 2023, 03:43:58 AM »

At 188,  I JUST have 12 more to go!.  These last ones sure have been slow. And most are on 80 meters.  I really have to get up a better 80 meter antenna.
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73  James K0UA

N1UR

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #43 on: February 12, 2023, 04:50:39 AM »

I respect others opinions on the topic of "the award is what matters" and you work what you have to to get it.  Its not for me, but that is just me.  I am in the game for the fun and interest, the awards are secondary.  Great to motivate (or demotivate) but its the interest in the pursuit that is more important to me.  And I have zero interest in pursuing by watching a computer screen and seeing if I worked a guy after returning from the bathroom.

However, the point of my dialog is that by using FT8, you are in fact doing the equivalent of adding the amp to the QRP award.  The whole point of the software is to communicate very week signals using timed coordination of transmit receive and repeating until full copy is achieved.  That lowers the usable S/N ratio below which CW or SSB or RTTY were possible.  That is no different than adding an amp to be heard and sticking with CW or SSB or RTTY.

Its not cheating by any stretch to use FT8 to finish off a few otherwise nearly impossible zones on 80M.  But it is also NOT the equivalent of getting that one opening in a sunspot cycle long path into BY or JT on 80 and completing the Q.  And celebrating it like it is, is just ignoring that. 

The problem that I have with FT8 is that that once in a sunspot cycle opening that everyone who has 5BWAZ 200 zones prior to 2017/8 knows is ultimately needed to have the award, has been vaporized going forward.  That one station who "might" have been there when you needed them has long ago decided that listening to noise on 80M isn't worth it when everyone is so happy decoding their FT8 signals while they surf the net and occasionally click on a few more calls of the deserving.  That needed miracle has been stolen by the adoption of FT8 and is now not possible.

Many choose to join the crowd and finish the award.  And I congratulate them on the effort that 5BWAZ takes regardless of what modes were used.  However, it is not the equivalent of what others have done pre-FT8.  Its just not.  And you know that.

Thankfully, I get my kicks contesting.  If I needed the DXing fix only, my towers would have come down a couple of years ago.  The DXing game is dead for me.  And I don't think I am alone in that.

Sure I worked 3Y and I will work P5 if it ever comes on and ZS8 on CW or VK0M or JD1M on SSB if I ever get the opportunity, but other than that the game has been so overrun by FT8 that its way too frustrating and not nearly enough fun anymore.  Not blaming anyone or anything.  Just stating reality.
Ed  N1UR
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K3STX

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Re: 5B-WAZ achieved!
« Reply #44 on: February 12, 2023, 06:54:16 AM »

I think you would be hard pressed to get 30 zones on 80M in today's DXing world without using FT8.

I have 34 on 80, all CW with wire antennas and <400 watts.

I think these awards are intended as challenges for the INDIVIDUAL. It is not a contest. I only operate CW, I do not operate phone other than in Sweepstakes or NAQP to help my radio club and if P5 came on the air and was 59 I would not drag out a microphone to work them. I have no interest in phone or digital modes; so if I go to my grave at 199 and never work my last zone on CW so be it. If there is a huge phone or digital DXpedition to my last missing zone I will not try to work them; that is because MY challenge for 5BWAZ is all zones on CW. Period. And will never use a sked for a contact. MY rule for me.

I need Bangladesh to make DXCC Honor Roll and there have been mini DXpeditions there using SSB only in the past couple of years. I did not turn on my radio and try. DXCC for ME means CW only. Self-imposed limitation. I do not begrudge others who make it however they want (within the "rules"), but the sense of accomplishment is when YOU have done something AND MAKE YOURSELF PROUD. To poo-poo someone else's accomplishment when they do it their way is ... I don't know the word to use, but it certainly is not nice.

Once again, I can't imagine getting all 200. Congratulations to Peter on this amazing feat.

Paul
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