I've been chasing DX awards for a few years now and have been focused mainly on DXCC. Currently at 247 countries confirmed and finding the next ones increasingly challenging. A friend mentioned that WAZ recognizes contacts with all 40 geographic zones defined by CQ's official zone map and might be more rewarding.

I'm curious about others' experiences - WAZ seems more logical for "working the world" since DXCC's 100 countries may not be spread worldwide. Some zones look really tough from my QTH in the midwest. Which award did you find more satisfying to chase, and why?

WAZ is much harder than DXCC - I was past 200 entities before finishing WAZ, and the last 2 zones took years. DXCC falls fast at first since you can work lots of easy countries, but beyond 250 entities it becomes similar to WAZ as you need those rarer ones. Both are challenging in their own way!

Great question! Certain zones like remote Asian or polar areas are particularly difficult depending on your location. From the midwest, zones 23 and some of the polar zones will test your patience. But that's what makes it rewarding when you finally get them. The geographic spread makes WAZ feel more like a true "worked the world" achievement.

I'm working on both simultaneously and finding WAZ more frustrating but also more interesting from a propagation standpoint. You really learn the bands and conditions chasing those hard zones. I've got a mix of SSB, CW, and FT8 contacts with just 100 watts to an end-fed antenna, so it's definitely doable with modest stations.