[CQ-Contest] Is it time to redraw the CQ zone map?

[John Geiger]

Add some more population to Zone 2.  I am guessing it's the least populated zone by far.  

Maybe the mountain time zone east of the rocky mountains should be in zone 4 also.

73 John AF5CC 

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-------- Original Message --------
On 12/4/25 11:40 AM, Barry W2UP <w2up.co at gmail.com> wrote:

>  Since gerrymandering has been a thing in the US lately, perhaps it should
>  apply to the CQ zone map as well.
>  
>  Consider the primary US zones, 3, 4, and 5.  Zone 5 is roughly 500 miles
>  wide.  Zone 4 is roughly 1600 miles wide, and zone 3 is about 1000 miles
>  wide.  Is it fair that OH and CO are in the same zone?  Ohio's EU opening,
>  while not quite as favorable, is much more like that of the eastern
>  seaboard than OH vs CO (I've operated CQWW from both states.)  Drastically
>  different DX condx from one side to the other.  Perhaps the zones should be
>  realigned as follows:
>  zone 5 - eastern time zone.
>  zone 4 - central time zone.
>  zone 3 - pacific and mountain time zones.
>  
>  While I haven't looked at the rest of the world, consider one example -
>  zone 15.  Is it fair that the OH's and 9A's are in the same zone,
>  considering the vastly different propagation (auroral zone and
>  dramatically shorter daylight hours for OH's during WW)?  Perhaps zone 40
>  should be extended east, way up north.
>  
>  Let the floodgates open.
>  
>  Barry W2UP
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