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

[Jack Brindle]

Umm, for the most part they are. CO, WY, NM and MT are all in Zone 4 already. I believe that defines “east of the Rockies”.

The biggest issue by far in any of the Zone setups occurs in the IARU zones. It makes no sense that in New Orleans, which is split by the 90 degrees west longitude line, that you zone depends on which side of the street yo are on. Perhaps it would have been best to have that demarcation follow the eastern edge of Louisiana before returning to the strict 90 degree line.

No matter what you do, someone will find a problem with it.

73,
Jack, W6FB


> On Dec 4, 2025, at 1:00 PM, John Geiger via CQ-Contest <cq-contest at contesting.com> wrote:
> 
> 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 
> 
> Sent from Proton Mail Android
> 
> 
> -------- 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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> 
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