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United States Counties Award

Discussion in 'QRZ Site Community Help Center' started by KC1SZS, Jan 11, 2025.

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  1. NQ1B

    NQ1B XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Another interesting one might be "all counties in any 5 states", or something similar.

    The idea being that you don't need to work a huge number of counties, but you must put some effort into getting rare ones to get the award.
     
    N2PQW likes this.
  2. KC1SZS

    KC1SZS Ham Member QRZ Page

    How do you put effort into seeking out counties? You spin the dial, and get what you get.
     
  3. NQ1B

    NQ1B XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    You work state QSO parties, when hams in the host state will make an effort to activate rare counties.

    When working the state QSO party, you spin the dial quickly past the over-represented counties ("Hennepin AGAIN?":rolleyes:), preferring to spend the time looking for the one you don't have.

    How do you put effort into seeking DX entities for DXCC and above? Do you just "get what you get," or do you look for times when they are more likely to be on the air and work them then?
     
  4. KC1SZS

    KC1SZS Ham Member QRZ Page

    I guess I am just not that into it, to seek those out, wherever or however they might be located. It ceased being fun when I realized 61/100 counties did not mean what I thought it meant. I wish I could just hide the "counties award" from view.

    Um how does one even determine "representation" when spinning a dial?


    I don't do that. I just take what I find, serendipitously. So I guess I get what I get. Though, I thought Europe and Africa were more "available" in the mornings, but I have found that not always true any longer. Again, this is not a contest for me, it is just a fun thing I can pick up when I feel like it, and walk easily away from when weather is nice out or there are more pressing things.

    Thanks anyhow though.
     
  5. NQ1B

    NQ1B XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    That's fine. The worked-all-counties award is not for you. There are plenty of other things you can do in ham radio.

    The same way you learn which DX entities are rare, and which aren't: experience.

    After you have worked the Minnesota QSO party once or twice, you will know that there are zillions of Hennepin County operators and when you hear one calling CQ and working another station, you can tune past him and keep looking for the one you don't have. (The Twin Cities of Minneapolis-St. Paul are in Hennepin County.)

    In Vermont, Chittenden County is not rare (by Vermont standards). Grand Isle County is rare.

    And so on for other states.

    Most ham radio awards are marathons, not sprints, and that's especially true of county and grid awards. You can get DXCC in a single weekend of contesting, but very few ham radio awards are like that.

    Nothing wrong with that. It's a hobby, so do it the way you want to do it. There is no wrong way to do ham radio.
     
    W7UUU, KP4SX and KC1SZS like this.
  6. N2PQW

    N2PQW Ham Member QRZ Page

    There were a few years in which I was often travelling cross-country by road.

    On one trip, I was at interstate speed on 17m phone when I answered a CQ, and the OP immediately asked for my county. "Hmm, county?" I wondered. I'd already forgotten what state I was in. Miles to go before I sleep, etc.

    I found a rest area, and found a paper map for that state.
    Back on the road, I found him again, gave him my county, and my route for the trip.

    I asked him, "what counties do you need along my path?", and I think I gave him 15 or 20 new counties in a day or two.

    I may never know if he filled his card, but I got him closer to BINGO. Much fun!

    The point is, if Worked All Counties is your goal, you make it part of your routine at every exchange. And, you are not just spinning the dial, YOU are the one calling CQ, and pay close attention to those mobile OPs.

    Cheers,
    David / N2PQW
     
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  7. KC1SZS

    KC1SZS Ham Member QRZ Page

    I did not even know "Worked All Counties" was a thing until these posts.

    I saw this:
    upload_2025-1-18_22-23-50.png

    and thought I was more than half way there.
    What happens when you get to 100?
    That isn't "all" counties. I thought that was just some milestone to meet to get some made up award on here, and thought it might be something doable. Now, I don't really care, and won't pay it any attention going forward, I guess, unless I stay curious about what happens at 101.
     
  8. W7UUU

    W7UUU Director, QRZ Forums Lifetime Member 133 QRZ HQ Staff Life Member QRZ Page

    When you get to 100 you can apply for the award. That means you have confirmed 100 counties.

    It's NOT "Worked ALL Counties" - it's the "United States Counties Award" and you get it at 100. After that, it just keeps adding on. But no new awards appear. See my "Counties" count below.

    It's the MAP that tracks "ALL counties".

    I strongly sense you don't care for QRZ's awards programs. You've made many posts to that effect - and that's fine. There's probably 50 or more sites in the world that offer ham radio awards.

    If you don't like the QRZ awards, no one is forcing you to use them.

    Dave
    W7UUU

    My "counties award" - I have 1393 confirmed US counties but got the "United States Counties Award" ages ago with 100 back in 2016 when the award was first offered - I had many years of logs that almost instantly qualified me (and tens of thousands of other QRZ users) for the awards when they first came out that year.


    counties.jpg
     
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  9. KC1SZS

    KC1SZS Ham Member QRZ Page

    Well now, that is back to my original understanding about how that one works.

    This is also how I understood it, and that's good as well.

    Not at all. I did, however, offer a few suggestions to encourage newbies, with slightly easier initial milestones, and I thought you were in agreement with some of those.

    No, they are good enough I guess, and it gives one a meter to sort of judge some slight progress. I think after a while, the newness wears off, and it will become more mundane, at least for me. If others enjoy pursuing deeper, have at it.
     
  10. NQ1B

    NQ1B XML Subscriber QRZ Page

    Here's some additional perspective.

    I now have 540 counties confirmed on QRZ. So you might expect me to have all of the counties in several states confirmed, right?

    But the only state in which I have all counties confirmed on QRZ is Delaware, which only has 3 counties!

    I don't even have all Vermont counties confirmed. (8 out of 14)

    This is pretty typical. You will work high-population counties again and again, but many states have some low-population counties that are not routinely heard on the air.

    So an award for working all counties in any five states would not be as easy as it may sound.
     
    N2PQW likes this.

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