Purpose of the Worked All Bands Award Certificate:

The purpose of the Worked All Bands Award Certificate or "WAB" is to recognize personal achievement of Amateur Radio Operators who successfully communicate on each and every amateur band allocation available for use in their country. This achievement is characterized by significant accomplishment on microwave bands where very few amateurs have successfully communicated.

Eligibility:

All individual licensed amateur radio operators, worldwide, may apply for this award. Club calls are not eligible at this time, but will be phased in later, after significant individual achievement is recognized.

Each application is for only one country in which you can legally operate an amateur radio station. Multiple applications are possible, each for a different country you can legally operate in. DXCC, WAS, VUCC rules DO NOT apply. Applicants from the USA can make QSO's from anywhere in the US: Hawaii, Alaska, mainland US, Guantanamo Bay, Puerto Rico, etc, etc. as well as fixed station, mobile, mobile maritime, aeronautical mobile, etc. Any legal 2-way QSO, any mode, every band from within the geopolitical boundaries of any single country are permitted within the following requirements.

Application requirements:

A completed application form indicating name, amateur radio callsign, and complete mailing address. (The name will appear on the Award certificate.)

(The award certificate shall be dated and serial numbered, consecutively)

Telephone number and e-mail address are optional.

QSL's with old call signs, not currently active, must be supported with license documentation

Your callsign must be verifiable, either on a internet database like Buckmaster or QRZ, or a copy of your license documents must be provided.

Copies of QSL cards (both sides if needed) must be submitted for each band authorized in your country. If your country has amateur band allocations other than the USA, you must provide documentation supporting the bands authorized. A reference to a website of your countries rules and regulations with band allocations would assist the WAB Award manager's decision.

The applicant agrees to accept the decisions of the WAB Award manager. The WAB Award manager's decision on all applications is final.

A non-refundable application fee of 10$ US shall accompany the application, to cover printing and mailing expenses. (This will be waived for the first 10 awards.)

Minimum information on each QSL:

Call signs of both ends of the QSO

Date and time of the QSO,

Band or frequency of the QSO,

The location of the applicant's end of the QSO, to indicate the applicant's country, as a minimum. See also minimum distance requirements.

QSO's that count (or do not count):

To obtain an award, a minimum of one QSO (that meets requirements) for each band of operation in the applicant's country of operation must be documented.

Cross band QSO's are NOT counted

Remote base operation QSO's are NOT counted. All QSO's must be completed with the operator physically located at the transceiving station. If circumstances require the use of a physically extended station, an explanation must be submitted to the WAB Award manager that satisfies the intent of this rule.

QSO's under authorizations other than amateur radio allocations are NOT counted.

Minimum QSO distance:

The two-way QSO must cover a distance of at least 1.0 Kilometer. Any submission to be counted for a QSO of 10 Kilometers or greater must indicate the location either with both Latitude and Longitude with precision to DD MM.MMM or DD MM SS.S, or with 6 digit Maidenhead locators. Any submission to be counted for a QSO of less than 10 Kilometers must have in addition to these locations an accompanying map at a scale of 25,000 : 1 (or more detail) indicating the locations of both stations.

Only current amateur radio allocated bands for the applicant's country are acceptable.

Part 15, experimental, and STA's are NOT acceptable.

Other rules:

Future new band additions (such as proposed 136 KHz (with 160-190 KHz) and 5.6 MHz in the US) will increase the band requirements when that new band is authorized. Endorsements will be offered.

Old, obsolete, band allocations will not be considered for the award, but if obsolete bands are supported with QSL copies, the total bands worked (count of active and obsolete bands) will be indicated in a publishable standings listing (e.g.. former US band at 5M, or possibly the UK, soon to be obsolete, allocation at 73 KHz).

All applications shall be mailed to:

NEWS WAB Award Manager
Tom Williams, WA1MBA
P.O. Box 28
Shutesbury, MA 01072
USA
(This is WA1MBA's home address)

Certificate

Certificate size: 8-1/2" x 11" (standard US page size). The initial award(s) will be accompanied with a plaque.

Authority

The North East Weak Signal Group will turn over authority for this award when a suitable body willing to take this responsibility is found.

Notes:

US amateur radio band allocations as of 1 October 2002:

160M, 80M, 40M, 30M, 20M, 17M, 15M, 12M, 10M, 6M, 2M, 1.25M
70cm, 33cm, 23cm, 2300-2400 MHz, 3400 MHz 5.7 GHz, 10.3 GHz
24 GHz, 47 GHz, 76 GHz, 120 GHz, 142 GHz, 241 GHz, and
above 300 GHz (including laser), for a total of 26 bands.

Award achievements shall be widely disseminated on e-mail reflectors as well as ham radio publications such as QST, CQ, DUBUS, RSGB, etc. with formal presentations at regional conferences, MUD, and Dayton Hamvention.