The Worked All Europe (WAE) award from the Deutsche Amateur Radio Club (DARC) in Germany is one of the more prestigious awards in Ham Radio. In a nutshell, it rewards making contacts with countries on the European continent. WAE comes in several classes for working a certain number of countries but also factors in a point system that complicates things a bit.
If you’re looking for a similar, but simpler, program then the FT8 Digital Modes Club‘s Worked All Europe award synonym may be for you. It’s offered in four classes for working a different number of countries in Europe up to the maximum number of 73. Given the nature of the club supporting the award, applicants must make all contacts with the FT8 mode.
The handsome award certificate features a map of Europe and indicates the level achieved in earning it. FT8DMC issues the award in four levels, with each succeeding level requiring a larger number of countries contacted. You can start out with the base award by working 40 European countries.
| Award Level | Country Count |
| Bronze | 40 |
| Silver | 50 |
| Gold | 60 |
| Platinum | 73 |
To apply for WAE, and all other FT8DMC awards, you must install the UltimateAAC application on a Windows machine. That application scans your WSJT-X ADIF log file and will inform you when you’ve qualified for the award at various levels. FT8DMC issues the WAE award in digital form only (JPG or PDF) with no printing or shipping costs. In fact, the award is completely free, like all of their other awards.