Longtime CQ World Wide (CQ WW) DX Contest Committee member Doug Zwiebel, KR2Q, of Randolph, New Jersey, has been named Director of the CQ World Wide DX Contest, CQ magazine Publisher Dick Ross, K2MGA, has announced. Zwiebel succeeds Randy Thompson, K5ZD, who had served for the past 4 years. The longest-serving member of the CQ WW Contest Committee, Zwiebel, who joined the committee in 1979, brought the contest into the computer age by writing the first mass log-checking program in 1980. In 1986, he suggested the establishment of the CQ Contest Hall of Fame. Ross said Zwiebel brings a unique perspective to the table. 

“Doug has operated from some of the world’s top contest superstations as well as single-operator QRP,” Ross said. “So he understands equally well the perspective of both the ‘big guns’ and the ‘little pistols,’ without whom the contest could not be nearly as successful as it is. I look forward to working closely with Doug.”

An ARRL member who was first licensed in 1966, Zwiebel began contesting a year later and has never stopped. Over the years, he has operated at some of the nation’s top contest superstations, including K2GL, K5NA, and N2RM. He operates primarily low power from his home station and holds six CQ WW QRP records — more than any other active station. He also holds DXCC Honor Roll #1 and has worked more than 250 DX entities while running less than 1 W.

Zwiebel prides himself on never having used packet or DX spotting nets while operating as a single op in a contest. He said most of his ham radio activity is on HF.

Professionally, Zwiebel is a hospital administrator in New York City. He and his wife are the parents of two doctors.