Band Country Listing for Southern Africa:
Standings at the end of 2004

Last updated: 2005-12-18 (Caution: Links not being maintainted!)

Notice: © 1994 to 2005, Chris R. Burger. This document may be reproduced as required for personal use, and may be freely referenced from other Web sites. However, publication elsewhere requires express prior written permission from the author.


This listing shows the number of current DXCC countries (or "entities") worked on each frequency band by southern African stations. To level the playing field to the greatest extent possible, the listed scores do not include deleted countries. The total number of possible countries for this list is 335.

Apart from single band totals, we also list a five band total and a ten band total. The five band totals are for 28, 21, 14, 7 and 3,5 MHz. These are the bands that are valid for the major five-band awards like 5BWAC, 5BDXCC, 5BWAZ and 5BWAS. From the tables, it's obvious that the level of competition is much higher on these bands than on the remaining five.

The ten band totals also include 50, 25, 18, 10 and 1,8 MHz.

This Survey has been published regularly since 1994. I decided during 2000, after the SARL started restricting access to the List to members only, that it was time to remove the List from their clutches and publish it independently, so that anyone can see it and participate.

I now update the list as often as inputs are received, and publish an annual standings list for historical purposes. In the past, I used to keep a chronicle of activity too. However, since 2003 I have not had time to play radio and outside inputs have not been enough to keep the chronicle going. Maybe the situation will change again one day.

For this annual list, the lists have been extended to a Top Ten (rather than a Top Six) in every category. Unfortunately, the response to my request for information from those who don't quite make the Top Six has been disappointing. As it takes a huge amount of time and effort just to nag those already on the list to keep their scores current, I have not individually approached these contenders. The result is that, in some cases, their information is several years old.

You can also see a current version of the Top Six on this Site. That document also provides links to previous versions, including a summary for previous years and a comparable survey in Britain, published during 2001.


Chris R. Burger ZS6EZ
Box 4485
Pretoria
0001 South Africa
chris@zs6ez.za.org


50 MHz
135 ZS6WB
130 ZS6AXT
116 ZS6NK
106 ZS6EZ
100 ZS6BTE
98 Z22JE
93 ZS6AVP
88 ZS6XL
82 ZS6LW
70 ZR6DXB
21 MHz
316 ZS6EZ
296 ZS6WB
295 ZS4TX
294 ZS6YQ
280 ZS6KR
275 ZS6AOO
271 ZS5LB
268 ZS6AJD
266 ZS6P
257 ZS6IR
10,1 MHz
237 ZS6EZ
215 ZS5LB
203 ZS6UT
176 ZS1EL
154 3DA0CA
140 ZS6AVM
115 ZS6AJD
107 ZS6WB
71 ZS6CAX
71 ZS8IR
1,8 MHz
179 ZS5LB
178 ZS4TX
127 ZS6EZ
108 ZS6UT
76 ZS5K
56 V5/W8UVZ
55 ZS2LL
51 3DA0CA
45 ZS6NW
38 ZS8IR
28 MHz
304 ZS6EZ
281 ZS4TX
274 ZS6WB
272 ZS6P
269 ZS6AOO
259 ZS5LB
248 ZS6KR
246 ZS6AJD
245 ZS6NB
237 ZS6IR
18,1 MHz
278 ZS6EZ
263 ZS6AVM
227 ZS6AJD
219 ZS6WB
190 ZS5LB
185 ZS6IR
153 3DA0CA
116 ZS1EL
116 ZS2NJ
101 ZS6AJS, ZS6Y
7 MHz
319 ZS4TX
302 ZS6EZ
246 ZS6P
244 ZS6KR
237 ZS5LB
229 ZS6AOO
229 ZS6WB
221 ZS6AJD
208 ZS6B
168 ZS6IR
5 Band
1475 ZS6EZ
1463 ZS4TX
1321 ZS5LB
1220 ZS6WB
1219 ZS6KR
1209 ZS6P
1130 ZS6AOO
1109 ZS6AJD
1060 ZS6IR
898 ZS6NB
24,9 MHz
269 ZS6EZ
262 ZS6AVM
218 ZS6AJD
195 ZS6WB
184 ZS5LB
167 ZS6IR
137 ZS2NJ
124 3DA0CA
105 ZS1EL
84 ZS4TX
14 MHz
333 ZS6YQ
319 ZS6EZ
311 ZS6AJD
310 ZS6AOO
301 ZS4TX
300 ZS5LB
294 ZS6P
286 ZS6KR
275 ZS6IR
271 ZS6WB
3,5 MHz
267 ZS4TX
254 ZS5LB
234 ZS6EZ
161 ZS6KR
150 ZS6WB
131 ZS6P
123 ZS6IR
117 3DA0CA
110 ZS2LL
107 ZS1AFZ
10 Band
2492 ZS6EZ
2093 ZS5LB
1937 ZS4TX
1904 ZS6WB
1669 ZS6AJD
1433 ZS6IR
1276 3DA0CA
1244 ZS6P
1219 ZS6KR
1130 ZS6AOO


Movers and shakers

The following individuals have improved their rankings, or entered the tables for the first time:

Z22JE: 50 MHz (new).
ZS1EL: 25 MHz (new), 18 MHz (new), 10 MHz.
ZS4TX: 21 MHz, 14 MHz, 10 MHz.
ZS6AJD: 28 MHz, 21 MHz, 18 MHz, 14 MHz.
ZS6KR: 28 MHz.
ZS6WB: 25 MHz, 21 MHz, 10 MHz (new), 7 MHz, 5 Band (+2).

Those marked "new" are new entries to the list, and those marked "+2", "+5" or "+6" moved up by the relevant number of slots. Unmarked entries moved up by a single slot in their respective rankings, from the previous list published in 2002.


Progress since the last list

No list was published in 2003. Despite the two-year interval, there has been relatively little change since the last listing. A few interesting developments can be seen, though:

  • The entry level to the Top Six on 14 MHz is now above 300.
  • Both ZS6WB and ZS6AJD have added around 100 new band-countries to their totals.
  • 21 MHz has become unbelievably competitive, with positions two to four and six to nine very hotly contested.
  • There are now two operators who have worked more than 300 countries each on more than one band, with another four who have reached the 300 mark only on 14 MHz.

    Rating your progress

    I've written a short piece, describing how one can assess DX achievement a little more accurately than just comparing the numbers. For example, how much better is 280 than 240? How much effort is required to get onto the DXCC Honour Roll once you've passed the 300 mark? How much effort does it take to catch the remaining 9 countries once you're on the Honour Roll? How does your score on a specific band really stack up? The answers may astound you.


    An offshore comparison

    In these pages, I've often mentioned that I felt that ZS DXers were under-achieving. To impart a notion of why I feel this way, I've included results from a comparable survey in Britain, published in 2001, on this Site. Look at them, and see what you think!


    Those callsigns listed in the tables

    The tables can be very impersonal. I've therefore written a short profile on each of the operators. The intention is not only to put some "faces" to the callsigns, but also to give the reader an indication of how active each of these operators is. Clearly, while a few are retired and have enough time to play radio, the majority hold down jobs, raise families and generally spend time pursuing other interests. The odd spell of DXing certainly doesn't preclude balance!


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