Last updated: 2011-01-04 (Caution: Links not being maintainted!)
Notice: © 1994 to 2011, 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 340 (including four PJs w.e.f. 2010-10-10).
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.
For this "annual" list, the list for each band has 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. It also tells you in a few easy steps how to update your totals, to make sure you are also included in the results.
Chris R. Burger ZS6EZ
Box 4485
Pretoria
0001 South Africa
| 50 MHz 135 ZS6WB 129 ZS6AXT 124 ZS6NK 107 ZS6EZ 103 ZS6BTE 98 Z22JE 93 ZS6AVP 88 ZS6XL 82 ZS6LW ++ 76 ZS2EZ |
21 MHz 323 ZS6EZ 300 ZS4TX 298 ZS6KR 296 ZS6WB 292 ZS6YQ ++ 273 ZS6AOO == 270 ZS6AJD == 269 ZS5LB == 269 ZS6P 259 ZS2DL |
10,1 MHz 243 ZS6EZ 214 ZS6UT 213 ZS5LB == 197 ZS1EL 186 ZS2DL 179 ZS6WB 157 ZS2EZ 152 3DA0CA == 139 ZS6AVM ++ 133 ZS6NJ |
1,8 MHz 181 ZS4TX 177 ZS5LB == 129 ZS6EZ 124 ZS1REC 107 ZS6UT 76 ZS5K == 71 ZS6WB 56 V5/W8UVZ == 55 ZS2LL ++ 51 3DA0CA == |
| 28 MHz 306 ZS6EZ 284 ZS4TX 275 ZS6WB 274 ZS6P 267 ZS6AOO == 257 ZS5LB == 253 ZS6KR 245 ZS6AJD == 243 ZS6NB == 235 ZS6IR == |
18,1 MHz 283 ZS6EZ 261 ZS6AVM ++ 248 ZS6AJD == 232 ZS6WB 227 ZS2DL 202 ZS2EZ 190 ZS6NJ 188 ZS1EL 188 ZS5LB == 183 ZS6IR == |
7 MHz 323 ZS4TX 305 ZS6EZ 278 ZS6KR 265 ZS6P 240 ZS6WB 235 ZS5LB == 227 ZS6AOO == 219 ZS6AJD == 215 ZS2DL 206 ZS6B |
5 Band 1493 ZS6EZ 1488 ZS4TX 1330 ZS6KR 1311 ZS5LB == 1250 ZS6WB 1249 ZS6P 1122 ZS6AOO == 1110 ZS6AJD == 1051 ZS6IR == 1047 ZS2DL |
| 24,9 MHz 269 ZS6EZ 260 ZS6AVM ++ 226 ZS6AJD == 200 ZS6WB 184 ZS6NJ 182 ZS5LB == 165 ZS6IR == 162 ZS2DL 151 ZS2EZ 130 ZS1EL |
14 MHz 331 ZS6YQ ++ 324 ZS6EZ 313 ZS6AJD == 309 ZS6KR 308 ZS4TX 308 ZS6AOO == 305 ZS1AU 303 ZS6P 298 ZS5LB == 296 Z22JE |
3,5 MHz 273 ZS4TX 252 ZS5LB == 235 ZS6EZ 192 ZS6KR 164 ZS6WB 138 ZS6P 122 ZS6IR == 120 Z22JE 116 3DA0CA == 111 ZS2DL |
10 Band 2524 ZS6EZ 2075 ZS5LB == 2067 ZS6WB 1965 ZS4TX 1704 ZS6AJD == 1624 ZS2DL 1420 ZS6IR == 1411 Z22JE 1388 ZS1EL 1346 ZS2EZ |
Key: "++" indicates Silent Key (ZS6AVM, ZS6YQ). "==" indicates inactive operators whose totals are unlikely to change. Some do not have access to antennas (ZS5LB, ZS6AJD). Some have emigrated (ZS5K, ZS6AOO, ZS6IR).
The following individuals have improved their standings since the last list was published. They have improved their rankings, or have entered the tables for the first time:
ZS1AU: 14 MHz (new)Key: This list indicates changes since the previous list was published in 2008. "new" means that the station did not previously appear. "up n" means that the station has moved up the list by n steps. Unmarked entries have moved up by a single slot.
Just look at the length of the lines, and you'll quickly see that ZS2DL has been very busy. Donovan has improved his standings on six of the 10 bands, and has entered both the 5-Band and 10-Band Top 10 lists. He is very close to the Top 10 on 14 MHz too, so we can expect him to appear on seven bands in next year's Survey. Runner-up Barry ZS2EZ is blowing in his neck in several catetories. Fanie ZS6NJ has made a showing on all the WARC bands. With his recent acquisition of a Yagi on 10 MHz, he can be expected to re-write that band's Top 6 over the next few years.
October 2010 produced one of the most spectacular events in the history of DXCC. The Netherlands Antilles changed their status, causing the two existing DXCC countries to be deleted and four new countries to be created. On the stroke of midnight on 2010-10-10, four new countries came on the air. Fortunately, the event was well coordinated, with the bands being divided between the four countries in such a way that overlap was pretty much avoided. For almost two weeks, four countries were represented by multi-operator stations with decent signals. Most ZS DXers made good use of the opportunity, leaving only minor gaps in their tallies when the expeditions went home.
For those who were out of the country or had other commitments (including yours truly), the CQWW Phone contest at the end of October presented another opportunity, with PJ2T and PJ4X both sporting multi-operator stations with big signals. The CW contest provided another shot at those two locations.
Because of the deletion of the original countries, most of the scores on these lists will have decreased slightly. To reflect this reduction, I have had to guess the actual reduction for stations that have not submitted fresh scores or are no longer active. Scores above 250 were adjusted downwards by two, and scores above 100 by one. Leading five band scores were consequently adjusted by 10 and ten-band scores by 15. If you feel hard done by, just submit a fresh score so that I don't have to guess.
ZL8X came on the bands in November, making many DXers happy. They were not easily worked from Zone 38, but locals made it on four bands (10 to 21 MHz). Some managed to make it on several bands. Your scribe was thrilled to catch them on SSB for the second-last counter on that mode.
The list in general shows a few interesting developments:
Finally, a format change: Starting this year, you'll notice that stationary targets have been marked. Those that have died are marked with "++" and those that are inactive have been marked with "==". The reason for each specific station's inactivity is indicated in a footnote to the table. The intention is simple: To show prospective entrants which scores are not likely to move. I guess the inverse argument is actually more valuable: If a score hasn't been marked, be warned that it might move while you're chasing it!
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.
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!
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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