ARLA/CLUSTER: Jan Pienaar ZS6OB: 1º amador em África que consegue o diploma DXCC em VHF

[João Costa > CT1FBF]

Landmark in South African VHF DXing

December saw a landmark in South African VHF DXing when Jan Pienaar
ZS6OB applied for the DXCC award using only contacts made in the two
metre band. Jan becomes the first amateur in Africa and the second in
the southern hemisphere to achieve this feat.

DXCC is issued by the American Radio Relay League for proven contact
with at least 100 entities on a list. Most of these entities are
countries, with a few additions that are regarded as separate, mostly
for geographic reasons.

More than two thirds of two metre DXCC holders are in Europe, with
their concentration of almost 70 countries in close proximity. North
America features about a fifth of applicants, with about a tenth in
Japan. ZL3TY was the first in Oceania and the southern hemisphere,
with ZS6OB being first in Africa. South America has yet to produce its
first winner.

Jan used digital modes with a four-Yagi station. He has been working
on his DXCC for a decade. His single-band award brings the number of
bands on which South Africans have earned DXCC to eleven. Jan reports
that several South Africans are working on repeating the feat on the
430 MHz band, but all are still a long way off. Only three stations
have conquered this band, with all of them being in Europe.

Fonte: The South African Radio League