My primary activities are HF DXing and Contesting (mostly in RTTY), with some satellite and VHF operation.

I have been active on the 6m band since February 2001, when I made my first contact with 7Q7RM Ron.This was closely followed by EY8MM Nodir. After this I was hooked. The following month saw a total of 40 contacts into Europe.
In August 2001 I met Hal ZS6WB, South Africa's leading 6m DXer. Through his assistance and guidance I now have 75 countries and over 300 grids worked, and over 1500 50MHz QSOs in my log!

I have been involved with WSJT operations from the start in South Africa, and over Christmas 2001 activated 5 rare grids (KF26, KF27, KF28, KF36, KF38) for the SA gridhunters. On 13 January 2002 I participated in the second WSJT QSO on 2m between Division 6 and Division 1 (a distance of 1254km) with ZR1AEE. During the inaugural PEARS Digital Contest in 2003 I achieved third place overall, and completed 2m MS contacts with both ZS1NAZ and ZR1AEE during the contest.

Satellite operation began in February 2003, thanks to extensive help from John Sygo ZS6JON. During a visit to John's QTH in 2002 I had worked David VK5DG via AO-40, and this had rekindled my interest in satellite. During December 1986 I had experimented briefly with the RS satellites, and had worked 3 stations using 2.5W on the uplink, and receiving the downlink on an FRG7 with a piece of wire lying in the garden as an antenna! AO-40 was a different ballgame! As I already had an Icom IC910H, I set about assembling the rest of a station (downconverter, dish, 70cm crossed yagi and AZ/EL rotator). During my preparations John kept my interest alive, and we made contacts via UO-14 and FO-29 along the way. On 3 February 2003 I was ready, and worked DK1KQ for my first AO-40 contact. My first day on the satellite saw me log 12 stations (7 DL's, a GW, an XE, a VE, an F and ZS6JON!). I was now well and truly running on satellite! By the time I left Johannesburg ZR6DXB had been heard in 60 DXCC entities and 159 gridsquares. My application for WAC on satellite had been submitted, and once all the cards are in I will submit an application for VUCC for that callsign. The highlights of my satellite operations were undoubtedly working VP2EAG in Anguilla (the only South African to do so) and contacts with ZL2ALP and ZL2MN after several weeks of attempted skeds. ZL is particularly difficult from South Africa due to angle and time differences, and when both John ZS6JON and myself completed contacts with both ZL stations we were very satisfied indeed (it was shortly before 1.00am local time).
Upon arrival in Port Elizabeth the satellite antennas were the first things to go up, even before my final move was completed. First contacts were made on 24 August 2003, with DL2MHO being the first call in the log. 11 stations were logged on a brief operating period over the weekend of 24/25 August, including the GB5FI Flatholm Island expedition. Operation began in earnest on 21 September 2003, and by the time AO-40 sadly went QRT there were 56 countries and 150 gridsquares in the ZR2DX logbook! Subsequent satellite operation on the LEO sats began again during 2008, with activity taking place on AO-51 and VO-52.

Erection of my VHF antennas was finally completed in January 2004, with considerable help from Ken ZS2BWB (now SK) and Cyril ZR2H (now ZS2EJ). VHF operation on both 50MHz and 144MHz now began in earnest, and the first-ever 144MHz EME contact from Port Elizabeth was completed with W5UN on 9 March 2004. The equipment used was : Icom IC-910H (100W) into a single Cushcraft 17B2 17 element yagi mounted 11m off the ground, with an Icom AG-25 masthead preamp and fed by LMR-400 coaxial cable. Software was JT65B.
2004 saw a number of useful 50MHz and 144MHz contacts making it into the log, but by the end of the year damage to the 144MHz antenna saw it taken down. The shack was then moved from the outbuilding where it had been located since arrival in Port Elizabeth and was reassembled in my bedroom. This required a readjustment of the antennas, and the 50MHz antenna had a feedline of about 70m! With the prospect of HF access looming, a Hy-Gain TH3JRS was procured, and was initially installed on an aluminium mast along with a 10 element 144MHz yagi. The legendary Port Elizabeth wind however made short work of this installation, and bent the 5mm wall 50mm diameter pole as if it were a hot candle! Ken ZS2BWB once again came to the rescue, and provided extensive help in welding up and erecting a 9m steel tower. Peter ZS2PL provided a vesconite bearing for the antenna mast, and the tower went up in March 2005. In 2007 the shack was relocated back to the outbuilding (along with a change to a bedroom adjoining the shack!) and the coax run from the HF antenna to the tower became 40m!

ZR2DX was very active on the HF bands from the moment the regulation amendments were made official in February 2005, and by the time the upgrade to a Class A licence was completed had worked 122 countries from 889 QSOs. The majority of these contacts were on PSK31 and RTTY, as the band allocations on HF for ZR licencees excluded most of the general SSB band sections!

ZS2EZ first came on the air on 15 July 2005, and wasted no time in racking up the countries on HF. With access to the entire range of the HF spectrum, contests became a popular hunting-ground. Many new and rare ones made it into the ZS2EZ log. By the end of 2005 around 180 countries were in the ZS2EZ log, and overall DXCC tally stood at 196. This increased steadily over 2006 and the first few months of 2007, reaching 237 by the end of May 2007. By May 2010 this had reached 287.

During the latter part of 2005 the RTTY bug bit in earnest. After initial dabbling in RTTY as an occasional operator, I had a good run in the CQ WW RTTY Contest, and submitted my first-ever RTTY Contest log. I had used the MixW software in the contest, running AFSK RTTY via my Kenwood TS-570S. I began to read up on serious RTTY contest setups on the internet, and realised just how inadequate my setup was! I realised that I needed proper contesting software; as WriteLog was a bit pricey at $75, I decided to try N1MM Logger. Boy, am I IMPRESSED!!! This is a seriously good package, and all for free!! In January 2006 I made email contact with Don Hill AA5AU, the doyen of RTTY Contesters, and asked his advice on how to improve my station. After considerable input from Don, I decided it was time to upgrade my radio. I sold my trusty Kenwood TS-570S, plus my standby TS-830S, and bought a second-hand (but mint condition) Kenwood TS-870S. This coupled with a new amplifier (a mint condition Kenwood TL-922A) and a new antenna (a Cushcraft A3S) has led to me posting far more useful scores in the major contests, and has seen a number of operating certificates on the wall! ZS2EZ is now on the air in all major RTTY contests (and several of the smaller ones, as work allows!). 2007 was an exceptionally good year for RTTY contesting, with a First in Africa being recorded in the CQ WPX RTTY contest, a Second in Africa in the JARTS RTTY event and a First in Africa in the WAE RTTY Contest, as well as a number of other certificates. 2009 saw another First in Africa being recorded in the CQ WPX RTTY contest (with more than 3 times the 2007 score!) plus a continental first in the SOAB HP category of the ARRL RTTY Roundup.

Outside of RTTY contesting, DXing has become my major interest. Thanks to my friendship with Donovan ZS2DL (a keen DXer on both SSB and CW) I began dabbling with CW as well, using my PC with CWGet software for decoding and WinWarbler for keying. Using this combination I have logged over 200 DXCC entities on CW!

In early 2008 I finally got myself onto the WARC bands in earnest when I added a Cushcraft A3WS yagi (with 30m addon kit) to my antenna lineup. This antenna is mounted on a pole some 8m in the air, and was erected with considerable help from Glen ZS2GV, Donovan ZS2DL, Basie ZR2BA, Mitch ZS2DK and Chris ZS2AAW. 17m has become a favourite band, and entity #100 was logged when I worked the VK9DWX Willis Island DXPedition in October 2008. 30m became the next target, with the magical 100th DXCC entity (T8CW) being logged in April 2009. 12m began to open up towards the end of 2009, and by the end of March 2010 stood at 142 worked, with the 100th confirmation arriving via LoTW on 31 March!!

In November 2009 my antenna system saw a further upgrade when I added the 40m kit to my Cushcraft A3S. This is a major step up from my trusty old wire dipole (which had nevertheless netted 114 DXCC entities on 40m!). With considerable help from Glen ZS2GV and Basie ZR2BA the A3S was lowered, the addon fitted and was raised again. The difference in performance is quite dramatic, and bodes well for future 40m operations!
Next phase is the erection of a 15m tower, which was obtained from Donovan ZS2DL some time back. Basie ZR2BA (a qualified engineer) added thrust bearings and a rotator plate, as well as designing a suitable cage for the base assembly. The concrete base was laid in March 2010 (with extensive help from Glen ZS2GV), with a massive 2 tons of crusher stone and 7 50kg bags of cement used for the base. Once raised, this tower will support both the A3S and A3WS as well as various VHF antennas off the sides. LMR400 cable and various fittings have been supplied by my good friend Gavin ZS6GAV, and it is hoped that the tower will go up in June/July 2010

VHF DXing has been pretty much ignored over the past couple of years, but hopefully this can be rectified in the near future. The recent acquisition of a Yaesu FT-847 brings 70MHz allmode operation to the shack, and work on assembling new VHF antennas should start once the HF tower is completed.

I currently have DXCC Mixed, Phone, CW, RTTY, 20m, 17m and 15m awards, as well as WAS RTTY, using LOTW exclusively. I prefer LOTW as I am somewhat hesitant to trust my precious QSL cards to the Postal Service to send them to our local card checker - he is in Pretoria, some 1100km away! Our local postal service has a diabolical reputation for "losing" parcels, so LOTW at least gives me peace of mind! I also have my WAZ RTTY certificate (an achievement that I am very proud of) as well as my WAE I (mixed) award. I also hold the SARL's two primary awards, the WAZS and AA awards.
I am currently gathering confirmations for my 40m, 30m, 12m and 10m DXCC's, and am on the verge of applying for my Satellite VUCC award as well. The CQ WAZ Diamond Jubilee Award was successfully completed in March 2010, with Award #38 being issued.
Remaining Primary operating goal for 2010 is the ARRL WAS Triple Play Award. I am also looking at submitting applications during 2010 for WAZ mixed, phone, cw and satellite, as well as WAC on all modes and WAE I (RTTY)

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