Aug 6, 2022
A reader recently passed on this cutting from a Spanish amateur radio magazine from 1979. It shows the Most Wanted DXCC list (globally) from then, courtesy of West Coast DX Bulletin.
We then created our own table (using Club Log) showing the difference between 2022 and 1979.
| RANK | 1979 | ENTITY | RANK | 2022 | ENTITY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | 3Y | BOUVET ISLAND | #1 | P5 | NORTH KOREA |
| #2 | BY | CHINA | #2 | 3Y | BOUVET ISLAND |
| #3 | HZ | “NEUTRAL ZONE” | #3 | FT/W | CROZET ISLAND |
| #4 | VS9 | “CAMARAN” | #4 | BS7H | SCARBOROUGH REEF |
| #5 | XZ | BURMA | #5 | CE0X | SAN FELIX |
| #6 | ZA | ALBANIA | #6 | BV9P | PRATAS ISLAND |
| #7 | 1S | SPRATLY ISLANDS | #7 | KH7K | KURE ISLAND |
| #8 | VK0/H | HEARD ISLAND | #8 | KH3 | JOHNSTON ISLAND |
| #9 | VU7 | LACCADIVE ISLANDS | #9 | 3Y/P | PETER 1 ISLAND |
| #10 | A15 | “ABU AIL” | #10 | FT/X | KERGUELEN ISLAND |
| #11 | 7J1 | “OKINA TORI-SHIMA” | #11 | FT/G | GLORIOSO ISLAND |
| #12 | 7O | “SOUTH YEMEN” | #12 | VK0/M | MACQUARIE ISLAND |
| #13 | SV/A | MT ATHOS | #13 | YV0A | AVES ISLAND |
| #14 | A5 | BHUTAN | #14 | KH4 | MIDWAY ISLAND |
| #15 | 3C0 | ANNOBON | #15 | ZS8 | PRINCE EDWARD & MARION ISLANDS |
| #16 | FB8W | CROZET ISLAND | #16 | PY0S | SAINT PETER AND PAUL ROCKS |
| #17 | A7 | QATAR | #17 | PY0T | TRINDADE & MARTIM VAZ ISLANDS |
| #18 | TN8 | CONGO REPUBLIC | #18 | KP5 | DESECHEO ISLAND |
| #19 | XU | “KHMAR REPUBLIC” | #19 | VP8S | SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS |
| #20 | VU7 | ANADAMAN ISLANDS | #20 | KH5 | PALMYRA & JARVIS ISLANDS |
| #21 | TL7 | “CENTRAL AFRICA EMPIRE” | #21 | ZL9 | NEW ZEALAND SUBANTARCTIC ISLANDS |
| #22 | 3X | GUINEA | #22 | FK/C | CHESTERFIELD ISLAND |
| #23 | 6O | SOMALIA | #23 | EZ | TURKMENISTAN |
| #24 | 1G | “GEYSER REEF” | #24 | YK | SYRIA |
| #25 | FR7 | GLORIOSO | #25 | VK0/H | HEARD ISLAND |
| #26 | YI1 | IRAQ | #26 | JD/M | MINAMI TORISHIMA |
| #27 | CE0X | SAN FELIX | #27 | FT/T | TROMELIN ISLAND |
| #28 | S2 | BANGLADESH | #28 | ZL8 | KERMADEC ISLAND |
| #29 | VP8 | SOUTH SANDWICH | #29 | KH8/S | SWAINS ISLAND |
| #30 | YA | AFGHANISTAN | #30 | KH1 | BAKER & HOWLAND ISLANDS |
| #31 | YV0 | AVES ISLAND | #31 | XF4 | REVILLAGIGEDO |
| #32 | TZ | MALI | #32 | VP8G | SOUTH GEORGIA ISLAND |
| #33 | VP8 | SOUTH GEORGIA | #33 | KH9 | WAKE ISLAND |
| #34 | XV8 | VIETNAM | #34 | T33 | BANABA ISLAND |
| #35 | TY | BENIN | #35 | SV/A | MOUNT ATHOS |
| #36 | UK1P | FRANZ JOSEF LAND | #36 | VK9/M | MELLISH REEF |
| #37 | 9U5 | BURUNDI | #37 | VK9/W | WILLIS ISLAND |
| #38 | 4W | YEMEN | #38 | T31 | CENTRAL KIRIBATI |
| #39 | FR7 | JUAN DE NOVA | #39 | FO/C | CLIPPERTON ISLAND |
| #40 | 8Q | MALDIVES | #40 | FT/J | JUAN DE NOVA, EUROPA |
| #41 | A6 | UNITED ARAB EMIRATES | #41 | TI9 | COCOS ISLAND |
| #42 | FR | TROMELIN | #42 | HK0/M | MALPELO ISLAND |
| #43 | S9 | SAO TOME | #43 | KP1 | NAVASSA ISLAND |
| #44 | TT8 | CHAD | #44 | 7O | YEMEN |
| #45 | 5R8 | “MALAGASY REPUBLIC” | #45 | FT/Z | AMSTERDAM & ST PAUL ISLANDS |
| #46 | EA9 | “RIO DE ORO” | #46 | ZD9 | TRISTAN DA CUNHA & GOUGH ISLANDS |
| #47 | HK0 | MALPELO | #47 | H40 | TEMOTU PROVINCE |
| #48 | 3V8 | TUNISIA | #48 | VU4 | ANDAMAN & NICOBAR ISLANDS |
| #49 | ZS2 | MARION ISLAND | #49 | VP8O | SOUTH ORKNEY ISLANDS |
| #50 | ZK1 | “MANHIKI” | #50 | XZ | MYANMAR |
Here’s a few remarks on what we found:
- NEUTRAL ZONE
- CAMARAN
- ABU AIL
- OKINA TORI-SHIMA
- SOUTH YEMEN
- KHMAR REPUBLIC
- CENTRAL AFRICA EMPIRE
- GEYSER REEF
- MALAGASY REPUBLIC
- RIO DE ORO
- MANHIKI
All the above no longer exist, have changed name or are simply deleted entities.
- We can see that Bouvet is now less wanted in 2022 than in 1979.
- China is now #278 most wanted entity (was #2 in 1979)
- Crozet, San Felix, Myanmar (Burma), Aves Island, Andamans, Heard Island, Marion Island, South Georgia, Malpelo, Juan de Nova, Tromelin, Mt Athos all remain in Top 50 (1979 v 2022)
- Qatar is now #232 most wanted entity (was #17 in 1979)
Did we miss anything?
PS: We have no idea how many people were asked or surveyed in 1979 but for sure Club Log 2022 Most Wanted list is more accurate.