Episode Description
The PJ6Y DXpedition to Saba Island in October 2025 was a masterclass in youth-driven excellence. Spearheaded by veteran mentor Gregg Marco W6IZT, this ambitious project wasn't just about racking up QSOs — it was about building the future of ham radio. With a team of young operators from five countries, many on their first-ever DXpedition, PJ6Y delivered a stunning 13.3 million points in the CQ WW SSB contest, operating Multi-Two with minimal gear and maximum spirit. Despite rugged volcanic terrain and weather that flirted with disaster, the team pulled off over 55,000 QSOs across modes, including 8,700 during the contest alone. Their modest station — built entirely on arrival — consisted of a hex beam, a rebuilt A3 tribander, and a couple of wire antennas tuned to squeeze out every last contact. What made the real difference, Gregg noted, wasn’t the infrastructure but the drive and preparation of the operators. Three had never contested before. All left with pileup poise. There’s a technical story here — Elecraft K3s, KPA500s, N1MM for logging, and remote FT8 operations via NexGen2 RIBs located miles from the main site — but the human moments carried the day. Vincent PC2Y’s selfless scheduling, Matúš OM8ATE’s remote training lineage, Ewan N7EWN’s DXCC dreams, and Emilia YO8YL’s SSB passion added soul to the signal. This operation grew from 3D2Y’s remote roots and now continues as a multi-year project training the next generation of expedition leaders. The team left tired, inspired, and already dreaming of what comes next. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to ICOM for supporting Q5 Ham Radio and building radios that inspire operators to push the boundaries of what's possible.