Return of the Pile-Up: Sporadic-E Ignites WBA Engines!
If the month of April tested the community’s patience with a severe propagation drop on the 11-meter band, May 2026 marked the ultimate comeback!
Thanks to the first generous ionospheric openings typical of the Sporadic-E (Es) season and improved WX conditions, Portable Field operations experienced a vertical surge in both hunter participation and activation consistency.
The month kicked off with a spectacular May 1st (Labor Day) marathon that connected all of EU, before unfolding into a tight sequence of castles, natural parks, and breathtaking panoramic viewpoints.
The Soul of the WBA: Seamless Continuity
The WBA’s operational strategy is moving toward total geographical coverage. This is no longer about isolated events: May showed impressive continuity, with stations hitting the airwaves almost every single weekend and holiday.
From Spanish monumental complexes and Polish landscape reserves to the windswept coasts of Sardinia, the WBA successfully bridged geography and history through the airwaves!
Activator Breakdown & Leaderboards
The official log data shows a staggering grand total of 3018 QSOs for the month of May alone, more than doubling the traffic recorded in the previous month!
Let’s take a closer look at how the main protagonists performed…
The “Iron Team”: 30DA010 & Team (Sergio, Javi & Jose)
May was indisputably the month of the Spanish crew.
Making the most of elevated locations and early ionospheric openings, they dominated the QSO charts with flawless camp setups and lightning-fast pile-up management.
- 01/05: Maig Florit (CRA-012A) – Base Station ➡️ 237 QSOs
- 02/05: Temple of Santa Ana (CH-009) – Portable Field ➡️ 112 QSOs (Verified)
- 10/05: Castle of Xativa (CT-006) – Portable Field ➡️ 118 QSOs
- 16/05: Tower of Reina Mora (TW-008) – Portable Field ➡️ 106 QSOs
- 23/05: Refugio de la Caseta de Perdiz (PO-13) – Portable Field ➡️ 374 QSOs
🏆 TOTAL MAY QSOs: 947
The Tireless Centurion: 165DA101 Alex
A constant presence on the air and fully dedicated to promoting the Sardinian territory, Alex managed blazing pileups, perfectly alternating between home base setups and tough portable operations.
- 01/05: Santu Efisu e Protomaggiu Sardu (CRA-012E) – Base ➡️ 154 QSOs
- 08/05: Palude di Osalla (IFF-1678) – Private Area ➡️ 33 QSOs
- 15/05: Matzaccara Panoramic Point (P0-75) – Portable ➡️ 174 QSOs
- 23/05: CMSB From Medieval Iglesias to the Rocks of Sulcis (CMSB-01) – Field ➡️ 171 QSOs
- 25/05: The Feast of St. Maria D’Itria (CRA-002) – Base ➡️ 172 QSOs
- 31/05: CMSB Facing the White Giant of Pan di Zucchero (CMSB-02) – Portable ➡️ 123 QSOs
🏆 TOTAL MAY QSOs: 827
The Kings of Canaries: 34DA183 / 34DA101
The Canary Islands archipelago generated mind-boggling numbers during the May 1st Labor Day event, proving just how much the 34DA prefix is hunted across the globe.
- 01/05: Tenerife Eternal Spring (CRA012C) – 34DA183 Juan-Carlos ➡️ 367 QSOs
- 01/05: Tenerife Eternal Spring (CRA012H) – 34DA101 Berto ➡️ 308 QSOs
🏆 TOTAL MAY QSOs: 675
The Northern & Eastern Aces: 161DA135 & Others
Poland and France maintained a solid foothold in the WBA circuit, expanding the European logs:
- 161DA135 Sylvester: Accumulated 264 QSOs split between The Gnomes Hammer (48 QSOs), the stunning Slezanski Landscape Park (166 QSOs), and the river reserve Gajkowska Island (50 QSOs).
- 14DA020 Pascal: Active on May 1st with Eveil du Bocage ➡️ 58 QSOs.
- 30DA021 Andoni & 30DA555 Maria: On-the-air on May 12th at Sierra Plana de la Borbolla ➡️ 84 QSOs.
- 90DA101 Kostas: Brought Greece into the mix with the Protomagiá Kriti activation ➡️ 14 QSOs (Verified).
Absolute Top Ten WBA Activations – May 2026
Ranked by total valid contacts put in the logbook.
| Pos. | Date | Reference / Activation | Type | Operator | QSOs |
| 1st | 23/05 | Refugio de la Caseta de Perdiz (PO13) | Portable Field | 30DA010 & Team | 374 |
| 2nd | 01/05 | Tenerife Eternal Spring (CRA012C) | Base Station | 34DA183 | 367 |
| 3rd | 01/05 | Tenerife Eternal Spring (CRA012H) | Base Station | 34DA101 | 308 |
| 4th | 01/05 | Maig Florit (CRA012A) | Base Station | 30DA010 | 237 |
| 5th | 15/05 | Matzaccara Panoramic Point (P075) | Portable | 165DA101 | 174 |
| 6th | 25/05 | The Feast of St. Maria D’Itria (CRA002) | Base Station | 165DA101 | 172 |
| 7nd | 23/05 | CMSB From Medieval Iglesias (CMSB01) | Portable Field | 165DA101 | 171 |
| 8th | 22/05 | Slezanski Landscape Park (FF0132) | Portable Field | 161DA135 | 166 |
| 9th | 01/05 | Santu Efisu e Protomaggiu (CRA012E) | Base Station | 165DA101 | 154 |
| 10th | 10/05 | Castle of Xativa (CT006) | Portable Field | 30DA010 & Team | 118 |
Evolution & Trends vs Previous Months
The upward trajectory of the WBA program becomes blindingly obvious when looking at the macro-data:
- QSO Explosion: We skyrocketed from April’s ~1321 total QSOs to a massive 3018 total QSOs in May. This leap was fueled by the special events on May 1st and the increased efficiency of portable operations riding the Sporadic-E waves.
- Teamwork Wins the Day: The outstanding results of the Spanish crew (Sergio, Javi, and team totaling 947 QSOs) show that multi-operator field efforts handle intense pileups much better, keeping the frequency active for longer stretches.
- Field Dominance: While April favored home base setups to battle high noise floors, May saw the absolute triumph of Portable Field activities during weekends, with operators taking antennas out to the wilderness.
Conclusion & June 2026 Outlook
The May 2026 report cements a phenomenal month in WBA history, defined by rapidly improving technical conditions and overwhelming operator enthusiasm!
Looking forward, June (with early logs already trickling in, such as Italy’s Republic Day on June 2nd and the D-Day 82nd Anniversary on June 6th) promises to solidify this golden trend.
With summer officially arriving and Sporadic-E reaching its annual peak, we expect the 11m band to yield long-lasting, transcontinental DX openings!
The challenge for next month is officially set…
Who will break the current record of 374 QSOs held by the Refugio de la Caseta de Perdiz?
Get your field days planned, pack your batteries, and let’s head to the lighthouses, islands, and peaks!
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