Dear World Beauties Award (WBA) friends and hunters worldwide. As the blazing European summer gives way to autumn, the 11-metre band is showing no signs of slowing down….

September 2026 delivered another outstanding month of Freeband activity, fuelled by excellent propagation, determined activators and enthusiastic hunters around the world.

From the rugged mining trails of Sardinia to historic European fortifications and mountain summits, WBA portable and base stations generated an impressive volume of contacts throughout the month.

Not only did it keep WBA Hunters busy but it added another memorable chapter to the WBA project’s legacy.

Highlight of the Month

The undisputed highlight of September belongs to 165DA101 Alex, who delivered an exceptional series of field activations in Sardinia.

Focusing heavily on the Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara (CMSB) project, Alex combined demanding portable operations with some of Sardinia’s most spectacular industrial, historical and natural locations, producing an extraordinary series of activations:

• Climbing Towards Heaven (CMSB09 – 03/09): A spectacular start to the month, generating 130 QSOs across 21 countries and 2 continents.
• In the Shade of Ancient Millennial Olive Trees (CMSB10 – 08/09): Operating portable from San Sisinnio Park at Villacidro, Alex logged 33 QSOs across 11 countries and 4 continents.
• In the Heart of the Is Arenas Mine (CMSB11 – 13/09): Strong propagation and steady hunter activity produced 60 QSOs across 19 countries and 4 continents.
• In the Heart of the Genna Carru Washing Plant (CMSB12 – 17/09): Another productive mid-month activation, delivering 46 QSOs across 14 countries and 4 continents.
• Among the Mysteries of Malacalzetta and San Benedetto (CMSB13 – 22/09): Persistent pile-ups resulted in 68 QSOs across 17 countries and 5 continents.
• Among the Ancient Forests and Peaks of Marganai (CMSB14 – 25/09): An excellent performance producing 82 QSOs across 20 countries and 5 continents.
• Activation at the Monumental Park of S’Ortu Mannu (CMSB15 – 28–29/09): A fitting finale to an extraordinary month, with 57 QSOs across 20 countries and an impressive 6 continents.

Across these seven CMSB activations alone, Alex completed an outstanding 476 QSOs, demonstrating remarkable consistency, commitment and enthusiasm throughout September…

More importantly, the series showcased exactly what WBA is about: combining the excitement of radio with exploration, history, culture and the promotion of remarkable locations.

A tremendous achievement from 165DA101 Alex and a September campaign that will be difficult to beat!

International & Continental Contributions

While Sardinia and the CMSB project dominated the September statistics, WBA activity extended well beyond the Italian island…

Operators continued to activate cultural, historical and natural references across Europe.

Spain – 30DA010 Sergio & Team

September 5 saw an outstanding activation of the Festes del Barrio de l’Àngel de la Guarda (CRA021)…

This World Beauties Award adventure produced an impressive 101 QSOs across 27 countries and 6 continents.

Sergio followed this on September 16 with a technical portable/SOTA operation from Monte Naranco (30DA/P023), adding another very different style of activation to the month’s WBA activity.

Poland – 161DA135 Sylwester

On September 13, Sylwester continued his excellent work activating natural reserves and historic locations, putting Fort Piechoty nr 4 – Lisia Góra (TFD05) on the air.

The activation produced 29 QSOs across 11 countries and 4 continents, once again demonstrating the international reach possible from WBA portable operations.

WBA Evolution: Trends & Key Takeaways

1. Industrial Heritage Takes Centre Stage: September firmly established the Cammino Minerario di Santa Barbara project as an outstanding example of how 11-metre radio can combine portable DX activity with the promotion and preservation of historically significant locations.
2. Impressive Global Reach: Despite changing seasonal propagation, September’s leading activations repeatedly reached multiple continents. Both CRA021 and CMSB15 achieved contacts across an exceptional six continents.
3. Portable Activity Continues to Grow: The month’s results once again demonstrate the appeal of taking WBA operations beyond the home station. Mines, forests, parks, fortifications and mountain summits all featured during September, giving hunters a diverse collection of references to chase.
4. Dedicated Activators Drive Hunter Participation: The commitment of operators such as 165DA101 Alex, 30DA010 Sergio and 161DA135 Sylwester continues to generate strong international hunter participation and keeps the WBA programme active, diverse and exciting.

Looking Ahead — October 2026

September closes as another excellent month for the World Beauties Award, highlighted by outstanding portable activity, impressive international participation and some remarkable long-distance results…

With autumn now settling across Europe, October promises another fascinating month. Changing propagation conditions, cooler temperatures and new references will provide fresh opportunities for activators and hunters alike.

So prepare the station, tune the antennas, charge the batteries and keep listening.

The hunt for the world’s beauties continues!

73 de WBA Team — see you on the air!