>>> 🐧NEW ONE WBA 2026 🐧 <<< 161DA/SP343 – Castle Sobotka Goka by 161DA135 Sylvester / 3+1 PTS (H)/3 PTS (A) / DATE: 23/05/2026 start @ 16.30 UTC / Freq. stay tuned on WhatsApp WBA DA-RC News / PROVINCE 022 ( Breslavia )/ Municipality 0223073 ( Gmina Sobotka )
ANT: SKYPPER 3 EL. / PW 100W / PTS(A):2COTA+1N.One=3
📢 🟥 OFFICIAL ACTIVATION REPORT 🟥 📢 🌍 WORLD BEAUTIES AWARD (WBA) – REFERENCE 161DA/SP343 🌍
Site: Castle Sobótka-Górka (Zamek Górka) – Lower Silesia, Poland 🇵🇱
Date: Saturday, May 23, 2026
Operator: Sylwester (161 Delta Alfa 135) 👨✈️📡
Total Valid Logged Contacts: 50 QSOs 🏆
📈 LOG ANALYSIS & PROPAGATION REPORT 🌍
Following a meticulous check of the handwritten log sheets, the official count stands at exactly 50 valid QSOs. This represents an outstanding achievement by Sylwester, considering the sudden drops in propagation and severe logistical limitations.
- Opening QSO: 15:13 UTC (17:13 Local Time)
- Closing (QRT): 17:03 UTC (19:03 Local Time)
- Total Operating Window: 1 hour and 50 minutes of non-stop radio action!
DX & Prefix Breakdown
Despite the ionosphere fading quickly, the initial opening allowed Sylwester’s signal to blanket Europe:
- France (Division 14): Strongly dominated the pile-up with 24 QSOs making it into the log.
- Italy (Division 1): Solid support from Italian chasers with 6 QSOs.
- United Kingdom & Scotland (Divisions 26 & 108): Excellent signal penetration across the channel, securing 3 QSOs with England and 5 QSOs with Scotland.
- Islands & European DX: Fantastic contacts logged with Sardinia (Division 165), Spain (Division 30), Germany (Division 13), Switzerland (Division 19), and Ireland (Division 29).
🏕️ OPERATIONAL & LOGISTICAL CHRONICLE 🚗💨
This activation was a true display of flexibility and dedication, divided into two distinct operating sessions wrapped around a busy workday.
1. Flash Session (Work Break)
A quick “plug-and-play” mobile operation to test the setup and sync up with the back-office team. Sylwester successfully made a rapid check-in with the activation managers, Team Leader Sergio and Alex, ensuring the WBA machine was ready to support the main event.
- Setup: Mobile station, Icom 7000 (~80W), Sirio 5000 mobile antenna.
2. Main Evening Session (The Castle Challenge)
True DXpeditioners prove their worth when things get tough, and the arrival at Castle Sobótka-Górka tested Sylwester’s resolve on two fronts:
- The Logistical Trap: The historic castle site is currently undergoing major renovations. Local authorities strictly prohibited prolonged parking in the main lot, restricting access to pedestrians only. Refusing to give up, after the first few rapid-fire QSOs, Sylwester quickly adjusted his logistics and legally repositioned the mobile station just two meters outside the main entrance gate to keep the signal on the air.
- The Ionospheric Drop: Due to unexpected delays at work, there wasn’t enough time to deploy the highly directional Skypper antenna. Running solely on the Sirio 5000 whip, Sylwester had to battle a sudden, vertical collapse of the propagation, which choked the pile-up and brought heavy QSB (as noted in QSO #26).
📝 CONCLUSION & ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 🤝
This successful activation of reference 161DA/SP343 perfectly mirrors the core values of the World Beauties Award and the Delta-Alfa DX Adventure Radio Club: adventure, adaptability, strict adherence to local rules, and an unyielding passion for amateur radio.
Pushing 50 QSOs into the log under two hours using a basic mobile antenna from a gate driveway is an incredible success. The ancient stones of the 12th-century Augustinian abbey and the mystery of its granite lions echoed loudly across the European airwaves.
An Apology and a Promise: Knowing that many chasers and unrecorded SWLs were left waiting in the queue due to the crashing propagation, Sylwester has already promised an official return to the site in the near future. Reference SP343 is not done yet—the team will return to hand out this beautiful castle to everyone who missed out this time.
Special thanks go to Alex for his relentless technical and log back-office support, to Sergio, and to all the amazing hunters who ignited the pile-up!
73 de WBA Team & Sylwester 161DA135! See you from the next castle! 🏰🎙️ Clear and QRT! 📶
🎨 ✨ Announcing the Next Prestige Radio Activation of the World Beauties Award! ✨ 🎨
📅 Date: May 23, 2026
⏰ Time: 16:30 UTC (Active for approximately 2 hours! ⏳)
🌍 Reference: 161DA/SP343 – Castle Sobótka-Górka (Poland)
👤 Operator: Sylvester
📡 Live Log 161 POLAND: Follow the Live Log here!
👑 The Majesty of Castle Sobótka-Górka: Where History Meets the Airwaves 🏰
The World Beauties Award (WBA) is proud to present a unique radio journey into the heart of Lower Silesia. Nestled at the mystical foot of Mount Ślęża, Castle Sobótka-Górka (Zamek Górka) is not just an architectural marvel; it is a time capsule spanning nearly a millennium.
What began in the 12th century as a fortified monastery for Augustinian monks evolved into a fortified Renaissance noble estate in the 16th century, before achieving its breathtaking, romantic Neo-Renaissance grandeur in the 1800s. Its imposing brick and local granite walls stand as a monument to resilience, shifting through the ages from a place of deep spiritual devotion to an elite castle of European aristocracy.
🏕️ Portable Operation at the Edge of Time: A 2-Hour Window! 📻⏳
Our operator Sylvester will travel to the historic grounds of the castle to set up a dedicated portable station 📡🔋. Operating from the surrounding lush, English-style landscape park, Sylvester’s antennas will point skyward under the shadow of the massive stone walls.
Sylvester will be active on the air for a limited window of approximately two hours.
Setting up a portable field station in this specific location is highly symbolic. In amateur radio, Portable Operating is all about stripped-down, organic connection—bringing technology directly into harmony with nature and history. During this intense two-hour sprint, Sylvester will be breathing temporary life into a site that has seen centuries of silence, bridging the ancient stones with modern global RF propagation.
🦁 Connecting with Mysticism & Local Legends 🔮
This activation is profoundly intertwined with the context and peculiarities of the site:
- The Granite Lions & Pagan Cults: Right by the castle’s secondary entrance sit two ancient 12th-century lions carved from local granite. These pre-Christian symbols link the castle grounds directly to the ancient, mystical pagan cults of Mount Ślęża. By transmitting from this precise location, the WBA is effectively channeling the energy of a site wrapped in centuries of spiritual and historical mystery.
- Whispers of Secret Tunnels: Legend speaks of hidden underground passages beneath the castle. One very real tunnel historically connected the castle’s deep cellars directly to the local brewery to transport beer secretly! As Sylvester sends out his CQ calls, the radio waves will travel over the very ground that hides these centuries-old architectural secrets.
🌐 The Spirit of the World Beauties Award (WBA) 🏆
The core mission of the World Beauties Award is to celebrate and preserve the world’s most magnificent cultural, historical, and natural heritage sites through the power of Amateur Radio. Every QSO made during this activation turns a standard contact into a historical tribute.
When you copy Sylvester’s signal on May 23rd at 16:30 UTC, you are not just logging a country prefix; you are touching the stones of an Augustinian abbey, hearing the echoes of Renaissance nobles, and honoring the breathtaking beauty of Polish heritage.
📢 INFO FOR CHASERS & HUNTERS 🏹
- Don’t Miss the Window: Sylvester will only be on the air for about 2 hours, so make sure you are in front of your rigs on time! Propagation changes fast, so keep your ears peeled on the bands! 🎙️🔑
- Real-Time Tracking: Keep a close eye on the spots and track the incoming QSOs via the official WBA Live Log 161 POLAND: 👉 https://sbota.org/wba-live-log-161-poland/ 💻📋
Join Sylvester on this remarkable expedition. Let’s put this magnificent Lower Silesian crown jewel on the air before the window closes! 🚀
73 & DX to all Hunters from the WBA Team! 🌍👋 📶
Are you in the Log? Click below.
| LOG |
| 20EK20 Frank 14DA20 Pascal 108AT46 Jim 165AT131 Riccardo 1AT127 Luciano 1AT227 Livio 1RC118 Vittorio 14AT219 Alain 68AT108 Richard 108CT338 Kenny 14AT16 Bruno 19AT515 Ron 1AT224 Alberto 68AT121 Robert 19RC161 Jack 26AT35 Colin 1AT14 Vincenzo 14AT23 Jean Marc 14AT47 Yohann 56TR277 Timo 30DA10 Sergio 30DA202 Javier 30MPS1 Add Op Name 108FB213 Brian 165PAT104 Pierpaolo 165DA101 Alessandro 14EK34 Michel 161BC1 Add Op Name 108AT555 Gerard 14GT44 Pierrot 14AT292 Bernard 14RA41 Chris 16AT128 Stéphane 1TW25 Claudio 1AT678 Vicio 1DA6 Sergio 1DA1 Gaetano 14VC2615 Add Op Name 14RC326 Add Op Name 1ALE13 Alessandro 14AT824 Philippe 14AT264 Pat 14CI177 Olivier 26AT169 Bill 14AT759 Xavier 14AT247 Hervé 14AT461 Ludo 1KCB22 Mario 1AT364 Berto 29LR49 Michael ——————————– 20EK020 14DA020 108AT046 165AT131 1AT127 1AT227 1RC118 14AT219 68AT108 108CT338 14AT016 19AT515 1AT224 68AT121 19RC161 26AT035 1AT014 14AT023 14AT047 56TR277 30DA010 30DA202 30MPS001 108FB213 165PAT104 165DA101 14EK034 161BC001 108AT555 14GT044 14AT292 14RA041 16AT128 1TW025 1AT678 1DA006 1DA001 14VC2615 14RC326 1ALE013 14AT824 14AT264 14CI177 26AT169 14AT759 14AT247 14AT461 1KCB022 1AT364 29LR049 |
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