PJ6Y Saba

Soon, the world of radio amateurs will turn to one of the most anticipated projects of 2025 — PJ6Y DX expedition on the island of Saba. And believe it or not - a Slovak operator OM8ATE will be part of this exceptional event! If your curiosity pulls you deeper behind the scenes, the following article will take you on a wave of adventure and reveal what awaits this ambitious team.

🎯 What is PJ6Y?

PJ6Y is the official call sign of the DX expedition project, which takes place in October 2025 takes off from a Caribbean island Saba (IOTA NA-145). The ambition is to activate the island with a full range of bands - from 160 m to 6 m, including satellite connections.

So far, an international team of 12-14 operators will participate in the project, of which up to nine will be debutants (young operators). In addition to them, it will be possible to join remotely - using two NexGenRiB2 of remote stations that will enable young radio enthusiasts to connect and work from home.

The goal of the project is not only DX "hunting", but above all to strengthen the generation of young radio amateurs, to give them the chance to participate in a large DXpedition without financial obstacles.

🧭 PJ6Y operation and technology

PJ6Y will use two sites on the north side of Saba (about half a mile apart) to achieve optimal "radiation" angles to Europe, North America and Asia. these sites will be set:

• 3 local stations: each p Elecraft K3 + KPA500 amplifiers
• 2 remote stations (NexGenRiB2), which will be controlled by remote operators
• Antenna equipment:
  • Inverted-L + RX antennas for bands 160/80/60 m
  • Verticals at 40 and 30 m
  • Triband yagi + 5-band hexbeam at 20–10 m
  • 5-element Yagi for 6 m
  • Also VHF/UHF satellite stations
• Filters and multiplexers will be used to reduce mutual interference between stations.
• The operation will cover fashions CW, SSB and FT8
• Entry into a prestigious competition CQWW DX SSB as a Multi-Two team
• Real-time logging of connections across the platform Club Log, with a leaderboard, and subsequent uploads to LoTW within up to 6 months
• QSL will manage M0OXO - requests via OQRS (direct, bureau) or directly with a payment of US$ 5.

📡 PJ6Y Band Plan

💡 Note:
They can also be used during periods of low activity standard FT8 frequencies.

🌟 OM8ATE enters the game

One of the strongest motivations for the Slovak amateur radio community is the fact that he was selected for the PJ6Y team Matúš Nemec, OM8ATE.

Matúš, only a 22-year-old student from Košice, started his radio amateur journey in 2022. He believes in the potential of remote operation and gradually profiled himself as a remote operator - he worked with two remote stations through the RHR system. Along with this, he was involved in youth programs such as YOTA (Youth on the Air), which opened the door to the world of DX expeditions.

It is interesting that Matúš has already participated in a DX expedition 3D2Y (Rotuma Island) as a remote operator, and during the VC3YOTA activity he was part of the connection projects with the ISS stations and SWEAT. He enters PJ6Y with the determination that this will be his dream chance - which he himself describes as a dream come true, which would not be possible without the support of foundations and sponsors.

💰 Sponsors, funding and support

The budget for such a project is considerable, and PJ6Y realizes that every dollar counts. The goal is to cover travel, operating costs and other expenses for young operators so that financial obstacles do not prevent them from participating.

Notable supporters include:

• Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF) – provided a grant for the construction of NexGenRiB2 remote stations
• DX Engineering, The Daily DX, CDXC, Southeastern DX Club, GM DX Group, Middlesex AR Association and other organizations around the world
• European support from EUDXF, which clearly declares its support as "youngster DXpedition".

Every donor, even with a small amount, will definitely gain personal certificate of support – so that his help is not forgotten.

Saba Island – a Caribbean jewel of volcanic origin

Saba is a small but charming island in the Caribbean, belonging to the Kingdom of the Netherlands as a part Caribbean Netherlands. It is located southeast of the island of St. Martin and has an area of ​​only approx 13 km², which makes it the smallest inhabited island in the region. Despite its modest size, Saba is known as "The Unadorned Jewel of the Caribbean".

It is the dominant feature of the island Mount Scenery – an extinct volcano and at the same time the highest point of the Netherlands (877 m above sea level). Its slopes are covered in lush rainforest with trails that lead up to the top with breathtaking views of the surrounding ocean. Headquarters, The Bottom, together with a picturesque village Windwardside, breathe the colonial atmosphere.

Saba does not have sandy beaches, but its coastline and coral reefs are a diver's paradise. Saba Marine Park patrí medzi najlepšie zachované v celom Karibiku. Ostrov žije pokojne, bez masového turizmu, s približne 2000 obyvateľmi, ktorí si zakladajú na pohostinnosti a ekologickom prístupe. Saba tak predstavuje a unique combination of adventure, nature and peace - a hidden treasure of the Caribbean.

🔔 And what next?

Projekt PJ6Y je zatiaľ vo fáze intenzívnej prípravy. Technické testy, logistika, školenia (v spolupráci s ostro skúsenými DXmanmi ako Gene K5GS, Glenn W0GJ či Paul N6PSE) sú v plnom prúde.

The output is clear: October 17 to 29, 2025 will be the days when it will be QSO with PJ6Y a treasure in the diary of every DX hunter in the world. More on https://pj6y2025.com/