High Bands Still Rule as Italy and Europe Deliver Strong Performances

The final results of the 2026 ARRL International DX Phone Contest are now available, providing an interesting snapshot of international SSB contesting near what ARRL describes as one of the last editions to benefit from the exceptionally favorable high-band propagation of the current solar cycle.

The contest was held on March 7–8, 2026, with thousands of stations from around the world once again filling the HF bands in the traditional confrontation between W/VE stations and the rest of the DX world. The next edition is scheduled for March 6–7, 2027.

And while the absolute participation figures show a clear decline compared with the previous two editions, the competition at the top remained extremely intense.

3,822 logs and more than 1.24 million QSOs

ARRL received 3,822 logs for the 2026 Phone contest, compared with:

This represents a drop of approximately 17.7% compared with 2025 and more than 26% compared with 2024.

Nevertheless, activity remained substantial: the submitted logs contained no fewer than 1,246,268 contacts. ARRL also notes that several operators reported declining rates during parts of the weekend and fewer W/VE stations available for DX competitors to work.

The fall in submitted logs is therefore one of the most significant statistical elements of the 2026 edition and will be worth watching closely in 2027.

10 and 15 metres dominate the contest

Propagation was still strongly influenced by the favorable phase of the solar cycle.

According to the official ARRL analysis, approximately 60% of all contacts were made on 15 and 10 metres. Active thunderstorms during the weekend negatively affected the lower bands, particularly 40 metres.

This explains many of the remarkable scores produced from the Caribbean, Central America, South America and southern Europe.

ARRL already anticipates a different scenario for 2027: as solar conditions gradually decline, the balance could begin shifting back toward 40, 80 and even 160 metres.

For serious contest stations, this is an important point. The exceptionally productive 10- and 15-metre openings seen during the peak years of Solar Cycle 25 cannot be assumed to continue indefinitely.

The World Radiosport Team Championship 2026 has undergone a major and highly unusual revision of its results.

On September 1, 2026, the WRTC 2026 Judging Committee published a detailed rescoring document following an investigation triggered by information received from members of the public after the Awards Ceremony.

The consequences are significant: four teams have been disqualified, hundreds of contacts involving alleged pirate stations have been removed, and the final podium has changed — including the identity of the WRTC 2026 winner.

According to the official WRTC report, the investigation uncovered what the Committee describes as a coordinated system capable of artificially influencing scores through multiplier-producing contacts and advance disclosure of some teams’ identities.

A New WRTC 2026 Podium

Following the rescoring, the new top three are:

1st – MB5O – DJ5MW / DM5EE – 7,310,308 points

2nd – MB4G – N6MJ / KL9A – 6,955,083 points

3rd – MB1T – K5ZD / W2SC – 6,836,480 points

MB5O, operated by DJ5MW and DM5EE, therefore becomes the WRTC 2026 winning team.