SEC 2025 with the 40m again

Contest date: Saturday 20 Sept 2025

In recent years, we have found that the current propagation conditions mean that practically no 80m connections are possible during the day. On the other hand, the 40m band also works very well for connections within Switzerland, which I was able to experience myself. So it depends very much on the current solar cycle whether the 80m band or the 40m band is more suitable for connections within Switzerland.

For this reason, we are reintroducing the 40m band as the operating band for the Swiss Emergency Contest SEC from this year 2025. The scoring is similar to the 80m band: 1 point per connection and one multiplier point per postcode. This should avoid the gap in HF operation on 80m during the day.

Of course, there is a catch: HB3 stations cannot benefit from this because the 40m band is not available to them. However, it has been shown in recent years that it is possible to achieve just as good results with a relay connection as with HF connections.

A separate ranking list will therefore be drawn up for HB3 operators.

The regulations and the special SEC log programmes will be adapted accordingly by mid-August 2025 at the latest and will then be available on the USKA website.

Further questions can be directed to sec@uska.ch

So: Prepare your HF antenna for 80m and 40m operation accordingly!

I look forward to a lively participation in this year’s SEC 2025.

Vy 73 de Bernard, HB9ALH

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)