YJ0RS Vanuatu Island 6m EME DXpedition!

Actually it is the first time I am hearing about 6m EME, that too a DXpedition. Often I have heard of 432 MHz EME and EME on higher bands. Never thought that EME or Earth-Moon-Earth, also known as Moonbounce is feasible on 6m band or the Magic band. YJ0RS Vanuatu DXpedition 2025 by ZL1RS used a 7 element 6m Yagi with elevation for EME. Part 1 of the DXpedition was from 11 June to June 22 and part 2 from 1 October to 10 October 2025. While he had only one 6m EME QSO during the June session, October session had a remarkable 96 EME QSOs, just short of three QSOs to make a century of EME QSOs during the wonderful DXpedition. He was using IC-705 radio which is quite popular among portable satellite operators and and HB 1kW LDMOS power amplifier.

Vanuatu is an archipelago nation of about 83 volcanic islands in the South Pacific Ocean, East of Australia. Vanuatu was known as the New Hebrides from 1774 until 1980. For those not familiar with EME, it is bouncing your amateur radio signals off the Moon, about 400,000 km from Earth. Naturally the signals returned back to Earth will be quite weak and needs an excellent radio setup to pick up.

There is an interesting mention of the “The Chocolate Fish Award” for the station equipped with the smallest Yagi worked by YJ0RS by 6m EME. The award was shared by Bob MD0CCE with his 6 element Yagi and Jussi AA6KJ. ‘The Chocolate Fish Award’ is a ‘Kiwi’ specialty from New Zealand. That is a symbolic award for a job well done, often given at workplaces and schools to acknowledge achievement, in New Zealand.