Contest Crew Europe is back—and sharper than ever. Braco E77DX, Sven DJ4MX, Filipe CT1ILT, Dave 9A1UN, Mike SJ2W, and Kris ES7A deliver a frank, fast-moving debrief of CQ WW CW from the heart of the European scene. This isn’t just about score totals. It’s a look inside the philosophy, the prep, and the pressure that define elite-level contesting on the continent. Braco reports on 5J1DX in Colombia, where tropical storms, a broken CIV port, and a rogue amp threatened to derail the run—and while Dan N6MJ and Chris KL9A were out of reach, he likely walked away with a new South American record.

Back at Braco’s home station, Sven and the E7DX crew rallied from a somber start and overtook OM7M in a furious late push on 40 meters. Mike in Sweden faced green auroras and grim rates. Filipe ran the full 48 hours solo, again hitting a remarkable 10,000+ QSOs using a single keyboard and custom MUF-tracking tools. Kris and team at muti-op ES9C couldn’t quite close the gap on single-op EF8R, but delivered one of their cleanest runs yet. And Dave in Croatia? A last-minute setup may have turned into a national record—and a comeback moment for two long-absent operators.

Beyond the logs and linears, the crew dug into the state of the sport. Live scoreboards? Maybe mandatory, they argue—at least if you want to play at the top. Log uploads? Why wait five days? And the 48-hour format? If you’re not prepping like an athlete, you're already behind. Contesting isn’t just competition—it’s culture. And these guys are writing it in real time.

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