Dan Craig N6MJ is on the Canary Islands, gearing up to operate EF8R in this weekend’s CQ World Wide CW contest, and we caught up just as final preparations were underway. Joined by Levi K6JO, Dan’s been troubleshooting verticals, fine-tuning antennas, and running high-stakes shakedowns ahead of a record attempt. Inside the shack: two Icom 7610s and—after some debate—a third radio, an Elecraft K3, to chase elusive multipliers during slow hours. A smooth CWT test calmed some nerves as Dan got his head back into real-time 2BSIQ. Though Braco E77DX recently rebuilt the station for SSB, Dan and Levi found plenty to fix, from storm-damaged antennas to last-minute adjustments. Propagation has shifted too—most notably, 10 meters is closing fast after EU sunset. Stress? Absolutely. Sleep is sparse, pressure is high, but Dan's determined to give the world a clean, all-out effort. Felipe NP4Z helped secure the EF8R station when Dan was nearly sidelined, and that camaraderie echoes through the contesting community. From Chris KL9A and Braco E77DX in 3-point land to Andy N2NT (V47T), Tom W2SC (8P5A), Felipe NP4Z (KP2B), Filipe CT1ILT (CR6K) and Jon KL2A (KP4AA), the competition is fierce—but grounded in mutual respect and constant collaboration. And though Dan’s not one for the spotlight, he’s showing up because keeping contesting vibrant matters. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to Icom and DX Engineering for backing operators worldwide—whether they’re pushing 2BSIQ at EF8R or chasing rare multipliers from remote corners of the globe.