CQ World Wide SSB strategy & station plans with the Contest Crew—Dan N6MJ, Chris KL9A, Bill W9KKN, and Randy K5ZD—who break down final preparations for the SSB Super Bowl of radiosport. Operating from the elite CQ9A station in Madeira, Chris, Dan, and Bill are diving into a high-intensity, six-radio, 24/7 multi-single effort hosted by EW6W Valery Zhytkovich, joining forces with top-tier European ops. The fusion of American and European contesting styles could unlock new records—or at least hard-won lessons for the U.S. contingent. From antenna-based distributed listening techniques to the rare luxury of arriving at a fully built site (thanks to Valery and his tireless team), this episode is rich with strategy and logistics. Chris and Dan break down in-band run timing, audio sharing, and the fight for every last QSO when margins against stations like P33W can come down to 1%. Bill, for once, just gets to show up and plug in—an unfamiliar but welcome shift from his usual role as technical architect. Randy adds perspective from his spartan setup as V47T in St. Kitts, where batteries, spare parts, and repair supplies get packed alongside hope for clear skies and clear bands. He’s joined by N2NT and K4ZW for what he calls a “poor man’s multi-single,” operating with two radios and three ops from a station that may—or may not—still be intact when they arrive. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to DX Engineering for equipping operators around the globe—from island expeditions to full-stack contest superstations—with the gear they need to chase DX, win contests, and keep Parks on the Air alive and thriving.

A few days ago, we heard from Contest Crew North America. Now it’s Europe’s turn. Braco E77DX, Dave 9A1UN, Mike SJ2W, Kris ES7A, and Sven DJ4MX—collectively Contest Crew Europe, and five of the continent’s most respected operators—join Q5 with their war stories and final prep before CQ Worldwide SSB. Dave recaps the standout Istra Conference, a magnet for serious ops and next-gen tech, with attendees flying in from across Europe and the U.S. Braco walks through the high-stakes logistics of EF8R in the Canaries: six 32-kilo bags, customs delays, and a tribander stuck somewhere between Madrid and mystery. Kris reports from Estonia, where a 20-person crew is rebuilding ES5TV’s site—moose damage, marshland, and all—in pursuit of his 2013 multi-multi record. Mike, up at SJ2W in Sweden, is fighting similar terrain and hoping for a clean polar path. And Sven? He’s caught between thesis deadlines and competing offers from Estonia to SM2. There’s no ego here—just precision, resilience, and a drive to pass the torch. Each station runs its own rhythm, each team its own doctrine, but the goal is the same: extract every QSO the bands will give. Brought to you by Icom—the choice of operators who know that peak performance is never optional.

Rich Smith N6KT is a quiet titan in the world of radiosport. With ten CQ WW SSB wins to his name, an ARRL DX Phone record that has stood since 1993, and multiple WPX titles, Rich heads into this weekend’s contest from PJ4K with a legitimate shot at another world title. He’s not just a competitor—he’s a legacy builder. His rivals know it. Braco E77DX is mounting a massive effort from the Canaries (EF8R) with hopes of a win and a possible world record, but the Contest Crew's KL9A says Rich is his top competition. Rich’s path started in a suburban California shack, where he built his first transmitter into a Band-Aid box. He climbed the ladder from modest sweepstakes ops to twenty years of contesting from the Galapagos, where he and a tight-knit crew engineered a rugged contesting fortress that weathered tropical winds and political headwinds. Today, Rich is part of the PJ4K rebuild team, operating from a Bonaire site once decimated by ocean surge. His strategy is clinical—hour-by-hour band planning, post-contest self-audits, and relentless focus on efficiency. No overall score goals. No scoreboard distractions. Just aiming for a performance he can be proud of. This weekend, Rich squares off against Braco in the Canaries and Tom 8P5A—both elite 2BSIQ operators. The stakes are high. But Rich isn’t here for the stress or the showmanship. “If I’m proud of how I operated, that’s good for me,” he says. That calm perseverance—and his unshakable belief in radio’s magic—has made him a beacon to every contester wondering what’s possible with discipline, humility, and grit. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to Icom for sponsoring Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio—because legendary QSOs deserve legendary radios. Their commitment to the amateur community helps make these stories—and operations like PJ4K—possible.

Dan Craig N6MJ is one of three world-class operators aiming to shatter world records in the CQ Worldwide CW contest this November. From Magic Mountain in the Canary Islands, Dan will operate as EF8R—joining a global showdown where perfect propagation, cutting-edge engineering, and elite operator skill might converge to make history. He’s teaming up with Braco E77DX, who will run SSB from the same site, in a rare and strategic collaboration between two of the radiosport’s fiercest competitors. Dan is going all-in on a three-radio setup, running Icom 7610s and supported by trusted tech allies Bill W9KKN and Levi K6JO. Levi, now a professional antenna hand, will be on-site to handle potential tower repairs and power challenges on the wind-battered summit. Meanwhile, Braco is already retooling the shack to serve both SSB and CW, with an eye toward leaving behind a fully functional station for local ops like Juan EA8RM. This is another installment in Q5’s new CQ WW CW Showdown series—a behind-the-scenes look at how the top contenders prepare for the biggest weekend in contesting. Whether Dan, Braco, or Chris KL9A at CQ9A comes out on top, one thing is clear: conditions are ripe for a new world record—maybe even three. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to Icom and DX Engineering for making this series possible. Their continued support drives innovation among DXers, Parks on the Air activators, and top-tier contesters operating from the world’s most rugged and remote sites.

Braco Memic E77DX hosts this special edition of Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio, stepping in after Kevin W1DED encountered technical issues. Contest Crew Europe gathers to unpack the 2025 Worked All Europe SSB contest, recent IARU VHF, and plans for the upcoming CQ Worldwide SSB contest.

Kris Kass ES7A opens with a cautionary tale: a lightning strike took out his station, frying everything from rotators to computers. With WAE off the table and the station out of commission for CQ Worldwide SSB, he's pivoted to a multi-op plan at ES5TV with an international team—including youth. Sven Lovric DJ4MX describes wrestling with remote station glitches while operating as 9A5MX, but still posting over 400,000 points.

Dave Kucelin 9A1UN joins late but brings the heat: his team operated from an ex-military mountaintop site at 1,600 meters, battling fog, humidity, and 80 km/h winds. The result? Over 1,100 QSOs and the second-best VHF score south of the Alps. The crew closes with insights on WAE propagation, the flood of QTCs from Brazilian stations, and yes—AI-generated voices now flawlessly handing out QTCs.

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This episode of Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio is powered by Icom—innovative radios trusted by amateur operators across the globe.

George Gross N3GJ is the 10-meter backbone of K3LR, Tim Duffy’s legendary multi-multi contest station. For 30 years and 100 contest weekends, George has held the line through solar highs and brutal lows. Whether pulling callers out of static or setting the SSB hourly rate record (390 QSOs) alongside K1AR, George shows up. Every single time. His start was classic: a Hallicrafters receiver in the attic, Morse code copied by hand, and a dad who passed down the love of radio from his Vietnam-era roots. By high school, George was sending code at 30 WPM, making the trek to Buffalo to upgrade his license, and splitting firewood in exchange for a tribander on the roof. DXing came first—but it was a code-copying contest at a 1995 Ohio hamfest that put him on Tim Duffy’s radar and launched a decades-long run at K3LR. There’s a humility in George’s story—he calls himself “not a top-tier contester”—but that’s only half true. In the multi-multi world, he’s the ops dream: calm, consistent, patient enough to sit through dead bands, and sharp enough to squeeze every last QSO out of them. He’s also a reminder that you don’t need to be flashy to make an impact. You just need to show up and do the work. And maybe, on a good day, set a world record with your best radio friends. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Special thanks to DX Engineering for supporting operators like George—from patient CW diggers to record-breaking contesters—and for giving hams around the world the tools to compete, connect, and chase the magic hour.

As the sun came up this morning over Chebeague Island in Maine, my phone lit up with a WhatsApp call from Braco Memic E77DX. It was 6 a.m.—and within the hour, I was walking with him, virtually and on camera, through the legendary EF8R “Magic Mountain” contest station on Gran Canaria. He and his wife Julia had just landed, and Braco was already sizing up the challenge ahead: broken antennas, a silent generator, and only days to turn chaos into a world-class signal. The plan is bold. Braco will go first, chasing a world record in CQ WW SSB. Then Daniel Craig N6MJ arrives to take his own swing during CQ WW CW. Two world-class operators, one station, and a narrow window to pull it all together. This is the kind of behind-the-scenes story that rarely gets told—the sweat and scramble before the glory. I’m calling it the CQ WW Showdown, and this is only the beginning. Huge thanks to Icom America Inc. and DX Engineering for backing this coverage. Their support makes it possible to bring you inside the action and show what it really takes to compete at the highest level of contesting. Subscribe to Q5 so you don’t miss the upcoming coverage. Visit www.q5hamradio.com for links to other platforms. And thanks for supporting Q5—don’t forget, SQ1K has Q5 gear available for purchase.

I'm back with the Contest Crew—Dan N6MJ, Bill W9KKN, Chris KL9A—and special guest Levi Jeffries K6JO, who takes us deep into the guts of serious HF contesting, from antenna stacks in Tennessee to the fine-tuned dance of 2BSIQ phone operation. Levi recounts his recent effort in the Worked All Europe SSB contest, operating remotely from Ron WV4P’s elite Tennessee hilltop contest station. The competition was tighter than expected, with Jim WX3B chasing him down in a dramatic scoreboard race and wielding a clear Northeast propagation advantage. Levi’s strategic grit was on full display—from wrestling with poor 20-meter conditions to catching rare multipliers on fickle 10 meters. Yet, what shone brightest was his sharp technical dissection, including a live test of the Teensy Maestro, a compact switching solution for Flex radios. In a candid reflection, Levi admits he may have misplayed his QTC timing—but not before giving a masterclass on 2BSIQ philosophy. This wasn’t just radio acumen; it was contest strategy with human nuance. And in the broader context of AI-assisted ops, Levi offered a compelling counterpoint: in low-rate, high-skill contests, it’s not just about copying calls—it’s about coaxing the unheard to speak. This episode sets the stage for a high-voltage CQWW season. As Chris KL9A and Dan N6MJ gear up for world record attempts—from CQ9A or EA8—the quiet rivalry and escalating arms race in gear, grit, and strategy hint at a historic fall. Add Braco E77DX to the mix, and Chris predicts not just one world record falling, but possibly three. It's a showdown to anticipate—and to watch unfold right here on Q5. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Special thanks to DX Engineering for championing the global contesting community. From WV4P’s hilltop mega-station to the casual contester, your support continues to power the passion behind the mic.

Kylee Shirbroun KE0WPA is 18 years old and a bright young voice in ham radio. Raised in the shadow of a 40-foot tower in Worthington, Minnesota, she made her first satellite contact while on vacation in Canada—the very day her technician license came through. Since then, she’s earned her general class ticket, become a contesting enthusiast, and taken on youth advisor roles with the Minnesota Wireless Association and the North Star Radio Convention. A familiar call sign on the Parks on the Air circuit, Kylee activates and hunts alongside her father, ND0C, running portable gear from their truck. She’s also active on Remote Ham Radio’s youth program, favoring a Croatian station for its direct path into Europe and Asia. But her biggest leap is still ahead: a 2026 trip to St. Lucia, where she’ll join the J62K team for CQ WPX—a serious contesting milestone for any operator, let alone a teenager. Her story echoes that of past guest Seth NU1D, who will also join the J62K crew. But what sets Kylee apart is more than her technical chops—it’s her drive to open the hobby to others. She’s not just preparing for ham radio’s future. She is its future. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Special thanks to Icom. From the shack to the summit, Icom keeps hams connected. We're proud to have their support for Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio.

Violetta Latham KN2P is a 20-year-old Extra Class ham with more big station experience under her belt than many operators twice her age. A commercial pilot, flight instructor, and aircraft mechanic apprentice, Violetta's days oscillate between runways and radios. Licensed since she was nine—thanks to a sibling competition organized by her father—she’s grown from a childhood in a Mennonite-Amish household with no internet to flying jets and working pileups from the Caribbean. She’s operated from top-tier contesting stations like PJ2T, W3LPL, and K3LR as part of Team Exuberance, where she built deep ties with other rising stars like Marty NN1C and Levi K6JO. Her DXpedition résumé is growing fast: recent ops from St. Lucia (J62K), upcoming activation of the North Cook Islands (E51MWA), and a fully youth-led contest effort from PJ2T this October. Contesting is her passion—especially phone on 10 meters, where she thrives in fast-paced pileups and unexpected openings, like the middle-of-the-night path to Australia from St. Lucia. Whether she's navigating DXpedition logistics or logging overnight contest shifts in unfamiliar time zones, Violetta is making a name for herself in the next generation of operators. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. A special thanks to DX Engineering for supporting operators who chase hard-to-reach grids, light up the bands for Parks on the Air, and mentor the next generation of hams.