Contest Crew Debriefs CQ WPX CW

About this episode

The Contest Crew discusses their experiences and challenges during the CQ WPX CW contest.

The Contest Crew is back following the recent CQ WPX CW weekend, with a look inside their individual efforts, a glimpse at the inevitable Murphy moments, and their usual humorous take on the world of serious contesting. Dan Craig N6MJ, Randy Thompson K5ZD, Chris Hurlbut KL9A, and Bill Fehring W9KKN break down a contest that began with record-level expectations but quickly turned into a battle against inconsistent conditions and tough copy. Dan WU2X (N6MJ) chased a top U.S. score in Single Operator All Band High Power from Tariq's well-respected N2QV station in New York, operating remotely from California while overcoming last-minute station issues and capitalizing on a crucial Sunday morning opening to Japan that ultimately helped separate him from the competition. From Montana, Chris shares stories of generator problems, a Spiderbeam that didn't survive the weekend, and a contest spent tracking rivals across the online scoreboard while watching world-record pace unfold from CR3DX on Madeira. Spoiler alert: Chris's world record from CQ9A in 2025 survived the challenge. Randy reflects on the realities of operating from Ohio, the challenge of copying serial numbers through heavy…

People in this episode

Host: Kevin Thomas

Guests: Dan Craig N6MJ, Randy Thompson K5ZD, Chris Hurlbut KL9A, Bill Fehring W9KKN

Topics covered

• contest debrief
• ham radio
• operating strategies
• remote operating
• contest conditions
• personal experiences

Keywords

• CQ WPX CW
• ham radio contest
• remote operation
• contest strategies
• radio conditions
• personal stories

Mentioned in this episode

Places: California, New York, Montana, Ohio, Madeira, ZF1A

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