Contest Crew EUROPE Debuts!

Braco E77DX is the driving force behind the first-ever Contest Crew: Europe Edition—a project built on the momentum and format created by the original Contest Crew: Randy K5ZD, Dan N6MJ, Chris KL9A, Bill W9KKN, and Dr. Scott Wright K0MD. Together, they set the tone for what this series became: smart, unscripted, and genuinely fun. Their candid, strategy-rich conversations quickly became essential viewing for contesters and helped build a loyal global following for Q5. But one thing kept coming up: we needed more voices from outside North America. Enter Braco, who pushed to expand the conversation—and tonight, that idea becomes reality. In this premiere episode, we welcome six of Europe’s most accomplished operators: Braco E77DX, Dave 9A1UN, Mike SJ2W, Filipe CT1ILT, Kris ES7A, and Sven DJ4MX. From propagation quirks and contest scoring challenges to stories of station rebuilds and IARU prep, this is contesting from a European vantage point—uncensored and overdue. Five of the six will be competing in WRTC 2026. This isn’t a parallel project—it’s an expansion. Our intention is for the EU and NA Crews to cross over in future episodes, exchanging ideas, perspectives, and maybe even some friendly trash talk. Contesting is a global game. This crew underscores it. Join the conversation in the comments, and don’t forget to subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio for more episodes like this. Thanks to DX Engineering for backing this series—and for their steadfast support of the Parks on the Air community, as well as everything they do to equip DXers, contesters, and portable operators around the globe. Their passion powers the hobby. Visit dxengineering.com to learn more.