Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio

12/14/2025

Manu Siebert PT5J (LU9ESD) leads the Single Operator SSB High Power category on the Contest Online Scoreboard by a healthy margin — 2,778+ QSOs and well over a million points.

Seventeen hours ago, Manu was dealing with rain, band noise, and uncertainty as storms threatened the 00Z start.

He noted that propagation was disappointing early, settling in to wait for the opening to Europe — thankful that the forecast storms never materialized.

Fast forward to now: the scoreboard tells a very different story.

Unofficial scores — post yours on the Contest Online Scoreboard.

https://contestonlinescore.com

12/13/2025

It’s live now! Mike VE9AA sent us his 2025 edition of “'Twas the Nite B4 Ten Opened” just hours before the contest, and we rushed to get it out in time. Big thanks and full credit to Mike for keeping his ham radio holiday tradition alive.

https://youtu.be/GllS7rigCv0

12/12/2025

Tonight at 0130 UTC. The Crew recaps the CQ WW CW. Join Daniel Craig N6MJ, Christopher Hurlbut KL9A, Randy Thompson K5ZD and Bill Fehring W9KKN as they talk about the incredible CQ WW CW weekend and ask whether or not contests should be shorter, logs should be uploaded earlier and if the online scoreboard should be mandatory. Don't miss it.

Thanks to DX Engineering for their support.

https://youtu.be/LF_hUAdx-is

12/11/2025

🎙️ New Q5 drops tonight at 0100 UTC!

Jamıe Wılliamś J38W (M0SDV) traveled solo to Grenada for CQ WW CW and ended up logging 6,200+ QSOs, scoring over 9 million points and setting a new Youth Overlay record for North America. From carrying his gear across the Atlantic to setting up antennas in tropical heat—with one rescue assist from a machete-wielding gardener—it’s a story of grit, skill and experience gained from his prior team DXpeditions.

📺 Premieres 0100 UTC on Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio
🔗 https://youtu.be/7FbRQyJ5iwM

Thanks as always to DX Engineering for supporting Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio and operators pushing the limits from every corner of the globe.

12/10/2025

Chris Hurlbut KL9A is just back from Madeira, where he operated as CQ9A and delivered the contest performance of a lifetime at CQ WW CW 2025. Though he finished second to his longtime friend Dan N6MJ, Chris broke the existing world record in the Single Operator All Band High Power category, and logg...

12/05/2025

Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio has been shining a light on the top operators in CQ WW CW — and we’ll keep doing so. There’s a lot more happening than the headline duel between Daniel Craig N6MJ, Christopher Hurlbut KL9A, and Emir Memic "Braco" E77DX.

But the story of this season isn’t complete without the station builders. And in 2025, few have shaped the contest landscape more than Valery Zhytkovich EW6W. He opened his doors to both Dan and Chris for CQ WW SSB, laying the foundation for their CW clash. He’s pushed CQ9A forward and elevated what’s possible on the world stage.

So here’s a virtual toast to Valery — and to every station builder worldwide. Nothing in this sport happens without them.

12/03/2025

Chris Hurlbut KL9A is ready at CQ9A in Madeira just hours before the start of the CQ Worldwide CW Contest. Known for precision and consistency at the top levels of single-op competition, Chris arrived a bit later than other operators—but has wasted no time. Alongside Valery, he’s been adding ant...

12/03/2025

Felipe Hernandez NP4Z is a powerhouse of contesting and a central player in this year’s CQ World Wide CW showdown. He joins Kevin W1DED just hours before the contest kicks off from St. Croix, where he’s not only competing himself but orchestrating one of the biggest storylines in radio sport: th...

12/02/2025

Dan Craig EF8R (N6MJ) CQ WW CW

Q5 | ICOM | DX Engineering

12/01/2025

The dust is finally settling after an unforgettable CQ WW CW weekend.

Here’s a short look at Braco 5J1DX (E77DX) operating from Salim’s HK1T station in Colombia — a glimpse into the intensity, focus, and sheer endurance that defined the entire 48-hour showdown.

I’ve heard from all of the Titans. As expected, they’re resting… but also already thinking about the trip home. From what I can gather, the emotions are mixed — pride, exhaustion, relief, maybe even a bit of disbelief — but every one of them should feel like a winner. What they put themselves through this weekend was remarkable.

Even more impressive was their willingness to open themselves up to conversations with Q5 in the lead up to that pressure cooker. That generosity made this year’s coverage special.
Stay tuned — official recaps with Daniel Craig EF8R (N6MJ), Christopher Hurlbut CQ9A (KL9A), and Emir Memic "Braco" 5J1DX (E77DX) are coming as soon as they’re home and have had a moment to settle in.

Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio

Thanks to ICOM and DX Engineering for supporting this coverage.

Braco E77DX delivered a valiant effort from Colombia in CQ WW CW, locked in a weekend-long battle with Andy V47T (N2NT). Their raw scores are razor-close, an...

12/01/2025

Daniel Craig N6MJ, operating as EF8R from the Canary Islands, has just delivered one of the great performances in the history of CQ WW CW. In the Single-Operator All Band High Power category, he not only claimed the world win — he established a new world record. The old record belonged to Emir Memic "Braco" E77DX, operating as D4DX from the legendary D4C station in Cape Verde, where he set last year’s record at 20,263,880 points.

This weekend, both Dan EF8R (N6MJ) and Christopher Hurlbut CQ9A (KL9A) exceeded the 2024 record — a scenario José Nunes CT1BOH correctly forecast might occur if conditions cooperated and that Chris had predicted on Q5 in the weeks leading up to CQ WW CW.

Here are the unofficial raw scores (pre-log checking):

Dan EF8R (N6MJ): 27,574,206 points · 12,704 QSOs
Chris CQ9A (KL9A): 24,680,656 points · 11,340 QSOs
Braco 5J1DX (E77DX): 18,171,790 points · 9,224 QSOs

In his analysis leading into the event, Jose CT1BOH highlighted Dan’s improving accuracy, including a 4.2% score reduction in 2023. At this level, final scores, and world records, survive or fall on precision. With Dan's score and his accuracy history, the new world record feels less like a possibility and more like a conclusion.

And for those who have followed the CQ WW CW Showdown — the “Clash of the Titans” we’ve been tracking for weeks — this outcome couldn’t be more fitting. The three titans, Dan N6MJ, Chris KL9A, and Braco E77DX, finished unofficially in first, second, and third, respectively. They gave everything over the weekend, but also gave of themselves to Q5 in the buildup — sharing time, insight, honesty, anticipation, pressure. They didn’t have to let us in, and the fact that they did made this contest unforgettable. We all had a chance to participate with them. Hats off to all three, and a sincere thanks for the show.

So tonight, even with log checking still ahead, we should acknowledge what we witnessed: human endurance, sustained pressure, superior skills, and a record now (unofficially) belonging to Dan Craig N6MJ — EF8R, World Champion and new holder of the CQ WW CW SOAB HP world record.

More to come when UBN speaks. But history already has.

ICOM | DX Engineering

11/30/2025

Daniel Craig N6MJ has done it.

12,000 QSOs in a single CQ WW CW.

A milestone once considered unreachable is now reality—and Dan has crossed it with hours still left on the clock at EF8R.

This doesn’t end the contest. Far from it. There is still work to do, decisions to make, and an intense race that demands every ounce of focus to protect his lead. But moments like this deserve to stand on their own.

Because what Dan just achieved is extraordinary: sustained, disciplined operating across 48 hours.

Where the final score ends up is still unwritten.

But today, 12,000+ QSOs is what Dan will put in the log.

Congratulations, Dan!

Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio | Icom America Inc | DX Engineering