Inside WRTC: Contest Crew North America vs Europe

Inside WRTC: Contest Crew North America vs Europe

Contest Crew North America and Contest Crew Europe come together for a rare cross-Atlantic conversation just days before the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC). Chris Hurlbut KL9A, Randy Thompson K5ZD, Filipe Lopes CT1ILT, and Braco Memic E77DX pull back the curtain on the final scramble before one of amateur radio's most demanding competition. The discussion is equal parts technical and entertaining. The group dives into everything from spare radios and "secret boxes" to antenna rotor management in two-operator competition, revealing just how much coordination needs to happen. Randy offers insight into the enormous logistical challenge facing WRTC organizers, while Chris explains why teamwork, constant communication, and operating accuracy often matter more than expensive hardware. The conversation also tackles bigger issues surrounding WRTC. The operators discuss maintaining a true level playing field, the impact of "cheerleading" by supporters on the air, the event's no-flags policy, and the need for greater visibility throughout the amateur radio community. Filipe also shares the story behind his new CWForever.eu Morse training platform, a project that began as a simple tool for his contest team before attracting some of the world's fastest CW operators. Whether you're preparing to chase WRTC stations or simply curious how the world's best contesters think, this conversation offers a candid look at the preparation, philosophy, and friendly rivalry behind radiosport's premier event. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. A special thanks to DX Engineering for making conversations like this possible. Their continued support helps contesters, DXers, Parks on the Air operators, and amateur radio enthusiasts around the world stay connected and keep pushing the hobby forward. Welcome to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio!

How Top Contesters Prepare for WRTC (Q5 Clip)

How do the world's top contesters prepare for the biggest competition in amateur radio? Chris Hurlbut KL9A, Dan Craig N6MJ, Randy Thompson K5ZD, Bill Fehring W9KKN, and Tim Duffy K3LR discuss the preparation, strategy, and mindset behind competing at the World Radiosport Team Championship. From intensive CW practice and log analysis to equipment checklists and operating strategy, they explain what matters most before the contest even begins. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Special thanks to DX Engineering for supporting Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio and helping contesters, DXers, Parks on the Air operators, and station builders pursue excellence on the air. Their continued support helps bring conversations like these to the amateur radio community.

The World's Best Contesters Have One Request: Spot Everyone

WRTC is designed to put the world's best contest operators on equal footing, with identical stations, antennas, and operating conditions. But fairness doesn't stop at the station boundary. In this special WRTC 2026 clip, Randy Thompson K5ZD, Bill Fehring W9KKN, Dan Craig N6MJ, Chris Hurlbut KL9A, and Tim Duffy K3LR discuss the role spotting, operating ethics, and community behavior play in maintaining a level playing field during the World Radiosport Team Championship. The conversation explores why competitors encourage operators to work and spot all stations equally, how "cheerleading" can negatively influence results, and why integrity remains one of the most important traditions in contesting. Their message is simple: the best operators should win because of operating skill, not because of outside advantages. Whether you're a dedicated contester, a casual operator, or simply curious about how WRTC works behind the scenes, this discussion offers an inside look at the challenges of keeping a world championship both competitive and fair. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio.  Thanks to DX Engineering for supporting Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio and the operators who keep the bands active every day. From contest weekends and DXpeditions to everyday operating, their support helps connect the amateur radio community around the world.

Why WRTC Is Ham Radio's Ultimate Equalizer

WRTC was created to remove the biggest variable in contesting: the station. What happens when the world's best operators compete with equal stations, equal power, and equal opportunities? I'm joined by Randy Thompson K5ZD, Chris Hurlbut KL9A, Dan Craig N6MJ, Bill Fehring W9KKN, and special guest Tim Duffy K3LR, for a deep look at the World Radiosport Team Championship just weeks before competition begins. We explore the history of WRTC from Seattle and San Francisco to Finland, Brazil, Moscow, Boston, Germany, Italy, and now the United Kingdom. Along the way, the group explains how the event evolved from borrowed stations with wildly different conditions into one of the most sophisticated operating competitions in amateur radio. The conversation also pulls back the curtain on the qualification process. Earning a seat at WRTC can require years of contesting, travel, station access, planning, and sacrifice. For many operators, qualifying may be harder than the event itself. Finally, we discuss what actually separates the top teams once the contest starts. Is it preparation? CW speed? Strategy? Accuracy? Propagation knowledge? Or something else entirely? Past champions and competitors share what they believe determines who stands on the podium when the weekend is over. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to DX Engineering for supporting Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio and the operators who push the limits of amateur radio performance. Whether you're chasing DX, building a contest station, activating a park, or improving your station one component at a time, DX Engineering continues to support the worldwide amateur radio community. Welcome to the Q5 community.

Three Young Hams Preparing for South Georgia VP0SG

I'm joined by Violetta Latham KN2P, Leon Hellmich DL3ON, and Megan Lorenz EI5LA, the youth members of the VP0SG South Georgia DXpedition team, as they gather in Norway for a full-scale shakedown of one of amateur radio's most ambitious upcoming operations. From assembling tents and antennas to testing radios, networking gear, and emergency procedures, this weekend is about far more than equipment. The team—made up of operators from across Europe and the United States—is preparing for a 2027 expedition to South Georgia, one of the rarest and most sought-after DXCC entities on Earth. The three young operators share how they were recruited, the friendships and mentoring relationships that opened doors, and why youth involvement is critical to the future of DXpeditioning. What stands out is the professionalism behind the scenes. The team has divided into specialized groups focused on antennas, radios, and logistics while training on everything from knot-tying to biosecurity protocols. With most of the expedition's equipment traveling months in advance by container—and operators limited to a small amount of personal gear on an RAF flight to the Falklands—success depends on meticulous planning long before anyone sets foot on the island. There are lighter moments, too: parents discovering South Georgia through photos of penguins, and young operators realizing they've earned a seat alongside some of the most experienced DXers in the world. The conversation offers a rare look at how a major DXpedition comes together—and why investing in the next generation matters just as much as putting a rare entity on the air. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. A special thanks to DX Engineering for supporting the operators who make ambitious projects like this possible. Whether it's helping DXers chase the rarest entities, contesters push their limits, or Parks on the Air activators explore the outdoors, their commitment to amateur radio continues to strengthen the hobby around the world.