Braco Memic E77DX is fresh off an extraordinary run at EF8R in the CQ Worldwide SSB contest, potentially setting a new single-op all band high-power world record with a claimed score of over 27 million points and 11,200+ QSOs. The feat, which may surpass a record that stood for more than two decades, was made all the more remarkable by the uphill climb to get there—rebuilding the Grand Canary station from a battered state in just over a week with a skeleton crew, and dealing with everything from damaged amplifiers to crank-up towers that didn’t crank. Braco's operating strategy was sharp and methodical: he started with low bands to lock in multipliers early, leaned heavily into the long high-band propagation openings, and monitored the online scoreboard throughout, benchmarking himself against top stations like CQ9A—even though they weren’t in his category. His use of spare gear, over-engineered fail-safes, and even a 1.2 kHz filter on the FTdx101MP offered lessons in both preparation and restraint. “Keep it simple,” he later advised Dan N6MJ, who will operate EF8R for CQ WW CW. The highlight wasn’t just technical—it was human. Fellow hams followed his progress live, with station owner Juan EA8RM bringing champagne after tracking him for nearly 40 hours. For Braco, that support meant more than the numbers. “It’s not only about me,” he says, “but I’m very grateful we have such a community.” Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio.
Now let's see another record at CQ WW CW with change of scenery (new QTX) and new strategy (very different time zone/location)!!! 73 Miro N9LR
