Randy K5ZD, Chris KL9A, Dan N6MJ, and Bill W9KKN are back stateside after an unforgettable CQ Worldwide SSB contest—split between a stripped-down three-man multi-sIngle op in St. Kitts and a full-force, record-chasing multi-single team effort in Madeira. Randy held the line at V47T, battling tropical chaos and gear failures but still pulling over 11,000 QSOs with no in-band capability. Meanwhile, the rest of the crew hit CQ9A with 12 operators, seven radios, and a shot at a new world record—anchored by meticulous interlock choreography and Valery EW6W’s tight command. The contrast couldn’t be sharper: Randy’s crew fought humidity and fatigue to keep antennas aloft, including a rain-wrecked 40-meter beam rebuilt on Monday after the contest. At CQ9A, Chris, Dan, and Bill operated like a hive mind, synchronizing runs across Europe, the U.S., and South America with DXLog’s partner mode—at one point hitting an 800 QSO-per-hour rate. But the bigger story is what happened off the air. This was perhaps the first truly international multi-single operation at this level—12 operators from across the U.S. and Europe, learning each other’s rhythms, translating on the fly, and building friendships that could outlast a lifetime. It’s the kind of cultural handshake only ham radio can pull off. And as Randy noted, the surge of POTA-polished ops was more than just fresh blood—it was proof that the hobby’s next chapter is already calling CQ. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio.
Great job, well done. It was good to work V47T again on my homebrew vertical during the contest. Paul G1OVK
This is great! I've queued the video for later review. I've been reviewing audio recordings I made of our operation this year, and had noted that our station had tried both CQ9A and V47T at a couple of points during the contest. We never got acknowledged, either due to being unable to sit thru the pileups or because our barefoot omni-directional signal wasn't focusing enough energy to their receivers. But that's OK. It's so cool we heard 'em! In this story's YouTube video thumbnail, the guy on the right is rep'ing K3LR of 2021. Hey! That's a station we *did* work during this year's contest. So, thanks for the story and link to the video. 73s from a multi-single station (three operators also) just chasing the dragon which was the unbelievable band conditions back in 2014!
