Braco E77DX is a man who doesn’t flinch— not at a chaotic pileup, not in a storm, and certainly not when a contest weekend kicks off with him climbing towers solo on a cloud-shrouded Cape Verde mountaintop. In this episode, he walks us through the behind-the-scenes grind of his (unofficial) second-place finish in the 2025 CQ WPX CW Single Op High Power All Band category—a race where the real drama wasn’t just on the scoreboard, but in the sheer effort it took to get on the air. While Chris KL9A arrived in Madeira to a turnkey station thanks to Valery CQ9A, Braco touched down to cold, damp weather, antenna issues, and a 10-meter stack with sky-high SWR. No support crew. No margin for error. Just Braco—climbing, troubleshooting, and coaxing the station to life. Then came the contest: logging software crashes, rollercoaster conditions, and finally, a monster Sunday push that closed the gap and made Chris sweat down the stretch. But this isn’t a story of excuses—it’s one of endurance. Braco doesn’t sugarcoat second place, but he does believe in showing up, digging deep, and posting scores live—for the good of the sport and the community. Watch the full conversation to hear his take on operating, sportsmanship, and why being the predator—even when the prey gets away—still matters. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio.
