Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio

Team ND7K Superstation: Tim N6WIN

Tim Coker N6WIN grew up in a ham radio family—his father, mother, and brother were all hams. Tim himself became a licensed amateur radio operator at the age of 11. Starting from these modest beginnings, Tim's ham radio operating soon turned toward competitive contesting. This path eventually led him to design and build the ND7K superstation in Arizona, along with his friend and world-class contester Dan Craig N6MJ.
The effort has truly been a team approach from the earliest days, as Tim wisely reached out to hams with specific areas of expertise. Tim's teamwork philosophy extended to his multi-operator efforts, always aiming to win. His high expectations and leadership abilities continue to make a significant impact at ND7K.
As a further example of Tim’s teamwork approach, he’s turned the keys to ND7K over to Dan Craig N6MJ for all the major 2024 contests to support Dan’s quest to qualify for the World Radiosport Team Championship 2026.
Join me in this conversation with Tim Coker N6WIN for a look into the mind of an effective station builder and team leader.

Contest Crew Unplugged: Insights and Laughs from WPX CW

Just 10 minutes after the CQ WPX CW contest ended, the Contest Crew reunited from their diverse operating spots to recap the last 48 hours. This live, in-person discussion brings to life what we usually only see on 3830 scores. Join the Crew as they delve into the intense weekend-long showdown between AK1W and ND7K in the single operator high power category, and the Montana KM7W team's multi-single effort. Expect plenty of insights, lots of laughs, and valuable perspectives you can apply to your next contest weekend!

65 Years of Ham Radio Innovation: Tom Taormina K5RC

In mid-June 2024, Tom Taormina will celebrate 65 years as a licensed amateur radio operator. Over the decades, Tom has built and rebuilt stations at the cutting edge of performance. He was a competitive contester who earned the top spot in the ARRL Sweepstakes. Tom and his buddy K5LZO innovated a lockout "octopus" that enabled them to operate two radios at once until the ARRL banned the process. He was instrumental in creating the North American QSO Party (NAQP), achieved #1 DXCC Honor Roll with 374 countries logged, and was inducted into the CQ Hall of Fame. Along with his friend Grady W5FU, Tom built the Nevada superstation W7RN and hosted a long list of elite, competitive operators. Join me in this conversation with Tom as he recounts his extraordinary ham radio career and achievements.

The Road Toward the World Radiosport Team Championship

The WRTC 2026 is still two years away, but competitors are already working toward qualifying as team leaders, and observers are beginning to consider their travel plans. In this conversation with Mark Haynes, M0DXR, the chairman of the WRTC 2026, he highlights the many reasons to consider making the trip to support radiosport competitors from around the world. Mark and his committee estimate that over 500 people will converge on their WRTC 2026 headquarters and participate in the festivities. Join me for this short conversation as Mark updates us on the ongoing preparations.

The World of RTTY: Ed W0YK and Bill W9KKN with the Contest Crew

The collective RTTY (Radio Teletype) experience between Ed Muns W0YK, Bill Fehring W9KKN, and Randy Thompson K5ZD is formidable. Ed is arguably one of the most knowledgeable RTTY mode hams in the United States, with numerous entries and records in RTTY contests and positions managing the biggest RTTY contests in the world. Bill is a technically savvy operator who is engineering improvements in some of the best contest stations in North America and including RTTY capabilities in the mix. Randy simply loves any sort of radiosport where he can compete at a high level, and RTTY is no exception. In this conversation, this trio discusses RTTY from the basics to complex contesting techniques such as call stacking. If you’re curious about RTTY and would like to learn more, listen to Episode 14 of the Contest Crew. Thanks for watching and subscribing. 73, Kevin W1DED

Uncomplicated Contesting: Nate N4YDU

Nate Moreschi, N4YDU, is an elite contester by any measure. His long list of competitive accomplishments includes entries as a single operator, multi-multi, multi-two, and multi-single. However, the numerous plaques on his wall and his World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) experiences only begin to scratch the surface of this ham radio operator, who often competes as NR3X and, most recently, as AA4NC. Nate's home shack brims with decades-old gear. He is not particularly fussy about the brands he operates, there is no climbable tower on his property (and he doubts there ever will be), and his collection of used and homemade antennas (he’s is a big experimenter) are not "superstation material." Nate is decidedly positive about ham radio, and his solutions for growing the hobby are refreshingly commonsensical: attend meetings, seek advice, get on the air, and absorb the magic of radio contacts. Join Chris Hurlbut, KL9A, and me for our conversation with Nate in Episode 13 of the Contest Crew. 73, Kevin W1DED.

Visiting Visalia: Bob N6TV and Why You Should Go

Bob Wilson, N6TV, was a repeat attendee at the 2024 International DX Convention (IDXC) in Visalia, California. Bob started his amateur radio journey in high school and went to Visalia for the first time just before his freshman year at college. It's clear that Visalia holds a special significance for Bob. That early experience shaped his perspective about the hobby and contributed to his accumulation of expertise. In the decades since, Bob has become a well-known figure in the ham radio community. Now retired, he remains actively engaged in contesting as well as managing a side gig where he builds specialized equipment, like the Y-box, to improve radio connectivity. Additionally, Bob is a field tester for Elecraft, the popular California-based ham radio manufacturer.   Bob Wilson, N6TV, embodies why attending Visalia, or any of the major international ham radio conventions, is a good decision: connectivity, camaraderie, and knowledge. Thank you for joining this episode. 73, Kevin W1DED

10 Habits of Winning Contesters: The Contest Crew

What if you asked some of the best ham radio contesters in the world for their list of the best, and worst, contesting habits? Randy Thompson K5ZD, Dan Craig N6MJ, Chris Hurlbutt KL9A and Scott Wright K0MD (aka The Contest Crew) had a spirited conversation about this very topic on our call this Tuesday night. They didn’t always agree but there was usually a consensus about the best and worst operating practices in the world of radiosport. Bucking all the usual training trends, the Crew didn’t simply rattle off bullet points from a powerpoint presentation, they explained each suggested practice, related it to their own experiences and debated with each other when appropriate. Per usual, there was a lot of levity in the conversation and no one took themselves too seriously. It is a hobby, after all, even though these guys would gladly out score you if you give them any sort of edge. Tune in for the ham radio banter and learn from decades of contesting experience. Thanks for subscribing if you have and please subscribe if you haven’t. 73, Kevin W1DED

State QSO Parties: The Contest Crew Tells You How and Why

State and Regional QSO Parties are a great entry point for new contesters and a nice break from the 48 hour madness of the major contests. They all have different characteristics and often dramatically different rules.  Hours of operation are typically shorter and some have a unique focus on mobile operations. In this 11th episode of the Contest Crew, Randy K5ZD and Chris KL9A talk about their experiences with QSO parties, offer their unique perspective on what to expect, and have some useful tips. We hope you are able to join us, subscribe to the channel, and send us questions or topics for future shows. 

Ham Radio Dream Life in Vietnam: KU1CW aka 3W9A

Alex Tkatch KU1CW has a remarkable ham radio story that begins as a teenager in Belarus, continues with immigration to the United States, and then takes him around the world. He's closing in on operating from 100 DXCC countries, has 5BDXCC from two continents and has been a perennial top finisher in contests as well as an operator in three World Radiosport Team Championships (WRTC). I caught up with Alex in Ham Tien Vietnam where he competed in the CQ WPX SSB contest with a station he practically built from the ground up. The heat was rising, and his internet connection questionable, so this wasn't a long conversation but there was a lot packed into 20 minutes. I hope you'll be able to join us.  Subscribe if you like what you see and look for more in the future. 73, Kevin W1DED