Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio

The Embroiderer Behind Ham Radio’s Coolest Gear: Bart SQ1K

Bart Bzymek SQ1K is a Polish ham radio operator who’s stitched together two worlds—DXing and design—into a life as precise as the embroidery he’s known for. He began as a shortwave listener in the 1990s and quickly climbed through Poland’s licensing system, earning his first-class ticket by mastering CW. A dedicated contester, Bart has logged serious time on-air, including stints as a guest op with the Polish HQ team at IARU.
But it’s his embroidery business—launched with a single-needle machine as a side hobby—that’s made him a go-to figure in the global ham community. Since 2014, Bart and his wife have run a custom embroidery shop focused exclusively on amateur radio. With multiple machines and a worldwide client base, they create everything from personalized polos to DXpedition gear—each piece thoughtfully designed and precisely stitched. He’s outfitted some of the most prominent expeditions, including the striking 3Y0K Bouvet logo. In this episode, Kevin W1DED and Bart SQ1K formally announce a new partnership to launch official Q5 merchandise, bringing Bart’s craftsmanship into the heart of the show. Bart’s story is a reminder that amateur radio thrives on passion—and sometimes, a really good hoodie.
Join the conversation, subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio, and order your Q5 apparel today.
Thanks to DX Engineering for backing hams around the globe—from park activators to DX chasers—with gear that delivers when it counts.

Inside the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation: Tim Duffy K3LR

Tim Duffy K3LR is a powerhouse in the contesting world—CEO of DX Engineering, founder of Contest University, host of the formidable K3LR station—but here, he joins us as the chairman of the World Wide Radio Operators Foundation (WWROF), the engine behind some of competitive ham radio’s best infrastructure and largest radiosport contests. If you’ve received a plaque from CQ WW, trusted your submitted log to be reviewed properly, or been impressed with fast results turnaround, WWROF, with many dedicated volunteers, made it happen. This is the story of how a handful of contesting experts turned fragmented efforts into a global support system for events like CQ WW, CQ WPX, and many others.
Founded in 2009, WWROF began by filling in the gaps: managing contest logistics, streamlining communications, and ensuring continuity for legacy contests. Under Tim’s leadership—and backed by an impressive board of directors—it evolved into something more nimble and visionary. Whether it's mailing awards with record speed, funding youth programs like YOTA camps around the world, or stepping up after disasters like the hurricane in Puerto Rico, WWROF delivers—quietly, effectively, and with zero paid staff. One standout project: their backing of KC2G’s propagation tools, now essential to operators across the spectrum.
Beyond contesting, Tim sees WWROF’s role expanding: finding common ground with Parks on the Air activities, integrating digital modes like FT8, and staying agile in a rapidly changing hobby. He’s not afraid to acknowledge contest community debates—assisted vs. unassisted, real-time scoring—and welcomes them as signs of a dynamic, evolving culture. At its core, WWROF isn’t just a foundation. It’s a model of how small but experienced teams can help shape the future of amateur radio.
Check out the WWROF website at WWROF.org.
Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio.
Thanks to DX Engineering for their steadfast support—not just of Q5, but of youth operators, contesters, and everyday DXers across the globe. Their investment in the ham community makes conversations like this possible.

Tom Georgens 8P5A: Inside the Mind of a Ham Radio CEO

Tom Georgens W2SC, also known as 8P5A, has a wall of plaques that reflect not just his victories—but the decades of discipline, grit, and quiet precision behind them. While running a Fortune 500 company, he built a formidable contest station in Barbados, troubleshooting in the tropical heat and chasing perfection from one contest season to the next.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Tom shares how he went from a borrowed rental shack to designing and operating a world-class station of his own. He speaks openly about the emotional lows—twice collapsing before the end of a major contest—and the persistence that brought him back to win CQ WW SSB outright. This isn’t just a story about radios and rate sheets. It’s about risk, resilience, and the discipline to rebuild when most would walk away.
Tom also takes us inside the 8P5A station—engineered for “no knobs” operation and built for efficiency at scale. From writing custom software to wrangling antennas in the rain, he explains how contesting sharpened his leadership, kept him grounded under pressure, and still pushes him to evolve. His reflections on preparation, intuition, and the future of ham radio are as thoughtful as they are hard-won.
Whether you’re chasing plaques, personal bests, or simply trying to understand what drives the best—this one’s worth your time. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio.
Thanks to DX Engineering for supporting the operators who never stop pushing—whether they’re building from scratch, rebuilding after storms, or reimagining what a contest station can be.

The Best and Worst Radios for Field Day? W3LPL and K3RA

After our deep dive into W3AO’s record-breaking Field Day operations, we came back with one simple question for Frank W3LPL and Rol K3RA: What radios actually get the job done—and which ones are banned—at Field Day? Their answers might surprise you.

KM7W Style: A Different Kind of Field Day

Field Day means different things to different hams. For some, it’s a competition—a chance to test gear, strategy, and skill. When we spoke with the W3AO team about their 28-year run of record-breaking efforts, we celebrated that spirit. But Field Day can also look like this: lawn chairs in a field, lawn mowing, antenna builds, and a loose pact that everyone makes at least one QSO—if they feel like it.
At KM7W in rural Montana, Chris Hurlbut KL9A and Dan Craig N6MJ—two of the most respected contesters in amateur radio—set aside the race for rate and mults. Instead, they invited family, friends, and fellow ops to simply enjoy the experience. Some flew in, others drove across the country. Together they raised antennas, told stories around the firepit, dodged rattlesnakes, and made over 3,000 contacts—without ever writing a shift schedule.
Levi’s improvised satellite station—with a last-minute-built handheld yagi—became the hit of the weekend. At 2:30 a.m., they tracked the International Space Station under the stars, calling out headings while trying not to wake the others. That’s Field Day, too.
Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio for more stories like this, where signal reports matter—but so do the people behind the mic and the ones behind the op.
Thanks to DX Engineering, whose support helps fuel every version of Field Day—from the multi-multi juggernauts to backyard ops with just enough coax and a cooler of cold drinks.

PJ6Y Saba: W6IZT’s Youth-Led DXpedition Plan

Gregg Marco W6IZT has participated in some of ham radio’s most well-known DXpeditions—and a few dozen vacation-style ones too. From his ridge-top shack in rural Georgia, he’s spent the last two decades blending deep technical chops with a passion for the hobby. But his latest venture—PJ6Y from Saba Island—isn’t just another stamp in the logbook. It’s the next step in a generational handoff that began with 3D2Y Rotuma.
In this episode, W6IZT joins Q5 to talk about how, at 70 years old, his approach to DXpeditioning is all about putting young operators in charge. His new model leans into mentorship and real-time problem solving. The PJ6Y team includes first-time DXpeditioners from nine countries. Thanks to partnerships with Youth on the Air and a growing off-island remote crew operating through Next Gen RIBs, they’re learning what it really takes to build, troubleshoot, and run an expedition.
Gregg recounts the spark that started it all (his wife, Wendy), the stethoscope used to diagnose a seawater-soaked tuner, and themakeshift shelter roof ripped off mid-contest. These aren’t just stories—they’re signals of a deeper shift. With young hams now leading workshops, designing station schedules, and preparing for future trips with no “old man” supervision, W6IZT is quietly rewriting what it means to be seasoned.
Join the conversation—and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio to follow the voices shaping the future of DXing.
Special thanks to DX Engineering for supporting the innovators, mentors, and adventurers pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in amateur radio—wherever in the world they may be.

Contest Crew Confessional: What Really Happened in IARU

The Contest Crew is back—Randy K5ZD, Dan N6MJ, Chris KL9A, and Bill W9KKN—fresh off the IARU HF World Championship. From broken antennas and overheated shacks to surprise guest ops and last-minute tech rescues, this episode captures the contest highs, lows, and hard-won wisdom only this crew can deliver.
Dan N6MJ’s operation from the legendary N2QV station in New York almost didn’t happen. After casually mentioning on a previous Q5 episode that he was “without a station,” Dan got an unexpected email from Tariq N2QV—inviting him to operate from one of the country’s top single-op sites. That led to a last-minute cross-country flight, a borrowed “foot switch” taped to the floor, and a serious attempt at the USA record. The band conditions didn’t hold up, but the effort, camaraderie, and unexpected help—from past Q5 guest Sebastian KI2D to Bill’s remote troubleshooting—tell a bigger story.
Meanwhile, Chris KL9A battled 96-degree heat and bug-filled Montana nights with his trademark grin, chasing WRTC test stations and savoring every contact. Randy K5ZD, mid-rebuild in Ohio, strung up dipoles and made the most of a casual effort. And Bill W9KKN—unofficially the Contest Crew’s 24/7 tech support—spent the weekend solving problems for everyone from N2NT and NP4Z to Dan at N2QV. Whether comic or crushing, each story points to what this Crew knows best: the contest never really ends—and neither does the bond among operators.
This episode is a candid debrief with four of the world’s top contesters. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio.
Thanks to DX Engineering for backing contesters, DXers, POTA activators, and everyone pushing ham radio forward—rain or shine, band open or closed.
Clarification: In the discussion about the N2QV antennas, there was a question regarding who designed and built the 4-high stack of 2X Array Tribanders. To clarify, those antennas were exclusively designed, optimized, and built by Scott, WU2X. Full credit for that impressive work goes to him.

Inside the ISTRA Contest Conference in Porec, Croatia

The ISTRA Contest Conference is taking place October 9–12th in Poreč, Croatia, and Braco E77DX, Mirko 9A6KX, and Dave 9A1UN are here to tell us all about it. Born from late-night conversations and a desire for deeper community, the ISTRA Contest Conference is quickly becoming Europe’s most vital gathering of contest operators. What started as a bold idea between friends has evolved—despite COVID delays—into a globally attended, three-day immersion in radiosport. With over 250 participants and growing interest from outside the Balkans, the event now draws contesters from across Europe, the Middle East, and even the U.S. But this isn’t Friedrichshafen or Dayton. There are no booths. No gear to buy. Instead, ISTRA offers live, interactive presentations: young operators debriefing DXpeditions, station builders explaining the guts of their setups, doctors addressing health in contesting, and yes—even discussions on the etiquette (and humor) of stealing frequencies from people you now consider friends. The tone is intimate and deeply human, with late-night “last-man-standing” competitions that blend camaraderie with contest-hardened stamina. Held on the stunning Istrian coast, ISTRA isn’t just for contesters—it’s also a rare invitation for spouses and families to enjoy world-class food, swim in the Adriatic, and savor the wines and quiet beauty of inland Croatia. This episode builds on earlier Q5 conversations with top operators and expedition teams, but shifts the focus to what happens off the air—when contesters come together to share war stories, swap tactics, and reimagine the future of the sport. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio for more stories like this. Special thanks to DX Engineering for supporting contesters, DXers, Parks on the Air activators, and every ham who knows the thrill of calling CQ from somewhere new.

Estonia’s Quiet Contesting Force: Kris ES7A

Our Contest Crew Europe introductions continue with Kris Kass ES7GM, also known by ES7A. Kris is a third-generation Estonian ham radio operator whose story arcs from Soviet-era restrictions to modern contesting excellence. Raised in a family where CW was practically a second language—his grandfather operated behind the Iron Curtain as UR2GT (during Soviet times, all of Estonia used the UR2 prefix)—Kris made his first CW contact at age seven using a straight key and what he remembers as a “messy” transmission. Now in his thirties, he’s one of Estonia’s most respected contesters, equally at home running pileups from his self-built rural station or contributing big scores from the megastation ES5TV.
What sets Kris apart isn’t just his lineage or results, but his philosophy. At a time when many are chasing ever-bigger setups, he made a deliberate shift—constructing ES7A with simplicity and sustainability in mind. Using salvaged Soviet towers and homemade antennas, he built a flexible station atop his region’s highest local terrain—not to rival ES5TV, but to offer something community-driven and distinctly his. “It’s not about competition,” he says. “It’s about having something locals can use.”
A moment that lingers: Kris casually mentions his ability to transmit and receive at the same time—a rare skill that helped him rack up 357 QSOs in the first hour of a recent IARU contest using SSB 2BSIQ. As former president (2018–2024) of the Estonian Amateur Radio Union, he championed online exams and helped build a pipeline for young operators. The results are already visible.
This episode builds on a growing thread at Q5—highlighting a new generation of builders and operators like Kris Kass and Kristers Misa YL3JA, his WRTC 2026 teammate. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio to follow more stories like this.
A big thanks to DX Engineering, whose support helps fuel the creativity of DXers, contesters, Parks on the Air activators, and ops everywhere—especially those who build stations from rusted towers and quiet determination.

Relentless Competitor: Dave 9A1UN Rebuilds 9A1P to Greatness

Dave Kucelin 9A1UN, also known by his contest call 9A1P, is one of the most accomplished HF contesters in Croatia and the tenacious force behind a station that’s endured devastating storms, unresolvable land disputes, and a rotating cast of club members—all while racking up thousands of QSOs. In this episode, Dave opens up about building (and rebuilding) the 9A1P contest station, a decades-long project that started with five-element yagis on a 30-foot tower and evolved into a rugged, sea-facing setup now spanning four towers on a ridge above the Adriatic Sea. A third-generation ham, Dave first got on the air using his father’s call at age six. He cut his teeth on VHF contests, but it was CQWW that pulled him toward HF. After a freak storm in 2018 leveled the original station, Dave and his small team were forced to start over—only to be evicted from the land they’d occupied for 30 years. (Yes, there’s more to the story.) What followed was a two-year hunt for a new site, culminating in a station perched above a river valley with sea paths to North America and Japan, optimized with fixed antennas built to withstand the region’s brutal winds. The story is full of grit and unexpected laughs—like the time Dave hung a tribander between two towers with rope just to beam east for ARRL SSB, or his candid take on remote operation and the fear it might kill the camaraderie he treasures most. His daughter, now licensed and active in the YOTA scene, marks the family’s fourth generation on the air. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio—where we're working hard to illuminate the wonderful world of ham radio. Special thanks to DX Engineering for supporting the global ham radio community—from trailblazing POTA activators to teams pushing the limits in the world’s toughest DX and contesting environments. Your gear powers the pursuit.