Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio

Ben Lloyd GW4BML is a lifelong climber who discovered Summits on the Air (SOTA) and now combines both passions as he explores destinations across Wales and Scotland. In this conversation on Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio, Ben traces his path from a childhood introduction to amateur radio at age twelve—thanks to a visit to Glyn GW0JAI’s shack—to eventually earning his full license decades later. For years, radio remained a background interest while climbing dominated his life. But when Summits on the Air entered the picture, everything clicked. Suddenly the peaks he loved became incredible operating spots, and the hobby transformed into something physical, portable, and deeply social. That convergence led to a remarkable five-year stretch of family adventures built around summits, CW, and lightweight radio gear carried up steep trails. Ben shares the craft behind mountain operating—balancing antennas, batteries, and weather with the realities of high ground—and the unique satisfaction of making contacts from places where the station truly lives in your backpack. Those experiences eventually became a book, Summit of Dreams, where Ben chronicles years of SOTA activations, climbing routes, and the people met along the way. The book captures both the technical side of operating portable radio in challenging environments and the human side of the hobby—how a simple radio on a mountaintop can connect strangers across continents and turn solitary climbs into shared adventures. It’s a story about rediscovering radio through the landscape—and about how amateur radio can turn a solitary climb into a global conversation. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. From the shack to the summit, Icom keeps hams connected. We’re proud to have their support for Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio.

Jason Goldsberry CE3/N5NU is quietly redefining what contesting can look like when you have no choice but to leave the house. In this episode, I’m joined by the contest crew—Randy Thompson K5ZD, Bill Fehring W9KNN, Chris Hurlbut KL9A—and their guest Jason Goldsberry CE3/N5NU, joining us from Chile. Living in a sixth-floor apartment in Las Condes, just outside Santiago, Jason quickly discovered the reality of urban RF noise—an S9 wall that made home operating nearly impossible. So he did what contesters tend to do when faced with a problem: he engineered around it. The solution? Hiking into nearby parks with a full portable station—antennas, batteries, laptop, and radio—sometimes hauling 60 pounds of gear in two trips just to get on the air. During CQ Worldwide CW, Jason packed a Yaesu FT-891, lithium batteries, and a carefully designed vertical antenna system—including a two-element vertical beam for 10 and 15 meters and a parasitic vertical array for 20. Running 100 watts on battery power, shaded only by a giant umbrella to fight the Chilean sun, he logged more than 800 QSOs in roughly 15 hours of operating. For Jason, it’s less about competing for plaques and more about giving out the mult and having fun—experiencing the magic of propagation, like hearing Mongolia at 20-over-9 or working rare openings into Asia and Europe from a hillside. Along the way, he’s discovered an unusual intersection between worlds. Portable operators and contesters don’t always overlap—but Jason lives squarely in that narrow sliver where both passions meet. Whether it’s navigating pileups with clever listening techniques, managing battery life by watching his radio screen dim, or hiking into remote spots for a better takeoff toward North America, his approach proves that big fun doesn’t always require a big station. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Special thanks to DX Engineering for supporting operators who push the limits—from contest superstations to field setups like Jason’s. Their gear and expertise help Parks on the Air activators, DXers, and contesters around the world build stations that perform wherever the signal needs to go.

Rune Øye LA7THA is helping lead the planned VP0SG South Georgia DXpedition, a major effort to activate one of the rarest DX entities in amateur radio. Rune LA7THA and Erwann Merrien LB1QI bring deep DXpedition experience to the project. Over the years they’ve been involved in activations including São Tomé S9LA, Zimbabwe Z2LA, Zambia 9J2LA, and Namibia V55LA, along with cold-weather operations from Svalbard JW0W and the massive Bouvet 3Y0J expedition. Those experiences—especially the logistical and technical lessons learned during Bouvet—now inform their approach to South Georgia. The team has already secured its expedition vessel, MV Meridian, operated by 60° South Expeditions, and assembled a 14-operator international team. Their plan is to run five stations from a tented camp on the island, with six operators on shore at a time, rotating between the island and the ship for rest. The station design also includes several remote receive stations located hundreds of meters from the main camp and connected via gigahertz microwave links. Funding and final permissions are the key milestones ahead. The expedition budget is approaching $400,000, and while the team has received encouraging feedback from the Government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands, the official landing authorization is expected later this year. Once that approval is secured, the team expects broader support from DX clubs, foundations, and individual donors worldwide. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. This episode of Q5 Ham Radio is powered by Icom Incorporated, whose radios continue to support operators everywhere—from everyday stations to ambitious DXpeditions pushing signals across the globe.

Seth Jones NU1D is a 15-year-old ham radio operator from Maine who’s been steadily building his skills on the air. In the year since his first appearance on Q5, Seth has kept busy. Operating with a modest home station—an older Yaesu FT-897, a G5RV dipole about 40 feet up, and 100 watts—he’s jumped into major contests like CQ Worldwide, ARRL DX CW, NAQP, and the IARU Championship. Along the way he’s taught himself CW, logged hundreds of contacts even after missing part of a contest weekend, and gained experience the way most contesters do: by getting on the air as often as possible and learning something each time. Now he’s preparing for a new kind of experience. Seth was selected as one of two youth operators invited to join the team at the J62K multi-operator contest station in St. Lucia for CQ WPX SSB. It will be his first time traveling outside the United States—and his first chance to operate from a major multi-op station alongside experienced operators like Bill Schmidt J68HZ, Kyle Chavis WA4PGM, and others. For someone who’s been manually keying CW from a desk at home, it’s a big step into the world of large contest stations. What stands out most is Seth’s approach to the hobby. He talks about finding mentors, visiting other stations, and staying involved in the Maine ham radio community whenever he can—whether that’s Field Day, club meetings, or remote contesting with WW4LL. For Seth, the goal right now is simple: keep learning, keep operating, and see where the hobby leads. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Special thanks to DX Engineering for supporting Q5 and for helping operators everywhere—from Parks on the Air activators to dedicated DXers and contesters—build stations that bring the world a little closer.

For many contesters, the dream is simple: operate from a serious DX station in a prime location and run the pileups yourself. In this episode, José KP3J joins Q5 to talk about the remarkable Caribbean contest station he built and the story behind it. For years it has served as the home of the La Sierra Contest Group, producing big scores and unforgettable operating experiences. Now José is beginning to think about the station’s next chapter—and what it might look like for a new group of operators to take the reins. We talk about the station, the philosophy behind building and maintaining a competitive DX operation, and the idea of stewardship as these stations pass from one generation of operators to the next. Q5 is sponsored by DX Engineering.

Dzianis “Luk” Lukashevich DD1LD is an Alpine mountaineer turned ham radio innovator, leading Germany’s SOTA Alpine Association and reshaping what outdoor portable operation can look like. Introduced to amateur radio as a teenager, he returned in earnest in the mid-2000s, quickly combining two passions: climbing and operating from summits. Since then, he’s been a relentless activator across programs—SOTA (Summits on the Air), POTA (Parks on the Air), WWFF (Worldwide Flora and Fauna), IOTA (Islands on the Air), even LOTA (Lighthouses on the Air). His operating philosophy now runs on a new frequency: “Go Green” portable ops, where every activation begins and ends without a car—by bike, foot, or public transport. The idea of XOTA—“any on the air”—captures Luk’s inclusive style. Why limit yourself to one program when the entire outdoors is your shack? This spirit led him to a record-breaking 10-region SOTA activation across the German Alps in a single day and to summiting Sweden’s highest peak solo during a multi-day trail run—all while operating QRP with rigs the size of a credit card. His gear has evolved, but his ethos remains: lightweight, ecological, and always up for a challenge. Luk’s not just a climber with a key. He’s a contest-caliber operator attempting SO2R in the woods, mentoring his young sons in CW before they can read, and imagining a future where ham radio overlays like “Go Green” become standard. Whether it’s a picnic table POTA run or an ascent to a summit, he’s always looking for the next edge—and the next QSO. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to Icom for sponsoring Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio—because legendary QSOs deserve legendary radios.

The World Wide Award for YLs is new—and it launches March 9. Designed to increase visibility, participation, and on-air activity among women in amateur radio, the program creates a clear, structured path for operators around the world to make contacts with YLs and earn recognition. Marion W1GRL and Carlo IK1HJS explain how the award works, who can participate, qualification details, and why this initiative matters right now. If you want to be part of the inaugural run, now is the time to register, review the rules, and get ready. Early participation will shape the momentum of this program from day one. Q5 is proudly supported by Icom—building radios that inspire operators to push the boundaries of what’s possible.

Mark Torigian K8MST is a retired attorney, former general counsel for Hyundai Motor Company, and now a driving force behind establishing strong governance principles with the newly formed Parks on the Air board. Licensed in 2021 after decades of putting off the hobby, Mark dove headfirst into ham radio—and POTA—during the pandemic, first as a hunter, then as an activator with hundreds of parks under his belt. In just a few years, he went from newcomer to board member of one of the fastest-growing programs in amateur radio. With nearly 50 million QSOs logged, 84,000 registered operators, and 85,000 parks across 236 DX entities, POTA isn’t just thriving—it’s reshaping the hobby. Mark brings something different to the table: four decades of legal and corporate governance experience. At Hyundai, his mission was program integrity—building rules, systems, and internal controls that could withstand explosive growth. Now he’s applying that same mindset to POTA. Not to burden activators and hunters with red tape, but to strengthen the foundation behind the scenes: bylaws, board structure, financial oversight, data privacy protections, and clearer rules that eliminate ambiguity. “If ten hams interpret a rule and you get twenty-five answers,” he says, “we need to fix that.” Behind the curtain, a 21-person volunteer development team led by James Linden, VE3JLN, is rewriting the IT backbone—modernizing a decade-old cloud-based system that now processes more than a million QSOs a month. Add to that the financial reality: roughly $5,000–$6,000 per month just to keep the servers running. No corporate sponsor bankrolls this operation. It’s volunteers, modest book royalties, and community donations keeping the engine alive. And yet, the spirit remains intact. Mark tells the story of operating Winter Field Day at minus 15 degrees—three antennas up in an hour—proving that POTA is more than a game. It’s training. It’s readiness. It’s community. His pledge? Make it better without breaking what already works. Stronger governance. Greater transparency. Seamless improvement. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. A special thank you to DX Engineering for standing behind operators everywhere—from Parks on the Air activators to dedicated DXers and contesters—with equipment and expertise that keep stations on the air. Your support helps ensure this global community continues to grow and thrive.

Bernd VK2IA and Jacky ZL3CW are world-class contesters from Australia and New Zealand—operators forged in weak-signal territory who’ve spent decades proving that geography is no excuse. Jacky’s story begins in the French Air Force in 1970, where radio was a job before it was a passion. Stationed in Africa in 1979, he watched amateur operators run pileups through the night and realized what he’d been missing: freedom. Since then, contesting and DXpeditions have been his fuel. From Djibouti to Japan to New Zealand, he chased CW pileups not just for the adrenaline, but to give operators the rare contacts they crave. Bernd’s introduction came through family. As a teenager in Germany, he wrote QSL cards for his blind cousin and memorized call signs from around the world. CQ Worldwide CW hooked him early. By 17, he was operating in a multi-single team decades older than he was. That curiosity became a global operating résumé—and eventually a long-running partnership with Jacky that now leads to WRTC 2026 in England. Operating from VK and ZL is not for the faint of heart. Europe and North America sit 10,000 kilometers away. Daylight brings noise and painfully low rates. When the bands open, they’re competing against locals with S9 signals while they strain to pull S2 whispers from the mud. New Zealand may have five to ten serious CW contesters. Australia, a bit more. It’s not pileup country—it’s persistence country. They’ve felt both fortune and misfortune—like the WRTC in Bologna when a slipping Yagi cost them nearly two hours at peak propagation and sent them tumbling down the live scoreboard. They clawed back. Because that’s what seasoned operators do. In England, they’re looking forward to big signals—but even more to the camaraderie. The shared grind of 24 hours among the world’s best. Running trusted K3s and leaning on fifteen years of partnership, they know competition matters. But friendship matters more. From the edge of the map to the center of the contesting world, Bernd and Jacky remind us that greatness isn’t about signal strength. It’s about resilience. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Special thanks to Icom, the choice of operators who know that peak performance is never optional

Mark Pride K1RX returns for Episode 4 of the How to Contest series with a timely warning: misplaced expectations can ruin a perfectly good contest weekend. In this episode, Mark and host Kevin Thomas W1DED explore the psychological side of contesting—how to set goals that motivate rather than frustrate, how to factor in location and operating time, and how clubs and communities can ground your ambitions in reality. Mark shares what many new contesters eventually learn the hard way: location matters, participation matters, and physics is not negotiable. Whether you’re working a 48-hour marathon or grabbing a few bursts of time around walking the dog, success comes from matching goals to real-world conditions. That might mean working only the high-band European openings or chasing a top-ten finish in QRP. The right category choice can transform an uphill battle into a personal win. He also reminds us that contest clubs are a force multiplier. As a longtime leader in the Yankee Clipper Contest Club, Mark explains how even small scores can add up to big results—and how surrounding yourself with operators of all levels accelerates learning. For those struggling with noise, location, or time constraints, he offers a simple solution: go where the fun is. Visit another station. Operate with a team. Or jump into high-participation events like WWA or CQWW, where every QSO becomes part of a global conversation. This is Episode 4 of 7 in the How to Contest series. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to DX Engineering for supporting Q5 Ham Radio and empowering operators wherever they operate from—from mountaintop DXers to apartment-bound dreamers.

Mark Pride K1RX returns for Episode 3 of the How to Contest series with one loud, clear message: antennas matter. In this installment, he and Kevin Thomas W1DED move from station snapshots to serious diagnostics—evaluating performance, identifying bottlenecks, and building a strategy for measurable improvement. If Episode 2 was about what’s on your desk, this one’s about how that gear performs when the contest clock starts. Mark makes the case for thinking like an engineer and acting like an experimenter. Whether you’re running wires in trees or assembling a top-tier station, your success hinges on one principle: build, compare, iterate. That might mean setting up an A/B antenna switch to catch degradation in real time, or doing the unglamorous work of shutting off breakers to track down S9+ noise from a neighbor’s touch lamp. It’s not about luck or luxury—it’s about learning what works, one contest at a time. This episode also returns to a recurring theme: start where you are. Many contesters have tried to “buy” performance, only to discover that without years of problem-solving and fine-tuning, even a tower full of aluminum won’t carry you. Real improvement comes from wearing out your antenna switch, making smart trade-offs, and being brutally honest about what you hear. Because as Mark puts it, “If you can’t hear them, you can’t work them.” This is Episode 3 of 7 in the How to Contest series. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to DX Engineering for supporting Q5 Ham Radio and helping hams of all experience levels make smart, measurable progress with their stations.

Mark Pride K1RX returns for Episode 2 of our How to Contest series with a deceptively simple question: What’s on your desk? In this episode, we get tactical. Mark and Kevin Thomas W1DED take a close look at your current gear—radios, antennas, tuners, meters, logging software—and explain why a contest weekend is the most honest stress test you can run on both your station and your skill. This is where the rubber meets the bands. You might feel loud on a quiet Wednesday, but when the contest clock starts Friday night, your signal hits a wall. That’s the moment when casual operating gives way to contest reality—and why every serious contester should keep a running to-do list after each event. Prioritize improvements not by prestige, but by ROI: what’s going to bring more contacts, more reliability, and, above all, more fun? Along the way, Mark weighs in on solar conditions, contest calendars, and the subtle psychology of expectation. He reminds us that everyone from new ops to world champs like KL9A and N6MJ are learning every weekend. The secret is participation: don’t wait for the perfect band opening or a massive contest score. Get on the air, build your list, and chase joy—not just points. This is Episode 2 of 7 in the How to Contest series. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to DX Engineering for supporting Q5 Ham Radio and standing behind contesters at every stage of the journey—from their first QSO to the final log submission.

The PJ6Y DXpedition to Saba Island in October 2025 was a masterclass in youth-driven excellence. Spearheaded by veteran mentor Gregg Marco W6IZT, this ambitious project wasn't just about racking up QSOs — it was about building the future of ham radio. With a team of young operators from five countries, many on their first-ever DXpedition, PJ6Y delivered a stunning 13.3 million points in the CQ WW SSB contest, operating Multi-Two with minimal gear and maximum spirit. Despite rugged volcanic terrain and weather that flirted with disaster, the team pulled off over 55,000 QSOs across modes, including 8,700 during the contest alone. Their modest station — built entirely on arrival — consisted of a hex beam, a rebuilt A3 tribander, and a couple of wire antennas tuned to squeeze out every last contact. What made the real difference, Gregg noted, wasn’t the infrastructure but the drive and preparation of the operators. Three had never contested before. All left with pileup poise. There’s a technical story here — Elecraft K3s, KPA500s, N1MM for logging, and remote FT8 operations via NexGen2 RIBs located miles from the main site — but the human moments carried the day. Vincent PC2Y’s selfless scheduling, Matúš OM8ATE’s remote training lineage, Ewan N7EWN’s DXCC dreams, and Emilia YO8YL’s SSB passion added soul to the signal. This operation grew from 3D2Y’s remote roots and now continues as a multi-year project training the next generation of expedition leaders. The team left tired, inspired, and already dreaming of what comes next. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to ICOM for supporting Q5 Ham Radio and building radios that inspire operators to push the boundaries of what's possible.

Mark Pride K1RX believes in a contesting philosophy that starts with curiosity and ends with mastery. In this inaugural episode of our 7-part How To Contest series, Mark joins host Kevin Thomas W1DED to lay the groundwork—not just with antennas and amplifiers, but with a mindset. Contesting, he argues, isn’t just about high scores; it’s about the “Four Cs”: Connectivity, Control, Curiosity, and Creativity. That framework, gifted to him by a new ham, now shapes how he sees contesting within ham radio. Over 62 years on the air, Mark has mentored both youth and retirees, many of whom encouraged him to share his deep contesting knowledge publicly. What emerges is a contesting ethos driven by continuous improvement. Whether it's choosing the right phonetics to break through pileups, rethinking your chair setup for a 48-hour marathon, or changing CW timing on the fly, Mark reminds us: "If you can’t hear them, you can’t work them." This episode establishes a key premise for the series: most hams already have what they need to start contesting. The decisions come down to strategy, logging software like N1MM, and developing the mental habit of post-contest review. That’s where situational awareness takes root. Mark brings it all back to something fundamental: contesters are the R&D wing of amateur radio. Whether or not you ever submit a log, this is where you go to learn. Welcome to the How To Contest Series, Episode 1 of 7. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to DX Engineering for supporting Q5 Ham Radio and powering the operators who push the limits—in Parks on the Air, contesting, and around the world.

Bill Fehring W9KKN, Chris Hurlbut KL9A, and Dan Craig N6MJ—the Contest Crew—are back to reflect on a record-breaking 2025 and chart their course for 2026. From CQ9A to EF8R, the Crew covered serious ground this past year. But first, RTTY Roundup gets a quick (albeit late) post-mortem: Bill jumped in last-minute at NJ4P, Dan marveled at their in-band efficiency, and Chris…watched football. Then they shift to the North American QSO Party, a fast, low-power HF contest where operators race for multipliers and contacts across North America in a tight 12-hour window. The real depth comes in the retrospective. Chris called 2025 his best ham radio year ever, breaking records and speaking at Dayton. Dan turned a last-minute EF8R plan into a masterclass in single-op record breaking excellence. And Bill, mid-move, still managed CTU talks and major multis. Each looks ahead to WRTC 2026 with clear focus. The conversation closes with big hopes: pulling more POTA ops into the contest fold, embracing new tech where it helps, and getting contest results faster. They stress integrity—and double down on the value of peer pressure in keeping the sport clean. Contesting’s future, they argue, will be built on both trust and tech. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Huge thanks to DX Engineering for supporting the global contesting community—from world-record multis to POTA ops chasing pileups in the parks. Their passion powers ours. Let me know if you'd like a thumbnail caption or social blurb to match.

Josiah "Si" Russell WD5JR is part of the next wave of operators breathing new life into ham radio. At just 18, Si already has a POTA record that would make many seasoned hams envious—over 400 activations and more than 5,300 parks hunted. But it’s not just about numbers. From activating rare parks in Turks and Caicos to representing Oklahoma as a Parks on the Air mapping coordinator, Si blends enthusiasm, technical skill, and a drive for community building that’s rare at any age. Though he grew up surrounded by ham radio—his great-granddad, grandparents, parents, and even his eight-year-old cousin are all licensed—Si didn’t dive in right away. It took a Florida road trip and a chance activation to spark his passion. That spark quickly became a fire, fueled by outdoor adventure, the challenge of DXing from remote parks, and a growing love for contesting and CW. Ham radio became more than a hobby—it became a family refuge during his mom’s cancer treatment and a catalyst for personal growth. There’s also a quiet confidence to how Si operates. Whether it’s packing an Icom 7300 in foam for international travel, giving presentations at hamfests, or learning SO2R techniques for CW sprints, he’s always building. Not just a skillset, but a path forward—showing that youth isn’t a liability in ham radio; it’s a lifeline. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to Icom for their continued support of Q5. With radios that empower young ops like Si to chase pileups from remote beaches and contest from small-town shacks, Icom continues to push the boundaries for operators worldwide.

The Contest Crew—Randy K5ZD, Dan N6MJ, Chris KL9A, and Bill W9KKN—recap the ARRL 10-Meter Contest in this debrief. It was a weekend of mixed propagation, scoreboard drama, and some hard truths about pileup etiquette. They break down why signals vanished in minutes, how backscatter shaped the game, and why audio still matters. It's also a field guide to what not to do in a pileup. Looking ahead: January contests, tower builds, and a quiet shift toward what’s next. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to DX Engineering for supporting contesters, DXers, and every operator chasing stronger signal in any season.

Kees Van Oosbree W0AAE is a 21-year-old amateur radio operator whose story reads like a prequel to the next generation of ham radio leadership. A Minnesota native and aerospace engineering student at Iowa State, Kees isn’t just participating in the hobby—he’s reshaping it. From satellites and CW pileups to youth-led DXpeditions and remote contesting, he’s threading together high-rate operation with forward-looking innovation. In 2024, he was awarded the ARRL’s prestigious Hiram Percy Maxim Memorial Award—fitting recognition for a young operator already a decade ahead of the curve. It all started with a childhood visit to the Pavek Museum of Broadcasting, where a QSO map pinned with Antarctica sparked a lifelong curiosity. Unlike most of his peers, Kees wasn’t drawn in by the internet; the ionosphere did the convincing. His contest resume already includes CQ WW efforts from NØNI and a remote multi-op at ZF5T. Yet his impact extends well beyond the mic: he organized youth remote operations for DXpeditions to Rotuma and Saba, and helped build a remote station on Frying Pan Tower in the Atlantic. Technically sharp but deeply community-minded, Kees thrives in leadership roles—even as he confesses a singular love for CW rate and an obsession with perfecting 2BSIQ. He’s bullish on the future of the hobby, pointing to AI-enhanced contesting, real-time ionospheric prediction, and a rising class of remote-native hams. In 2026, he’ll represent youth at WRTC in the UK, shoulder to shoulder with the contest titans he’s long admired—N6MJ, KL9A, AA3B, and others. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Many thanks to DX Engineering for supporting Q5 and for their unwavering commitment to contesters, DXers, and operators pushing the limits—from backyard shacks to towers in the middle of the Atlantic.