Chris Hurlbut KL9A is just back from Madeira, where he operated as CQ9A and delivered the contest performance of a lifetime at CQ WW CW 2025. Though he finished second to his longtime friend Dan N6MJ, Chris broke the existing world record in the Single Operator All Band High Power category, and logged a staggering 11,000+ QSOs. Still groggy from travel and 48 sleepless hours of operating, Chris sat down with Q5 for a partial debrief from Bozeman, Montana. As with any 48-hour Single Operator top-10 result, the achievement was hard-won. Mid-contest, Chris battled a baffling logging software glitch—but he powered through. What should have been a flawless 2BSIQ run was punctuated by expletives directed at frozen keyboards and on-the-fly troubleshooting. Yet even under stress, Chris executed a strategic and multipliers-rich contest, leaning into a third radio and Valery’s top-shelf antennas to claw out every possible point. This was more than a radio contest. It was a swan song. Chris confirmed it: no more CQ WW CW solos. "I did it, so I don’t have to do it ever again." And what a final run it was—part technical tour de force, part mental endurance trial, part love letter to ham radio contesting. Valery’s station support, Dan’s epic win, and the electric online buzz from 40,000+ fans watching Chris work CW made this not just a contest, but a moment in ham radio history. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to Icom for helping bring the CQ WW CW Showdown series to life. And to DX Engineering for championing the operators who light up the bands—whether activating parks, chasing DX, or contesting at the highest level.

Chris Hurlbut KL9A is ready at CQ9A in Madeira just hours before the start of the CQ Worldwide CW Contest. Known for precision and consistency at the top levels of single-op competition, Chris arrived a bit later than other operators—but has wasted no time. Alongside Valery, he’s been adding antennas, including a second 80m and a 160m receive four-square, reinforcing the timeless contesting rule: antennas put up the day of always work better. He offers a grounded take on this year’s “CW Showdown” between himself, Dan N6MJ, and Braco E77DX. With many eyes on Braco and Dan, Chris has stayed mostly off the radar—not by design, just travel timing. Propagation looks as expected, with high-band strength favoring Dan, and CQ9A’s low-band performance giving Chris a quiet edge. His third-radio setup is less flexible than Dan’s, which may shift his multiplier strategy. Chris also highlights other serious contenders—V47T, KP4AA, CR6K, and KP2B among them—and gives a nod to the multi-op races from stations like EW5A. Still, he’s locked in on his own game: manage rate, move mults when it matters, and keep it fun. And if you’re rooting for Chris, let him know in the comments. He’s feeling just a little left out. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Thanks to DX Engineering and Icom for supporting the full spectrum of amateur radio—from park activators to world-class contesters pushing performance on every band.

Felipe Hernandez NP4Z is a powerhouse of contesting and a central player in this year’s CQ World Wide CW showdown. He joins Kevin W1DED just hours before the contest kicks off from St. Croix, where he’s not only competing himself but orchestrating one of the biggest storylines in radio sport: the “Clash of the Titans” between Dan N6MJ, Braco E77DX, and Chris KL9A. Felipe’s role? Matchmaker, facilitator, and competitive force in his own right. Licensed in 1980 and fluent in CW since age 11, Felipe has shaped his life around ham radio—relationships, career, and worldview all filtered through the key and mic. He talks with infectious pride about helping build up stations from scratch, like Jaime’s now-formidable setup in St. Croix or the revitalization efforts underway in Colombia. He’s deeply hands-on, bridging generations and borders, and energizing a new wave of competitors who might otherwise think they’re too old or too isolated to contend. This episode drops just before Felipe takes the field under KP2B, but more than that, it reveals the connective tissue holding the contesting world together. He's the reason Braco ended up at HK1T. He helped Dan land in the Canaries. And now, with three titans poised to go head-to-head across oceans, Felipe is right in the mix—quietly shaping the battle, then stepping into it himself. Join the conversation and subscribe to Q5 Worldwide Ham Radio. Special thanks to DX Engineering and Icom for sponsoring the CQ WW CW Showdown series and for supporting contesters, DXers, and Parks on the Air activators around the globe.