Europe’s Contest Crew: Ready for CQ Worldwide SSB

A few days ago, we heard from Contest Crew North America. Now it’s Europe’s turn. Braco E77DX, Dave 9A1UN, Mike SJ2W, Kris ES7A, and Sven DJ4MX—collectively Contest Crew Europe, and five of the continent’s most respected operators—join Q5 with their war stories and final prep before CQ Worldwide SSB. Dave recaps the standout Istra Conference, a magnet for serious ops and next-gen tech, with attendees flying in from across Europe and the U.S. Braco walks through the high-stakes logistics of EF8R in the Canaries: six 32-kilo bags, customs delays, and a tribander stuck somewhere between Madrid and mystery. Kris reports from Estonia, where a 20-person crew is rebuilding ES5TV’s site—moose damage, marshland, and all—in pursuit of his 2013 multi-multi record. Mike, up at SJ2W in Sweden, is fighting similar terrain and hoping for a clean polar path. And Sven? He’s caught between thesis deadlines and competing offers from Estonia to SM2. There’s no ego here—just precision, resilience, and a drive to pass the torch. Each station runs its own rhythm, each team its own doctrine, but the goal is the same: extract every QSO the bands will give. Brought to you by Icom—the choice of operators who know that peak performance is never optional.