The CQ 11 World Contest is the ultimate test of a radio operator’s endurance—his patience, resilience, station performance, and competitive spirit.
It’s always a fascinating event, especially when propagation plays along, across a period of extraordinary DX action which extends some 48 hours!
Born in 2019, this contest has quickly cemented its place as the most important worldwide competition dedicated to the 11-meter band.
The 2025 edition – on the 19th and 20th of July – was undoubtedly the most fiercely fought yet, with hundreds of elite operators going head-to-head across the globe.
At the forefront was Dx Adventure Radio Club (DA-RC) member 205DA004 Max, who claimed first place after a spectacular weekend on the mic from his QTH on the tiny but strategically located island nation of Cape Verde.
Max’s Contest Report
This year, due to scheduled maintenance, I returned to my Cape Verde station for its regular service visit—and seized the chance to join the contest once again.
Cape Verde, an island nation off the West African coast, consists of 10 volcanic islands scattered across the central Atlantic.
Positioned about 500 km west of Senegal, it offers superb take-off angles for both transatlantic and trans-equatorial paths—a true dream QTH for DXers.
My station sits on one of the Barlavento (“windward”) islands, where the Atlantic stretches in nearly every direction, an undeniable advantage for long-haul contacts.
This was my third World Contest from the islands, following my 2019 and 2022 entries—both of which delivered first-place results.
Propagation & Performance
Propagation in 2025 was notably better than in previous years, though heavy QRM at times kept things interesting.
Thankfully, it never seriously slowed my progress.
The first night was sluggish, with openings mainly into South America and a handful of European stations—just 7 QSOs logged.
Saturday, however, was the star performer, with powerful openings into Europe, especially Eastern Europe.
In the thick of the afternoon pile-up, I had the honor of logging 338DA/HQ in the beautiful Marquesas Islands at exactly 17:59 UTC—a particularly challenging time from my latitude, with antennas locked on Europe.
By the end of Saturday, my log had swelled to 532 QSOs.
Sunday began with drama.
After only 30 minutes on air, I discovered my European stack antenna system had failed.
I was forced to QRT for four hours while making repairs atop the 30-meter tower—costing me valuable European and Asian morning openings.
Once back online, I pushed hard through the afternoon and evening, eventually closing the contest with 651 QSOs, 6 continents, 80 HQ stations, and 73 DXCCs in the log.
Thanks & Station Setup
A huge thank-you to all the DA group stations who made contact—there were many of you!—and to friends from AT, SD, EK, PAT, and LR for the great QSOs.
Station: Yaesu FT-101D | 3 × 5-element EU array | 2 × 5-element USA array | 5-element PY | 5-element AF | Home-built amplifier
See you in 2026!
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