Slovak and Czech amateur radio top in CQWW SSB 2025

The amateur radio calendar has many peaks, but only one contest can be called the 'Super Bowl' of amateur radio. CQWorld Wide DX contest (SSB) is an event that annually connects tens of thousands of operators from every corner of the planet at the end of October. The year 2025 went down in history as a year with exceptionally favorable propagation conditions, as we are near the peak of the 25th solar cycle. This allowed inland European stations to achieve results that were almost unimaginable in previous years.

Slovenské a české stanice opäť potvrdili, že patria k svetovej elite. Či už išlo o masívne contestové kluby In the category Multi-Op, alebo o vytrvalých jednotlivcov bojujúcich s únavou počas 48 hodín preteku, výsledková listina za rok 2025 je svedectvom o technickej zdatnosti a operátorskom majstrovstve našich rádioamatérov.

Slovak dominance: OM7M at the top

The absolute winner of the Slovak part of the results list was the station OM7M. In the challenging category Multi-One High Power achieved an impressive score 15,433,719 points. This result is based on incredible 8,017 connections. The team consisting of SP9LJD, OM2ADM, OM4MM, OM4MW, OM4WM, OM5RW, and others showed what perfect teamwork means.

Their success was not just a matter of performance, but mainly strategy in hunting multipliers. Achieving 176 zones and 717 countries within one weekend requires constant monitoring of all bands from 160m to 10m. OM7M operated for almost 48 hours (47.9 hours), which shows that their radio was not silent for a second.

Right behind them, although in a different category, excelled Laco, OM2VL. In the category Single Operator Assisted High All Band (SA HIGH ALL) achieved a score 10,242,960 points. For an individual, exceeding the 10 million points threshold in SSB mode in our geographical latitudes is a fantastic achievement. Laco established 5,431 connections and worked a full 48 hours. His ability to effectively utilize DX cluster while maintaining a high 'rate' (number of connections per hour) places him among the world elite in this category.

Czech battle of giants: OK5Z vs OK7O vs OL3Z

In the Czech Republic, the situation in the category was Multi-One High incredibly dramatic. Three top teams were closely fighting for the championship, with differences between them at the level of statistical deviation.

The championship was ultimately defended by the station OK5Z with a score of 10,648,800 points. The team around operators OK2AF, OK2ARM, and others established nearly 6,000 connections. Just behind them was the station OK7O with a result of 10,472,726 points. It is fascinating to watch how two teams meet after 48 hours of effort with a difference of only less than 200,000 points on a base of ten million. The third best in this category is rounded off by the legendary station OL3Z with a gain of 8.8 million points.

Tieto výsledky ukazujú, že česká contestová škola je postavená na veľmi silnej základni kolektívnych staníc, ktoré disponujú špičkovým anténnym vybavením a modernými technológiami pre elimináciu vzájOMného rušenia viacerých pracovísk.

Phenomenal success of OL9R in the Low Power category

One of the most remarkable results in the Czech ranking is the performance of the station OL9R (op. OK6RA). In the category Single Operator Assisted Low All Band (SA LOW ALL) achieved a score 3,152,060 points.

At a time when in the High Power category we normally see performances in kilowatts, the three million result with "one hundred watts" is simply incredible. OK6RA established 2,351 connections, which confirms that the key to success in CQWW is not always just brute force, but especially quality antennas and precise use of short "opening" bands to exotic continents.

A look at the Slovak Single-Op category

In addition to Laco OM2VL, other names also dominated the Slovak ether. OM7K (op. OM7RU) placed in the category Single Operator High All Band (without assistance) excellent place with a score 3.25 million points. With 42 hours of operation and over 3,500 connections, this is a testament to tremendous endurance, as the operator had to rely solely on his ears and constant band tuning without the help of the Cluster.

Interesting results were also brought by categories on individual bands:

• OM5R (op. OM5WW) focused on 15 meters and extracted from them 771,316 points. The 15-meter band was in excellent condition in 2025, allowing connections to the Americas and Asia almost throughout the day.

• On 10 meters stations succeeded OM3CW (220k points) and OM8FR (190k points). The 'Ten' was truly a magnet for radio amateurs this year, as connections could be made across continents even with low power.

In the category Multi-Multi, where a station can transmit on multiple bands simultaneously, represented Slovakia the station OM5M. Although they worked only 21 hours, their score 2.8 million points and over 2,900 connections indicates what enormous potential this team would have with full 48-hour deployment.

Specialists and QRP: Heroes of the quiet signal

Transmitting with power up to 5 watts (QRP) in a crowded SSB contest borders on masochism, but our operators were not afraid of this challenge.

• OM0A (op. OM0AAO) in the category SA QRP 20M achieved 66,378 points.

• Chose an even more challenging task OM0RXOn 80 meters, where with 5 watts he earned 66,066 points. On the lower bands, where the noise level is high and the competition from stations with a legal maximum is huge, every QRP contact is a small victory.

In the Czech Republic in the category Single Operator QRP All Band excelled OL4W (op. OK1IF) with a score 149,406 points. Such a result requires not only great technique but also a huge amount of patience when calling stations in pile-ups.

Low Power category: The power of efficiency

Low Power categories are traditionally the most crowded. In Slovakia in the category Single Operator Assisted Low All Band (SA LOW ALL) won OM1AVV with a score of 360,815 points, closely followed by OM1AEG (276k) and OM2ITO (268k). These close contests show that the middle class of radio amateurs in Slovakia is very active and technically skilled.

In the Czech Republic, the bar in Low Power was set exceptionally high thanks to the aforementioned OL9R, but also the station OK6Y (op. OK2PTZ) with 1.25 million points showed world-class performance.

Technické a spoločenské Background contestu

Výsledky CQWW SSB 2025 jasne reflektujú technologický posun. VäčšiOn špičkových staníc dnes používa technológiuSDR (Software Defined Radio), which allows you to visually monitor activity across the entire band using a waterfall. This significantly speeds up the search for new multipliers and free frequencies for 'calling CQ'.

At the same time, the data shows that amateur radio is not just about machines. The names of operators in the lists for OM7M, OM5M, OK5Z or OK2J remind us that behind every point in the log stands a person, their fatigue, joy from catching a rare station, and hundreds of hours of preparation of antenna systems before the weekend itself.

Conclusion and outlook to the future

CQ World Wide DX contest 2025 SSB potvrdil, že rádioamatérstvo v Česku a na Slovensku prekvitá. Celkovo sa do preteku zapojilo viac ako 170 staníc z oboch krajín, ktoré figurujú v oficiálnej výsledkovej listine. Od veľkých klubov akoOM7MaOK5Z, which are fighting for top positions in Europe, to enthusiasts who turned on the radio for just a few hours to give out points, all contributed to the unmistakable atmosphere of this weekend.

Excellent conditions of solar cycle 25 will accompany us for another year or two, which is a challenge for all who want to surpass their personal bests. The results from 2025 set the bar high, but as we know our community, many will try to push it even further in 2026.

Congratulations to all certificate holders and we look forward to hearing you in future editions. Cheers to the ether!

TIP for readers: If you are interested in detailed statistics of your favorite station, you can find them directly on the CQWW.com pages, where online logs and connection analyses are also available.

Brief overview of TOP results:

Complete results can be found at https://cqww.cOM/scoresph.htm