WRTC2014 thanks both of these gentlemen for their generous support!

(l-r) Dave K3LP, Carl AI6V, and Doug K1DG.

DoubleTree by Hilton Selected as Host Hotel for WRTC2014

WRTC2014, Inc., host of the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) competition is pleased to announce that the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel in Westborough, MA, has been selected as the host hotel for the event.

WRTC2014 is expected to bring together nearly 200 competitors and referees from around the world for a weekend of radio competition. Another 200+ visitors are expected to attend in order to take advantage of this rare opportunity to meet radio friends from around the world.

WRTC Director and leader of the Hospitality Committee, John Dorr, K1AR, is pleased with the selection. “The DoubleTree is an excellent property that meets our needs for convenient location, catering, and meeting room space. The staff is committed to helping us host a successful event.”

The DoubleTree in Westborough, MA, is conveniently located at I-495 and Route 9, approximately 30 miles west of Boston. The competition sites are located along the I-495 corridor and should all be accessible within 60 minutes by car.

In addition to the host hotel location, there are a number of nearby hotels available at a variety of price points with plenty of room for all visitors that want to attend the WRTC2014 activities.

Competitors are expected to arrive Wednesday, July 9, with the closing award banquet the evening of Monday, July 14. WRTC2014 attendees may choose to stay in the region for another week and attend the ARRL Centennial National Convention which will be held July 17-20 in nearby Hartford, CT.

DoubleTree by Hilton Boston – Westborough

The DoubleTree by Hilton is located at 5400 Computer Drive, Westborough, MA 01581. Information on the web at http://doubletree3.hilton.com/en/hotels/massachusetts/doubletree-by-hilton-hotel-boston-westborough-BOSWTDT/index.html

About WRTC2014

The World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) is held every four years and consists of 50+ two-person teams of amateur radio operators from around the world competing in a test of operating skill.  Unlike most on-the-air competitions, all stations are required to use identical antennas from the same geographic region, eliminating all variables except operating ability.  Previous WRTCs have been held in Seattle (1990), San Francisco (1996), Slovenia (2000), Finland (2002), Brazil (2006), and Russia (2010).  More information is available at www.wrtc2014.org or contact WRTC Chairman Doug Grant, K1DG, via e-mail at k1dg@wrtc2014.org.

Training Session
Registration for the June 1 training will begin around 7:30am (everyone will be asked to sign a release form). Coffee and donuts will be available for breakfast.

The training starts promptly at 8:30am with a short indoor classroom-style review of the station setup process, including changes from last year. Then we will install two (possibly three) complete WRTC2014 stations outside. We should be finished by 4pm. A BBQ lunch will be served.

This is a “rain or shine” event… if it is raining, bring rain gear. We will have to set up the stations in 2013/2014 if it is raining… we can’t have a “rain date” then, so we won’t have one now!

A WRTC station consists of a 40-foot tower with tribander antenna and dipoles plus an operating tent and generator. Volunteers on the Beam Teams have the task of setting up the tower and antennas. The volunteers on the Site Teams will set up the tents and provide generator support during the competition.

Beam Teams
The 15 Beam Teams will be setting up 4 or 5 stations each (65 total) in a day or two in 2014. We have made several changes to the installation procedure and added some new tools. The goal is to practice and streamline the entire process so that each station can be setup in an hour or two in 2014. Using the new techniques at the Boxboro ARRL Convention last year, the antenna system was installed in about 90 minutes (compared to 4 hours on average in July 2012).

Note to Beam Team Captains: Bring your complete tool kits.

Site Teams
There will be a Site Team assigned to each location. The training will help Site Teams get familiar with the generator/gas tank setup and the contents of the station kits (“do we have bug spray? a lamp? and a fire extinguisher?”)

Prize Drawing
A door prize drawing will be held – the prize is one complete WRTC2014 station…tent, generator, tower/antenna system, rotator…everything. Perfect for your club or even your home station.

This is a complete station…tent, tables, toilet, tower, tribander, generator, gas tank, dipoles, rotator, coax, etc., etc., etc. The generator alone is worth $1000. You must be present to win (this means you stay for the full day of training). The prize will be delivered at 8:01 AM, July 13, 2014 (when the WRTC2014 competition is over).

We will also be taking orders for the stations…price is $1250 on June 1, and will go up to $1500 after. $250 deposit required on June 1. Talk to your local club about buying one of these…”think: complete Field Day (or Emcomm HF) station in a box”.

Location and Directions
The training session will be held at Milara, Inc., 49 Maple Street, Milford, MA. This is about 2 miles from I-495 Exit 19 (RT-109 W).

Take I-495 Exit 19 to Route 109 West. Follow signs for Massachusetts National Guard, which is across the street from Milara.
Left on Birch St.
Right on Beaver St.
Bear left onto Maple.

View in Google maps at http://goo.gl/maps/XtUcf

Any questions about the training session please contact Dennis Egan, W1UE, egan.dennis88@gmail.com

Sponsored Teams are selected by individuals or organizations that have made a significant donation to WRTC2014. A Team Sponsor may choose to be one of the operators, or may select another operator to represent him. Operators must be approved by the WRTC2014 Organizers and be bona fide world-class operators.

The practice of having a few Sponsored Team spots is permitted by the WRTC Sanctioning Committee as a way to help fund the event. Sponsored Teams competed in Brazil in 2006 and Russia in 2010.

Of the four Sponsored Team slots available at WRTC2014, one has been claimed, two more are currently available, and the last one will be auctioned in either late 2013 or early 2014. We have received several serious inquiries on the terms and conditions of Team Sponsorship, so if you are interested, we would advise contact Doug, K1DG, to express your interest.

The donation level for a Team Sponsorship at WRTC2010 was set at 50,000 euro (about 70,000 US dollars). For WRTC2014, the donation level is set at 50,000 US dollars (or euro equivalent…we are flexible).

WRTC2014 Now Accepting Applications for Referees

WRTC2014, Inc., host of the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) competition, is continuing its preparations for a world class event by opening the application process for qualified individuals that would like to serve as Referees.

WRTC is unique among amateur radio competitions in that it places an on-site Referee with every operating team.  The primary responsibility of the Referee is to monitor the competitors to confirm that they are following all of the WRTC rules.  The Referee may be required to make a ruling as to whether equipment can be replaced.  Referees also serve as a communication back-up to report the score of their team on a regular basis for the online scoreboard.

The Referee selection process is being led by Dan Street, K1TO. “We are looking for qualified contesters to serve as Referees.  With the rules allowing both operators to transmit simultaneously the challenge for each Referee is greater than ever.”

Referee applications can be downloaded from the WRTC2014 web site at http://www.wrtc2014.org/qualifying/referee-selection/

Referee qualifications include:

• Ability to travel to Massachusetts in July 2014
• Fluency in English (all committee business is conducted in English)
• Ability to effectively monitor two audio streams at the same time
• Proficiency in both CW and SSB contesting
• Ability to stay awake and focused for the full 24-hour contest period
• Ability to send SMS text messages
• No hearing impairments
• Similar to competitors, no Red Cards or two Yellow Cards

The Referee application period closes on December 1, 2013 and announcement of the Referees and alternates is scheduled for December 31, 2013.

For all questions related to WRTC2014 Referees, please send e-mail to Referee@wrtc2014.org.

About WRTC2014

The World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) is held every four years and consists of 50+ two-person teams of amateur radio operators from around the world competing in a test of operating skill.  Unlike most on-the-air competitions, all stations are required to use identical antennas from the same geographic region, eliminating all variables except operating ability.  Previous WRTCs have been held in Seattle (1990), San Francisco (1996), Slovenia (2000), Finland (2002), Brazil (2006), and Russia (2010).  More information is available at www.wrtc2014.org or contact WRTC Chairman Doug Grant, K1DG, via e-mail at k1dg@wrtc2014.org.

• Expand the pool of experienced teams for station set up
• Evaluate proposed site locations for radio quietness and equality
• Confirm logistics and procedures to set up and tear down a large number of stations
• Gather log data under competition conditions to share with WRTC 2014 competitors

This will be the final test before the full running of the WRTC 2014 competition in July 2014. The plan is to set up and operate as many as 30 stations during the test.

Operating teams will informally compete using the WRTC 2014 equipment configuration and scoring rules in order to provide log and propagation information for the WRTC 2014 competitors.  This is a chance to have the WRTC operating experience for those who will not qualify to participate as competitors. Operating teams will be responsible for supplying their own radios and accessories per the WRTC 2014 rules.

The WRTC2014 Board has voted unanimously that anyone who operates from one of the 2013 Station Test sites will not be eligible to be a competitor in 2014. This is designed to prevent 2014 competitors from gaining any advantage.

If you are interested in helping with the WRTC 2013 Station Test, please contact one of the people below immediately:

Beam Team– Mark Pride, K1RX  k1rx@wrtc2014.org

Operating Teams/Site Teams – Tom Frenaye, K1KI  k1ki@wrtc2014.org

Questions or more information – info@wrtc2014.org

WRTC2014 Names Judging Committee

WRTC2014, Inc., host of the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship competition is pleased to announce the judging committee that will be responsible for certifying the results of the competition. David Sumner, K1ZZ, will serve as Chief Judge leading the committee of Nodir Tursoon-Zadeh, EY8MM, Don Field, G3XTT, Dan Street, K1TO, and Dick Norton, N6AA.

In making the announcement, WRTC2014 Chairman Doug Grant, K1DG, stated, “We are extremely fortunate to have this multi-national team of Judges on board. Each of them is highly respected by the contesting community and brings valuable experience and skills to the event. It is our goal to ensure a fairly-judged competition and we are confident this team will do a great job.”

Dave Sumner, K1ZZ, is well known in the international amateur radio community as a result of his past service as Secretary of the International Amateur Radio Union and many years on the staff of the American Radio Relay League, where he is currently Chief Executive Officer. He has served as a Judge at every WRTC event since 2000. Mr. Sumner noted, “It’s an honor to serve as Chief Judge at WRTC. The 2014 event holds special significance since it will take place in New England during the celebration of the ARRL’s 100th anniversary.”

Nodir Tursoon-Zadeh, EY8MM, is an accomplished operator and DXer, holding many contest and DX records on 160 and 6 meters from Tajikistan. He served as a referee at WRTC2006 in Brazil and was a Judge at WRTC2010 in Moscow.

Don Field, G3XTT, is an active contester both as a single-operator and as part of many successful multi-op teams around the world. Don has been contest manager of the Islands on the Air contest for the past 12 years and was RSGB Contest Committee Chairman from 2007 to 2010. He was a referee at WRTC 2006 in Brazil and a member of the Judging Committee at WRTC 2010 in Moscow.

Dan Street, K1TO, is a three-time WRTC gold medalist. In addition to leading the WRTC qualifying and competitor selection process, Dan manages the Florida QSO Party, serves as President of the Florida Contest Group, and is a director of WRTC2014. He has also spent time working in the ARRL Contest Branch.

Dick Norton, N6AA, has been a referee and competitor in multiple WRTCs and holds the distinction of having operated the CQWW contest from each of the 40 WAZ Zones. He is a Director of the ARRL and served for many years on the CQWW Contest Committee, conceiving many of the log-checking practices in use today.

Andy Blank, N2NT, WRTC2014 Director of Competition, will serve as liaison to the WRTC Board of Directors.

A log-checking team consisting of Larry “Tree” Tyree, N6TR, and Trey Garlough, N5KO will provide software support and log-checking services to the Judging Committee. Both are well known in the contesting world as talented operators and both have been WRTC competitors. Tree currently provides log-checking services for several ARRL contests and the CQ 160 meter contest. Trey was instrumental in developing the Cabrillo file standard and log-receiving robots. They were both recently recognized for their contributions to radiosport with YASME Foundation Excellence Awards.

For information about WRTC2014, contact WRTC Chairman, Doug Grant, K1DG, via e-mail at k1dg@wrtc2014.org.

About WRTC2014

The World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) is held every four years and consists of approximately 50 two-person teams of amateur radio operators from around the world competing in a test of operating skill. Unlike most on-the-air competitions, all stations are required to use identical antennas from the same geographic region, eliminating all variables except operating ability. Previous WRTCs have been held in Seattle (1990), San Francisco (1996), Slovenia (2000), Finland (2002), Brazil (2006), and Russia (2010). More information is available at www.wrtc2014.org or contact WRTC Chairman, Doug Grant, K1DG, via e-mail at k1dg@wrtc2014.org.

TIMES MICROWAVE SYSTEMS IS COAX SUPPLIER FOR WRTC2014

WRTC2014, Inc., host of the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship competition is pleased to announce that Times Microwave Systems, a leading manufacturer of high quality coaxial cable, custom coaxial cables and high performance cable assemblies for military and commercial applications, is providing all the coaxial cables required for the WRTC2014 event at no charge.

Each WRTC station requires three coax cables. Times LMR®-400 cable will be used for the low-loss feedline to the Cycle 24 model TX38 tribander. LMR®-240 cable will be used for the 80 meter and 40 meter dipoles.

According to Mark Pride, K1RX, leader of the WRTC2014 station committee, “It is mind boggling to realize that the 59 WRTC stations will need almost 6 miles of coax cable. The support of Times Microwave is a tremendous help in our efforts to equip each station with first-rate materials and stay within our budget.”

Robert Perelman, Director, Commercial Sales and Marketing at Times Microwave Systems, headquartered in Wallingford, CT, explained the decision to be involved with WRTC2014, “This is a great opportunity to demonstrate the quality and value of our products to the amateur radio community in such a prestigious event.”

“We are very pleased to have the support of a New England company for this critical station component,” said WRTC Chairman, Doug Grant, K1DG. “It is a great example of companies in the local community coming together to help make WRTC2014 successful.”

For information about WRTC2014, contact WRTC Chairman, Doug Grant, K1DG, via e-mail at k1dg@wrtc2014.org.

About WRTC2014

The World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) is held every four years and consists of approximately 50 two-person teams of amateur radio operators from around the world competing in a test of operating skill. Unlike most on-the-air competitions, all stations are required to use identical antennas from the same geographic region, eliminating all variables except operating ability. Previous WRTCs have been held in Seattle(1990), San Francisco(1996), Slovenia(2000), Finland(2002), Brazil(2006), and Russia(2010). More information is available at www.wrtc2014.org or contact WRTC Chairman, Doug Grant, K1DG, via e-mail at k1dg@wrtc2014.org.

About Times Microwave Systems

Times Microwave Systems has over 60 years of experience in designing innovative, high-reliability, coaxial cables and assemblies for demanding interconnection problems. An engineering oriented organization, the company specializes in the design and manufacture of high performance flexible and semi-rigid coaxial cable, connectors, and cable assemblies for RF transmission from HF through microwave frequencies as well as surge arrestors for the protection of RF equipment.

For further information contact:
Joe Lanoue
jlanoue@timesmicrowave.com
203 949-8424

WRTC2014 STATION TEST IN IARU HF CHAMPIONSHIP

WRTC2014, Inc., host of the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship competition, will be conducting station tests during the 2012 IARU HF Championship contest this weekend. Thirteen stations will be set up in the WRTC competition configuration using sites planned for 2014. Awards will be offered for working the WRTC test stations.

“This is an important milestone in our preparation efforts,” said WRTC Chairman, Doug Grant, K1DG. “Beam teams will collect equipment and do the setup and tear down of tower and antennas at each site. Site teams will be responsible for managing the site and the generator for the weekend. Operating teams have volunteered to put the stations on the air so we can gather data on propagation and site effectiveness. It will be exciting to finally convert planning and preparation into action.”

The callsigns to be used by the WRTC test sites are:
K1GQ
K1RQ
K1ZD
N2KW
N9NB
NI1L
W1HH
W1MA
W1MJ
W1SJ
W1UE
W1UJ
WB1Z

The test stations will be active on 10 – 80 meters on both CW and SSB. The contest runs for 24 hours beginning 1200 UTC on July 14. Many of the test stations will be operating according to the WRTC competition rules (http://www.wrtc2014.org/competition/wrtc-rules/).

“One mission of the station test is to confirm that all sites are relatively equal,” said Tom Frenaye, K1KI, Director of the Site Acquisition and Testing Committee. “As you hear or work the test stations, please make a note of their signals in comparison to the other WRTC test stations.” Signal reports and other feedback should be sent to info@wrtc2014.org.

To help generate more activity and data, WRTC2014 is offering awards to encourage people to work the test stations. The awards are:

• A WRTC T-shirt will be awarded to the 5 callsigns (outside W1) that work the WRTC test stations on the most band-modes.
• A WRTC T-shirt will be awarded to the 3 callsigns outside North America that work the WRTC test stations on the most band-modes.
• Everyone who works the WRTC test stations on 4 or more band-modes will be entered into a drawing to win a WRTC mouse pad or hat. Ten winners will be drawn.

See the WRTC shop for description of the prizes: http://shop.wrtc2014.org

No log submissions are required. Simply work the test stations on as many band modes as possible. IARU HQ stations are not eligible for the awards. Logs from the test stations will be made public.

Pictures and other information about the station tests will be available on the WRTC2014 web site after the contest.

For information about WRTC2014, contact WRTC Chairman, Doug Grant, K1DG, via e-mail at k1dg@wrtc2014.org.

About WRTC2014

The World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) is held every four years and consists of approximately 50 two-person teams of amateur radio operators from around the world competing in a test of operating skill. Unlike most on-the-air competitions, all stations are required to use identical antennas from the same geographic region, eliminating all variables except operating ability. Previous WRTCs have been held in Seattle(1990), San Francisco(1996), Slovenia(2000), Finland(2002), Brazil(2006), and Russia(2010). More information is available at www.wrtc2014.org or contact WRTC Chairman, Doug Grant, K1DG, via e-mail at k1dg@wrtc2014.org.

WRTC2014 OFFICIAL COMPETITION RULES RELEASED

WRTC2014, Inc., host of the 2014 World Radiosport Team Championship competition announced that the official competition rules have been published at http://www.wrtc2014.org/contest/wrtc-rules/. These are the rules that will be followed by the onsite competitors.

“Thanks to everyone who provided feedback during the rules review process,” said Andy Blank, N2NT, Director of the WRTC2014 Rules Committee. “We wanted to release the rules prior to the 2012 IARU Championship so that potential competitors and the WRTC test stations would have the opportunity in 2012 and 2013 to practice under the rules.”

“Building on the fabulous job done by the WRTC 2010 Committee in Moscow, we have added a new twist – the change to a Two-Operator Two-Transmitter competition,” continued Blank. “Both stations will be permitted to transmit at any time.”

Two-Operator Two-Transmitter removes the need for transmitter interlock hardware and will help equalize the stations by reducing the filtering and switching requirements. This should result in higher QSO totals and greater emphasis on the operating skills of both team members. The real-time decisions by the competitors to balance running and multiplier chasing will be more important than ever before.

Scoring will place a premium on making DX contacts with extra points for contacts outside North America. There is a slight modification from the normal IARU Championship scoring (WRTC will give 2 points for zone 8 and HQ stations vs. 1 point in the IARU rules). Multipliers are based on DXCC countries and IARU HQ stations per band. This scoring is only for the WRTC competition stations and was done to present competitors with a choice of scoring strategies.

Questions about the rules may be submitted to rules@wrtc2014.org. Responses and clarifications will be published on the WRTC2014 web site.

About WRTC2014

The World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) is held every four years and consists of approximately 50 two-person teams of amateur radio operators from around the world competing in a test of operating skill. Unlike most on-the-air competitions, all stations are required to use identical antennas from the same geographic region, eliminating all variables except operating ability. Previous WRTCs have been held in Seattle(1990), San Francisco(1996), Slovenia(2000), Finland(2002), Brazil(2006), and Russia(2010). More information is available at www.wrtc2014.org or contact WRTC Chairman, Doug Grant, K1DG, via e-mail at k1dg@wrtc2014.org.