Mark Pride, K1RX writes:
Hello from the WRTC 2014 organizing committee!
Thanks too all of you who have stepped forward and volunteered to help with the WRTC testing effort we’re planning for this July (trial run). And for those that yet to sign up, please review the following with your fellow club members and contact me if you can volunteer for this July (or beyond).
We’re interested to making sure that the sites we have approval to use will work as well as we hope they will (and are not too good or too bad), and we need to work through the process of setting up and taking down stations using the configuration we are planning to use in 2014.
There are three parts of the process:
Station set-up Operating Station tear-down
Full details on WRTC 2014 can be found at: http://www.wrtc2014.org/
Station Set-Up
The set-up process is currently estimated to take 5-6 hours, and would take place on Thursday or Friday. A team of at least four people will be needed for each location.
Each site runs independently, with a 1kw generator, tent, table, etc. We have successfully tested a tilt-over Rohn 25 tower with tri-bander and 40/80m dipoles. All of this should fit in a pick-up truck and weighs roughly 350 pounds.
The tower/antennas use the falling-derrick method to get them up – no climbing needed (nor wanted).
Once installed, we will need someone to spend the night to monitor the equipment until the contest starts (Saturday morning at 8am).
Operating
The contest runs from 8am Saturday until 8am Sunday. We would like to see the station active for the full time period if possible. For 2012 we are only envisioning one station and one operator but if you want to be ambitious and plan for two, go for it. You will need a triplexer if there are two stations using the tribander.
During the contest we will be monitoring all stations .
Two demonstration events are planned leading up to the July, 2012 trial run.
1. May 4 and 5, 2012 at the NEARfest event in Deerfield, NH
2. At the QTH of Mark, K1RX in Kensington, NH on June 2 (directions and RSVP can be found at the YCCC.org web site)
I am inviting participation from ALL New England based amateur radio clubs to join us at the NEARfest or at my place on June 2 to get first hand training and experience with every aspect of the tower and antenna assembly and operation.
Note also that the towers, generators, antennas will be offered to clubs that help in this significant undertaking at a considerable discount. More details to follow on this opportunity to help the local clubs in New England.