[CQ-Contest] This weekend: WRTC Test Session 2016

[Michael Hoeding, DL6MHW]

Hi folks,

during the second weekend of July, exactly two years before the ham 
radio Olympics in
Germany, the WRTC team meets for a first test session in the 
Jessen/Wittenberg area.
We will set up the selected antennas at five sites and test this 
configuration in a real contest.

The test session addresses several goals. The first is to evaluate the 
antenna system and
the setup procedure with different teams to detect optimization 
potentials. Furthermore,
planning and logistics will be evaluated.

Additionally, we focus on public relations bringing the WRTC spirit to 
the residents of the
region and to regional newspapers and TV stations.

Moreover, we check the radio characteristics of the different sites 
using the world wide CW
skimmer network. Beside this, five teams will take part in the IARU HF 
Championship contest
with the goal to find the best team in an internal competition. The 
planned callsigns for
this radio activity are
•    for the contest: DD5M, DK2O, DR1X, DM5D and DR5L
•    for the CW skimmer test:  DB2B, DK7C, DM3W, DP9A and DR3W
The general goal of the test session is to learn and to detect chances 
for improvement
in equipment and processes.


More details:
•    Sites: The five sites represent the maximal extension of the 
planned WRTC 2018 area. Zossen
is the most northern point whereas Elbe-Elster represents the most 
southern site. Thus, we can
evaluate differences in radio characteristics. Moreover, we can spread 
out public relation activities
to the local regions and communities.
•    Planning and Logistics: Despite the fact that only five sites will 
be occupied in 2016 the test
session is a useful and challenging prototype event for the WRTC 2018. 
For example one kilometer
of coaxial cable exceeds by far the quantity used for a standard 
fieldday station. The test session
brings together about forty volunteers from all over Germany,
•     travelling hundreds of kilometers to make the test session a 
success. This shows the strength
of the WRTC idea that has already become alive in the German ham community.
•    Public Relations: WRTC 2018 e. V. has invited journalists from 
local newspapers as well as from
local TV stations to a press conference and a visit of a typical WRTC 
site. Moreover, the WRTC
organizing committee has invited local politicians, landowners, farmers 
and residents to visit the
sites and to learn how WRTC is working.
•    Skimmer Test: Following the approach of WRTC 2014 about 10 CW 
skimmers in EU and DX will
protocol the transmission of the test stations. To evaluate that we have 
developed a plan defining
timeslots, bands and directions for our transmissions.
•    Contest: Two OP teams join the IARU contest in defined contest 
periods. Because Skimmer test
and other activities are quite time consuming only limited time is 
available for the actual contest.
Thus an internal contest has been established to find the test session 
champion – for our excellent
participants this is a real challenge.
•    Team Building: Despite the fact that the volunteers only know each 
other from the bands and
small projects the test session represents a new level in cooperative 
work. Moreover, many tasks
are new and several aspects bear the label “work in progress”. Therefore 
the social aspect of the
test session should not be underestimated.

The WRTC test session 2016 shows the spirit of cooperation and 
innovation. As a learning
organization WRTC 2018 e. V. tries to make an important step towards 
evaluating the technology
and proceedings for a successful German WRTC in 2018.

73 de Michael, DL6MHW

-- 

Michael Höding, DL6MHW
Vice-President, Fundraising, PR
Phone: +49 39201 20779
E-Mail: dl6mhw at wrtc2018.de
http://www.wrtc2018.de

-- 

Michael Höding, DL6MHW
Vice-President, Fundraising, PR
Phone: +49 39201 20779
E-Mail: dl6mhw at wrtc2018.de
http://www.wrtc2018.de