News · Team · Equipment · Records · Contests · Results · Photos · Downloads · Links · Contacts 19.03.2024 06:39 MSK
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2010 WRTC, author RA1AIP [ENG]

Hi, everyone!

It was fantastic weekend. There were so many excellent operators from all around the world, and unlike previous WRTC all teams actually were in the same conditions, great respect to organizers for that. And, of course, Vlad and I very glad that just we were managed to win. )

We thoroughly prepared to WRTC, 4 weekends after WPX CW completely spent at the position in Luga and devoted this time for equipment and tactics preparation, especially set trybender on the position and hanged two inverteds for 40/80 to fully recreate the conditions of WRTC, gathered on two tables all equipment, which was planned to take along. One weekend we dedicated to the first repair of switching boxes by RA6LBS, which already did't work when we received them.) With calls RK1A and RK1B we training to WRTC, studied the propogation, made plans .. well it didn’t came to graphics but I believe graphics are all useless before tests because propogation is always various and capricious, and in each test you should follow current situation, but for sure some reference points and tactics options should be kept in mind.

I won’t describe the ceremonies, you already have seen video and photos on the web-site. At the drawing I pulled out the 801 position, it was very good high position, all directions were open, in one word, it was very cool beginning. Later that afternoon we received from the organizers "good" news - nearest position YV1DIG/W2GD to us was carried over to another field place as power lines noise were 7-9 points on all bands on it. Next, our position was checked and it was the same story, so we decided to carry over our position too.

There was no space on the eighth field far away from power lines, and we were moved to the fallback position on the neighboring 6th field. It was exactly the field which was got through the anomalous cherry size hail during the test… but let’s go in right order…

The night fell and group of brave volunteers installed our new position all night in the light of automobile headlights. Many thanks to all guys, who were that time on the field! Towards morning all was ready, and at 6 am, our engineer Vadim UA1AKC proceeded to install the equipment, while with Vlad we were still sleeping. It was the part of our strategy - to have a good night's sleep before the test, because every small staff is important…

At 10 am we woke up for breakfast, call Vadim, who says everything is OK, everything is connected and in good working condition. We planned to drive to the position on an hour or so to check by ourselves for the last time, then return to the hotel, take a shower, a little rest and then come before the contests in the position as fresh as a daisy. But Murphy was not asleep and as soon as we arrived and began the last inspectionsit became clear - commutation does not work again!

Calling back RA6LBS, Vadim grab tester and copper... briefly, instead of cold shower and relax we were sitting on the field at the heat of 35 degrees and really getting nervous. One hour before the test starts Vadim found disabled connecting lead, replaced it - everything is working, hurray!

Fast lunch on the field, the last "look" at the air, and switch off transceivers, open the sealed envelope ... R32F. cool call sign! Almost like RW2F)

What could you feel 15 minutes before the World Cup start? A whirlwind of thoughts run through my head, fell a little jimjams, but attitude for battle and complete concentration. Dead on time we put on headphones – ready, steady, go...

I think Vlad will write his own feelings and experience above the test, I will talk for myself. I thought that from now and until the "final whistle" nothing existed around. I can hardly pass along my feelings by words, I became part of the air, and the air became the part of me. Someone seems this statement is too literary, but please believe me, it was something more than just a good job of a good team in the contest of such high level. Many of top caliber teams did a very good work but only we could gain the lead.

As far as I could feel it was the best contest in our lives, probably because at that moment we wanted to win more than anything, and were stretched to the limits.We still can’t believe we were managed to do this. Very strong teams of the top ten rating, and everyone had chances to win. Estonia won the cup for the best multiplier and for the best result in the SSB, meanwhile we got a little more long-distance QSO and have achieved an optimal balance QSO, points and multplier, and only by these means we gained a slight advantage of total points ..

A few words about the contest itself. We intended to make a good Start, and it happened. After the contest have passed, we were cheer up to know that almost all the time we were the first from the beginning. Certainly we had few tactical blunders, it is essential part of each competition, but I think, it will be a detailed analysis of winners logs, and all classifications and graphics will be on the Internet. It will be very interesting to look at.

A memorable adventure was hail. Just imagine, the contest is going on, the heat is above 35 degrees, the sky is cloudless, and just in half an hour the heavens were blacked with clouds, tearing our tent storm wind has risen, and here the rain came down with a vengeance... lightning irradiated the ground, it thundered right overhead, and raining... that turns into hail of the cherry size, nothing less. Then as we have been already told after the contest, such anomaly was just over our field and a little bit on the neighboring (from seven fields at the WRTC), and almost all the teams, who have been in our field, stopped working on the air. Someone turned off the equipment and hid in the car, and who has not stopped working - those transceivers become overburnt, the lightning struck nearby.

But with RW1AC we couldn’t take a break from the air. Volunteers who were on duty on the field, heroically could keep our tent from falling under the hurricane force wind, soaked through and getting a hail on their head. And although we were flooded with water and our PC with the records was going to be broken, fate took us under its wing, there is no other way of putting it. Generator didn’t die, transceivers didn’t overburned off, the tent stood up and we continued to struggle. And about half an hour the sun was shining again.

I think there is no need to describe in details how we conducted contacts – it makes no sense. Our log and record are posted on the web-site www.ru1a.ru, everyone could listen to and watch how it was going. An important point to be made is that propogation on top ten rating was not worse than it was expected. If a ten rating could be normally opened - participants could get more than 4 000 QSO.

Our small points margin (+80 thousand points) in results announced dissolve into thin air after judging. After judging, our points were cut the most from the top three. We will browse ubn, figure out, analyze .. but totally, the difference with the second place was about 10 QSO or 1.5 multipliers. And this is after 3500 + contacts done. Hundredths of a percent! I've always wondered how those runners come to the finish line, and the difference between the first and the second place - hundredths of a seconds. In the case with ham radio is the same thing sometimes. Some man are little more lucky, and gladly that this someone were RW1AC and RA1AIP)

Thank you all for the congratulations, hundreds of congratulations snowed to us from all around the world We tried to do our best. )

Thanks to Vadim UA1AKC, our engineer, for all equipment doing well in the end. Thank you RA6LBS for the box, I hope it will not break anymore. Thanks to doctor who saved me from evil insects. Thanks to the organizers and volunteers for their excellent organization and hard work. Thanks to our Judge Wolff OE2VEL, who heroically sat in our tent for 24 hours. Thanks to Boris UA1AAF, that taught us Radiosport. I wish everybody 73 and see you again in the contests!

P.S. Today, buying a return train ticket to St. Petersburg… wow, I got the first wagon and the first seat) It’s fate made the final point for memory. Thanks to fate also.

RA1AIP, RW1AC
RU1A Team

Sun today
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Equipment plans
28 MHz: 4 by 7 el 28 mhz (14 mtrs boom) yagi , rotor to JA/USA, mast 50 mtrs up , 15 % completed
3,5 MHz: 5L fullsize Yagi 40m up, boom 60m, fixed to USA
* 25% completed