suddenly, the hotel is empty
Posted: Jul 7, 2006 12:27 PDT

This morning each team pulled a envelope from a randomized pile. The contents of the envelope identified the operating location/host. A second envelope holds the secret callsign, which the referee keeps until 10 minutes before the start of the contest. There was a quiet tension in the first few minutes

K1DG was the first team caption to draw a location. The whole process took over an hour... and, not surprisingly, the buzz of conversation increased steadily as more teams discovered their QTH and met their hosts.

As a referee, I have been randomly assigned to to the Asiatic Russia team: Yuri UA9AM and his teammate Roman RZ3AA. Our site is very close to the Florianopolis airport... on the west side of the island with relatively flat foreground toward Europe and then some distant hills. The path toward North America is mostly salt water. Judging from the approved station configuration diagram, these competitors have designed a sophisticated 2-person station centered around the Yaesu FT-9000D, with an FT-1000 as the second radio. The design features a custom control system to allow the operators to interact with the radios, and automatic control of receiving bandpass filters... and a set of high-power (1kW level) transmitting bandpass filters! Roman and Yuri have taken the station design very seriously.

Some of the leading contenders drew excellent QTHs in the far northern part of Santa Catalina state, along the coast. RA3AUU, DL6FBL, and W2SC are among these locations. The Croatian team has another excellent site in the far south: in a lighthouse on a flat penninsula surrounded by the sea! These spots are 3 hours drive from the WRTC headquarters, so these teams left shortly after lunch.

The increasing level of station sophistication, preparation, and competition for competitor invitations has characterized each of the WRTCs. This WRTC's station designs are a significant step up in complexity. One wonders what the competitors will design for 2010...

Everyone scrutinized the maps to evaluate how their QTH compares to other competitors. It's clear the organizers have done an excellent job in finding very good radio locations. Ville OH2MM has organized a local paper competition: guess the #1, #2 and #3 winners. If more than two entrants guess the correct top three finishers, their guess of the total QSOs for the #1 team will be the tie-breaker. No money involved. ("I'm shocked, shocked to discover that there is no gambling go on here.")

My host Eduardo ZZ5ELL has a small, 2-door car. Eduardo, Yuri and Roman took off at 1pm with all their equipment to the station -- the car was completely stuffed with bodies and hardware. Eduardo will return at 4:30pm to take me to the station.

I've submitted my "bet" for the top finishers to Ville (entries close at 1200z Saturday, the start of the contest).

Now, at mid-afternoon, only a handful of WRTC organizers remain at the hotel. Their work is largely finished, and only last-minute corrective tasks remain before the contest begins. The teams are off constructing their stations; their work has just begun.

And the referees... well, maybe it's time to go for a run along the beach.

73,
-- Eric K3NA

p.s.: Widespread rumors that WRTC 2010 will be held south of Moscow Russia. On the 20th anniversary of the first WRTC, held in conjunction with the US-Russia Goodwill Games of 1990 (during glasnost/peristroika and the end of the soviet era), the symbolism of WRTC in Russia feels comfortable and moving.

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