The WRTC 2014 Organizing Committee will be conducting a capability and training test for the World Radiosport Team Championship stations and volunteers during the 2013 running of the IARU HF Championship, July 13-14.

According to WRTC 2014 Co-Chairman Randy Thompson, K5ZD, the organizing committee is looking for local hams and volunteers willing to visit New England during the contest to assist with station setup and operation; preference will be given to those volunteers who intend to return and assist with the 2014 event. Thompson said the committee is looking to set up and operate up to 30 stations during the test. This will be the final station test before the WRTC 2014 competition in July 2014.

The goals of the 2013 Station Test are:

• Expand the pool of experienced teams for station setup.
• 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.

A WRTC 2014 press release stated that station equipment will be staged at two locations -- a north site and a south site – “in order to efficiently supply WRTC sites located across over 60 miles of territory in Central Massachusetts. Volunteers will be divided into Beam Teams and Site Teams. The Beam Teams have the job of setting up the stations ahead of the event and taking them down afterward. The Site Teams are responsible for managing the generator and site security.”

Thompson said that the WRTC 2014 organizers are also looking for 10-15 operating teams that would be willing to compete on site in the IARU HF Championship 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,” he explained. “Operating teams will be responsible for supplying their own radios and accessories per the WRTC 2014 rules.”

If you are interested in helping with the WRTC 2013 Station Test, please contact Tom Frenaye, K1KI (Operating Teams/Site Teams) or Mark Pride, K1RX (Beam Teams) as soon as possible.

The World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC) is held every four years in July during the IARU HF Championship. WRTC 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-air competitions, all stations operate from the same geographic region and are required to use identical antennas, 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).