WRTC Volunteer Training Session

The WRTC2014 Organizing Committee and the Yankee Clipper Contest Club will conduct a joint meeting in Milford, MA on June 1, 2013. The purpose of the meeting is to recruit and provide training for volunteers who will be involved in the 2013 station test and 2014 WRTC event. Everyone is invited. This event will serve as a YCCC meeting in place of the annual K1RX cookout. See information below on an exciting door prize for participants.

2013 Station Test
The WRTC2014 organizers are planning a 30-station test run this July to expand the pool of trained volunteers and to prove out the logistics for the 2014 event. The station test will be held the weekend of July 12-14, 2013. Volunteers of all interests and skill levels are needed.

Training Session
Registration for the June 1 training will begin around 7:30am (everyone will be asked to sign a release form). Coffee and donuts will be available for breakfast.

The training starts promptly at 8:30am with a short indoor classroom-style review of the station setup process, including changes from last year. Then we will install two (possibly three) complete WRTC2014 stations outside. We should be finished by 4pm. A BBQ lunch will be served.

This is a “rain or shine” event… if it is raining, bring rain gear. We will have to set up the stations in 2013/2014 if it is raining… we can’t have a “rain date” then, so we won’t have one now!

A WRTC station consists of a 40-foot tower with tribander antenna and dipoles plus an operating tent and generator. Volunteers on the Beam Teams have the task of setting up the tower and antennas. The volunteers on the Site Teams will set up the tents and provide generator support during the competition.

Beam Teams
The 15 Beam Teams will be setting up 4 or 5 stations each (65 total) in a day or two in 2014. We have made several changes to the installation procedure and added some new tools. The goal is to practice and streamline the entire process so that each station can be setup in an hour or two in 2014. Using the new techniques at the Boxboro ARRL Convention last year, the antenna system was installed in about 90 minutes (compared to 4 hours on average in July 2012).

Note to Beam Team Captains: Bring your complete tool kits.

Site Teams
There will be a Site Team assigned to each location. The training will help Site Teams get familiar with the generator/gas tank setup and the contents of the station kits (“do we have bug spray? a lamp? and a fire extinguisher?”)

Prize Drawing
A door prize drawing will be held – the prize is one complete WRTC2014 station…tent, generator, tower/antenna system, rotator…everything. Perfect for your club or even your home station.

This is a complete station…tent, tables, toilet, tower, tribander, generator, gas tank, dipoles, rotator, coax, etc., etc., etc. The generator alone is worth $1000. You must be present to win (this means you stay for the full day of training). The prize will be delivered at 8:01 AM, July 13, 2014 (when the WRTC2014 competition is over).

We will also be taking orders for the stations…price is $1250 on June 1, and will go up to $1500 after. $250 deposit required on June 1. Talk to your local club about buying one of these…”think: complete Field Day (or Emcomm HF) station in a box”.

Location and Directions
The training session will be held at Milara, Inc., 49 Maple Street, Milford, MA. This is about 2 miles from I-495 Exit 19 (RT-109 W).

Take I-495 Exit 19 to Route 109 West. Follow signs for Massachusetts National Guard, which is across the street from Milara.
Left on Birch St.
Right on Beaver St.
Bear left onto Maple.

View in Google maps at http://goo.gl/maps/XtUcf

Any questions about the training session please contact Dennis Egan, W1UE, egan.dennis88@gmail.com