WRTC-96 FAQ and Press Releases

WRTC-96 press releases by the Northern California Contest Club are available here. Last update: Release 8, 30 May 1996.



WRTC-96 PRESS RELEASE #1


Redwood City, CA.
August 19, 1995

The Potomac Valley Radio Club (PVRC) and the Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) announced today that the site of the 1996 World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC-96) will be relocated from Washington, D.C. to the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. "The competition, which will run in conjunction with the IARU HF World Championship, will remain the weekend of July 13 and 14, 1996," said Bruce Sawyer, AA6KX, Co-chair of the event and past president of the NCCC, WRTC-96's new host organization. The NCCC hopes to publish formal WRTC-96 rules before the end of the month. Sawyer also said that the NCCC expects to make a number of changes to the team selection criteria previously announced by PVRC. "NCCC intends to contact everyone who already has submitted an application under the previously-announced selection criteria to explain the new procedures and make sure that those individuals understand what they must do to be considered under the new selection criteria. The NCCC foresees making a number of announcements over the next several weeks to ensure that the contest fraternity is fully informed about the changes to WRTC-96."

The WRTC, first held in Seattle, WA in 1990, pits two-person teams comprised of some of the world's top operators in a head to head competition. To emphasize operator ability, each team runs the same amount of power and operates from stations having similar antenna systems and located in the same geographical area.

For additional information about WRTC-96, contact Rusty Epps, W6OAT at 651 Handley Trail, Redwood City, CA 94062, USA or via e-mail Rusty Epps, W6OAT


WRTC-96 PRESS RELEASE #2


Redwood City, CA
August 30, 1995

The Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) announced today the selection of judges for the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC-96) competition which will be held in the San Francisco Bay area the weekend of July 13 and 14, 1996. "We are honored that such a well known and distinguished group of contesters have agreed to be our judges," said Bob Cox, K3EST, the NCCC's liaison with the WRTC-96 Judging Committee. "Many of these individuals are themselves contest legends. Their very presence will lend enormously to the stature of WRTC-96 and will ensure that each of the teams will be competing under the watchful eyes of knowledgeable, impartial officials."

Lew Gordon, K4VX, will head WRTC-96's Judging Committee as Chief Judge. Assisting Lew as Judges will be Roger Western, G3SXW; "Bear" Kumagai, JA7RHJ; Fred Laun, K3ZO; Dick Frey, K4XU; Tom Taormina, K5RC; Glenn Rattmann, K6NA; Gene Walsh, N2AA; Dick Norton, N6AA; Phil Goetz, N6ZZ; Ville Hiilesmaa, OH2MM; Tine Brajnik, S50A; John Brosnahan, W0UN; and Rush Drake, W7RM.

The WRTC, first held in Seattle, WA in 1990, pits two-person teams comprised of some of the world's top operators in a head to head competition. To emphasize operator ability, each team runs the same amount of power and operates from stations having similar antenna systems and located in the same geographical area.

For additional information about WRTC-96, contact Rusty Epps, W6OAT at 651 Handley Trail, Redwood City, CA 94062, USA or via e-mail Rusty Epps, W6OAT.


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WRTC PRESS RELEASE #3


Redwood City, CA
September 12, 1995

The Northern California Contest Club (NCCC) announced today the rules of competition for the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC-96) which will be held in the San Francisco Bay area the weekend of July 13 and 14, 1996. Commenting on the rules, NCCC President Ken Silverman, WM2C said "Since WRTC-96 will take place in conjunction with the IARU HF World Championship, we tried to use the existing rules of that contest as much as possible. Of course, we had to make a few modifications to accommodate the unique aspects of the WRTC. Our special rules, however, apply only to the 52 teams competing in WRTC-96 and do not effect anyone else competing in the IARU HF event."

The unique rules for WRTC-96 are that each of the fifty-two teams will compete as a two-person, multi-single entry running a maximum of 100 watts output. Operating times will be limited to 12:00 UTC Saturday, July 13 through 06:00 UTC Sunday, July 14 (six hours less than the IARU Championship). Teams will utilize only the 40, 20, 15 and 10 meter bands with no operation on either 80 or 160 meters. The same station may be contacted on both ssb and cw on each of the four bands, with ssb QSOs counting 1 point and cw QSOs counting 2 points. All cw contacts must be made in the lowest 100 kHz of each band. Multipliers will be the sum of DXCC Countries plus ITU Zones plus IARU HQ Stations.

The WRTC, first held in Seattle, WA in 1990, pits two-person teams comprised of some of the world's top operators in a head to head competition. To emphasize operator ability, each team runs the same amount of power and operates from stations having similar terrain and antenna systems and located in the same geographical area.

For additional information about WRTC-96, contact Rusty Epps, W6OAT at 651 Handley Trail, Redwood City, CA 94062, USA or via e-mail Rusty Epps, W6OAT.

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WRTC-96 PRESS RELEASE #4


Redwood City, CA
September 30, 1995

The World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC-96) will pit up to 52 two-operator teams in a head-to-head competition in the San Francisco Bay Area during the IARU HF World Championship the weekend of July 13-14, 1996. Forty-five teams are allocated to 27 Invited Countries, one team to the defending champions from WRTC-90, and six teams to Wild-card entries which may come from any country. Entrants are responsible for their own transportation to San Francisco where the WRTC-96 Committee will provide them housing, meals, local transportation and access to station locations.

The WRTC-96 organizers seek team members who have won recent major contests and who are capable of competing on both CW and SSB at the level of the very best contesters in the world. The selection process begins with the naming of Team Leaders, who then choose their own Partners. Each national Team Leader will select a Partner from the same country and Wild-card Team Leaders will select from the same continent.

The Invited Countries have been allocated a number of teams determined by the number of logs submitted from those countries in recent international contests. The actual selection of teams in each country will be managed in that country by contest clubs, contest managers or other respected individuals in the contest community. For example, based upon ranking and point totals in major contests, the WRTC-96 organizers invited ten USA contest clubs to select the ten USA Team Leaders. Wild-card teams will be chosen later from among direct applicants to the WRTC Team Selection Committee.

TEAM ALLOCATIONS BY COUNTRY

Bob Cox, K3EST, Chairman of the WRTC-96 Technical Committee, described the method used to allocate teams to the Invited Countries. "The number of teams a country may have is based upon the number of logs submitted from each country for the 1993 and 1994 CQWW and ARRL SSB and CW contests. Using the number of log submissions gives an indication of the 'seriousness' of a country's commitment to contesting. Based upon the available number of operating sites we expect to have, the WRTC-96 Technical Committee required at least 50 log submissions for a country to qualify for a team. We limited the maximum number of teams that any country can have to ten."

SELECTION OF TEAMS

Each team will consist of a Team Leader and a Partner. The selection process begins with the naming of the Team Leaders who then choose their own Partners. Each national Team Leader will select a Partner from the same country. To emphasize that these are national teams, not part of an interclub competition, and to extend the opportunity to compete to contesters who are not members of the selecting clubs, the WRTC-96 organizers will require that USA Team Leaders not choose Partners from the same contest club.

Individuals wishing to compete in WRTC-96 should make their interest and qualifications known to those who have been invited to select the Team Leaders for each country. In the order of total log submittals, these are:

Country            Teams  Selected by
United States       10  Frankford Radio Club (1 team)                   
Mad River Radio Club (1)                        
North Coast Contesters (1)                      
North Texas Contest Club (1)                    
Northern California Contest Club (1)                    
Potomac Valley Radio Club (1)                   
Society of Midwest Contesters (1)                       
Southeastern DX Club (1)                        
Southern California Contest Club (1)                    
Yankee Clipper Contest Club (1)
Japan                4    WRTC-96 Team Selection Committee
Germany              2  Rhein-Ruhr DX Association (1)                   
Bavarian Contest Club (1)
Spain                2    Spanish CQ Magazine c/o EA1AK
Italy                2    ARI c/o I2UIY (all I prefixes)
Poland               2    SP DX Club
Russia               2    SRR c/o UA3DPX (Europe and Asia)
Canada               2    Radio Amateurs of Canada c/o VE2ZP
Ukraine              1    Ukrainian Contest Club
Sweden               1    SSA c/o SM3CER
Czech Republic       1    CRK c/o OK2FD
Finland              1    OH2MM
United Kingdom       1    RSGB c/o G4BUO (all G prefixes)
France               1    - pending -
Argentina            1    Grupo Argentina CW
Brazil               1    PY5EG
Norway               1    NRRL HF Contest Manager c/o LA5QK
Slovenia             1    Slovenian Contest Club
Netherlands          1    - pending -
Denmark              1    Danish DX Group
Lithuania            1    LRD c/o LY2IJ
Slovak Republic      1    OM Contest Manager c/o OM8AB
Yugoslavia           1    SRJ c/o YU1RL
Australia            1    WRTC-96 Team Selection Committee
Belgium              1    UBA c/o ON4UN
Hungary              1    Hungarian DX Club
Bulgaria             1    LZ1JY
Subtotal            45
Returning champs     1
Wild-card teams      6
Total teams         52

The WRTC-96 Team Selection Committee will issue a supplemental press release announcing the selecting entities for France and The Netherlands as soon as arrangements for those countries are finalized.

According to K3EST, "We first tried to find one or more national contest clubs in each country to name its Team Leaders. In some cases we identified an individual instead, generally the IARU society's HF Contest Manager or some other respected individual in the contest community. We're looking for team members who have won major contests at the world, continent, country or zone level. They will be up against many of the best contesters in the world and should be capable of competing on both CW and SSB at that level."

WILD CARD TEAMS

Wild-card teams provide an opportunity for contesters who are not residents of Invited Countries, and for residents of Invited Countries who are not otherwise selected, to participate in WRTC-96. Applications for the Wild-card Team Leader positions, along with a statement of the applicant's qualifications, must be sent directly to the WRTC-96 Team Selection Committee. Wild-card Team Leaders will select Partners from the same continent. The Wild-card selection process will begin after the national selection process is completed.

DEADLINES

Contesters interested in participating in WRTC-96 have the opportunity to be selected as a national Team Leader or Partner or as a Wild-card Team Leader or Partner.

For Invited Country teams, the WRTC-96 Team Selection Committee should be notified of the selection of each Team Leader by December 15, 1995, including name, call sign, mailing address, e-mail address (if available) and telephone number. Each Team Leader must notify the WRTC-96 Team Selection Committee of the selected Partner's name and other information by January 15, 1996. If team information is not submitted by these deadlines, the country may lose the allocation which then would revert to the Wild-card pool.

Wild-card team applications must be sent directly to the WRTC-96 Team Selection Committee and be received by February 1, 1996. Wild-card Team Leaders will be named by February 15, 1996 and all applicants will be notified. Each Wild-card Team Leader must notify the WRTC-96 Team Selection Committee of the identity of the Wild-card Partner by March 1, 1996.

For additional information about WRTC-96, contact Rusty Epps, W6OAT at 651 Handley Trail, Redwood City, CA 94062, USA or via e-mail.


WRTC-96 PRESS RELEASE #5


Redwood City, CA March 10, 1996
WRTC-96 ANNOUNCES SELECTION OF WILDCARD TEAM LEADERS

The Team Selection Committee of World Radiosport Team Championship, Inc. (WRTC-96), host of the 1996 World Radiosport Team Championship competition, today announced selection of the ten Wildcard Team Leaders. Each Wildcard Team Leader has until March 20, 1996 to complete the two-operator team by selecting a Partner from anywhere on the Team Leader's same continent.

In alphabetical order, the Wildcard Team Leaders are:

 Wildcard Team #1       9A9A 
 Wildcard Team #2       DJ6QT
 Wildcard Team #3       I2VXJ
 Wildcard Team #4       K4UEE
 Wildcard Team #5       NP4Z
 Wildcard Team #6        T93A 
 Wildcard Team #7        UN2L
 Wildcard Team #8        UW3AA
 Wildcard Team #9        WN4KKN
 Wildcard Team #10       ZS6EZ

The WRTC, first held in Seattle, WA in 1990, will pit 52 two-person teams comprised of some of the world's top contest operators in a head to head competition during the IARU HF World Championship contest on July 13, 1996. To emphasize operator ability, each team will run the same amount of power and operate from stations having similar terrain and antenna systems and located in the same geographical area.

For additional information about WRTC-96, contact Rusty Epps, W6OAT at 651 Handley Trail, Redwood City, CA 94062, USA or via e-mail Rusty Epps, W6OAT.


WRTC-96 PRESS RELEASE #6


Redwood City, CA March 11, 1996

WRTC-96 ANNOUNCES INITIAL CORPORATE SPONSORS SEEKS INDIVIDUAL DONORS

World Radiosport Team Championship, Inc. (WRTC-96), host of the 1996 World Radiosport Team Championship competition, announced it has received initial commitments of financial sponsorship totaling over $50,000 from Icom, Yaesu, Ham Radio Outlet, Shell Oil Company, the Northern California DX Foundation (NCDXF), CQ Magazine and several individuals and smaller businesses. Recently incorporated as a California non-profit public benefit corporation, WRTC-96 now is seeking additional donations from businesses and individuals in support of its projected $90,000 expense budget.

Fifty-two teams of top amateur radio contest operators from around the globe will travel to the San Francisco Bay area July 10-15, 1996 to compete head to head in WRTC-96. The two-operator teams include not only contesters who have won world or continental championships from their own countries but also the defending champions from WRTC-90, held in Seattle, WA in 1990. The teams will operate matched stations in the 1996 IARU HF World Championship contest to determine the "best of the best." A group of twenty-one judges, themselves a Who's Who of international contest winners from around the world, will oversee the competition and confirm the results.

WRTC-96 competitors will be responsible for bringing their own equipment and providing their own transportation to the San Francisco Bay area. WRTC-96 plans to pay for their local lodging, meals, transportation, public events and awards during the week of the contest.

Earlier this week, WRTC-96 sent requests for corporate support in a letter signed by its CEO, Bob Ferrero W6RJ, and its Treasurer, Dave Leeson W6QHS, to some fifty additional amateur radio businesses. However, any corporation or business wishing to support WRTC-96 may send a donation by check to WRTC-96, Post Office Box 1, Los Altos, CA 94022.

Treasurer W6QHS said that WRTC-96 also seeks donations from clubs and individuals. "For a $1,000 contribution you can sponsor a specific team or hospitality event under your name and call. That's a great way for a club, an individual or even a group of friends pooling their resources to assist the WRTC effort. And of course, if a $1,000 contribution is beyond your budget, we certainly will appreciate whatever amount you can contribute."

To help WRTC-96 raise funds, the Northern California DX Foundation has established a special account to receive tax-deductible donations of $100 or more from individuals. Donations to this account should be made by checks payable to NCDXF, but with the notation "WRTC-96," and mailed to the WRTC-96 Fund, NCDXF, P.O. Box 2368, Stanford, CA 94309-2368, USA. Donors to this fund will receive a one-year NCDXF membership.

Staff members of WJET-TV, an ABC affiliate in Erie, PA, have generously volunteered to produce a professional video of the event with the intent of airing it on network TV. They also plan to make a version of that video available to amateur radio clubs and individuals.

Speaking for all the WRTC-96 volunteers, CEO W6RJ expressed the hope that "a substantial number of radio amateurs, especially contesters, will participate as sponsors of this exciting event which will bring amateurs from all over the world together in the spirit of good will. We're counting on your support."

For information on sponsorship, contact Dave Leeson, W6QHS.

For additional information about WRTC-96, contact Rusty Epps, W6OAT at 651 Handley Trail, Redwood City, CA 94062, USA or via e-mail Rusty Epps, W6OAT.


WRTC-96 PRESS RELEASE #7


April 3, 1996
WRTC-96 ANNOUNCES SELECTION OF TEAM MEMBERS

WRTC-96, Inc. announced today selection of the 104 team members who will compete in the World Radiosport Team Championship competition scheduled for July 13 and 14, 1996. The WRTC competitors will enter the IARU HF World Championship contest as 52 two-person multi-operator, single-transmitter entries. All 52 teams will be located near San Francisco Bay on flat terrain in relatively close physical proximity so as to minimize propagation differences, and all will run 100 watts output to nearly identical antenna systems. By eliminating many of the station and propagation variables normally associated with radio contesting, the WRTC strives to present a meaningful head to head competition in which the winners can rightfully claim to be "the best of the best."

The WRTC competition will begin at 12:00 UTC on Saturday, July 13 and run until 06:00 UTC on Sunday, July 14. The WRTC teams will operate both cw and ssb on 40, 20, 15 and 10 meters and may be contacted once on each band-mode (i.e., 8 contacts are possible with each WRTC station). The WRTC stations will be easy to identify because they will be using distinctive "1x1" callsigns specially approved by the Federal Communications Commission for the competition. Those callsigns will be W6A through W6Z and K6A through K6Z. In addition to the regular IARU HF Championship awards, there will be a whole family of separate achievement awards available to those who work the requisite numbers of WRTC stations.

Twenty-two teams operated in the first WRTC competition which was held in Seattle, WA in 1990. Eleven competitors in this year's event, including Defending Champions K1AR and K1DG, are veterans of WRTC-90. Their callsigns are noted with asterisks in the competitors' listing:

 1. Defending Champs  K1AR*  + K1DG*
 2. Team Argentina    LU6ETB + LW9EUJ
 3. Team Australia    VK5GN  + VK2AYD
 4. Team Belgium      ON6TT  + ON4WW
 5. Team Brazil       PY5CC  + PY0FF
 6. Team Bulgaria     LZ1SA  + LZ2PO*
 7. Team Canada #1    VE3EJ  + VE3IY
 8. Team Canada #2    VE7NTT + VE7CC*
 9. Team Czech Rep.   OK1CF  + OK2PAY
10. Team Finland      OH2IW  + OH1JT
11. Team France       F6FGZ  + F5MUX
12. Team Germany #1   DK3GI  + DL1IAO
13. Team Germany #2   DL5XX* + DL1VJ
14. Team Hungary      HA0DU  + HA0MM*
15. Team Italy #1     IN3QBR + IT9TQH
16. Team Italy #2     IT9BLB + IT9VDQ
17. Team Japan #1     JE1JKL*+ JH7WKQ
18. Team Japan #2     JH4NMT + JE3MAS
19. Team Japan #3     JH4RHF + JA8RWU
20. Team Japan #4     JH7PKU + JO1BMV
21. Team Lithuania    LY2IJ  + LY1DS
22. Team Poland #1    SP6AZT + SP9FKQ
23. Team Poland #2    SP9IJU + SP9HWN
24. Team Russia #1    RV1AW  + RW1AC
25. Team Russia #2    UA3DPX + RZ9UA
26. Team Slovenia     S59A   + S56A
27. Team Spain #1     EA4KR  + EA1AK
28. Team Spain #2     EA7TL  + EA9KB
29. Team Sweden       SM3DMP + SM3CER
30. Team UK           G3OZF  + GI0NWG
31. Team Ukraine      UT4UZ  + UT1IA*
32. Team USA #1       K1KI   + K3UA
33. Team USA #2       K3LR   + WA8YVR
34. Team USA #3       K4BAI  + KM9P
35. Team USA #4       K6LL   + N2IC
36. Team USA #5       K8CC   + K5GO
37. Team USA #6       KF3P   + KR2J
38. Team USA #7       KR0Y*  + K1TO
39. Team USA #8       N6TV   + K7SS
40. Team USA #9       W2GD   + W0UA
41. Team USA #10      WX3N   + K5ZD
42. Team Yugoslavia   YU1RL* + YT1AD
43. Wildcard #1       5B4ADA + S53R
44. Wildcard #2       9A9A   + 9A3GW
45. Wildcard #3       DJ6QT* + DJ2YA
46. Wildcard #4       I2VXJ  + I4UFH
47. Wildcard #5       K4UEE  + N6IG
48. Wildcard #6       NP4Z   + WC4E
49. Wildcard #7       RU3AA  + RV3AJ
50. Wildcard #8       UN2L   + UN4L
51. Wildcard #9       WN4KKN + N6TR
52. Wildcard #10      ZS6EZ  + ZS6NW

For additional information about WRTC-96, contact Rusty Epps, W6OAT at 651 Handley Trail, Redwood City, CA 94062, USA or via e-mail Rusty Epps, W6OAT.

Past press releases and related WRTC information are available by sending an e-mail message to wrtc-info@dumpty.nal.go.jp with the two commands #GET HELP and #GET INDEX on separate lines within the body of the messge. You also may access the WRTC-96 Worldwide Web site at:

http://www.jps.net/k6xx


WRTC-96 PRESS RELEASE #8


Redwood City, CA May 25, 1996
WRTC-96 ANNOUNCES CHINESE AND LATVIAN EXHIBITION TEAMS

Two exhibition teams have been added to the lineup of stations which will be active in connection with the World Radiosport Team Championship competition on July 13 and 14, 1996. Attending from the People's Republic of China will be BA1OK and BA4RC plus their coach/observer BA1FB. The PRC team will operate WRTC using the callsign AH3D. Attending from Latvia will be YL2KL and YL3DW who will sign AH3C in the competition. Although these two exhibition teams will not be competing with the 52 official teams (which will be using the 1x1 callsigns W6A through W6Z and K6A through K6Z), they nonetheless will be operating from relatively similar stations and generally observing the same rules as the 52 official teams. Anyone working AH3C or AH3D during the competition may count these stations as "wildcards" for the purpose of qualifying for the commemorative deck of WRTC playing cards available to those who contact all 52 different 1x1 WRTC callsigns. AH3C and AH3D may be substituted for any two 1x1 callsigns otherwise missed.

For additional information about WRTC-96, contact Rusty Epps, W6OAT at 651 Handley Trail, Redwood City, CA 94062, USA or via e-mail Rusty Epps, W6OAT. Past press releases and related WRTC information are available by sending an e-mail message to wrtc-info@dumpty.nal.go.jp with the two commands #GET HELP and #GET INDEX on separate lines within the body of the message. You also may access the WRTC-96 Worldwide Web site at http://www.jps.net/k6xx


Frequently Asked Questions


WRTC `96 will happen this coming July 10-15 in the San Francisco Bay Area. This will be a major event in the unfolding history of amateur radio. We expect that hundreds, if not thousands, of people will be involved in WRTC in some capacity. This Q & A has been developed to try to anticipate the most likely questions people will have about the event. While this document has been prepared specifically to assist the people who will be traveling to the San Francisco area for the event, others who will not be coming may find useful information here as well. This is being distributed for informational purposes only.

Further information can be obtained from Rusty Epps, W6OAT, Publicity Chairman for WRTC '96.

GENERAL:

Q:  What is the calendar of events during this period?
A:  Some of the events are still being planned and will depend 
    at least in part on the level of funding we receive.  
    Nevertheless, we do have a well-defined outline of events. 
    See the WRTC-96 Schedule.
Q:  I'm a competitor [judge] and just can't take that much time 
    away from work.  When must I be there in order to 
    participate?
A:  Clearly, we would like to have both judges and competitors 
    here for the whole event.  WRTC is much more than just a 
    contest; it is a rare opportunity to build new relationships 
    and rekindle old ones.  Where this is not possible, though, 
    we must still require competitors to be here at least from 
    the Friday morning breakfast through the Sunday evening 
    awards banquet.  Judges should contact K4VX to make 
    arrangements if they can't be here for the whole event.
Q:  What is the cost?
A:  One of the guiding principles the organizers have followed 
    is that expenses of judges or competitors should be minimal 
    from the time they arrive in the San Francisco area, per the 
    above schedule of events, through the Monday winery tour and 
    their return to the airport for the trip home. We can 
    arrange a host family for each judge and each competitor who 
    requests this, and the host family will provide living 
    quarters at no charge.  Likewise, we can provide local 
    transportation for judges and competitors to attend the WRTC 
    events.  Most meals will be provided at no cost for judges 
    and competitors.
Q:  I'm a competitor [judge] and I want to bring my family or 
    friends with me.  What is the cost for them?
A:  We are still in the planning stage on this issue and our 
    final plans will depend largely on the level of funding the 
    organizers can obtain.  It is probable, though, that we will 
    charge an amount equal to our costs for guests of judges and 
    competitors and for all other visitors to at least some of 
    the events.  For example, we expect to charge $30 for each 
    person attending the awards banquet who is not a judge, a 
    competitor, or a member of the organizing committee.  The 
    major costs for judges and competitors in bringing guests 
    with them will be in housing and transportation.  
    Unfortunately, we will not be able to provide housing and 
    cannot guarantee that we can provide local transportation 
    for those judges and competitors traveling with family or 
    friends.
Q:  If the WRTC Committee can't provide housing or if I prefer 
    to stay in a hotel, then where should I stay?
A:  We have made arrangements with a centrally-located hotel to 
    set aside a large block of rooms for WRTC attendees and to 
    guarantee a favorable rate.  We expect this hotel will 
    become the central site for many of the informal gatherings 
    during WRTC.  The hotel was recently refurbished, has a 
    brand new restaurant and bar, and has a beautiful swimming 
    pool and patio area.  The guaranteed rate is $42.95 + tax 
    for one person or $48.95 + tax for two persons.  This hotel 
    is the Motel 6 at 1101 Shoreline Rd., Belmont CA 94002.  For 
    reservations, call 415-591-1471 or FAX 415-593-6415.  When 
    you call, be sure to identify yourself as a WRTC attendee.  
    The block of rooms they have set aside for WRTC will only be 
    held until May 15, so be sure to make your reservations 
    before then.  July is the height of tourist season in San 
    Francisco, so hotel rooms will be at a premium at that time.
Further Hotel Details.

Q:  When I make airline reservations, do I have to fly into San 
    Francisco?
A:  There are three major airports in the San Francisco bay area 
    and all are within reasonable commuting distance.  Besides 
    the San Francisco International Airport (approximately 15 
    minutes drive from the WRTC hotel), there is also the San 
    Jose Airport (about 25 minutes drive) and the Oakland 
    Airport (about 40 minutes drive). 
Q:  What kinds of problems with my equipment can I expect when I 
    pass through U.S. Customs.
A:  There is no restriction in the United States on possession 
    of radio equipment or computers.  If your equipment 
    accompanies you on your travel, then it will simply be 
    treated the same as your other personal gear.  You will have 
    to contact U.S. Customs for further information, though, if 
    you intend to ship your equipment separately.  

Q:  I'm a competitor [judge], flying by myself, and will need 
    somebody to pick me up at the airport.  Whom do I contact?
A:  The chairman of the Housing and Transportation Committee is 
Dick Dievendorff, AA6MC
    or write him via postal mail at	
                   1211 Janis Way	
                   San Jose, CA 95125-4050	
                   U.S.A
    Dick's group is coordinating all volunteer housing and local 
    transportation assistance.
Q:  I'm a competitor [judge].  What information do you need from 
    me?
A:  The most important piece of information we need is how to 
    contact you most efficiently!  If you have an email address, 
    please make sure we have it on file.  As we proceed with our 
    planning there will inevitably arise more questions we will 
    need to ask.  Likewise, we will want to keep you updated on 
    any changes.  The information we most need from you right 
    now is related to capacity planning.  Will you be here for 
    the whole event, or just a part?  Are you bringing guests 
    with you, and will they be attending the events? Do you need 
    us to provide housing and local transportation for you?  Do 
    you have any special needs we should know about to help us 
    better plan your stay?  Please let us know your plans.  You 
    can send this data to Dick Dievendorff, AA6MC

Q:  I'm neither a judge nor a competitor.  What do I do when I 
    get to the airport?
A:  First of all, we may still be able to help.  Check with 
    AA6MC.  You may wish to consider obtaining a rental car; 
    there are several agencies at each the airport.  If  you 
    know where you're going (e.g. the WRTC motel), you may wish 
    to take one of the group limousines.  These are minivans 
    which carry up to 10 people and will take each person to his 
    destination.  These vans pass regularly through the airport 
    drop-off area and can be identified by their distinctive 
    signage.  At the San Francisco airport, look for Blue and 
    Gold Line.  The cost is only a fraction of the cost of 
    taking a taxi cab.
Q:  What kind of weather should I expect?  What kind of clothing 
    should I bring?
A:  The San Francisco bay area is famous for its microclimates.  
    The temperature in most of the bay area will be in the low 
    80's F (27-30 C) during the day and down to the low 70's F 
    (21-23 C) at night.  The city of San Francisco is often 
    windy, foggy, and up to 15 degrees F (8 degrees C) cooler 
    than the surrounding bay area.  An evening temperature of 
    55F (13C) in downtown San Francisco is very likely, as is a 
    daytime high of 90F (32C) in the surrounding bay area.  You 
    will need to be prepared for rapid temperature swings like 
    this as you move from one area to another.  The probability 
    of rain in July is near zero.  Expect to see deep blue sky 
    with very few clouds.
STATIONS:Q:  As a competitor, when can I start working on my station and 
    what can I expect?
A:  We plan to assign station sites to competitors by random 
    drawing at our meeting on Friday morning, July 12.  It is 
    our goal that the stations will be as nearly alike as we can 
    possibly make them.  Each station will have a tribander at 
    40'-50' and an inverted-V or dipole for 40 meters.  You 
    should expect to find two coax cables terminated with PL259 
    male connectors waiting for you, one connected to each 
    antenna.  The tribander will have a rotator and the coax 
    should be in good shape.  We do not want the competitors 
    doing any antenna work.  If you detect problems with your 
    antenna installation during the check-out period on Friday, 
    you should immediately contact one of the judges rather than 
    go to work on it yourself.  Competitors are specifically 
    prohibited from going outside and erecting their own 
    antenna.  In addition to the coaxes, you will have 110VAC 
    outlets with USA-standard plug receptacles.  If you plan on 
    bringing equipment which requires a different voltage, you 
    should contact the Chairman of the Technical Committee ahead 
    of time to discuss it.  This person is Bob Cox, K3EST.  Bob 
    can be reached at K3EST@netcom.com.
    Competitors will bring all of their own rigs and their own 
    computers.  You will be allowed to have one and only one 
    radio designated as the transmitting radio; a second radio 
    may be used for listening only.  You may not use information 
    from either VHF or HF spotting networks, so don't plan on 
    bringing your own packet system.  You will probably want to 
    bring your own paddles and headphones.  In addition, you may 
    wish to have your own antenna switch, but note that you may 
    use only a single SPDP coax switch.  If there is any of this 
    equipment you would like us to provide you, please contact 
    K3EST ahead of time with this information.  For instance, 
    you may want to bring your own keyboard but have us supply 
    the computer and monitor; you may want to bring your own 
    computer but have us provide the monitor.  Many things are 
    possible, but they will require advance arrangements.  In 
    the absence of any such arrangements, you should expect to 
    see only two coaxs, the rotator control, and some 110VAC 
    outlets.
Q:  How much variation will there be among the different 
    stations?
A:  The WRTC Station Selection Committee is doing everything it 
    can to ensure all of the stations are of equal capabilities, 
    but we do realize the impossibility of having exactly equal 
    stations.  All of the stations will be located on flat 
    ground, without any topographical advantage.  All of them 
    will be within about 40 miles of each other and all will be 
    in the bay area.  We will test each location beforehand for 
    line noise and other noise interference.   
Q:  When will I know the callsign I will use in the competition?  
    How will that callsign be selected?
A:  The callsigns will be assigned at random during the Friday 
    morning breakfast meeting.

Q:  How much power can I run?
A:  Stations will be limited to 100w output (on SSB, PEP) from 
    the rig.  The WRTC Technical Committee reserves the right to 
    place a power meter in-line in order to monitor the power 
    level.
Q:  Will each station have a judge?
A:  We will have a designated station monitor at each station 
    for the duration of the contest.  This person will be an 
    official judge or referee.
Q:  Will the contest be recorded?
A:  There will be an audio recorder at each of the stations, and 
    all 18 hours of the competition will be recorded.  The 
    station monitor will supervise the equipment used for 
    recording.  
Q:  Can my team use two radios simultaneously?
A:  A maximum of two radios may be used by each team, but one of 
    the two radios must be designated the transmitting radio.  
    Thereafter, the second radio may not be used as a 
    transmitter without the agreement of the station monitor, 
    and that should happen only as the result of an equipment 
    failure of the primary transmitter.  The second radio may be 
    used to listen only.  
Q:  Is computer logging permitted?  Is it required?
A:  Your team can perform logging on paper or via computer.  
    This is strictly optional.  However, all submissions will be 
    via computer log.  Logs must be turned over to the judges 
    immediately upon completion of the contest.  If your team 
    has maintained a paper log, then one of the judges will 
    proceed to enter your log via computer.  A member of your 
    team must be present during this process to answer any 
    questions which may arise as a result of illegibility.

Q:  Can my team use a second computer?  Can a second computer be 
    linked to the computer directly connected to the 
    transmitter?
A:  No, only one computer system serving a single user is 
    permitted.  The reason for this is that we want to minimize 
    the amount of equipment which participants must bring (from 
    conceivably long distances) and still be competitive in this 
    event.  
Q:  What logging software am I allowed to use?
A:  In April, each team will be provided with special versions 
    of CT, Trlog, and NA.  The team can choose among these three 
    the software that they will use during the contest.  There 
    will be no charge for this software.    
Q:  What facilities will be provided at the station?
A:  We are asking the station hosts to provide some facilities 
    for sleeping over the Friday night before the contest.  This 
    might range from a simple cot in the operating room to a 
    separate bedroom.  Toilet facilities will be available.  
    Kitchen facilities are likely to vary widely from station to 
    station and at some stations the only food available may be 
    from boxed lunches.  Our goal is to equalize the radio 
    propagation capabilities of the stations; we are not 
    attempting to equalize the degree of luxury and comfort as 
    well!
Q:  Will there be a problem with smoking during the contest?
A:  This is, of course, at the discretion of the station host.  
    In general, Californians are less tolerant of tobacco smoke 
    than people in other parts of the U.S. and the U.S. is less 
    tolerant than most European nations.  You should not depend 
    on being allowed to smoke at your host station.  If this 
    would pose a major problem for you, you should advise us of 
    this beforehand.  We will attempt to make some accommodation 
    here, but we can make no guarantees that this will be 
    possible.
RULES:(Note:  The official rules of the competition are available: RULES.
The following comments are provided only for further clarification.)
Q:  Will all stations be tape recorded?
A:  Yes, all 18 hours will be recorded.
Q:  Will I be able to use PacketCluster? 
A:  Packet radio in any form will not be allowed.  Competitors 
    may not use any form of spotting assistance other than their 
    second (receiving) radio. 
Q:  Will any type of prearranged schedules be permitted? 
A:  No.
Q:  Will there be any rule dealing with "unique QSOs"? 
A:  The judges will decide if a unique QSO is real, "padding" 
    by certain individuals/clubs, or no good.  They can decide 
    OK or not OK.  Their decision is final.  The judges must 
    provide a reason for removal of any unique QSOs.  There is 
    no penalty for removal of unique QSOs.  A tape recorder will 
    provide confirmation of unique QSOs.

Q:  What is the penalty for a "busted" callsign in my log? 
A:  For every confirmed bad call removed from a log, a penalty 
    of 3 more QSOs of similar point value will be removed (total 
    of 4 QSOs removed).

NON-COMPETITORS:Q:  I'm not a WRTC team member but I want to operate in the 
    contest.  What can I do?
A:  You can enter the IARU contest in any category you choose.  
    During the contest, we encourage you to contact as many of 
    the WRTC teams as you can on as many band/mode combinations 
    as possible.  Several different categories of awards will be 
    announced for contacting a defined number of WRTC teams and 
    for making a defined number of contacts with WRTC teams.  We 
    expect to make this an exciting event for non-WRTC team 
    members as well as the WRTC competitors themselves. See Awards for 
    full details.

Q: Whom do I contact for further information?

A: Following is a list of the primary organizers together with their email addresses. All are good in the Call Book. If you are a competitor or judge and your question pertains to your own individual situation, you should expect a prompt response to any question. If your question is regarding a clarification of the rules of the competition, then we will not respond to you directly but rather will circulate your question and our response to all the competitors.

Contacts