[PaQSO] PRTC: A Thought for 2004

[Ron Notarius WN3VAW]

You ever get a feeling that you're on to something and you just can't let it
go?  I've had that feeling ever since I replied to Larry N2OCW a little
while ago.  The germ of the idea was trying to put a 2-person team in every
county for next year's affair -- and how.  I made mention of doing something
on the lines of a local version of the World Radiosport Team Championship
(WRTC) competitions that we've seen over the last few years.  It's been
bugging me ever since; can't even enjoy the baseball game, it's annoying me
so much! <g>.

So here's a thought (not so much as suggested rules but a guideline at this
point in time).
What do you think?

The Contest Within The Contest:  PaQSO [Party] Radio Team Competition (PRTC)
1.    PRTC will take place during and as part of the Pa QSO Party
2.    All rules of the PaQP will be followed.  PRTC teams disqualified from
PaQP are also disqualified from PRTC
3.    PRTC stations will consist of:
    a.    2 person teams (no more, no less) running Portable stations.
    b.    Maximum output power 100 Watts (no linears).  No QRP category.
    c.    Single transmitter only.  (Backup equipment is OK, but only one
transmitter QRV at a time -- and not running the backup transmitter on
another band to hunt for mults.)
    d.    Simple HF antennas, maximum 3 -- dipoles, longwires, beverages,
trap verticals (or equivalent).  No beams, no log periodics, nothing fancy.
Teams choosing to run VHF are permitted a single 2 meter VHF antenna, 70 cm
UHF antenna, or 2/70 dual band antenna  for contest purposes.  V/UHF
antennas used for non-contest communicating are excluded from that count
(ie, you can run a single V/UHF antenna to work contest stations, but if you
want to turn a beam towards your home repeater to talk to your friends, that
one doesn't count -- and is a separate antenna system anyway)
    e.    No packet.
    f.    Stations will be "true" portables.  Borrowing an existing shack
from another amateur or a club station or equivalent is NOT permitted.
Running a mobile station with fixed antennas is not permitted (ie no
potential Rovers).  The idea is that each team will set up it's station from
"scratch" and tear it down when their operation is completed.
    g.    To the best of their ability, each station will be operational for
the entire contest period.  This is not to say that the team can't take a
short break to share a meal, or for related reasons, and it is understood
that Murphy happens.  But the team must be committed to being on the air as
much as possible during the PaQP operating period.
4.    Both operators must be licensed amateurs.  Both must operate; they may
take turns operating, or one may log as the other operates, but BOTH must
participate (no phantom second ops), and for a reasonably significant time
period (not a token one) -- this is a "team" category!  (They would not
necessarily be FCC licensed, but they must be licensed --and if not by the
FCC must have permission to operate in the US)
5.    PRTC teams are only permitted in the 67 Pennsylvania Counties.
Stations QRV from outside PA are not eligible for the PRTC.

Now that's the raw, basic idea.  How far to go with this?  Well, that
depends (remember, we'd want to keep it "fun" and we'd also want to attract
all sorts of ops, not just the "power contester" types)
a.    Charge an entry fee?  Only if this goes towards the cost of prizes
etc. (t-shirts for participants?)
b.    Pre-register teams?
c.    Who determines which teams go where... remember, part of the idea is
to make sure EVERY county is QRV, so you'd want to place one team in every
county before "doubling up."
d.    WRTC had a certain number of teams picked from various countries and
regions of the world, in addition to "at large" teams.  Now I wouldn't want
to go THAT far -- open it to any and all, I say -- but one thought would be
that the members of each team may have to belong to the same club, or be
sponsored by that club.
e.    Do you run with special calls?  IE, would you apply for 1x1 calls to
be used by the teams -- and again, who applies for them and who assigns
them -- or let each team pick their own call to use?  And if they pick their
own, could they use the call of a club they belong to?

Again, I could go into a lot more detail, but not just yet.  I'd like to
hear from some others out there, and if I'm off base, well, it wouldn't be
the first time.  But what a way to attract interest to the contest,
especially with the sun spots on their way down!

73, ron wn3vaw

"Gentlemen!  You can't fight in here!  This is the WAR Room!"