At this year's VHF meeting in Holice, an interesting proposal was made for the winter QRP races. Since I took part in the Christmas race several times from Lišča hora in the Krkonoše mountains, where I ran on cross-country skis with the equipment in my backpack, installed a station in the snow and wrote in a diary with emaciated hands, I know what it entails.
I proposed the conditions as a kind of compromise between Iron Man (rather Yeti) and "greaseman". Unfortunately, we've mellowed a bit over the years, so I can't drive everyone out into the cold and snow at once - that would be a particularly massive loss of radio amateurs.
Propositions only briefly, the rest as in the summer Classic QRP race.
– Deadline: First Sunday in February, 1st stage 09.00 - 11.00 UTC on 432 MHz, 2nd stage 11.00 - 13.00 UTC on 144 MHz. Each stage will be evaluated separately.
It takes place in Germany at that time Winter BBT contest, raz som sa doň omylom priplietol v sobotu na Klínovci na 1296 MHz a nestíhal som zapisovať do logu. V živote prvýkrát som na tomto pásme musel použiť výzvy podľa čísel :=))) Žiaľ, pásmo 1296 MHz nenadväzuje, je v sobotu, a nechcem preteky naťahovať na dva dni. V OK1 bude rozhodne čo robiť, z OK2 to zase budú dlhšie štreky. Rušenie by malo byť minimálne, „prskanie“ hrozí len pri chumelenici.
I would be interested in your opinion on the joint evaluation of both stages by a simple sum of points. I don't think that nowadays 432 MHz is technically and operationally so much more complex than 144 MHz that connections have to be evaluated differently. Most devices handle both bands.
– The only category, Multi and Single together.
I don't think there will be enough of us initially to create more categories. Moreover, during two, at most four hours, there is practically no need to take turns - especially if the operator uses "antifreeze". The disadvantage is then only a slightly more adventurous descent on cross-country skis from the selected hill. I do not consider help with the construction of the antenna as help during the race.
– Power max. 10 W
– Power supply of all equipment necessary for operation (TCVR, rotator, bug, PC ...) only from chemical sources; during the race they can only be recharged from solar cells or mechanical resources powered by human power.
Simply - what you bring to the hill, you have there. It's a wireless connection, so what's the use of wires stretched somewhere in a socket. If you want to warm up by spinning the "kitten", you have the option.
– QTH any, there may be an electric current on the dimension.
There are few hills where there is no longer a house or a BTS of some operator. You can easily broadcast from a warm hotel room - but be careful, power the device only from chemical sources, that always applies! I rely on your sense of fair play. Likewise, you can stick the "broomstick" (antenna) out of the window only on Friday.
– Antennas they must be built no earlier than the Friday before the race.
So that the race would be a bit rough after all. Otherwise, stations with ten tons of aluminum on a forest of masts, fed by the respective HP herd, would still win. I have no objection to such stations in sub-regional races - it takes a lot of work and even more money to build all that - but this is supposed to be a slightly different race. Building and anchoring anything larger in the snow is very difficult, what takes an hour in the summer takes a whole day in the winter - and in a snowstorm one feels like Sisyphus - probatum est.
I am asking for opinions and comments on the proposed propositions. My email is ok1dom@seznam.cz, also a discussion on the web OK2KKW could be the right place. And not to forget - I expect to evaluate the race. However, if someone wants to evaluate the race and commits to doing it for a long time, I will gladly leave this honor to him.
Mirek OK1DOM