Over the last year and a half the topic of WRTC came up a few times (at least here and here). Even the highest bidder for my teammate position was talking about it. Sorry to let you down bro!
Until a few months ago, I gave myself a fair chance to qualify as one out of five Team Leaders for this part of Europe. I had been in the top 5 of qualifying scores since the beginning. This is what triggered my WRTC-hunger. I would never have considered going there if I would have been in the middle of the pack. But no – there I am on top of the pack. With each update my score grows and I maintain a top 5 position. Until the last official contest scores were published and were added to the WRTC qualifying score. I dropped to #10 and got beaten by a shitload of M/x scores.
I just spent an hour typing a long rant about what I think of the M/S score weighting factor for WRTC, something I just don’t get. It involved thoughts like ‘operating coffee machine still take wrtc credit’ and contained sentences like ‘I already predicted this in 2011’. So it soon was heading for a sore loser / cry baby post. This is actually the way I feel about it right now, but it probably is not the way I want the Internet to remember it. In the end I just deleted the whole thing.
Mind you: my contester’s ego is still intact. I don’t question my skills. Whatever those may be. It’s just that the station is too small, the tower not tall enough and the location not enough to the south. It is what it is and I dare everyone to achieve the same with the same means from here. But to make it to WRTC it seems high towers, monobanders and the occasional excursion to a 3pt location is in order. Or just buy your way in for 50k US$. Mom, dad, can I have 50k$ pretty please?
So WRTC yay or nay? This decision now has been made for me, which makes it easier on me. The HAM budget stays intact for 2014. And I won’t be suffering from homesickness next summer. No need to go buy a suitcase (don’t have one, never needed one) or apply for a tourist passport. No need to build coax switching devices and buy exploding triplexers. No need to invest scarce hence precious free time in logistics like packing two LP shacks to take on a plane. And then pay for excess weight.
On the other hand I love to have been there. Just to meet all those people. To do something different in contesting for a change. Bummer.
3 replies on “WRTC selection: the curtain falls”
The winner takes it all… Next rendez-vous in 2018 ! Tokio ?
Apply to be a referee. All of the fun of being there without the stress.
Steve, this thought has crossed my mind but I’m pretty sure I can’t stay awake twenty four hours in a row just sitting down and listening to what others are doing. It’s hard enough when running the contest as an operator.