Ural Contest Group Fieldday 2004
(see pictures below)
Starting in the year 2000, Ural Contest Group (UCG) has been organizing a local
competition in WRTC style.
As in WRTC (world radio team championship) the goal is to ensure equal conditions
for every participant.
As we all know, several differences between stations can make contesting quite
an unfair game.
In a normal contest, differences in
- setup (antennas, towers, tranceivers, power)
- terrain (mountaintop or valley location)
- geographic location (propagation varies extremely between north/south pole
and equator locations)
- contest rules favor some locations (being on a continent next to another one)
can make it very difficult to find out if the winner of a contest is really
the best operator or if he just won because of these other factors.
So there is a strong wish among contesters to compete under really equal conditions.
That is why WRTC was born and the same idea lies behind the concept of UCG.
The competition takes place on a large flat strip of land about 100km
south of Chelyabinsk. The strip is about 5km long and 500m wide. The stations
are placed at a distance of 200m from each other and are lined up in a row running
along the North/South axis. The main beaming directions are West (EU), East
(JA) and North (USA). Most of the stations are single-OP, some are multi-OP.
Each of the single-OP stations
are 100% identical:
- a 10m aluminium pole with a spiderbeam on top, a 40m inverted vee below, and
a 100W Transceiver. There were 20 single-op stations this year. In the Multi-OP
class antennas are not so strictly restricted but power is also 100W. There
were 5 Multi-OP stations this year. Most of the stations operate from a tent,
some from their car.
In the beginning of UCG competition, antennas were not 100% identical and it
proved very difficult to state proper and fair rules. By far the best solution
is still to provide equal antennas to every participant. At the same time I
coincidentally started distributing the spiderbeam
construction guide PDF, so they decided it would be possible to build a
large number of those at a relatively low cost.
Nowadays the UCG group is the proud owner of 25 locally made spiderbeams which
are put up each year for the contest. An enthusiastic group of helpful hams
arrives on the site several days before the competition and starts assembling
all the antennas. It was quite a sight for me when I arrived and saw 25 assembled
spiderbeams lying around in a big "spider field" (see picture
below). Then each of us picked his station by drawing a number. This same group
of young men (we called them the "HQ team") then brought all the stuff
to each tent and before you knew it they installed all your antennas and voilá
- ready to go! What a nicely organized sporting event!
The contest takes place during the first 6 hours of the IARU Region 1 CW
Fieldday (21:00h - 03:00h local time).
So most of the stations worked are portable stations from EU. The rules are
WPX rules, with multipliers counted on each band.
There is a referee for each operator who sits next to you and listen
to your whole 6 hours without making a single QSO himself.
Hats off to all the volunteers who did this job!
There are now several other regional clubs in Russia who have adopted
the same style of local competition. So this is the reason for the large
participation of Russian stations you might have noticed during the first 6
hrs of CW FD.
If you think you have the chance of organizing a similar event somewhere in
your country you should definitely try it yourself! It is a unique competition
and a very funny event alltogether. Of course the social aspect is nearly as
much important as the competition itself and the hospitality among the whole
crowd was simply great. I had a real ball meeting so many OMs and YLs from UA9,
UN, UA1/3/4, and being invited to countless meals, delicious soups, barbecues,
and of course one or two vodkas...
The results of the competition can be found here: http://www.qrz.ru/contest/result/902.html
Thanks a million to all who made UCG-2004 such a pleasant adventure for me,
especially to UA9CDC, UA9CLB and his wife Irina, UA9CDV and UA9AR.
73 & cuagn
Con, DF4SA
(click the pictures to enlarge)
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some of the
25 spiderbeams before assembly |
spiderbeam field,
spiders everywhere... |
now everybody choose your weapon...
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and transport it to your location...
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panorama view
with 3 locations visible (200m apart) |
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single op location 1
(op UA9 xxx) |
single op location 1
(op UA9 xxx) |
single op location 1
(op UA9 xxx) |
single op location 1
(op UA9 xxx) |
single op location 1
(op UA9 xxx) |
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single op location 1
(op UA9BA) |
single op location 1
(op UN4L) |
single op location 1
(op UA9 xxx) |
single op location 1
(op UA9 xxx) |
single op location 1
(op RW9DX) UA9CES, xx, RW9DX |
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single op location 16
(op DF4SA) |
most of the HQ team guys
these young men will set up any antenna in record time !! |
multi op location 1
(RK9CWW team, op: RA9CMO, RZ9CO) |
multi op location 2
(op: UA9CDV-CLB) with RA9AE in picture |
multi op location 3
( RK9CXM team, op: UA9CNV, UA9CKS, RV9CQF) |
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whether at breakfast
or during the day... |
...visitors are always welcome, with
a drink or snack
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and a delicious "Solyanka soup"
is never far away
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...or a tasty fish soup
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...prepared by these fine fishermen
(RK9CXM team) |
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back: Andrej, UA9CKS
middle: RZ9CX & XYL?, DF4SA, YL? front: RV9CX, UA9CNV |
The 4 main UCG organizers:
UA9CDV, UA9CLB ... |
... UA9AR and UA9CDC |
RA9AC (main referee) and RA9 xxx - another
busy HQ team member ! |
competitors
RU3AA and RA9AE |
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UA9BA
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RN4WA (winner 2002/03, unfortunately
equipment problems this year)
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RK9CZO club
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...now if the rain would stop
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... we could START the competition...!
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RW9DX operating
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UA9CDV & UA9CLB operating
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RK9CWW team operating
(RZ9CO, RA9CMO) |
RV9CX operating
(and UA9 xx referee) |
UA9BA operating
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DF4SA operating
and RA9 xx referee |
gathering for the award ceremony next
morning
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chief referee RA9AC with all the certificates
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happy first place single op winner RA1AIP
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happy second place winner DF4SA
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and happy third place winner UA9CDC
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group picture
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a little presentation of "spiderbeam
version 2"
after the competition |
spiderman or
fiberglass ninja ? |
who could sleep during
such beautiful nights ? |