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ERTC 2014 Final results
· Youth General · Lisa, PA2LS

ETRC 2014 (European Radiosport Team Championship), the youth version of WRTC 2014, was held in Virrat, Finland one week after the Boston WRTC event with 15 three-person youth teams seated in one room in front of their computers and connected to the global Amateur Radio simulator over the internet, all in Virtual Reality. Once again, the latest technology was utilized in Amateur Radio for the benefit of Amateur Radio’s future and by Amateur Radio operators themselves.

In total, ERTC 2014 activated hundreds of young people and licensed radio amateurs in full harmony within the participating 44 countries. ERTC 2014 was a huge success bringing youth and seasoned hams together around the same fireworks in the spirit of international Amateur Radio.

But Mother Nature added to the excitement as a thunderstorm knocked off electricity in the area and power was restored only 5 minutes prior to the start of the contest. It was a Le Mans type of hectic start leaving many teams in the starting grid. The Head Judge, Hans, PB2T, President of IARU Region 1, ruled the first 22 minutes out to give a level playing field to those slow in booting their contest machines and putting their racing helmets on.

When the dust had settled, the following three teams stood on the podium with their medals:

GOLD MEDAL, CZECH REPUBLIC: Sarka Vavrova, OK2SVA (21); Jindrich Kostal, OK1NOR (24) and Jan “Honza” Dohnalek, OK1JD (20)

SILVER MEDAL, ITALY;: Nicola Tonci, IZ6TSA (20); Gabry Iuliani, IT9RGY (26) and Orazio Intagliata, IT9DBF (25)

BRONZE MEDAL, ESTONIA: Keijo Kapp, ES1XQ (17); Tauri Helimets, ES5HTA (18) and Keven Mekk, ES6AXS (18)

As Silver and Bronze teams were less than three multipliers apart, the fact that the S/W platform (HamSphere 3.0) used in the contest logged all QSOs into the system, gave the organizers full confidence in verifying each station and their exchange. Only seven (7) multiplier uniques were found in the database and they did not affect the final rankings.

WE ARE PROUD TO PRESENT ERTC CONTINENTAL WINNERS

Europe: Gaudentas Mozura, LY3BHY

Asia: Faisal Al-Ajmi, 9K2RR

South America: Jairo Ramos Sansone, PU3JAI

Oceania: Eko, 91HS576 (Central Java, Indonesia)

Africa: Tarek Zeidan, SU1TZ

North America: ARRL Centennial, W100AW*

*W100AW was activated by Martti Laine, OH2BH as part of the ARRL Centennial celebrations in Hartford, Connecticut. Thanks (K1ZZ) and congratulations to the American Radio Relay League.

YOTA 2014 & ERTC 2014

ERTC 2014 was part of a European wide youth gathering known as Youngsters On The Air (YOTA) which is held every year in different European Union countries under EU and International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) sponsorship with the aim of bringing youth together in the spirit of cultural exchange and learning from one another in all segments of Amateur Radio, science and electronics. This year fifteen EU countries were represented. ERTC also brought young people together globally over the internet, using Amateur Radio simulation software on a shared platform — all in the natural hangout of today’s youth.

HAMSPHERE (HS) PLATFORM

HS is an Amateur Radio (AR) simulation software package giving a hands-on opportunity to youngsters who wish to experience AR in its natural setting while still busy with their studies and not able to take a ham exam or to invest in actual AR equipment. HS coexists with real AR with true propagation science, QSL collection and a variety of contest formats and related equipment. It offers an experience which will encourage young people to study for a ham license and thus enter our wonderful world of Amateur Radio. The latest breakthrough in the simulation software features real-time propagation and system integrated logging, instant QSLing and awards.

ERTC 2014 PATRON

The ERTC 2014 event was honored to have Professor Rumen Gechev, LZ1MS of WRTC 1990 fame as patron of this first-ever Amateur Radio-like WRTC simulation over the internet. Rumen himself finished 4th in 1990 in the first WRTC held in Seattle, WA. He has subsequently proceeded with life with a highly impressive career as Bulgarian Deputy Prime Minister and currently as Professor in Economics and Sustained Development at the University of National and Word Economy in Sofia, Bulgaria, adding to his Visiting Professor duties at many leading universities. Rumen has not lost interest in Amateur Radio and he was active during ERTC 2014 giving an LZ multiplier to many participating youth teams – including his own Team Bulgaria.

CONTACT INFORMATION FOR PICTURES, CLARIFICATIONS, TEAM & TECHNICAL INTERVIEWS etc:

YOTA 2014: Lisa Leenders, PA2LS, IARU R1 Youth Coordinator

ERTC 2014: Martti Laine, OH2BH, ERTC Coordinator

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GAREC 2014 next month in Alabama USA
· Emergency Comms · Greg, G0DUB

The ARRL Alabama Section and the Huntsville Hamfest Association are proud to announce that the 2014 Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (GAREC) Conference will return to Huntsville, Alabama August 14 – 15, next month! The conference will be held in connection with the 2014 ARRL Southeastern Division Convention/Annual Huntsville Hamfest. The Huntsville Hamfest will be held on Saturday, August 16 and Sunday, August 17, at the Von Braun Convention Center in Huntsville.

The conference will focus on the application of advanced technologies in emergency communications. All interested Amateur Radio operators and professionals are invited to attend.

In 2005, the first Global Amateur Radio Emergency Communications (GAREC) Conference was organized on the initiative of Seppo Sisatto, OH1VR in Tampere, Finland. Following the success of this event and the increased interest in international and regional cooperation on emergency communications, GAREC conferences established themselves as annual events.

For each conference, an organizing committee works together with a local host, and International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) representatives participate in the event. In its 2009 meeting in Christchurch, New Zealand, the IARU Administrative Council defined the relationship between GAREC and IARU by adopting the following recommendations contained in the Statement of the GAREC-2009 Conference: “GAREC 2009 recommends that GAREC conferences should continue to be held in locations throughout the world to the extent possible and should maintain the character of GAREC as an informal meeting among representatives of IARU member societies and of Amateur Radio emergency communications groups within or outside of the respective National IARU Member Society, serving as a forum for the exchange of experience and as an advisory body for the work on emergency communications of the IARU.” http://​www​.iaru​.org/​g​a​r​e​c​.​h​tml

Source — ARRL ARES E‑Letter

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Another Typhoon threatens the Philippines.
· Emergency Comms · Greg, G0DUB

Typhoon Matmo (Henry locally) is centred east of the Philippines and expected to continue to intensify over the next few days to threaten Taiwan, China and south-west islands of Japan.

Philippines Amateur Radio Association Chief Operating Officer, Thelma Pascua DU1IVT said the typhoon comes less than a week after Typhoon Rammasun and immediately follows a DU-Simulated Emergency Test.

Thelma DU1IVT said: “I have again requested our National Traffic System Chairman, Jojo Vicencio to activate the Ham Emergency Radio Operation (HERO) network on 7095 kHz.

“This is due to the effects and proximity of the current Typhoon Matmo (Henry locally). It has been rainy in almost the entire archipelago with threats of landslides and flooding.”

HERO provided help during the recent Typhoon Rammasun (Glenda), a category three storm, that came ashore in the Philippines killed at least 40 people, caused the evacuation of 530,000 and widespread damage.

Matmo formed well east of the Philippines on Thursday, and has gained strength over days to official have minimum strength to be declared a typhoon. The HERO Network of radio amateurs is trained and prepared.

Matmo is expected north of southern China and Vietnam that where Rammasun landed a few days ago.

Super Typhoon Haiyan last year, one of the world’s biggest to have made landfall, killed at least 6,300 people and 1,000 were still missing. About 20 storms hit the Philippines each year. Early attention is also watching a further potential storm that could develop.

-Jim Linton VK3PC, Chairman IARU Region 3 Disaster Communications Committee.

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Youngsters On The Air 2014 Finland
· Youth General · Lisa, PA2LS

At this moment Youngsters On The Air 2014 is taking place in Virrat, Finland. The event will go on till 22 July. The following 15 countries are participating with a youth team: Belgium, Finland, The Netherlands, Lithuania, Estonia, UK, Sweden, Italy, Spain, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Poland, Romania and Croatia.

We will take part in several amateur radio related activities, like ARDF, contesting, making QSO’s and soldering electronic kits. Besides the ham radio part we will work on reaching new competences, for example: improving your language skills and having discussions about cultural awareness, this all because main funder of this youth exchange is Erasmus+ program of European commission. 

Follow us on the YOTA website where we will post updates of the week and make a QSO with us as OH2YOTA.

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Philippines Radio Amateurs activate for Typhoon Rammasun
· Emergency Comms · Greg, G0DUB

The Philippines Amateur Radio Association (PARA) Ham Emergency Radio Operation (HERO) has been activated on July 14th as Typhoon Rammasun (Glenda) affects the Philippines.

PARA President Thelma Pascua DU1IVT advises that the storm if it continues to track as forecast will traverse the western-central portion of the Philippine Sea, making landfall over Camarines Sur in the province located in the Bicol Region in Luzon by Tuesday noon, and then passing over metropolitan Manila by Wednesday morning. Please keep HERO net frequencies of 7.095, 7.119, and 7.151 MHz clear for traffic.

TS Rammasun (Glenda) is expected to continue moving generally westward during the next 24 hours…and will turn west-northwestward by 48 through 72 hours. On the forecast track, the storm will traverse the western-central portion of the Philippine Sea today…making landfall over Camarines Sur by Tuesday noon…and passing over Manila by Wednesday morning. Rammasun (Glenda) will be over the West Philippine Sea exiting the Philippine Area of Responsibility by Thursday morning.

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