Croatian DX Club, 9A1A, had pleasure to host the second event of IARU Region 1 Youngsters Contesters Programme. Young contesters came from Austria and Hungary and to them joined members of our youngsters 9A1RBZ contesting team.

Saturday morning was spent for introduction of location facilities. Their mentors Ivica- Braco,9A7R, and Nikola, 9A5W explained how 9A1A had built station and what is philosophy of equipment and antennas set-up. Heavy rain stopped longer stay outside to look in detail how antenna systems are installed.

Contest team was Flo (OE3FTA), Tomi (HA8RT), Mihaela (9A7MIM), Petar (9A5CPP), Domagoj (9A7CDZ), Eugen (9A5AEV) and Hungarian beginner Gabor. On Sunday joined them Mateo, 9A5CMM. Call 9A1RBZ was used. Equipment set up was as it is for Multi-Multi, with no inband addition,  but with use of Multi-single contest rules. Unfortunately propagation conditions were very bad on 10 and 15M, those two bands were closed almost whole time. In addition heavy raining on Saturday/Sunday evening caused a lot of noise on 80M band.
But score achieved is promising to have top result between five non Scandinavians.

The whole contest they worked alone, supervision from 9A7R and 9A5W was almost no needed. Only to give advice regarding use of antenna systems, band openings and importance of asking multipliers for band exchange. As some of them know each other from YOTA events free time during contest was nicely used to talk and making jokes between themselves and enjoy in good food prepared by 9A7R.

Event impressions are excellent one. Immediately a question was on the table :
„ Which contest is next one ?“

As all of them like SSB mode, RTTY not so much, within 9A1A we decided to offer to them and other Region 1 youngsters participation in OK-OM DX Contest SSB. Event is on April 9/10th 2016. Contest has duration of 24 hours and it is world wide and it has Multi-Two category which can give more fun then Multi-Single in case of bigger number of participants.

Event was closed in Sunday afternoon hours on „Domestic way“ prepared grill in Velika Gorica, city 17 km far from contest location and which was starting point for come back to home for OE3FLA, HA8RT and Gabor. Lunch was nice occasion again to exchange contest impressions and their future plans in amateur radio.

                                                                                                Nikola Perčin , 9A5W

9A1A contest location is in village Kozjača, located about 40km SE from Zagreb or 20 km from Zagreb Airport. Station is constructed for Multi – Multi operation, and such installation permits MS, M2 or SO SB contest participation. Station set up includes to be on air in SO SB category in same time on all six bands.

There are 4 antenna towers, 2 times 36 meters, one 40m and one 26m height.
Shack has 62,5m2 including operating room, small bath room, kitchen and sleeping room.
The whole infrastructure is built in accordance to Croatian law. It passed „Technical Acceptance Test” and it has „Usage permit“ issued by appropriate authorities.
That means „No problem with any possible complaints from neighbours“ !

Antenna installation has 36 various antennas. Antenna systems are selected by antenna switchers, antenna rotation is in use in rare situations.

9A1A has two contest teams.
The first one is consisted by all club members having good contesting skills, and team includes our youngsters too. 9A1A call is in use.
Guest operators from all over the world are always welcome.

Second team is youngsters’ team.
They started in amateur radio as second grade students of Technical school Ruđer Bošković, Zagreb. Some of them are now on University, some of them are still school students.
In contests they are using call 9A1RBZ. They are in age between 16 and 20.
9A1RBZ is call for station installed in school. Croatian Amateur Radio sub law permits use of any call on other location with power limits given in licence of host station, and that is why they are using 9A1RBZ call.

9A1RBZ members have been world winners as team or single band operators in EA RTTY Contest 2014, SCC RTTY Championship 2014, YO DX HF Contest 2014. They have been on top list two times in UBA DX Contest SSB, years 2014 and 2015.
Claimed scores in SCC RTTY Championship 2015 shows to be world winner again.

From this year starting with SAC SSB Contest 9A1RBZ will participate in IARU Region 1 „Youth Contesting Program“ – YCP.

In SAC SSB 9A1RBZ team members are :
OE3FTA, Florian
HA8RT,Tomi
9A7MIM, Mihaela
9A7MSM, Marija
9A7CDZ, Domagoj
9A5CPP, Petar

Maybe some others will join them.

Youngsters from IARU R1 are welcome to participate in 9A1RBZ contest team.
Next contest planned is EA RTTY Contest 2016.
Actions will be coordinated with Lisa, PA2LS IARU R1 Youth WG Chairman.

view to contest location

Mihaela, 9A7MIM

First IARU YCP program started Friday, when 14 HAM radio operators from five counties meet on Obosnik, at 4O3A Super-station, highest hill in Boka KotorskaBay, Montenegro. They setup a station for Multi Two, and had first on site presentation and introducing of station layout. IARU Youngster team is running last 6 hours of CQWW RTTY contest. They are fighting for first place in Multi Two category, supervised and instructed in fly by group of Slovenian experienced operators. Whatever score they will make, experience and knowledge they will take back home is invaluable.

Monday, 28th September all group will have daily trip to see Montenegro beauty, and will visit Montenegrin Agency for Telecommunication in Podgorica capital.