RAC Conference 2021: Competitive Amateur Radio Leading Canadians at the World Radiosport Team Championship (WRTC 2023)

Gilles Renucci, VA2EW and Todd Bendtsen, VE5MX

Gilles Renucci, VA2EW

My passion for radio and electronics started when I was 12, leading me to get my first call sign F6FFM at 17 and graduating as an Electronics and Software Engineer at 24. 

I discovered contesting at my Engineering school where an alumni team activated the F3TV school call sign. Professionally, thanks to this technical passion, I created several high-tech companies.

In 2004, I moved to Canada as VE2TZT and later VA2EW. I am very involved in DXing and participated in the TX4T and VP6T DXpeditions. 

I am also active in contesting and have organized many multi-ops at my home station as it is now my turn to transmit the contest virus to newbies.

I have been involved a lot with the Montreal Amateur Radio community and have served for three years as the President of the Union Métropolitaine des Sans-filistes de Montréal (UMS), a major local radio club, and later the president of the West Island Amateur Radio Club (WIARC). I have enjoyed the excitement of several Field Day organizations in both clubs among other activities.

Listening to signals, sometimes very weak, coming from very far away with my own ears at a point that my mind can literally visualize the surrounding HF environment, like a parallel world, and then interacting with it when transmitting has always fascinated me. That’s why despite being a high-tech guy, CW and SSB are my modes versus digitals.

I also like to work on antenna improvement as well as developing some middle complexity electronic gears, including software, to improve the efficiency of my station.

During the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) HF Championships 2013, I operated in Boston with one of the WRTC-2014 volunteer test stations as a team with Victor, VA2WA. For the WRTC-2018, we volunteered to go to Germany as referees. 

Further to the AF Area Team Leader last-minute withdrawal,
I upgraded my position as the newly created Wild Card #6 Team Leader and competed with his Teammate Arno, DL1CW. 

This was such a great experience that on the day after the competition I was already planning with Victor, over a couple of beers, our participation as a full Canadian team in 2022. 

For the WRTC-2022 (2023), I worked very hard to get the #1 NA2 position which provides me with the opportunity to be the Team Leader for this area. I can now go to this competition by the main entry with the good preparation, a trained team, and the chance to put not only Canada on the map, but also Quebec for the first time ever.

In this short presentation, I’ll share with you how I see things about the WRTC selection process when you’re “David versus Goliath” as well as the contrast with the WRTC competition itself which is more an even playing field. 

Todd Bendtsen, VE5MX 

I developed an interest in radio as a 13 year old listening to far off AM stations at night. 

From there a gift of a radio with the shortwave bands provided the spark that introduced me to both the Shortwave Broadcast bands as well as Amateur Radio. 

My first experience with Radiosport came in the form of Field Day in 1984. It would take another six years before I earned my licence but the contest bug bit hard right away. 

I have been lucky enough to operate with many great Amateurs from all over western Canada and North Dakota. The wonder of radio has not diminished any and I still love the rush of tuning the bands and wondering where the next signal is coming from. 

I am also an avid antenna builder and have been working on growing an antenna farm near the city of Weyburn, Saskatchewan. 

I am looking forward to the adventure when it comes to WRTC as this will be my first time attending. 

For the WRTC 2022 presentation I will focus on my trip through the qualifying process, how I prepared and executed my plan to become the Team Leader for the North America #8 qualifying area.