[CTSARA] Hams Needed July 25 For Harlem Valley Rail Ride

[Jon Perelstein]

Ham radio operators are needed to provide communications for the Harlem Valley 
Rail Ride  (http://www.bikenewyork.org/rides/hvrr/index.html) and I'd like to 
see if we can get one or two people from SARA.  I will be working this one.

I worked this ride last year.  It's an interesting communications problem 
because (a) the route gets much further from the base than do either the Bennett 
Cancer Center ride or the Bloomin Metric ride, and (b) the ride uses five 
different repeaters, including an IRLP link, because the terrain does not 
support VHF communications.  Actually, the terrain doesn't support any 
point-to-point radio communications.  Some of the ride takes place in the Harlem 
Valley itself, but unlike coastal CT the Harlem Valley itself is hilly terrain 
that is difficult for point-to-point communications.  Much of the ride crosses 
tall ridge lines into other valleys, thus making it even more difficult to 
maintain communications.  Despite the five repeaters, there are sections of the 
ride that do not have good communications with base, and messages have to be 
relayed by hams stationed at the rest stops as well as hams strategically 
located on hill tops.

One of the things that struck me about the ride last year was the prep done by 
the Mount Beacon Amateur Radio Club, which organizes the coverage.  They issued 
a briefing book that was something like 25 pages long and included photos of key 
turns in the route where a support vehicle could become lost.  Last year they 
had hams in official SAG vehicles as well as hams manning the rest stops and the 
relay points.  They had trouble getting enough hams for all the vehicles, relay 
points, etc.

The area of the ride is just beautiful.  It starts in Millerton NY, which is in 
northeast Dutchess County in NYS.  Millerton itself looks like a throwback to 
the early 1900s.  The ride includes much of eastern Dutchess County, sections of 
northwest CT (up around Kent), and sections of southwest MA.  Beautiful valleys, 
beautiful if rugged terrain around the valleys, and a drive along the Housatonic 
River.  

It is a long car ride up there (about 1-1/2 hours each way) and it is a very 
full day. I think I left home about 6 am last year and didn't get back until 
about 7 pm, but it was fun from a ham radio point of view and it was nice to get 
away from coastal CT.    They do of course provide food and facilities (pretty 
good food too as I remember).

If you're interested, please contact me and we can arrange to car pool.

Jon
KB1QBZ