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

[Chris- KB1QXR]

Greetings,

This coming Sunday the 25th is the Hudson Valley Rail Ride bike event
(http://www.bikenewyork.org/rides/hvrr/index.html).  It's a big one,
involving 5 repeaters, IRLP links, and some very RF-unfriendly terrain.
It's also a ways away, about 1.5hrs to the starting gate.  More info is in
the attached original message.

I just spoke with MBARC's David Hyatt and they are short on hams for the
event, several people either didn't confirm or have had to cancel.  As
things stand now, they don't have enough hams, leaving several SAG vehicles
or rest stops without a radio operator.

If anyone would be able to come along and help out, I'm sure it would be
most appreciated.  Carpool would be available with either myself or Jon
KB1QBZ if you don't want to drive.

If you're interested, please contact David Hyatt at iamdogman at optonline.net
or 860-309-2301 or let me or Jon KB1QBZ know.  David is organizing the
event's communications and would be most appreciative of any extra help.

73s and hope to see some of you there,
Chris KB1QXR



-----Original Message-----
From: Jon Perelstein [mailto:jperelst at yahoo.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 14, 2010 7:06 AM
To: Stamford Amateur Radio Association
Subject: [CTSARA] Hams Needed July 25 For Harlem Valley Rail Ride

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