[CTSARA] Area Hams Cover the Bloomin Metric

[Jon Perelstein]

I would like to thank our local hams who provided communications coverage
for the 2015 Bloomin Metric, a 2500+ rider charity bicycle ride in
southwestern Fairfield County Connecticut.  We fielded 21 radio operators
to provide communications for net control, rest areas/food stops, SAG
(support and gear) wagons, and "scout" cars, as well as staffing the
telephone help lines for the riders.  Net control had full dispatch
authority over the vehicles, and the vehicles handled 53 response calls
ranging from assistance with flat tires to more serious injury issues.  In
addition, the vehicles provided information to event management and local
police as to location and density of riders along the routes.

In order to provide communications over all three routes (40KM, 75KM,
100KM), we set up a temporary cross-band repeater to relay comms from the
northern end of the course back to the main repeater located close the
southern end of the course.

This was the 38th annual Bloomin Metric, and ham radio has been associated
with it for almost 20 years.

Special thanks to GNARC which made both the 2 and 440 repeaters available
to us for the coverage.  The 440 was part of our cross-band relay system
and it worked both beautifully AND seamlessly (nobody had to change
frequency to take advantage of it).

Participants:

Jon, WB2RYV (SARA President)
Sam, NV1P (GNARC President)
Andrew, KB3CZA
Art, N1ARG
Chris, KB1QXR
Dave, W1DVE
Doug, KB1UKC
Frank, KB1QZH
Fred, K1FC
Jeff, N1JFF
John, KC1DXN
Marilyn, KB1YYO
Marty, KA1WBN
Mike, N1PLH
Mike, KA1EOU
Paul, WB2JVB
Steve, KB1YLQ
Terry, WA1JBO
Tina, KB1UOB
Toy, K1WYQ
Woody, KC1ATE