[Troop139] 2012 Ramapo Rally

[Steve G]

Hi Jim,
Thank you for taking the time to put together these suggestions.  We will
review them all at our upcoming wrap-up meeting in September.  We certainly
want to make the Rally more enjoyable and easier on the volunteers.

Steve Greenberg
Mobile: 201 424 9056

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Cooper [mailto:jim.w2jc at gmail.com] 
Sent: Monday, August 20, 2012 3:16 PM
To: J.Gordon Beattie, Jr., W2TTT; 'J.Gordon Beattie, Jr., W2TTT';
george at sabbi-us.com; 'Joyce Birmingham'; 'Dave Henninger'; 'robert s
merritt'; n2fwi at att.net; ns2k at arrl.net; kc2tmr at yahoo.com;
pmathews3 at optimum.net; n2cyy at yahoo.com; khansen at satsnj.com;
n2ddc1958 at gmail.com; jbmistapants at gmail.com; george at sabbi-us.com;
joyce at sabbi-us.com; jamesbeattie422 at yahoo.com; wa2hfh at arrl.net;
wa2htb at arrl.net; almach5 at optonline.net; kdasgupta at optonline.net;
backflipspoon at gmail.com; jim.w2jc at gmail.com; wa2qeo at arrl.net; 'robert s
merritt'; 'Kenneth Stahl'; 'Steve G'; 'Linda Krauss'; 'Diana Shikiar'; 'Jeff
Kelley'; 'Joe Kirsch'; rrc at arcsquared.org; pcaresraces at yahoogroups.com;
bcraces at yahoogroups.com; troop139 at mailman.qth.net
Subject: Re: 2012 Ramapo Rally

On 20 Aug 2012 at 1:12, J.Gordon Beattie, Jr., W2TTT wrote:

> If you have comments, observations and suggestions, please consider
> writing them down and sending them to me 

Post Ramapo Rally notes ...

Cue sheets should be available at the registration table, 
OR riders should be DIRECTED to the table by the registration 
people -- many riders did not get cue sheets. 

Cue sheets should be available at all rest stops; 
many riders lost or damaged their cue sheets enroute, 
and were unable to replace them during the ride. 

Cue sheets should have the TOWN shown on each line; 
especially for support personnel who have to go to a particular 
location indicated by a mileage or line number of cue sheet, 
it is difficult to know exactly where that location is. 

There should be some indication on the very nice, new web page 
map and cue sheets that the NUMBERS on the maps refer to the 
LINE NUMBER on the cue sheets. Now, the reference on the printed 
cue sheets is an accumulated mileage number while the reference 
on the maps are sequential numbers. 

If pre-registration includes selection of which route will be taken, 
then the NUMBER CARDS should be color coded for the route. This would 
enable riders who have lost their cue sheet to join with or follow 
riders on the same route. If route is not selected at pre-registration, 
then perhaps the option to COLOR the number card with markers at or 
after registration would accomplish the same goal. 

Support staff (SAG, Rest Stop, etc) should be supplied with 'expanded' route

maps such as those I created the day before the Rally (located at 
http://w2jc.org/bctnj/complete-package_2012_Ramapo_Ride.pdf )
PRINTED so they can quickly find locations on each route. 
Map location numbers (integers) should be added to the cue sheets, 
in addition to the cumulative milage, for easy cross reference. 

Net discipline on the ham radio circuits seemed to be excellent this time. 
Having WX2BC on BOTH channels was a big advantage several times. 
At Montville, I found that being able to monitor the channel not being used
to 
transmit was a valuable asset. 

Many riders commented that the road arrows used this year were TOO SMALL. 

At rest stops, thought should be given to which direction riders will
approach the 
location and signs should be placed on the side of the road where the riders
will 
be, and sufficiently before the turnoff so they can be prepared for the turn
into 
the rest stop.  At Montville, some routes approached northbound on 
Changebridge Road while other routes approaced southbound.  Initially, the
sign 
for the rest stop was found (by me) to be placed AFTER the turn into the
rest 
stop area, and the arrow and message had to be hand written on the blank
side 
because the printed arrow pointed the wrong way. When a second sign was 
requested, for the southbound riders, it was placed on the far left side of
the road 
-- where the riders were not likely to be looking as they road past. When
this was 
discovered, and the sign was placed on the same side as the riders and 25
feet 
prior to the turn into the rest stop, no riders were seen missing the turn.

Many riders were anxious to provide feedback at the rest stops (regarding
road 
arrows, signage, and other ride features) but capturing that input was
informal 
(support staff had to either make quick notes, or just thank and ignore the
input). 
A "feedback form" supplied at the rest stops could be given to such helpful
riders 
- who could fill it out as they snacked and rested (and the ideas were fresh
in 
their mind), or the riders could take the form and submit it later from
home.   Cue 
sheets could contain another info note with a reminder that feedback forms 
would be available at rest stops OR riders could send suggestions and ideas
to 
an email address shown on the cue sheets. 

Apparently support staff at Montville rest stop were told not to (or
actually 
stopped while in the local grocery store) procure additional needed supplies

locally, but rather to wait for them to be transported from Campgaw via
courier 
vehicles. Ice needed at 1pm, which could have been obtained from a local gas

station, was not delivered until after 4pm -- at which time there was little
need for 
it any longer. 

A rider suggested having a LARGE map at each rest stop showing the routes,
so 
that a rider can see where they are and what is ahead.