BCRO Club Meeting - August 8th, 2017

1. WWW.BCRO.ORG August 8th 2017 CLUB MEETING Loren Lawrence – Club President N5PUV

2. Welcome!! Meet and greet • Please help Welcome to all new visitors! • Call sign and Name around the room • Loren – N5PUV, Club President

3. BCROAgendaAugust2017 AGENDA • TREASURERS REPORT • MARK MADDOX • OLD BUSINESS • Tour de Cure August 19 • NEW BUSINESS • NWA Preparedness Fair September 23rd • TRAINING PRESENTATIONS TONIGHT • Mel – special presentation

4. Treasurers Report August 2017 • Beginning Balance ----------------------------------- $ 1892.61 • Income (-) (+) • Dues 40.00 • Expenses 71.46 • Dues refund 17.00 • Tour de Cure Supply 7.00 • Field Day 12.23 • Board, tape 35.23 • Ending Balance----------------------------------------- $ 1861.15

5. Bicycle Road and Mountain Bike event in Benton County Ham Radio Volunteers Needed for Safety and Communications

6. Why these Events? • Every year may many Ham radio operators volunteer help in fund raising events such as this to provide needed radio communications using their Ham Radio Technicians (or above) license. This ability provides safety and tactical information for the event organizers, participants and emergency personnel of these events. It also speaks volumes about how Ham radio helps the community to those that are not Operators themselves. This event is no different although it is one of the largest like it in NWA. • It is also training for Hams. When Amateur radio operators go out into the field, trucks and rest stops in an event such as this event; things are sometimes learned about providing radio operation and equipment that would often otherwise be missed for an emergency deployment. Those radio operators that provide volunteer help in these events learn the basics about Net Control, the contents of their “go kit”; and the spirit of camaraderie with others to accomplish a common goal using the skills that only they can provide in communications with radio. • The American Diabetes Association is extremely happy to have ham volunteers and many would say we help make the event possible.

7. Welcome to 2017 Arkansas Tour de Cure •  The Crystal Bridges Museum in Bentonville is the backdrop for the area’s largest community event for people who want to stop diabetes.  You can walk, mountain bike or cycle your way through the local routes through beautiful Bentonville and Oz Trails, all while supporting 30 million people living with diabetes by fundraising and bringing awareness to the cause.  • The Tour de Cure Event Day is Like No Other! • Participating in the Tour de Cure is an experience you will never forget. The event is very well organized and has routes available for all skill levels, including a New Family Fun Trail Walk and NEW Mountain Biking Routes!You will be inspired by all of those joining you as you make an impact for this great cause. 

8. Road Biking Routes:20 Mile - Route Map - Click here for Strava Link - Coming soon!50 Mile - Route Map - Click here for Strava Link100K - Route Map - Click here for Strava Link100 Mile - Click here for Map My Ride LinkClick here for the 20, 50 & 100 Mile turn by turn spreadsheet • Oz Trail Mountain Biking Routes:Mountain Biking Slaughter Pen: Beginner, approx. 10 miles Click here for turn by turn instructions.Mountain Biking Blowing Springs: Intermediate, approx. 20 miles Click here for turn by turn instructions.Mountain Biking Back 40: Advanced/Expert, approx. 40 miles Click here for turn by turn instructions.Check out the Facebook Page. • Looking for complete maps of ALL Mountain Biking Routes?  Click here!

9. Road Event Routes and Rest Stops 20 mile, 50 Mile, 100K, 100 Mile Routes

10. Plus 4 Mountain Bike Routes new for 2017 (Future Remote Ham Opportunity)

11. Amateur Radio Volunteers • Requires • 10 SAG (Supply and Gear) Wagon Riders • Riding with F100 Aluminum Pickup between 2 rest stops • Provide Race info and help direct driver to trouble areas • Special Antenna provided by BCRO for Ford trucks loaned to ADA • Radio with 12V power port plug or Battery • 8 Rest Stop Volunteers for Communications Only • Providing information to Net Control about Event activities • Net Control – 3 people • Ham, Cell, Mapping, APRS, GMRS, Organizer Info, Emergency Info, Supply routes, Ham Support, ETC • VHF Repeater Antenna, VHF Simplex, GMRS Repeater

12. Still Need SAG Volunteers • Need another Alternate that may be in SAG or we may send to a Rest Stop if needed. Will need to show up at Museum at 5:30am Aug 19th (details follow)

13. Still need Rest Stop Volunteers • One Rest stop is empty, but again, we would like to have enough volunteers to double up if someone can not stay all day or needs to move

14. Day of Event - Where to Report When, what to Expect • Parking • Parking for SAG riders and NET control is at the Net Control Parking Lot nearest to the COMM Tent at possible at 5:00am to 5:30am. This is at the upper left side parking lot to the Crystal Bridges Museum on the left toward the facility. • Rest Stops may go directly to your Rest stop and check in with Net Control. • Check in: • All SAG riders and Rest stops participants should check in with Net Control at the Park location in person by 5:00am to 5:30am if possible. • Rest stops 1-3 and must check in Net at their location by radio by 6:30am. • Rest Stops 4-8 May check in Net on location by 7:45-8:00 am • Please understand that assignments are subject to changes if the need is important enough to change. We will take your radio equipment you have with you in mind and try to accommodate all needs with prior assignments as possible. Please be ready with your GO KIT for any situation, treat this like a Ham training exercise were assignments can chance according to greatest need.

15. Bring your own drinks, food, snacks, rain clothing, ICE. There is supposed to be boxed lunches for SAG riders, but, it never hurts to be prepared in case of….(like a real event) • Remember the BCRO repeater is a linked system, so allow 1 second between the key down on the MIC talk button before you start talking or we will miss the first second of your sentences (an eye-blink or two timing). Your antenna cable must be routed to stay out of the way of others • Remember in an emergency, 911 is first protocol, The radio is second unless you are in a cell coverage hole. • Bring your cameraas we will want to get pictures to send and please cheer on participants, make a good impression for Amateur Radio (possible future Hams) • Check in with Net Control at the top parking lot of Crystal Bridge to get your T-shirt and turn in your volunteer form if you have not already done so on-line. This should be COMPLETED starting at 5:30am and no later than 6am. • Make sure you stay where the rest stop people can find you if needed. • If you have a cell phone, make sure NET CONTROL has this number All Volunteers

16. SAG Wagon Riders Instructions • Special note: SAG vehicles will be outfitted with an antenna placed in a rear stake hole of the pickup. Mag mounts are asked NOT TO BE USED on truck bodies. Antenna cables will be provided but it may be wise to bring your own in case. Make sure no one is touching the antenna when you transmit (it is reachable inside the truck bed if someone is loading or unloading supplies) • You will park and meet up with your SAG driver at the parking lot of Net Control at no later than 5:30am at the upper parking lot of Net Control at the Museum entrance!!! • Your mobile Rig of 20 watts (or more) with VHF capability at least. The main repeater is in Centerton and there are hills in between. Some SAG’s such as SAG 0 and SAG 8 may work with 10 watts. • Bring APRS if you have it either on a radio or your cell phone (look up on Google play store, you will need your ham call sign and $2.99 for Google Play Store). Your APRS Call should be checked with Net Control before leaving the park so they know what beacon is yours. • Your 12V power cord for a 12V cigarette style power port that is 20-amp ready on the truck. You should have your radio fused. A lead-acid or other battery is a good back up. • We have asked that SAG trucks stay on route all of the time, not making supply runs or taxis

17. REST STOP Volunteers instructions • Check in with Net Control at the top parking lot of Crystal Bridge to turn in your volunteer form if you have not already done so on-line. This should be COMPLETED starting at 5:30am and no later than 6am unless this is already done. • Be on Site on Time or Early if possible. The reason is that you may have to find a good transmitting location with Net Control and the right repeater they want you to use. • If you are staying in your vehicle, park where you have good visibility of the participants and the rest stop and they know where you are. • If you use tobacco please respect others space, be a good Ham Radio citizen and cheer riders along! • If you have an external antenna, remember to keep the wires out of the way of others and not to cause a trip hazard

18. REST STOP TIMING INFO FOR THEM – be early!!!

19. Pacing estimates

20. Frequencies

21. In case of repeater failure • Make sure of the repeater failure and insure that it is not your radio settings that changed. • Give the repeater a minute to reset, this sometimes happens if a conversation runs over 3 minutes. • Try the secondary Repeater for Net Control • Try the Tactical frequency for Net Control • If the radio is silent, try using the REV (Reverse) function on your radio to talk on the output of the repeater and ask for Net Control. In this manner, you are bypassing the repeater and talking simplex on out output frequency only and your distance from Net Control will become prevalent. • You may need to relay between yourself and the closest Rest Stop Ham or SAG wagon to Net Control • Remember this is disruptive should the repeater come back on line so go back to repeater mode (turn off REV)

22. In case of “sitting on the mike” issue • There may be times when a ham accidently keys up the repeater and does not speak such as sitting the Mic down and not realizing it is being keyed. In this case you should: • If you do not need to talk to Net Control, then wait. Often the Ham sitting on a mike will realize there is no sound and correct the situation themselves. • Do not try and talk “over” the keyed Mic. Trying to talk over that repeater frequency will only make things worse, the offending station cannot hear receptions. • If it is intentional, do not talk to or about the offender and go about communications as if it was simply interference. Giving recognition only worsens the situation for all. • Try reaching Net control over the secondary repeater or tactical. It is likely that Net control is trying to determine the source by listening and getting to someone to inform the Ham operator • Be Patient, sometimes the repeater requires resetting.

24. Net Protocol and General Format The day of event radio protocol will be a formal net, as it has been in the past. Do not talk to other stations without Net control allowing when using the primary or secondary (or tactical if Net is on) repeaters. • We are not trying to keep an accurate count of riders inbound/outbound at Rest Stops although we encourage writing down bib numbers if you can keep up in case someone is being looked for. • We will use a sweep vehicle and SAGs to be sure all riders are accounted for. This does not mean we won’t call you on the radio (at a rest stop) and ask questions such as “have you had any riders go by your location in the last xx minutes?”, or “We are on the lookout for bib number xxx, can you please let us know when that rider arrives/passes your location?” • Since the event is during an especially hot time of the year, we should all be looking for signs of heat exhaustion, and encouraging the riders to hydrate. • Also, we would like for you, if you are a mobile asset, to stop at every Rest Stop and visit with them about any supply needs, or any issue that needs reporting. In general, we expect to be talking to you only when there is an exception to normal biking activity. But, we also want you to feel free to be pro-active and interactive with the riders and Rest Stops. For instance, if a rider is pushing their bike, and it’s not a repair situation or heat exhaustion, you could offer to arrange a ride back to the start/finish.

25. What to report guidelines • A rider may be having a hard time in the heat • Rider down/ biker stopped or any kind of emergency (after 911) • Any Route problem, car wrecks, slick spots • If you need to leave the course • Having Communications issues (don’t solve intermittent issues on the net, use tactical or cell) • Rest stop issues that you can not solved with supplies on sag truck • Odd situation issues (suspicious activity report on cell, remember people are listening)

26. APRS • We would like all sags to have a form of aprs • Some will be borrowing equipment, be sure to return that day if so • You can put aprs on your phone which works fine for close to cell tower areas (wherever cell phones work and you have a data plan) • Aprs droid, others for apple • These usually cost $2.99 or so, cheap APRS for these events we do – your call sign is required on the correct apps • If you have a data plan, just set a limit and a notification. It does not use a lot of data as it is only text • Either radio or cell aprs, let net control know what your call sign is on it before you leave the staging area

27. Maps • Net Control and Check in-out location for Volunteers: • 600 Museum Way, Bentonville, AR 72712 (Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art) • Upper Parking Lot going into Crystal Bridges on the left. • Lat 36.378782, Lon -94.200311

28. Maps

29. Rest stop locations

30. ANY TOUR DE CURE QUESTIONS?Remember it is Saturday august 19

31. Mel Presentation Mel Hagans

32. Oh look! It’s that time again! Thank you for visiting with us! Please help move tables and chairs – 73 and 75 - LOREN