‰  NOW 40 WPM  ‰  TEXT IS FROM DECEMBER 2008 QST  PAGES 57 AND 73  ‰

STAGE 15 IT HAS BECOME A TRADITION TO HAVE A GROUP BBQ/POTLUCK ON THE
FRIDAY EVENING PRIOR TO THE RACE.  HERE WE ENJOY THE COMPANY OF OTHER GOOD
PEOPLE WITH WHOM WE SHARE A COMMON INTEREST AND BUILD MEMORIES TO BE
CHERISHED FOR YEARS TO COME.  IN FACT WE
‰  FROM PAGE 73  ‰
UT Nebraska ARC NE0RC 57 2 3 180 NE Palestine/Anderson Co ARC K5PAL 43 2 31

TIMING TABLE.  HERE I HAD A CLOSE UP VIEW OF ITS OPERATION.  AS RUNNERS
COMPLETED THEIR ASSIGNED STAGE THEY TRAVELED THROUGH A CHUTE OF SORTS THAT
WOULD GUIDE THEIR PATH DIRECTLY ALONGSIDE AN RF SENSITIVE MAT.  THE RUNNER
WOULD TAP THE BATON CONTAINING AN RFID CHIP ONTO THE RF SENSITIVE MAT TO
SIGNAL THE END OF HER OR HIS LEG FIGURE 3.  HE OR SHE WOULD THEN HAND OFF
THE BATON TO THE NEXT RUNNER.  THESE ACTIONS WERE RECORDED USING BOTH THE
INTERNAL LOGGING CAPABILITIES OF THE EQUIPMENT AS WELL AS MANUAL LOGS KEPT
BY VOLUNTEERS.  MAINTAINING ACCURATE TIMING LOGS ARE CRITICAL AS TIME IS
THE PRIMARY BASIS FOR RACE RESULTS AND PLACEMENT.  AT THIS POSITION WE USED
A LARGE ATOMIC CLOCK THAT ALSO PROUDLY DISPLAYED THE CURRENT TEMPERATURE, A
FREQUENT REMINDER OF WHY WE WERE DRESSED LIKE ESKIMOS.  AS THE NIGHT
PROGRESSED, THE THERMOMETER DROPPED FROM MID 40S TO MID 30S BY EARLY
MORNING.  THE CHIP TIMER AND BATON TRADE OFF AREAS DO NOT REQUIRE THE USE
OF AN AMATEUR RADIO LICENSE BUT HAMS USUALLY STAFF THESE POSITIONS AS WELL.
‰  FROM PAGE 73  ‰
VE3VSW 116 2 7 582 ON JVARC K3DNA 96 2 9 576 WPA Waldo Co. ARA N1TN 169 2 8
538 ME Boyer Valley ARC K0BVC 116 2 9 522 IA Carteret Co. ARS W4YMI 57 2 15

IN 2009 WE WILL MOST LIKELY INCORPORATE TONES TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE
ALTHOUGH A NUMBER OF OTHER SOLUTIONS COULD ALSO HAVE BEEN IMPLEMENTED THAT
WOULD STILL KEEP US IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE OVERALL COMMUNICATIONS PLAN.  AS
ONE WOULD EXPECT, THE COMMUNICATIONS PLAN IS A COMPREHENSIVE ONE THAT
COORDINATES FRS, GMRS, CITIZENS BAND, BUSINESS BAND AND AMATEUR RADIO IN
ADDITION TO VARIOUS GOVERNMENT AND POLICE FREQUENCIES USED BY PARTICIPATING
AGENCIES AND THEIR SUPPORT GROUPS.  THE CHILL OF THE COLD EARLY MORNING AIR
WAS FELT ON OUR FACES, FINGERS AND EVEN OUR TOES AS WE WORKED OUR
POSITIONS.  FORTUNATELY, WE CAME PREPARED AND HAD DRESSED IN LAYERS AND
OTHER WARM CLOTHING.  AT TIMES THE COLD WIND WOULD PROMPT US TO ADD MORE
LAYERS.  HOT COFFEE AND CHOCOLATE WAS SHUTTLED BY CAROL, KI6DWE, FROM THE
RV TO THE CHIP TIMING TABLE.  IT FELT LIKE WE WERE FREEZING AND ALL OF US
MADE FREQUENT TRIPS TO THE RV TO THAW OUT AS WE ROTATED RESPONSIBILITIES.
THE WARM RV GAVE US TEMPORARY RELIEF BUT OUR SENSE OF DUTY BID US TO RETURN
TO OUR POSTS.  WHILE IT WAS COLD, WE WERE GLAD THERE WASNT SLEET LIKE WE
ENCOUNTERED IN 2007.  I SPENT PART OF THE EARLY MORNING HOURS AT THE CHIP
‰  FROM PAGE 73  ‰
12 634 ON Lincoln Co ARC N7OY 86 2 4 622 OR Sky Valley ARC W7SKY 11 2 8 622
WWA Idaho Society of Radio Amateurs K7BSE 118 2 8 616 ID PCARA N9XH 64 2 9
612 WI Radio Amateurs of the Gorge W7RAG 42 2 12 604 OR Seaway Valley ARC
‰  END OF 40 WPM TEXT  ‰  QST DE W1AW  ƒ