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 Previous: Section Manager Election Results Announced |  Next: ARRL Firms Plans to Mark New Amateur Service Rules |
By Jeffrey Heyman, KG6SVK
kg6svk@arrl.net
February 22, 2007
It's always a good thing that when you do a good deed, you have fun doing it. That was the case when a group of hams gave their time and service to ensure a bike race ran smoothly.
Sponsored by the Berkeley Bicycle Club, the 49th Annual Berkeley Hills Road Race, the oldest continuous bicycle race in the United States, was held this past Mother's Day at the scenic San Pablo Reservoir in the San Francisco Bay Area. Local hams provided the communications net as a public service. [Jeffrey Heyman, KG6SVK, Photo] |
The race's communication net was superbly organized by Howard Ashcraft, W1WF, (seated), shown here with his son Cole, KG6OSQ, at their net control setup, which included a Yaesu FT-8800 transceiver wired through fused poles to an Astron 30 power supply and a Buddipole using the two whips as a J pole. [Jeffrey Heyman, KG6SVK, Photo] |
A close-up of the race's communication net control provided by Howard, W1WF, and his son Cole, KG6OSQ. The fixed location easily hit the Mt Diablo Amateur Radio Club's 2 meter repeater, W6CX, providing flawless coverage across the hilly racing circuit. [Jeffrey Heyman, KG6SVK, Photo] |
Road racers pass the fixed location for "Wildcat," Jeff, KG6SVK. The net used colorful tactical call signs that reflected their locations. The California Highway Patrol and volunteer race officials provided escorts for the riders and closed off intersections. Each racing group rode around the 19 mile course in laps, some totaling 90 miles! [Jeffrey Heyman, KG6SVK, Photo] |
A view of Wildcat's location along the 19 mile course as racers pass. The author found a prime location for the station just off Wildcat Canyon Road at the top of one of the steepest grades on the course. [Jeffrey Heyman, KG6SVK, Photo] |
Mike, WA6ZTY's, setup at a recent bike race in the San Francisco Bay Area. Such fixed locations at bike races clock racers as they pass checkpoints to gauge the progress and provide information such as time differences between leaders, the pack and any stragglers. And, of course, assist in any emergencies that might take place. [Mike Fahmie, WA6ZTY, Photo] |
The author at the "Wildcat" location. His VW Westfalia provided a perfect setup for the station (and an oasis for thirsty riders). He was equipped with a 5 W Yaesu VX-5R with a handheld microphone and a Pro Am dual-band antenna mag-mounted to the campervan's raised hatchback. [Jeffrey Heyman, KG6SVK, Photo] |
It's the oldest continuous bicycle race in the United States. So say the organizers of the 49th Annual Berkeley Hills Road Race, sponsored by the Berkeley Bicycle Club. And what an event it is. With the club located in a college town -- Berkeley, California -- there is no shortage of bicycling enthusiasts to join in. This year's race was no exception, with some 450 riders in 11 categories, from the hardcore road racer to the up-and-coming teenager, joining the race around the nearby San Pablo Reservoir.
What bicycle race -- especially the oldest in the country -- doesn't need a communications team to ensure that everything goes smoothly and to alert officials when it doesn't? That's where a group of amateurs who gave up their morning on Mother's Day come in.
Superbly organized by Howard Ashcraft, W1WF, who had maps, racing and assignment charts and clipboards ready to go, the net included Cole Ashcraft, KG6OSQ (W1WF's son); Mike Fahmie, WA6ZTY; Jeff Heyman, KG6SVK, and Marty Heyman, W6MDH (no relation to KG6SVK).
On Your Mark...
After a quick parking lot briefing session at 6:30 on race morning over bagels and coffee, the team deployed to strategic locations around the course that had been pre-selected by Howard. The Mt Diablo Amateur Radio Club (MDARC), in Contra Costa County, California, was kind enough to allow the use of its 2 meter repeater, W6CX, providing flawless coverage across the hilly racing circuit.
The California Highway Patrol and volunteer race officials provided escorts for the riders and closed off intersections as the racers approached. Race officials worked closely throughout the race day with the communications team to ensure a smooth race.
The weather, literally, could not have been better: Sunny skies and temperatures in the mid-70s. The fine weather made the job of setting up the net even more enjoyable; the only real challenge for the team was finding (or creating) a shady spot at their assigned locations.
With a starting time for the first category, "Pros" at 7:30 AM, the race was off to an early start. Other categories -- "Elites," several levels of "Masters," women "Pros" and "Elites," age categories such as 35+ and 45+ and "Juniors," including those 16 and under -- started every five minutes following the "Pros." Each racing group rode around the 19 mile scenic course in laps ranging from 0.7 to 4.7 miles long (that's nearly 90 miles!).
Such tight starting times -- and a crowded field of racers -- meant the communications team had to be on its feet throughout the morning. With $1600 in cash and prizes at stake, the riders were competitive and the team kept a watchful eye on the course to ensure that the race was both safe and fair.
Get Ready...
We used tactical call signs, and fairly colorful ones at that: Bear, Wildcat, Finish, Mobile 1 and, of course, Net Control; Mike was "Bear." He had an ICOM IC-3210A transceiver, a Diamond X-50 dual band antenna and a 1 A solar panel floating a 30 Ah gel cell battery (and a Costco beach umbrella). Mike set up his fixed location on Bear Creek Road, more than halfway around the course.
I was "Wildcat." I found a prime location just off Wildcat Canyon Road for my VW Westfalia, right at the top of one of the steepest grades on the course. I was equipped with a 5 W Yaesu VX-5R with a handheld microphone and a Pro Am dual-band antenna mag-mounted to the campervan's raised hatchback.
It was the role of "Bear" and "Wildcat" to clock the racers as they pass their positions, informing the net of the progress of the riders, as well as any information that might be helpful, such as the time difference between leaders, the pack and any stragglers.
"Finish," Cole, who was on foot, used his IC-V8 handheld and enjoyed the whoops of victory (and whimpers of defeat) at the finish line. He also announced to the net as each category passed that spot on its way to another lap of if they had completed the race.
Driving slowly counter to the direction of the race, accompanied by an Emergency Medical Technician, was "Mobile 1," Howard. Using a Yaesu FT-8800 and a Diamond 2 meter/440 centimeter whip antenna, he provided position reports of the racing groups, ran needed errands and delivered soft drinks and water to under-hydrated riders and, on occasion, race officials and net team members.
"Net Control," Marty, was set up at the race's staging area. He had a Yaesu FT-8800 transceiver wired through fused power poles to a Coleman gasoline generator and an Astron 30 A non-switching power supply that had been set up earlier that morning by Howard and Cole. For its antenna, "Net Control" was outfitted with a Buddipole using the two whips in a J pole configuration that tuned up perfectly.
When refueling the generator, Marty used his backup, a Yaesu FT-817 with a dual-band mag-mount on his car, powered by 12 V from the vehicle. Even that little 5 W wonder did great hitting the repeater, and he did an outstanding job in keeping the net running smoothly throughout the day. Marty even earned kudos from someone listening in Sacramento (more than 75 miles away) for the way he conducted the net and for the outstanding public service that the hams were doing for the community by providing communications net for the bike race.
Go!
Luckily, all went well. The most the team had to deal with was giving exhausted riders encouragement (and occasionally water), assisting a downed racer with a cramp, reporting on riders who had fallen far behind their packs and returning a lost mobile phone found by a local birdwatcher.
But had something gone haywire, the net, which had been so ably prepared by Howard, was ready. In fact, the race's EMT, a veteran of many years of racing, was so impressed with the professionalism demonstrated by the team, he told Howard he was confident that had there been a problem, the net could have handled any emergency it might have faced.
By the end of the race, it was clear that the team was not just ready for next year's race, but eager to provide such community service again -- and maybe have just a little fun doing so.
Jeffrey Heyman, KG6SVK, is Executive Director of Marketing, Public Relations and Communications for the four colleges of the Peralta Community College District in the San Francisco Bay Area. Although an SWL since childhood, Jeff earned his Technician license only in 2003. He passed the written test for his General class the next year and is working hard on his CW skills this year. A former official with the United Nations Department of Peacekeeping Operations, Jeff set up UN radio broadcasting operations in the 1990s in Cambodia, Angola, Rwanda and former Yugoslavia during the conflicts in those countries. He lives in Oakland, California.
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