This report just received from Anthony Jackson, KE5PWX, in his Smart Car, aka known on the radio as “Smart Car 42” when he wasn’t at RS8 or RS2.
TOUR DE CURE, 2009: A QUICK REPORT FROM RS8, RS2 AND POINTS IN-BETWEEN
I had a great time working the TDC. It was quite a learning experience and I hope to participate in this capacity next year as well as volunteering at other community service events.
First, a few word about yours truly may help to understand this report. My wife says I am the “Perfect Storm” of impulsiveness, chaos, and obsession. She knows me pretty well, so I make every effort to slow down, organize, and limit myself when I become overly infatuated with a given endeavor. I work hard to overcome these character defects, but I’m afraid they still often come shining through. I get a true sense of satisfaction from times when I can honestly say to myself , “you were useful”, but enough about me.
If I were to advise anyone running a rest stop, or any portable station, it would be to say, “Get organized and fight to stay that way.”
I did pretty well with getting my gear squared away, but I didn’t program radios until I was en route. It turned out that I never could convince my mobile dual-band that the primary for day one had a negative offset. Every time I went off freq ad came back, it read positive, even in memory. My portable rig did much better, but I didn’t program it until I got the station up and plugged in the laptop.
RS8 on day one had power, shade, and even WI-FI! I got there before everyone else and reported from my mobile that I and two porta-johns were the only sign of this being a rest-stop. I knocked on the door of the cottage next to the tavern and met Gunter who informed me he was on vacation from Germany. That was about the extent of Gunter’s English, so I bade him guten morgen and decided to look around for myself. I found a nice spot next to the power outlet to set up my new sport-brilla shelter and got busy. The site director showed up and I gave him a FRS/GMRS HT radio to help speed up communications between us. This turned out to be very helpful by the way.
I set up my radio, antenna, and laptop just in time to pass traffic from a hamless SAG concerning three loose pitbulls that were chewing the tires off passing cars at the rest stop cut off. I was in earnest prayer that I would not have to deal with them. Fortunately, The Sheriff arrived and contacted the owners who kept the dogs put up for the rest of the day. I’m SO glad we got it dealt with before riders got to us. I’s a good argument for setting up early.
After the first hour, I called the director on the FRS/GMRS to check on supplies. He said we might need some ice. There was some priority traffic so I couldn’t make the request for about ten minutes, at which point the director was calling once a minute to see how long the ice was going to take. 🙂
The rest of the day went well. I made several contacts to NC to request supplies and SAGs. After we got the green light to tear down, I tore down my station and helped the others pack. I went into Riley’s for a cheeseburger but, they don’t have cheeseburgers, so I went to Whataburger and then drove out to my day two assignment to check things out; great drive with lots of overhanging trees and country beauty. I got to Dean’s and found power just over the ice machine. I went in and met the proprietor of Dean’s and asked permission to use juice for my station. He said that was fine, and told me a little history about the place, then showed me where the property lines were and how he hoped to see things laid out.
I rolled into the TSU dorm about 8:30pm. I went to the desk to check in and they couldn’t find my name on the list. I guess I should have contacted Lee by cell, but Stacey, one of the ride admins, was there and took an interest in helping me. She ended up giving me her room because she was staying with someone else. Probably best since I’m told I snore like a wood-chipper.
Note from Lee – I already had the key to your room as of 6:30pm, but you were no where to be found due to your touring the countryside. 🙂
After I turned in my key the next morning, I went out front and threw down a few tacos with Dexter, and then headed out.
I thought I might be running behind according to the schedule, but I was the first person on site. I told NC I was on site and started to set up shack when four or five volunteers arrived. We all started getting a little nervous when RS1 started reporting riders and all we had was two porta-johns, a handful of volunteers, a few chickens and a pile of ham radio equipment, but it all worked out after the truck came in. We got squared away just as the first riders started to trickle in.
We got another aggressive K9 report, but it turned out to be a toothless bloodhound that was just a little confused by the whole thing. Motor marshals coaxed him off the road for his own safety.
I had one incident with a rider who was demanding to use my radio to contact “headquarters”. I asked him if he had a license and he said he didn’t need a license to use a radio. I think the guy had some sun damage, so I just said, “…well, ok then, this is MY radio, and you can’t use it, maybe you can use their’s.” I pointed to the snack shack. This led to a pretty amusing situation when the director handed him the FRS/GMRS HT I had left with him. I think he got so mad when I answered that he forgot what he wanted in the first place. I hope he made it.
My medic was also a rider so he left the medical bag with me when he took off, and I ended up carrying “the football” (as NC referred to it)to RS-5 after we shut down RS-2. Then, I infiltrated the remaining Motorcycle marshals and went to the finish for a visit to NC and a burrito. I gave finals on NC and headed back to SA.
Random Comments…
- Duct Tape!
- Sharpie
- I never met a burrito I didn’t like until the finish line.
- Riley’s does NOT have cheeseburgers.
- Dormitories do NOT have blankets and a bath towel is a poor substitute.
- Dexter does NOT use a CB. That’s one of the goldwingers.
- GMSR radios help when things get busy.
- Pitbulls? Three pitbulls? You have GOT to be kidding me.
- Putting ice in a one gallon water jug in a small car on a bumpy road has the same effect as water boarding.
- Sometimes bicycle riders go nuts for no apparent reason.
- Having two radios is good, three is better. I had a dual band HT, a dual band moble, an all band portable, a CB, two FRS/GMRSs, a cell phone, a scanner, and XM satellite. With the exception of the XM, I used them all in service of the event.
- Binoculars!
- Dop kit! (Razor, toothbrush, deodorant, etc.)
- It might be nice to program radio freqs and GPS routes in advance.
- It might be nice to get an APRS unit set up.
- These people don’t believe in sodas.
- Spandex; one size does NOT fit all.
- Take more pictures.
73, de KE5PWX – Anthony Jackson
