Be a part of this first of it’s kind competition! Rick Palm of the ARRL ARES E-Letter says of this event: “this is a cool idea!” and is including info about it in the August ARES E-Letter. He will be sent the results for possible ARRL publication. Your last chance to sign up. Get a team together.When: September 5, 2010
Where: South Texas park. Park location to be announced before the competition to pre-registered teams. This is not a spectator sport event.
Teams: Teams, made up of 4 people each, will compete to see which team can set up an operational communications (Jump Team) site and make 5 HF contacts in the least amount of time and in the proper manner.
Competition: Teams would be required to properly:
- Erect a 6 man sleeping tent and a “toilet tent” (this includes ground tarp and rain tarp.)
- Erect an operations area (canopy) with chairs and tables and radio gear.
- Erect a food prep canopy with tables, chairs, stove, cooking supplies.
- Erect one 40 meter “Inverted V” antenna with coax back to the operations area with proper hazard flagging.
- Assemble one HF station powered by deep-cycle batteries.
- Assemble 2 solar panel assemblies and charge at least one deep-cycle battery. (2 panels to charge batteries)
- Filter 10 gallons of water (as part of the setup responsibilities)
- Cook a simple meal in the food-prep area (enough to feed the judges lunch)
- Make at least 5 HF contacts on 40 meters SSB to stations outside our immediate area with proper logging of contacts made. (paper log)
- Then properly disassemble all shelters and gear, clean all food handling and cooking “stuff” and properly put them back into their storage boxes, fill out logging paperwork and submit to judges.
Notes:
- Communications will begin only after all the setups have been accomplished
- Cooking not included as a requirement to begin communications
- Judges will determine when all setups have been completed.
This competition is not limited to any group or organization. Any 4 people, such as a scout group, who have at least one licensed ham (General class or above) can compete. They will all be using the same equipment and gear supplied by the Bexar Operators Group.
We estimate about 90 minutes for each competing team to complete their “run”. Pictures will be taken and a report, in article form, will be submitted to the ARRL.
A reference website concerning this type of operations may be found at: Emergency Communications Teams
At this time, we have at least two teams: Chaparral ARC (CARC) and Hill Country REACT (HCR) signed up to compete in this competition which is slated to take place on September 5th. Bob Rod, Lee Besing and myself have agreed to be the judges. I am hoping that others, especially local emcomm groups or radio clubs, will assemble 4 members to compete. More than one team may compete representing any group.
Please spread the word to all the amateur radio clubs in Texas that this event is open to everyone, but there will be a registration cutoff date so no one should be expected to “just show up” and compete.
No pre-registration = no competing.
So which club or group is going to capture “emcomm bragging rights” (and a plaque) from Texas?
Register by emailing to W2IK@ARRL.NET with a list of your team members/callsigns and a contact email and phone number.
