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Cochrane Winter Rally 2019

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  • 15 Mar 2019 12:46 PM
    Reply # 7226400 on 6967125
    Patrick (Administrator)

    I also want to thank Garry for his limitless effort and also sharing his knowledge.  

    I have set up an album (https://caraham.org/2019-Cochrane-Winter-Rally) for sharing photos or videos from the event.  I also didn't get many pictures, so I hope that some other folk that took some pictures can post them.  Anyone with a login to CARAHAM.ORG can add their photos.

  • 14 Mar 2019 9:27 PM
    Reply # 7224989 on 6967125

    I echo Peter's note - Thanks a bunch Garry for all your work coordinating the radio support. Your skills & approach have enhanced the safety & enjoyment of supporting the Rallies.

    Thanks   Wilson VA6JWL

  • 14 Mar 2019 5:28 AM
    Reply # 7218457 on 6967125
    Peter LaGrandeur (Administrator)

    Hi Garry, many thanks goes to you for all your exhaustive planning and coordinating.  Very well done!  Keep up the good work.  :-) 

  • 13 Mar 2019 11:27 PM
    Reply # 7218235 on 6967125
    Garry Spicer (Administrator)

    Post Action Report 


    Rally Radio Operators:

    Thanks to all the radio operators who came and "chilled" with us at the Cochrane Winter Rally 2019. This rally was one of the coldest on recent record, with reported morning temperatures as low as -36 degrees Celsius! Our operators had to come up with some inventive ways to get equipment working under those conditions. Frozen winches, frozen batteries, frozen generators, frozen masts - we dealt with it all! While there was not as much snow as last year, there were still some challenges due to ice and snow from recent storms.

    The following people were part of this year's rally radio team:

    Pericles Afaganis VA6PTA
    Grahame  Booth  VE6PFL
    Ray  Bourne  VE6LG
    Dave  Cason  VE6DED
    Larry  Chapple VE6KC
    Timothy  Graham  VA6TDG
    Robin  Greig  VE6RBN
    Dana  Harding VA6DJH
    Alan  Kearley VE6BUZ
    Peter  LaGrandeur VA6RPL
    Wilson  Loree  VA6JWL
    Greg  Maciejewski VE6AFT
    Robert  MacLachlan VA6BM
    Harry  Maylor  VE6HRY
    Stephane Raimbault VE6NR
    Michael  Ross  VE6TC
    Ameer  Shaikh  VA6QAS
    Patrick  Spencer VE6PDS
    Garry  Spicer  VE6GDS
    Ken  Vigar  VE6DXM
    Jim  Weisert VE6GO
    Matt  Wilfort VA6AMX
    Robert  Wilson  VE6CCL
    Ian  Willumsen VE6IAB
    Ian  Kerr  VE6IKR


    The Comms Trailer team got on site extra early this year and started setting up before most of us got to the venue. While the pneumatic mast was not in favour of full operation in the extreme cold, the Trailer got into place and provided a good environment for the Net Controllers. Thanks to Peter (VA6RPL) and the rest of the team for all the hard work they put in on rally day, as well as the hours of preparatory efforts that went in to getting the Trailer ready beforehand: Alan (VE6BUZ), Patrick (VE6PDS), Ameer (VE6QAS), and Ray (VE6LG).

    Dana (VA6DHJ) and Ray (VE6LG) got our temporary repeater (VE6RNQ) up and running for us, despite a series of equipment problems in the severe temperatures. Apparently a winch had to be defrosted and the generator had to be warmed up before it would start and provide reliable power! Due to factors outside of Ray and Dana's control, we had to take our third choice in repeater location, and this limited the repeater's coverage. So, VE6RNQ was used only for the South stages on Waiparous Road. However, this got us started on time and kept things going safely until other options were available.

    In total, we had three repeaters configured for this event The VE6AUY repeater was used to support approach / departure, but suffered from some squelch tail issues that may have been exacerbated by the extreme cold (a known problem that the CARA repeater team has been investigating). The VE6RNQ repeater functioned well for the early morning stages, but Net Control felt it was best to move operations to VE6GAB once the sun activated its solar panels. VE6GAB was then used until late in the day. All our operators did really well at keeping up with the channel changes.

    Our blockers and control point operators did a great job of getting into place, despite the frigid conditions and some snowed in locations. Thanks to those operators who quickly adapted to assignment changes that had to be made "on the fly" as we adjusted to the realities of the day. Dave (VE6DED) and Harry (VE6HRY) opened up a couple of very difficult spots at the North end of the Hunter Valley Road and ensured that we had adequate coverage up there for the related stages. Mike (VE6TC) and Ken (VE6DXM) adeptly handled parking for spectators, some of whom managed to get themselves stuck in the snow. Robin (VE6RBN) did well at his first Control Point role at the very far end of the Hunter Valley Road.

    I want to take this chance to recognize Grahame (VE6PFL) for his good work in the Ambulance. Grahame is a newly licensed ham and this was his very first rally. He managed to keep the Ambulance in contact with Net Control and calmly addressed a situation in which the Ambulance was immobilized in deep snow just before a stage got started.

    Stephane (VE6NR) and Ian (VA6IAB) ran Net Control and kept us on schedule despite some significant technical challenges. In fact, I understand that we were actually a little ahead of schedule after the morning stages! We had to change our main channel a couple of times during the day and our Net Controllers directed that well, keeping our operators all together on the formal net.

    I want to commend everyone who put time and effort into setting up APRS screens for the event. Some last minute radio operator location changes were reflected on the APRS map, as well as a hazardous motor vehicle incident that affected movement on the Forestry Trunk Road in the afternoon. I look forward to building on the work that has been done in this area for upcoming events.

    In a climactic end to the day, during the last minutes of the final stage, the VE6GAB repeater suddenly lost power as the sun set. Our Net Controllers used REVerse to contact nearby operators and got messages to others via relay operators. The rally cars completed the stage safely and then radio operators were guided off the leg using simplex. All our operators did a fine job under these circumstances, using our channel downgrade procedures in accordance with directions from appropriate lead stations.

    Once we got everyone off the stage roads, we all headed back to Cochrane for some much needed pizza to end the day. Thanks to the Calgary Sports Car Club for the closing banquet.

    For those who follow the various drivers, here is where you can find the rally results:
    http://www.cscc.ab.ca/cochrane/Results/2019/event1/summaries/overall.html

    I believe that Pat (VE6PDS) has set up an album (https://caraham.org/2019-Cochrane-Winter-Rally) for sharing photos or videos from the event. I didn't get many pictures, so I hope that others brought their cameras and captured some of the action.  Anyone with a login to CARAHAM.ORG can add their photos.

    Thanks to everyone who helped to make this year's event a fun day of radio and rally in the mountains. I hope to see all of you at Rocky!


    73,
    Garry Spicer
    Chief Radio Marshall, Cochrane Winter Rally 2019

     

    Last modified: 14 Mar 2019 5:19 PM | Patrick (Administrator)
  • 01 Mar 2019 7:49 AM
    Reply # 7193472 on 6967125
    Peter LaGrandeur (Administrator)

    Do you have a copy of the waiver that we will be expected to sign? 

  • 28 Feb 2019 5:57 PM
    Reply # 7192668 on 6967125
    Garry Spicer (Administrator)

    Update to the Assignment List

    This is a minor update to the assignment list to accommodate a recently added role. Please have a look to ensure that you have the most recent information.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1w3Fd7rtltlxBQM-nZtGKK38lI-5q0EPB/view?usp=sharing

     

    73,
    Garry, VE6GDS

  • 28 Feb 2019 5:53 PM
    Reply # 7192663 on 6967125
    Garry Spicer (Administrator)

    Radio Operators Handbook

    Here is a link to the coveted Radio Operators Handbook for the Cochrane Winter Rally 2019. This is the book that you will want to bring with you on rally day!

    We plan to provide printed copies of this document to radio operators on Friday evening at the pre-op briefing. Those printed copies will be the same as the electronic version distributed here, except that the STOP sign will likely be much better in the printed version (Thanks Kurt!).

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OBRBPHpOvNqgUg8f3H62iuyiJ-5BO63f/view?usp=sharing

    See you on Friday evening!

     

    73,
    Garry, VE6GDS


     

  • 28 Feb 2019 4:43 PM
    Reply # 7192604 on 6967125
    Garry Spicer (Administrator)

    Update on Radio Configuration Guidelines

    This is a minor update to address low power frequency assignments for an additional role that's been added. There are no changes to the main channel frequencies.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Q0Le41cTaZdm9NGm9dSHLuHxmq7uxQ45/view?usp=sharing

     

    73,
    Garry, VE6GDS

     

  • 28 Feb 2019 4:30 PM
    Reply # 7192582 on 6967125
    Garry Spicer (Administrator)

    More Map Information

    Some guys have asked for the .gpx version of the .kml file, as the former load more readily into GPS units and APRS software. This is easy to do using any online converter. I use the one at the link below. (Note: I do have to manually change the file type to .gpx after I download the file from this site.)

    https://kml2gpx.com/

    Here is the .gpx file, produced via the converter noted above:

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1mgrwFuyBl1QtAPYhapKRk7pjkvyA_iRg/view?usp=sharing

    I also have GPS coordinates in a spreadsheet format for those who would rather enter things manually. Note that these are just the blocker and control point locations, without some of the other information that is available in the .kml and .gpx versions.

    https://drive.google.com/file/d/1gr0mOE6Id7gZi5TinbBSxFxGNYlo-ZsL/view?usp=sharing

    I'll have more to post very soon.

     

    73,
    Garry, VE6GDS

     

  • 27 Feb 2019 7:46 PM
    Reply # 7191022 on 6967125
    Dave Cason (Administrator)

    Hey Peter,

    I believe that APRS is just used informally by Garry as an option he personally uses when he's waiting for guys to get in position for the event. It's not something done formally for the race ..... 

    If you as an a operator have it running in your vehicle, he tracks your butt to make sure you're going to the right place for the stages - that's about it.  

    He started doing that when he took over the role from me after I did it for Matt and it's handy to make sure people get in and out of the event safely so we don't leave a solder behind.  

    It sort of became apparent that it's a good thing to do when we had that storm in BC the one time and everyone had to bail out of the event ..... I volunteered to be the tail-end-Charlie that day to make sure the mountain/route was clear that day.

    It's handy as hell but what percentage of the volunteer's we get actually have it running?  Maybe 40% ?

    Cheers'

    Dave


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