I've begun contacting my buddies for the event.  Time is right to add a bigger plug for the Rally in the Key Klix as it's about to be published.  

Registration Now Available!

The Rallywest Cochrane Winter Rally volunteer registration webpage is now available. Here is the information you will need to sign up as a radio operator for this event.

If you follow this url it will take you to the main RallyWest page:

https://www.rallywest.com/

From there click on "Events" in the upper left of the page and you will be taken to a set of images for upcoming RallyWest events.

https://www.rallywest.com/events 

Click on the picture for the Cochrane Winter Rally to get to the rally information page. Here is a shortcut: 

http://www.cscc.ab.ca/cochrane/

Click where it says Volunteer at the top of the page. This will take you down the page to the Volunteer Information section. Here is a final shortcut: 

http://www.cscc.ab.ca/cochrane/#volunteer 

Scroll down and look for the blue Volunteer Registration Form button beside the words Registration Form. Clicking on this link will take you to the registration page with the title Cochrane Winter Rally Volunteer Signup. Each time you click on that registration link the system gives you a unique tag, so I can't give you a shortcut here. If you bookmark the link you get after this point, with that unique tag in the url, you'll be able to go back to your registration record and make updates later. Note that clicking on this link more than once means that you are signing up more than once!

If you are considering coming to volunteer as a radio operator, then please complete the signup page. If you're not sure you can make it, then indicate in the Comments text box that you are "tentative" for now, but please do sign up. If I have no registration information for you, then it's difficult to assign a role or to contact you if there are urgent changes.

When indicating the radio equipment that you plan to bring to the rally, try to be as generic as possible. It's much easier to deal with "50 watt mobile radio with APRS and a quarter wave magnetic mount antenna" than a bunch of make/model numbers with which I may not be familiar.

Finally, please double check that the email address and phone number(s) that you enter on the registration form are correct. Messages that bounce back at me are not getting to you! It's also important to have valid contact information, should a problem occur at, or just prior to, the event.

To accommodate feedback that I have received, I will try to keep the number of mass emails to a minimum. I will usually post material here in the CARA General Forum where everyone can find it at their own discretion.  That means it is up to you to check here regularly so that you have the latest information. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

I hope you'll be joining us for a great time at the Cochrane Winter Rally!

73,
Garry, VE6GDS
VE6GDS (at) Gmail.com

Hi Brent and Matt;

First off, thanks Matt for your encouraging words about the rally. We certainly try to make sure that everyone has all the training and information they need to have a good day at the event. Part of the reason I got involved in organizing these events was to improve the steps we took to help the field radio operators feel better prepared. That said, part of the fun of participating in rallies is learning how to adapt and keep things functioning under challenging circumstances! So, if you want to develop good field operation skills, the rallies are one of the best opportunities to do so.

Brent, I'm happy to see that you're interested in joining the Rally Radio Operators team! We always have lots of fun at these events and everyone comes back having learned something new each time. You'll find that the skills you develop volunteering at rallies are often transferrable to other events or on-the-air activities. Because of the safety requirements of a performance rally, we have to exercise a certain level of diligence in radio operations. So, our team members quickly develop experience in effective operation techniques.

We have a variety of roles available. Some are good introductory roles, where the demands are less intensive but an operator can get a taste for what happens at a rally. Other roles are more demanding, so we usually assign more experienced operators to them. In any case, don't worry about being fed to the sharks the first time you come out.

As for information and training, please watch this forum carefully and check back regularly. Information and documents will be posted here as the event approaches. A few things to watch for include:

1. Registration instructions. The registration website is almost ready. I'll post detailed instructions here once that is up and running.
2. The Packing and Preparation Guide. This document outlines the kinds of things you may want to consider as you get ready for the event. It will be posted in this forum soon.
3. The Rally Radio Operators "101 Guide". This document outlines basic terminology and concepts that you'll want to understand so that you know what's going on around you at a rally. It will get posted in this forum, too.
4. The Radio Configuration and Operation Guide. This document provides information about the frequencies you'll need to have programmed into your equipment for the rally. It also provides details about propagation throughout the venue, radio channel usage, and other helpful guidance for getting your equipment ready. This document gets posted to this forum, too.
5. Maps! I try hard to get maps ready and posted here ahead of the event. Map information is often posted in .kml and .gpx format so that you can import it into your favourite GPS device, smartphone app, or APRS software. If I have time, I try to post some .jpg / .gif human readable format maps as well.
6. The Pre-Op briefing. This short presentation (about an hour) provides most of the vital information that our ops need about standard procedures, emergency procedures, and "day of" particulars. The date/time of the meeting is normally posted in this forum. The briefing usually takes place in the evening two or three days before the rally.

I hope that this list doesn't seem overwhelming. Each of the components noted above is quite digestible and there is time for questions if something seems confusing. I take this approach, as I'd rather over-communicate on these things than send someone out to a rally without giving them what they need to have a successful day. Also there are quite a few "old hands" around the club who have years of experience doing rallies. I'm sure any of them would be happy to help if you're feeling uncertain about anything - just be prepared for some great war stories when you ask!

I hope this helps and I look forward to hearing both of you on the air for rally day!

73,
Garry, VE6GDS

Hi Garry,

I am interested in learning about how ham operation at the rallies works. I have not the slightest clue. I have an HT and a mobile, but my operation experience is extremely limited. (Truthfully I have just made a few contacts but nothing more). I there some provision for training new people to do this?

Brent Anderson

VE6BXB