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No special access is required for overall access to the course (mostly - see Iron Ring/Rock below). Please wear your Emergency Communications RVARC Event Staff vest if you have one or contact me to borrow one of the loaners. All event staff and participants are being told to look for the RVARC. This will be your course access. See parking for special access to Old Mill Park.
For the Iron Ring/Rock position. To get to this location it is behind a locked gate. Please at the entrance on Wicklow Dr. before 0845. I would recommend being there by 0830. Race and I believe rescue squad personnel will be there to unlock the gate and proceed in with you.
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Check-ins vary for this event. Please see the assignment sheet. This is because the Iron Ring/Rock position has restricted access and also because it takes a while to paddle down river. Please make sure you give yourself plenty of time to get onsite and setup any equipment prior to your check-in time.
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Our primary mission is eyes on the course to provide safety and back up the Canoe Race personnel. In the event of a emergency, contact Net Control immediately. There will be an safety boats, ambulance, and medical personnel on site for the duration of the event. Safety is our number one job.
Our secondary job is to help with event timing. Race Start at Mott Run and Sprint Start at Friends of the Rappahannock will be given a list of racer bib number and start time of each heat. It is your job to relay that information to Net Control. Net Control will provide that information to the overall race timer. Finish Line will be given a list of racer bib numbers and times as the racers cross the finish line. It will be your job to relay that information to Net Control. Once again, Net Control will provide that information to the overall race timer. Race officials should have materials to write done the information on at the start and finish line. I would rather not assume (you know what that makes us) that this will be the case. Start and finish, please come prepared with writing materials. I've been told that these list will be short so that we are not tying up too much air time. Remember our primary task is safety. If you have a long list or are having a back and forth with Net Control over bibs and times please pause between transmission to allow any emergency traffic to break in.
The first heat of the full race starts at 0900 and the final heat start at 1100. The Sprint races start at 1300 and should be finished by 1430ish.
There will be a after party for volunteers at the Friends of the Rappahannock after the final awards are given and Old Mill Park has been cleaned up.
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Please park in legal parking spaces. Do not pull up onto a residents lawn.
Parking at Old Mill Park will be restricted to event participants and staff only. If you have issues getting into the park call Net Control. Parking is free at Old Mill Park to volunteers and event participants.
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Please have your RVARC vest on if you have one. Please let me know if you don't have one and I'll make arrangement to get you a loaner in advance.
This course can be tricky. Motts Run will need a mobile with a mast and most likely full power. Iron Ring/Rock, you will probably need the same due to the topology. The other positions should be able to work the event with an HT and 5 watts assuming you have a real antenna and not a rubber duck. Old Mill Park can some times be challenging. If we have issues I will set up a cross band repeater (see Operational Parameters). Headsets are highly recommended for Old Mill Park.
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Our primary frequency will be the K4TS VHF repeater 147.015(+) PL79.7 . Our backup alternate repeater is the AE4ML UHF repeater 442.850(+) PL79.7. Please have both programmed into your radio in advance. If your radio allows you to monitor both frequencies at the same time, please do that. We had a situation where our primary comms failed earlier this year and it took longer than we liked for everyone to switch over.
I will be running a crossband repeater from Old Mill Park. I will have frequencies available for both the primary and back-up repeaters. The first is for when we are using our primary VHF frequency. UHF-VHF crossband is 446.625MHz PL79.7. The second is for when we are using our backup UHF frequency. VHF-UHF crossband is 147.495MHz PL79.7. Please remember when a crossband repeater is in use key the mike, count to 2, and then start your transmission. This gives time for the crossband repeater to open. Also remember that the AE4ML has a courtesy tone at the end of each transmission. If you key up to reply before you hear the courtesy tone your transmission will not go through.
If all else fails I have everyones cell phone number. Please have the cell phone number for the ECIC (Scott Larimer, KN4RPA ECIC (540--604--3196)) with your in in your phone on race day
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Any questions asked by the public or the media, are to be directed to the Race Officials.
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Below is a Google Earth KMZ file of the whole course with the ham locations on it. This file can be used with Google Earth on you computer or phone. It is a good reference on race day. Right click and "Save Link As" to download.
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