Amateur Radio Operators Assist Unpaved of the Susquehanna Valley Bicycle Race

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On Sunday October 13th, 2024 nine amateur radio operators provided communications coordination for the annual Unpaved of the Susquehanna Valley bicycle race.  The race starts and ends in Lewisburg, PA and runs a maximum of 120 miles through the Bald Eagle State Forest.  This year 271 riders participated in the race.  Amateur communications assisted with race administration and several calls relating to injured riders and an ambulance.

Amateurs who volunteered to help were:

  • Carmine W. Prestia, Jr. K3CWP
  • Greg Guise, K3HOT
  • Matt Winslow, W9EMT
  • Greg Miller, K3GEM
  • Rich Brnik, N3RMJ
  • Andy Mummert, W3AND
  • Keith Comp, KC3FVN
  • Gordon Vanauken, KC0QJX
  • Ryan Vanauken, KB3VDG

One station acted as Net Control with direct access to the Incident Commanders who organized the race.  Net Control also utilized two GMRS handheld radios to maintain contact with the Deputy IC when he needed to move around the headquarters/start of the race.

Of the two injuries reported one resulted in minor injuries and only first aid.  The second required ambulance transport.  That patient was released later in the day.  A ham/EMT was also on station and assisted those and other calls.

Setup of the Net Control Station at the Miller Center in Lewisburg, PA were outside on the Miller Center plaza.  Unfortunately, the weather was very cold for mid-October and NCS operators were very uncomfortable.  This year to combat that problem Carmine, K3CWP, set up NCS to operate crossband using a handheld radio and the mobile VHF/UHF radio in his truck.

Rather than risk the battery in the truck or worrying about starting and running it during the rack Carmine hooked up his high capacity LiFePo battery box to power the radio. It lasted the entire ten hour day without a problem.

Although the standard mobile antenna on the truck worked well Carmine set up a J-pole antenna on an MFJ extendable mast supported by a trailer hitch mount.  The J-pole is his go-to antenna for deployments like this.

This configuration is extremely easy to setup and tear down.  The orange tape is to ward off bicyclists who seem to be everywhere in the parking lots cruising around before and after the event.

Our thanks to the amateur community for the use of W3YA and to the Unpaved for inviting us to assist their operations.