The 2013 Multiple Sclerosis Society Keystone Country Ride is now history. Amateur radio operators from several counties provided communications throughout the ride on both days, July 20 and 21. Planning, recruitment, and coordination were done by Drew McGhee, KA3EJV and Carmine Prestia, K3CWP. Thanks to those who participated from Centre County. Click the link for the full story.
- K3ARL, Karl Hosterman and Becky Beard
- N3CRM, Chuck Maggi
- K3CWP, Carmine Prestia
- W3EDP, Eric Prescott
- K3ERP, Elaine Prestia
- W3IW, John Rogers (Cambria County)
- K3OOL, Craig Miller
- KR3ORY, Rory Stennerson
- NK8Q, Mark Schreiner
- KB3QKR, Rich Brnik (Clearfield County)
- KB3TBX, Jim Alles
Mr. Rogers and Mr. Brnik were recruited by Carmine, K3CWP through a statewide call for volunteers. In addition amateur radio operators from Huntingdon, Blair, and Bedford Counties participated. Mr. McGhee has a more complete list.
APRS was used in all the Support and Gear (SAG) vehicles and made coordinating and dispatching much easier and less time consuming. Jim, KB3TBX set up a digipeater at Camp Kanasataki that helped keep the APRS beacons on aprs.fi. It is a very valuable resource.
Most of the coordination on Saturday involved multiple bicycle break downs and riders tiring out because of the heat and humidity. There were two bicycle crashes that required communications coordination between the crash site, emergency services, and the Ride Director from the MS Society. Almost all of the communications were conducted on the NARC 146.85 repeater in Centre County and the NU3T, 442.100 repeater on Brush Mountain. Some use was also made of the 147.100 Huntingdon County repeater.
The MS Society, specifically Director Sharon O’Keiff, works closely with amateur radio to make us an integral part of the safety planning for the ride. The level of work and commitment by the Society and amateur radio community may best be summed up by a comment from John Rogers, W3IW after the event:
“Carmine,
This was a very good weekend. For me lots of new radio training and experiences. Lots of very welcoming and talented ham radio operators. You teamed me with Dennis [Colecchi]- a really good driver and very experienced bicyclist in SAG-6. The MS Society hospitality and attention to every detail was really impressive. All-in-all a very good two days!
73 John W3IW”
Also from the Centre County EC, Carmine, K3CWP:
“My heartfelt thanks to the amateurs who participated. We could not do this without you! Working this event is a serious time commitment and requires handling traffic directly related to the safety of the riders. Every year amateur radio operators come through. It is a testament to the amateur radio community’s dedication to service.”
If the Multiple Sclerosis Society follows their usual schedule the 2014 Keystone Country Ride should be held July 19 and 20.