ARES Provides Communication Support for Bicycle Race in Bald Eagle State Forest

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On Sunday, October 11th, 2020 ten Amateur Radio Operators (AROs) from several counties provided communication support for a 123 mile bicycle race.  Riders started early from the Lewisburg Farmers’ Market, the headquarters for the race.  This was the third annual race and only had about 200 riders because of the COVID pandemic.  Last year there were eight hundred plus riders in the Unpaved of the Susquehanna River Valley.

Amateur Radio operators participating were:

  • K3CWP, Carmine
  • K3HOT, Greg
  • W3KCK, David
  • KR3C, Rick
  • KB1BH, Ken
  • KC3NZC, Brett
  • KC8T, Tom
  • W3JON, Jon
  • W3AND, Andrew
  • KC2FVN, Keith

AROs were stationed at Headquarters and five aid stations; Stoney Run, Poe Paddy, Longwell Draft, and Mifflinburg Park.  Communications were conducted over the W3YA Repeater near Boalsburg and the N3VTH repeater near Red Rock.  There were no crashes or other serious events this year so operations went smoothly.

The AROs put in forty-eight hours of time working all the locations on Sunday.  In addition to this there was significant time spent communicating with the race organizers and planning and preparing the ICS forms for the event.