How I spent my weekend by Glenn Morrison WB6RLC

How I spent my weekend by Glenn Morrison WB6RLC
April 2, 2015 Ralph Borcherds

A few weeks ago, I received an email asking for help from hams to do comms for The Desert Storm Rally. I put the word out in a special

A few weeks ago, I received an email asking for help from hams to do comms for The Desert Storm Rally. I put the word out in a special email and mentioned it on the local net. The only one to respond was Bill Ruttan KK6HRW. Bill has a nice Land Rover and I have just a regular old Hyundai Sante Fe, 2 wheel drive SUV.

We packed our vehicles and headed out Friday about one. All that was required for the event was a high clearance vehicle and a 2 meter radio. I packed up my solar powered portable HF rig and some basic supplies for spending a day out in the desert. You know, water, hat ,shade, snacks, tools etc. We chatted most of the way on 146.520 and even picked up another ham traveling out the 10 to Tuson.

Bill and I made it to Blyth about 3PM. After checking in at the host hotel we were treated to a free spaghetti dinner that was a community fundraiser for the Blyth volunteer fire department. After dinner we attended the comms meeting where we were assigned out positions and any special tasks. I became communications captain for our leg of the course. As this was both of our first time working a rally, neither of us knew really what to expect. The event itself was held across the river in Arizona and down a “not a through street.” Some 5 miles down a more or less graded gravel road was the start line. The course ran about 10 miles, each leg. The competitors ran at 2 minute intervals down each leg and then back up again. After lunch and repairs in Blyth, they did it all over again. All we really had to do was to call out each car as it went by. Of course if a car went missing, out of sequence, we had to call it out, to prevent an accident along the course. This did happen a few times as cars broke down or went off course. We also had to halt things as some ATVers came down the course. Ooops. During some of the breaks, I worked stations on the East Coast and British Columbia on 20M.

All in all, it was great fun. We met some wonderful hams from all over, got to see some interesting rally cars and chat with the drivers. We got to witness the rally up close, for sure. I still need to clean all of the dust out of and off of my car. All of our meals were provided, even lunch on the course. There are several more rallys coming up this year that are within a few hours drive of here and Bill and I are planning on working comms for them as well, as time permits. The Desert RATS received recognition at the awards dinner for supplying communicators, as a club, and was awarded a check for $75 for our efforts.

Plaque

email and mentioned it on the local net. The only one to respond was Bill Ruttan KK6HRW. Bill has a nice Land Rover and I have just a regular old Hyundai Sante Fe, 2 wheel drive SUV.

We packed our vehicles and headed out Friday about one. All that was required for the event was a high clearance vehicle and a 2 meter radio. I packed up my solar powered portable HF rig and some basic supplies for spending a day out in the desert. You know, water, hat ,shade, snacks, tools etc. We chatted most of the way on 146.520 and even picked up another ham traveling out the 10 to Tuson.

Bill and I made it to Blyth about 3PM. After checking in at the host hotel we were treated to a free spaghetti dinner that was a community fundraiser for the Blyth volunteer fire department. After dinner we attended the comms meeting where we were assigned out positions and any special tasks. I became communications captain for our leg of the course. As this was both of our first time working a rally, neither of us knew really what to expect. The event itself was held across the river in Arizona and down a “not a through street.” Some 5 miles down a more or less graded gravel road was the start line. The course ran about 10 miles, each leg. The competitors ran at 2 minute intervals down each leg and then back up again. After lunch and repairs in Blyth, they did it all over again. All we really had to do was to call out each car as it went by. Of course if a car went missing, out of sequence, we had to call it out, to prevent an accident along the course. This did happen a few times as cars broke down or went off course. We also had to halt things as some ATVers came down the course. Ooops. During some of the breaks, I worked stations on the East Coast and British Columbia on 20M.

All in all, it was great fun. We met some wonderful hams from all over, got to see some interesting rally cars and chat with the drivers. We got to witness the rally up close, for sure. I still need to clean all of the dust out of and off of my car. All of our meals were provided, even lunch on the course. There are several more rallys coming up this year that are within a few hours drive of here and Bill and I are planning on working comms for them as well, as time permits. The Desert RATS received recognition at the awards dinner for supplying communicators, as a club, and was awarded a check for $75 for our efforts.

Plaque

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