Cry Baby 110K: No tears but some heavy rain.
The season has hit and it’s time to get out and start helping out with providing communications for events such as the first ride of the year. The Crybaby 110K in Farragut, TN. This ride consists of two routes, One 62 mile and a shorter 36 mile route that winds out of Knox County into loudon County and back into Knox to it’s starting location. We volunteer our time to these events and in turn we gain practice time in the event we would be needed for communications in a emergency situation etc.
Communications went well with the use of KD4CWB’s Repeater and as always, APRS was a great help for net control to keep up with the SAG vehicles on the course.
The weather started out partly cloudy but quickly turned stormy. With about fourteen riders left on the course, the weather started turning bad. Fares decided to call off the ride and asked for the remaining riders to be Sagged in. All riders made it back safely.
Highlights from the Ride.
Ice Drill a Success!
Jerry WA4DBH (left) talks to the EOC while Dennis WB4NBE (Sparky)
Documents the reports during the Drill.
Feb. 10th, Knox and Blount EMA participated in a district wide drill that was
similar to the situation that occured in Eastern Kentucky’s ice storms last year.
During the exercise we learned that Jefferson County lost power and communications
to their EOC and requested the local hams to back them up.
Blount E.C. had two operators at Blount Memorial Hospital, two at the Red
Cross Shelter, one at the EOC, One at William Blount High School, One floating
between locations, and a station working multiple modes from home.
After the exercise, good comments were passed by the EMA director including Positive
comments from a gentleman critiquing the event, from Homeland Security. E.C. Rick
Coffey was asked by many of the local Municipal agencies about some of the methods of
communications we can offer during these situations if their communications fail.
Scott Alley KJ4MSS operating the Red Cross Shelter station.
Oak Ridge Velo Bike Race
Not a whole lot to say here except the race went very well.
Rims on standby just in case a rider needs a quick change on the course.
ZOOOOM!
John, I think you you can get six more rims in here.
WA4cdc had the job of making sure the great inflatable arch doesn’t collapse.
“It was a good place to get photos!”
More photos can be seen on flickr
10 Years of Cranking to the sky!
Expressions in faces and tight muscles show the heat and the 4,500+ feet they
cranked up during the biggest event we provide radio services for each year.
This year was the 10th anniversary of the Cherohalla Challenge and at least eight of them
were assisted by our services.
We send a big thanks to all the volunteers that helped out, the event was seamless
even with spotty communications in some areas but that’s to be expected with
the large geographical area we are having to cover but with our services we were
able to get critical water supplies to the locations that were so desperately needed in this
years hotter temperatures.
This year I heard more riders tell us how much they appreciated us
being there for them. This to me is worth every bit of the Gas spent,
time out of our busy lives and the wear and tear on our vehicles knowing
that we were able to make a major difference in there safety and well being.
Jason Blaylock
WA4CDC
Cherohalla Challenge Files
If needed, here are the maps and files for APRS etc.
Tour de Blount 2009
Three cyclists cranking out the final mile in the heat of the 62 total miles they have compleated today.
Angie Coffey getting ready to start the net.
The Cyclists on the 72 mile Ride really enjoyed the down hill ride on the Foothills Parkway!
While waitng for the end of the pack at the 62-72 Mile Split I was asked by a local is have seen the Castle?
He told me about this Castle that has been an ongoing project by a local and it even made Some videos!
We would like to thank all of the volunteers, the hams that let us take over the use of the repeater during there
normal time and the County Sherrifs office for another excellent TDB!
TDB 2009
The Event is just around the corner.
Attached to the link below is a Zip File that contains all the routs cue sheets in Word and PDF format a Map and file for APRS if you need it and the the Assignment sheet in Excel and PDF formats.
CRYBABY 100
Crybaby ride went off without a hitch.
Here are some images from the Event.
KCPD in Prayer
The Crybaby Crew
Carving the Curve
In Focus
Looking Forward the next event
See jsbphotos.com for more photos.
Congrats Rick for Ten years!
Last night at the Meeting, Rick was surprised with a small party celebrating his Ten years as EC for the Group.
Rick Coffey
Rick, We cant thank you enough!