2011 Lewis and Clark Marathon Schedule and Assignments

Trailer

Communications

This section is a draft proposal for the group. Please make suggestions to Allan Schrum or by emailing the W7ED email reflector. If I have something wrong here that is against FCC regulations, please let me know right away. Let's get this right before the event, not after.

We shall be using the 146.88(-) (100 Hz PL tone) and the 447.7(-) (77 Hz PL tone) repeaters for communication. Please make sure your radios are pre-programmed with these frequencies and tones so that you can communicate. Backup repeaters of X and 448.35(-) (100 hz PL tone) shall be used in the event of a repeater failure. Otherwise, simplex communication on 146.54 MHz or 446.000 MHz shall be used.

Please plan on arriving in your assigned location at least 30 minutes ahead of the earliest runner. Net Control should be in place by 6:30 AM. As you travel to your assigned position please contact Net Control and let them know you are enroute. When you arrive, please contact Net Control to inform them that you have arrived at station, and to verify your ability to reach the repeaters. At that time work with Net Control to choose which repeater you shall operate during the event. If you find that you must switch to another repeater, please let Net Control know of the change.

We shall use our club call of W7ED for Net Control. Requests by you to call Net Control shall use your assigned Station number. To call Net Control, wait for a gap in any existing traffic, and place the call: "Net Control, Station 3". Alternatively, you may use your call sign in the call: "Net Control, AI4RO". Wait for Net Control to acknowledge you and you may then send your traffic. When you are done sending your traffic, wait for a response from Net Control. Net Control will indicate that it had clear copy and will sign with "W7ED", or will ask for follow-up information of clarification. Once Net Control has indicated that clear copy has been received amd given the sign, "W7ED", You may complete your transmission by giving your FCC-assigned call sign.

If you have urgent traffic, you still must wait for a gap because more than one at a time cannot transmit and be heard. Call Net Control as stated above but add the word "Urgent". For example, "Net Control, Station 3, Urgent", or "Net Control, AI4RO, Urgent". Net Control will prioritize your traffic. Use "Urgent" for reporting injuries to runners, and similar situations that are not emergencies. For emergencies, dial 911 (see below). Reporting the first marathon runner passing your station is not an "urgent" message.

If Net Control wishes to call you, then it shall use your Station number: "Station 3, Net Control". Alternatively, your call sign may be used: "AI4RO, Net Control". Please stay alert. Listen to the message and respond to Net Control if you could clearly copy the message. If not, request clarification. After responding, Net Control will acknowlege the response indicating that clear copy was made and will sign with "W7ED". At this time you may complete your transmission by giving your FCC-assigned call sign. That signifies the end of your communication.

We are operating using two repeaters. This means that Net Control must switch between two different transmitters at different times to communicate with various people. Mistakes will be made, so please be patient and tolerant of the mistakes that we all will make. Be courteous even if it is a stressful moment. Shouting at the radio only overloads the microphone and will clip your audio. Also, not all radios are waterproof.

Please be brief in your communications. This event is not the time for a rag-chew. Please state your request/response clearly and concisely.

As runners pass your station, please do the following:

• Check to see if any runner is under stress or looks like they might be in need of aid. Note the runner's number. Call Net Control so that the runner can be tracked in case there are problems.
• Please relay the first 3 runners of each sex for each event as they pass. You can identify the category of the runner by the type of number they have (see below). Only the first few runners are needed. If you miss a number or a runner, it is not a problem. Just let Net Control know what you know.
• If a runner is injured or requests aid, please forward the request to Net Control. If the injury is not an emergency, you may add to your call to Net Control the word "Urgent". If the injury is an emergency, dial 911 (see below).
• If there is an emergency, dial 911 and provide the necessary details to get the emergency response to the location. Since this race is on city streets, the prospect of a car accident involving a runner is very possible. Also, runners falling may create an injury considered to be an emergency. While we provide communications for the event, we are not an emergency response service. If you do not have a phone, try to get access to one, or call Net Control as a last resort.

When the sweeper has passed your station, please contact Net Control and request permission to close your station. Once permission is granted you may leave your station. If you are still able to assist with the race, please contact Net Control and request how you can help or what other station you can man. If you are done for the day, please drop by MSU at the W7ED trailer and return any of the club's magnetic signs or vests that you may have.

Runners

Runners in the marathon event (26.2 miles) will have bibs with numbers 1-100, with black border lettering.

Runners in the half-marathon event (13.1 miles) will have bibs with 4-digit numbers (1000-…), with black border lettering.

Runners in the marathon RELAY event will also have 4-digit numbers, but with blue border letters saying “Lewis & Clark Marathon.”

This year"s sweep behind the last participants will be a U-Haul truck that picks up the aid station equipment. If the hams can try to keep track of the last few bib numbers before the sweep truck, that would be helpful.