Tag Archives: MCM17.75

Crossroads 17.75 AAR

On Saturday, March 20, 2021, Andy, KJ4MTP; Tom, W4PIO; John, KK4TCE; Scott Larimer, KN4RPA; Rob, KJ4LWN; Peter, KD4QNA; Greg, KM4CCG; David, KG4GIY; and Marc, N1BED, deployed to the wilds of MCB Quantico to support the Crossroads 17.75 run. Two waves of 200 odd runners attacked the hills on a lovely Saturday morning and hated every minute of it, so the MCMO considers it a complete success.

What Worked

  • Crossband repeater: We put the crossband up at the OSV, and it was easy to hear Tom from inside the OSV, and he could hear most of us. We might want to use the crossband for Mile 4 as well, as it could not be heard at NCS.
  • NCS at the school: NCS was located at one of the highest points on base and could hear everyone but Mile 4 and Mile 5. Both locations used HTs. Mile 6 relayed for Mile 5.
  • Relay practice: With Mile 5 unable to communicate directly with NCS, Mile 6 handled the relay. It worked pretty well.

What needs work

  • DBIDS: While this is nothing we can fix, the whole DBIDS mess is still not a smooth process. It has been escalated to the MCMO for resolution.
  • Repeater in the middle: We should give thought to adding a crossband or higher power repeater to the middle of the course (around Mile 6 – although there is limited space) to handle the relay issues. Something to ponder.
  • Relevant vs. non-relevant traffic: Determining what is and is not relevant is tough, and from a situational awareness perspective, sometimes it is better to pass traffic, even if it seems meaningless to you when it might be helpful to someone else.

My thanks to the team and for their inputs.

Some Pictures from the Course

John, KK4TCE at Mile 1/3
Net Control
N1BED’s Antenna Set Up
KG4GIY @ Mile 6 looking back towards Mile 5

ICS 214s

David’s ICS 214

Marc’s ICS 214

Crossroads 17.75 After Action

On Saturday, March 23, 2019, PWCARES supported the Marine Corps Marathon Program Office with the annual 17.75K run through the Prince William County Forest. Thanks to all who came out to support the event.

What Went Right

  • Despite the wind, the antenna at Start/Stop stayed up, thanks to proper guying by Tom, W4PIO.
  • The 6m frequency worked for communications among those that had it.

What can be improved

  • Oddly, 2m communications did not work. Whether that can be attributed to a geomagnetic storm that rolled through Friday into Saturday, or something else, we are not sure. As the sun came up the communications improved. In one case, David, KG4GIY and Tom, W4PIO were standing almost next to each other and one could hear the communications and one could not, and there was no predictability about who heard what, when.
  • Despite 6m working, it is not conducive to those that have to walk a bit to be able to see all of their section, making it a less than optimum solution.
  • Several folks forgot their access passes.

Thanks to Brian, WC4J (top photo) and Eric, KJ4MSW (bottom photo).

Upcoming Events – Volunteers needed

MCM 17.75 April 12

Route for the 2014 MCM 17.75
Route for the 2014 MCM 17.75

The Marine Corps Marathon office is going to be running their 17.75 run on April 12. The operation begins at 0600 and should be complete no later than 1400.  The race begins at 0800. This years route is a circle (yay). We need at least 16 operators, and more would be helpful because we know that when race day arrives, we tend to have a bit of attrition.

Final communications plan and volunteer paperwork will be sent out closer to the event. A mobile with an antenna is usually sufficient. As with all Marine Corps events, it is rain or shine, hot or cold.  If you can participate, please email David Lane, KG4GIY directly, then go out to the MCM site and register.

24 Hour Run 2014 May 2 – 4

Example 2011 setup for the half-way point
Example 2011 setup for the half-way point

Woodbridge ARC will be supporting the 24 hour run in Prince William Forest Park. They will be using 147.240 + as the repeater in the park with 147.525 as the simplex backup.  There will be operations on HF, VHF, and digital as well.

A minimum of two stations are needed to be manned during the entire event.  The weather can vary from very nice to very un-nice. Past history has warm days and cool nights to pouring down rain and snow.

The operation begins at 0630 on Saturday morning and concludes at 1000 Sunday. The actual race is from 0700 Saturday through 0700 Sunday and occurs in the dark of the night as well.  Nothing more exciting than watching runners in headlights at 2AM!

Please contact Rob Williams, KJ4LWN directly to volunteer.