| HAM Radio Celebrating 15 Years of Supporting the MS Bike Tour
by Rick Gardiner, VE1RGG |
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Over a dozen members of the Halifax Amateur Radio Club, along with several members from the Truro Amateur Radio Club, have been providing emergency communications for the MS Bike Tour held in Nova Scotia each year. The 2004 RONA MS Bike Tour marked the 15th anniversary for the tour which has been a major fundraising event for the MS Society's Atlantic Division since 1990.
Over a dozen service vehicles are provided for the two days to help ensure the safety of the cyclists. Several vehicles are designated for First Aid and Bike Repair while others patrol the route frequently to watch for cyclists in need of assistance. HAM radio operators are also assigned to each Rest Stop in case there is a need to call for assistance or for supplies.
When the route from Musquodoboit Harbour to Truro was chosen there was a substantial gap in the communications along the route. Almost two-thirds of the route did not have adequate coverage by cell phone or HAM radio repeater. A mobile HAM radio repeater built into an EMO trailer was called into service and a ham radio operator towed the trailer to the top of a hill located near the centre of the route in order to fill the void.
Modern electronics were used in the Bike Tour this year with several of the vehicles carrying gps units connected to Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS) radio equipment. This equipment automatically reports positions of vehicles by sending out packets of information that it receives from the gps units. Contained within each beacon is the latitude and longitude of the vehicle. When this is used in conjunction with the proper monitoring equipment the position of each vehicle can be tracked on a computerized map. This helps to shorten response times by knowing where vehicles are located. It also helps to keep the service vehicles spread out along the route when not dealing with a particular emergency.
Our main goal, besides raising money, is to have fun, enjoy the weekend, and have a safe return! In 2005 there will be twice as much chance to participate with two bike tours being held; one in Nova Scotia from Musquodoboit Harbour to Truro, and one in New Brunswick from Sussex to Saint John.
Funds raised in Nova Scotia are in the order of $300,000 annually which goes towards research for finding a cure for MS and in the short term finding medications to help relieve the symptoms and provide comfort for those stricken with this disease. For more information on MS or the RONA MS Bike Tour see the MS web site at the following:
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The
Bike Tour is a two day weekend event traveling along very scenic maritime
routes. Frequent rest stops with food and refreshments are provided along
the route to aid in the comfort of the cyclists. There is a stop-over on
Saturday night where several activities and an Awards Banquet are planned.
The return trip on the following day ends with a BBQ back at the Saturday
morning start point.
The Bike Tour Planning Committee,
which includes MS Staff and several volunteers, checks any planned route
months in advance to ensure that the route is suitable for cyclists and that there will be adequate
places available for rest stops. The chosen routes are often in rural
areas to help minimize interference with automobile traffic. Since these areas
are not usually prime areas for cell phone coverage, HAM radio plays a key role
in providing all major communications along the route. During the route
planning phase radio operators check the cell phone and HAM radio repeater
coverage for the route. Normally a route covers a 75 km distance and may
require the use of 2 or 3 repeaters along the way.
Participation
in this event has increased to an average of 400 cyclists each year. Over
a hundred volunteers also help make the event a success by participating as Rest
Stop Support, Route Flagging, Luggage Transport, Cheering, Route Setup and Tear
Down, Route Signing, Banquet Planning, and many other activities.
