San Antonio Area Hams

Serving the Amateur Radio Community in San Antonio
and South Central Texas since 2003

"A Friendly & Informative Ham Radio Web Site"

May Newsletter

Hello {FirstName} {LastName} {Text1}.

Public Service Opportunity & SK Notice!

This is the May 2010 Edition of the SanAntonioHams.org Ham Radio Community Newsletter. This newsletter is going out to about 400+ email addresses for ham radio operators, but if you want to be removed, please {UNSUBSCRIBE "To unsubscribe, click here"}.

If your contact info is wrong, or needs corrected, please contact us using the info at the bottom of this newsletter. Don't use the Unsubscribe link for general contact, because that account gets handled automatically.

Don't forget to renew your local ham club membership for 2010 and support your local repeater groups too! Many of the applications forms for the various clubs / groups are available online by clicking on the AREA CLUBS PAGE.

Reminder: The Hill Country REACT Team will be changing it's monthly meeting location in May to a restaurant near Bulverde on hwy 281 and FM1863. See their website later for more details when they get posted, or watch for the blog to be updated of course!

de Lee N5NTG, aka the San Antonio Hams Webmaster

You can trust Lee N5NTG to provide accurate info regarding CLEAR Internet Services in the San Antonio metro area.

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Get Your PC & Mac Support from another Ham you can trust,
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Tour de Cure
Repeater Notes

The 444.450 Canyon Lake Repeater is suffering from mechanical problems, and a part had to be shipped back for repair since it couldn't be done locally. It is unlikely that this repeater will be back on the air prior to the Tour de Cure.

The 147.000 GVARC repeater will be the primary repeater used on Day 1 and the starting portion of Day 2.

The 146.76 Seguin Repeater will be our backup, possibly linked via IRLP to an Austin area repeater for Day 2 coverage.

The Austin 146.94 repeater (new PL tone) has been used on Day 2 for the northern part of the route.

If we link via IRLP, we likely will have some alternative repeater frequencies to announce closer to the date.

In this newsletter...

• Tour de Cure - Hams Needed May 22nd and 23rd
• SK Notice - Francis Draper KB5TMI - May 6th
• Recent Events / News Stories
• QST's
  • Who Can Post to San Antonio Hams' Blog
  • Calling all Traffic Net Control Operators!
  • Disclaimer - SA Hams is NOT a Ham Club

2010 Tour de Cure Ride
May 22nd - 23rd

Due to major ADA staff changes, event planning has been affected, but now the event is on us with less than a month to get everything lined up in time. Fortunately, many of last year's ham volunteers have already stepped up to the plate to help.

PLAN CHANGE - NEED MORE SAG DRIVERS

We need to staff 4 of these blue Documation cars (Scions) for Turtle duty on Day 1, and 3 of them on Day 2. But we have the opportunity to staff up to 10 or 12 of them both days with hams or non-hams.

These cars will not be available for access until the morning of the Start Day unless we can make arrangements to let you wire up your radios the night before. They are being stored near the Retama Park on Friday night, driven over to the Retama Park on Saturday AM. Your personal cars will be at Retama Park with security staying there overnight until late Sunday.

Non-Hams must have cell phone to use for coordination. Hams should have cell phone also.

These slots are being filled on a first come, first serve basis, so don't wait, email us now with your availability. Gas is paid for by Tour de Cure like the MS150 is done, at designated Valero stations. These cars only fit 4 people, with minimal room inside the back hatch for personal gear, etc. Bike racks will be mounted on the rear hatch, so realistically you will only pick up 2 riders before needing to drop off at nearest rest stop.

We've also got slots for 4 of the 15 passenger SAG Vans, which have to be picked up Friday evening during a short time span. Not sure which vendor we are using, Enterprise or CAPP, yet. Danny & Gary have 2 of them, room for 2 more drivers (must be hams).

And the Champion Toyota trucks are back! We only have 4 and they need to be picked up Friday in Austin, returned after the event on Sunday. I've got 1 confirmed driver (from Austin) lined up for this, but still have 3 to fill. These trucks will be used to help pick up signage at the end of each route, pick up anything left at the rest stops (that wasn't put on the supply truck), and to be flexible help with SAG needs.

Typically we use about 70 ham radio operators each day! Free overnight dorm room available (must RSVP in advance to get it) for those volunteers working both days and needing a place to stay up in San Marcos. Rooms are shared basis with 2 persons per room. Bring your own sheets, pillows, etc, it's not a hotel room. We've reserved about 10 rooms, to handle 20 volunteers. The Motorcycle Marshals have their own "suite" of rooms reserved.

We staff each rest stop with one or more hams, preferably 2 per stop to allow relief, plus the start / finish lines, Net Control (ADA calls it the Communications Center), and roving SAG or other vehicles. We anticipate needing to staff 7 rest stops on Day 1 and 8 rest stops on Day 2 (more on Day 2 due to less overlap of routes).

Lee Besing N5NTG of Hill Country REACT of San Antonio organizes Day1 and all vehicle staffing for both days, while Jeff Schmidt N5MNW and his hams from Austin organize the staffing for Day 2 rest stops and Finish Line Net Control. Hayes / Caldwell County Hams always pitch in on Day 2, but all hams are welcomed to participate both days in almost any capacity.

Typically Hill Country REACT members run the Command Center (Net Control) from San Marcos for Day 1 and the start of Day 2, until all participants have maneuvered north up the route.

Don't lock your self into a rut by always doing the same thing the same way over and over again, year after year! Try something new!

• ATX Hams contact – Jeff N5MNW N5MNW@arrl.net
  
• Hays/Caldwell Hams contact – David KD5MML kd5mml@gmail.com
  
• SA Hams Contact – Lee N5NTG info@sanantoniohams.org

DOWNLOAD 2010 Tour De Cure MAPS HERE

What we know so far...

• Day 1 - New Starting Point - Retama Park on IH-35, north of Loop 1604
• Day 1 - 4 Routes, 2 of them returning to the same Starting Point. 14 & 32 mile route return to Retama Park. That means we need 4 turtles!
• Day 1 - 4 Turtles, 2 of them short timers (i.e. go back to being SAG's when route done, or rotate out in support of the other two longer route turtles.)
• Day 1 - Route Changes - avoids the location of the multiple accidents last year, doesn't go thru New Braunfels at all.
• Day 1 - Rest Stop Changes - New locations for some stops, but still have 7 to staff with Ham Radio Operators on Day 1.
• Day 1 - Rest Stop Changes - New procedures for Rest Stop Hams. Handling all radio traffic for rest stop, including commercial radio HT from LCRA. Supplies handled via cell phone by the Rest Stop Chairperson direct.
• Day 1 - Rest Stop Changes - New sponsor means dedicated supply truck to remain on site all day at each rest stop. Ice trucks still moving around as needed.
• Day 2 - Same Starting Point, Same Basic Routes, some minor changes.

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Contact Gary WF5Y for all your electronic parts needs! He sends out a free newsletter about once or twice a month with info about his latest inventory acquisitions, such as his planned trip to Dayton Hamfest next month! Who knows what Grumpy will bring back to sell you? Only his subscribers will know!
Send email to wf5y@grumpyshop.net with subject "subscribe" .

Who Can Post to San Antonio Hams' Blog?

Quick answer: Any Ham the blog administrator allows.

Practical answer: Almost any ham radio operator who asked permission.

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Disclaimer: San Antonio Hams is Not a Ham Club!

I've been providing this website for the benefit of Ham Radio Operators in Central Texas since 2003, and will continue to do so for as long as there is the need & desire to keep the information pipeline open... Articles from other Hams & Ham Clubs, for the Blog and the website in general, are always invited and welcomed!

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