April 2025 Radio Safety Team Update
Dear Volunteers,
You are on our roster as either a current volunteer signed up for 2025 races or a past volunteer who we hope signs up for a race soon! We still have openings for some of the remaining 11 races. See the race support website for more information.
This year we have introduced two new things to our race net: Lawn Signs and a Text Group. We will update our Guidelines for CAARA Volunteers to cover these introductions.
The Lawn Signs help to let the public know who we are and what we are doing as we work a race. The Text Group is an ancillary chat group created for each race that includes the members of the team on a particular race. The Text group is not essential to conducting the net, but is a place to share information (does not replace radio when conducting the net) and questions before, during and after the race.
The attached Guidelines for CAARA Volunteers is a draft of a new version of the Guidelines that includes:
- a new section on lawn signs
- a new section on the text group
- a small addition to the mission statement
All revisions and additions are in green typeface. We invite your comments and questions for consideration before a revised version is distributed before the Twin Lights race on May 4th.
Kindly reply with your thoughts, suggestions, or questions before April 29th.
Many thanks!
Kevin, K1KL
kevinlyonsk1kl@gmail.com
April 2025 Marblehead Half Marathon After Race Report
Great job today team, with many challenges. Your volunteerism is greatly appreciated.
My observations:
- Our team was in place, on time, and provided needed and good communication.
- The race was new for CAARA and for YuKan. There are many lessons to be learned. I will be emailing the Race Director with a few recommendations. At the top of the list is our Checkpoint 4 at Lafayette St. and Derby St. Steve, K8ZBE was at this CP. He expressed his concerns about the intersecting traffic at a major roadway 4-way intersection with runners going all places across the intersection. I watched for a while and after working 35 YuKan races, I can say this was the worst situation I've seen. There was a police officer in the middle of the intersection doing his best, but he was overwhelmed. I know that the YuKan road manager also observed this and had similar conclusions -- it can't be repeated next year. 2nd on the list is CP1 at Harbor Ave. and Ocean Ave. Similar but less crazy, Police officer did a great job and the situation was under control. If I was alone there and did not have a police officer, I would have been calling for help. There must be a police officer at this intersection. I could not observe the whole course at peak times so if you have feedback about safety, please email me kevinlyonsk1kl@gmail.com.
- The Salem repeater worked well. It was important not to speak right after pushing the PTT. Pausing for a count of 1 helped to avoid clipping of the first words.
- We did not need the text group as a back-up but it seemed helpful to take some incidental traffic off-line and not tie up the repeater frequency. I'm thinking it would be good to have a text group every race. It is important to remember that the radio is a priority but checking the text group periodically might be helpful.
- It could have rained harder and it could have been colder! 😊
- We need regular reminders that CPs do not refer to course miles, but rather to intersections. Only Lead and Trail Vehicles announce miles or mile markers. CPs are not at exact mileage!
- We need to remember that there is no station to station calling (direct) unless at the direction of Net Control or with permission.
- CP stations had to have been cold -- and staying out there was not fun. Thanks to all -- the weather will get warmer (right?).
- Race course adjustments for next year's Marblehead race are needed, but we can only make recommendations to YuKan. They are historically good listeners.
If you have any feedback on the race, safety or otherwise, or any facet that we should try to improve, please share. I revise the Volunteer Guidance after almost every race.
Again, thanks for your service to CAARA, YuKan, and the road race community.
Kevin, K1KL
December 2024 YuKan Races Retrospective
On behalf of the Cape Ann Amateur Radio Association and YuKanRun organization and knowing the gratitude of the hundreds of runners you helped to keep safe this year, thank you for your volunteer work on the CAARA Race Support Radio Net Team.
2024 was an amazing race year. Twenty-three different hams, mostly CAARA club members, worked diligently to make each of the 12 races this year safe and successful. There were nice race days, there were hot race days and there were cold and rainy race days. No one was deterred from being out there and doing this important work.
We added two races this year to the usual ten races. Almost every race was fully staffed thanks to you volunteering.
I know of at least three instances this year when Emergency Medical Services reached a runner in serious need faster, because one of you was there.
Perfect attendance, all 12 races-- W1PAG, Paul Gilberti; AA1TS, Tom Stephenson, and W1CAF, Charles Norton. That's pretty amazing dedication.
I also want to call out my co-conspirator in staffing and logistics, W1TAT, Chris Winczewski, and for their help with pre-race repeater testing, K1TP, Jon Cunningham and W1CAF, Charles Norton. This work was critical to mission success.
I already look forward to a new race season in 2025, knowing what a great team we have and confident that we will meet all the usual challenges and probably some new ones.
Thank you! & Happy Holidays!
73
Kevin, K1KL