BICYCLE MOBILE AMATEUR RADIO OPERATIONS ON GOBA
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Bicycle Mobile Hams are GOBA riders who are licensed amateur radio operators who carry their 2 meter radios with them to help provide communications support on GOBA. They provide the same type of reports as amateurs stationed along the route, advising GOBA Officials of medical emergencies, mechanical breakdowns, riders who need to be sagged, dangerous road conditions, and rider density along the route. Each year there are between 20-30 bicycle mobile hams on GOBA. The GOBA Communications Director, K8ZDA, will usually be a bicycle mobile radio operator. Bicycle mobile hams ordinarily use nothing more than a 5 watt Handheld Radio with a 1/2 wave antenna. Sometimes they are limited to 1 watt and a "rubber duck" antenna. GOBA has a few collapsible Larsen 1/2 wave antennas to loan to bicycle mobile hams to provide them with greater range. In the past, bicycle mobile operators have provided the first report of about 50% of the medical emergencies on GOBA. Working together with amateur radio operators from GOBA's host counties, they are an important part of the emergency, health, and welfare communications system GOBA relies on. When Bicycle Mobile hams cannot "hit" the repeater, they are likely to transmit any emergency traffic on the output frequency of the repeater and ask any ham who copies their transmission to attempt to relay the message to Net Control. Hams along the route, in Sag Vehicles and in Ambulances should listen for bike mobile hams "transmitting on the output" so they can relay any emergency traffic to net control. A bicycle mobile, or other ham, who is transmitting on the output should indicate this in his or her transmission. If GOBA experiences a major emergency, such as a campground evacuation due to severe weather, flooding, or some other disaster bicycle mobile hams may be asked to pitch in to provide communications support for the evacuation. Each host town has an emergency evacuation plan to assist GOBA in the event of such a situation. More information about bicycle mobile operations on GOBA can be obtained by contacting GOBA Communications Director Jeff Ferriell, K8ZDA.
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