Equipment Needs for Baker to Vegas 2003

One of the biggest challenges we face each year, in preparing to support this race, is the immense task of soliciting the loans of equipment from our local Hams. We depend on the loans of equipment, for between three weeks to two months, so we can test the equipment, and pack it for travel. Even though the race will not occur until April 11-14, we will need much of this equipment at least a month before the event, and it then takes a week or two to return it. (We also use the ARRL power connector standard, so we'll be happy to install the polarized 2-pin molex connectors on any loaned equipment.)

If you have equipment that you would care to donate toward the cause, please contact the CA non-profit organization East Bay Section ARES, Inc. by sending email to the donation coordinator.

There will be a Core Group team (responsible for the Net Control stations, and the voice and data networks), as well as teams to support each of the running teams. Each of these teams will be responsible for finding all the equipment (voice radios and APRS Trackers) that their team will need. The APRS trackers must meet our wiring and packaging specifications.

All Hams are encouraged to make cables for their own equipment that meet the power and interconnection specifications shown in the wiring overview. These connections make troubleshooting easy for us, but they also make it fast and easy to deploy packet radio for ARES and RACES events. We have a couple of technical volunteers who can build cables for you if you provide the materials, or if you are willing to pay for them to buy the materials. If you are interested in this service, please email me with the radio and/or TNC model number(s).

If you are willing to loan any equipment for this event, or for emergency use, we also strongly encourage you to mark your equipment and accessories with your callsign now, before you loan it. This includes marking accessories like microphones, antennas, power cables, etc. We will be very careful checking in all loaned equipment, but you may not have time to mark your equipment before some other emergency. Labeling or engraving your equipment and accessories will greatly increase the chances that it will all get back to you quickly after the event.

General Equipment Needs ([C] = Core Group, [T] = Team)
500-Watt (or greater) 110 VAC generators [C]
2-meter band-pass filters (50-watt minimum) [C]
TNC's! (1200 bps; TNC-2 clones, AEA PK-12 or 9612, KPC-2, etc.) [C, T]
GPS receivers with power/data cable harness (Garmin 45, 45-XL, Trimble, Sony, etc.) [T]
2-meter mobile radios (25-watt or greater) [C, T]
2-meter/440 MHz dual-band mobile radios (25-watt or greater) [C]
Mobile CB Radios and Mag-mount antenna (must use 12-V power source) [T]
Computers for APRS (Macs and PC) [C, T]
Cables, connectors, etc.for making cable harnesses (We *ARE* a non-profit group now!) [C, T]
Mag-mount 2-M/440 antennas (we prefer the NMO mounts, with BNC on the cables) [C, T]
Base antennas for 2-M and 440 (gain omnidirectional, and yagis) [C]

You can read the original chronicle of the Ham Support for the 1995 B-to-V Challenge Cup. This story was submitted to QST magazine, and the version that appeared in print was a bit shorter...

Copyright 1996-99, David K. Z. Harris, N6UOW
Questions? Comments? Additions? Email n6uow@baker2vegas.org

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