The Reston Bike Club Ride Across Loudoun County
Some After Action Thoughts

 First, our operation was very successful. Everyone conducted themselves very professionally and as a credit to our Group and the Amateur Radio Service. Second, well, maybe also first, we had fun. Being volunteers it is often hard to look at what could be better, so please do not take any of these thought personally. What we did right: we had complete circuits among all sites, most sites and links were tested in advance, we worked hard and together toward common goals, the customer interface was important; we listened to their needs and adapted as they changed, and radio discipline was outstanding under sometimes difficult conditions.

We all put this together and we pulled it off so be proud of what we've accomplished. We did meet a few weeks later and wrote down somethings to be worked for the next time we get called upon.

LARG Post Event Meeting

ATTENDEES
Mark Gillam N3GMW	Joel Glass K4JAG	John Donovan KG4HYH	Norm Styer AI2C
Bill Buchholz K8SYH	Tom Dawson WB3AKD	Charlie Preston K4LJH	Gene Harrison N3EV

We discussed the following topics.

1) Logistics

• Reston Operation did not have very much water/food during event.
• Should have had 2 shifts of operators.
• Exercise lasted longer than we thought it would.
  

2) Procedures

• Need script for Net Control to make it easier for other operators to relieve
  • Roll calls
  • Radio checks
  • Relay procedures
  • Reporting incidents and outages
  • Net open/close

• Send out Directed Net Operating Procedures before event
• Operators should be doing communications only not doing counting functions ( they need to report this data from other volunteers)
• Weather? What conditions shut down Ham operations ( fair weather only?)
• Reston needed a runner to track down officials etc.

3) Equipment

• Shadow Equipment needs
  • Mobile dual band rig. 20-30 watts w/crossband capability
  • Dual band mag mount antenna
  • Light weight 12V battery
  • Dual band HT with plenty of batteries and cigarette lighter adapter
  • Headset and boom mike
  • Use mobile rig when mobile. Use HT to cross band mobile when dismounted.

• Use PLL tones on cross-band operation
• Consider developing a mobile repeater to be deployed
• Have HF back up at all sites.
  • Have to use dipoles not verticals
  • 40M for daytime
  • 80M clip on extenders for dipoles for late afternoon operation

4) Communications

• Consider a more central Net Control location
• Check cross-band in actual operation configuration prior to operation
• General coverage antennas in addition to beams at sites for possible coverage of Ham riders and/or shadow
• Reston had a lot of interference. Consider bandpass filters

5) Liaison

• Consider shadowing a Bike Club official. Hard to find them
• Enlist Ham riders
• Need better procedures on when a Rest Stop can shut down
• Need a schedule for each rest stop
• Consider radio interference potential in selecting rest stops.
• Need better definition of ARC and RBC responsibilities

6) General

• Signs directing riders to rest stops were small (especially Hamilton)
• Were the Hams supposed to get T-shirts

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