Nine people (eight hams and one future ham) were present to provide CCARC communications support for the 2019 March for Babies held at the Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf on 5 May 2019.
Ready for action were: Rob – N2OMC, Bob – NW3M, Bob – KB3KOW, Bob – KC3BOW (with son, Robert), Rey – N3QPG, Paul – KB3YXS, Pam – KB3SWS, and Jeff – KB3SPH.
We set-up a net control station under a pop-up canopy and used a battery powered portable radio with a J-pole antenna mounted on a mast at 20 feet. Everyone had handhelds tuned to a simplex frequency including NW3M’s bike mobile standing by.
The weatherman stated that if we had had only a few more Bobs/Roberts present, he would have been able to make the weather cooperate, but…the event organizer notified us that they had made the decision at 0700 to have the Marchers make laps around the stadium instead of the scheduled three mile walk through the surrounding neighborhood.
Most of the normally outside activities supporting the March were moved into the stadium. Art would be pleased to know that the petting zoo did arrive and CCARC was stationed down-rain instead of downwind of them this year. The ducks in the petting zoo especially enjoyed the weather.
At 0900, the throbbing crowd of Marchers staged inside the stadium were pressed against a purple ribbon stretched across the entrance. The event coordinator cut the ribbon and the Marchers streamed out in to the pouring rain to make their counterclockwise soggy trek(s) around the stadium. There were lots of squishy sounds, dripping umbrellas, and all-terrain strollers pushing up bow waves passing by the net control station. A few of our CCARC communicators also joined the March and gave signal reports back to net control. We also tested communications from the original rest stop locations with no issues, proving that CCARC communicators can make it happen, rain or shine. The March was finished a little after 1000, leaving us to pack up and hope for better weather next year.
73
Jeff / KB3SPH
