CSM2019 /

CSM 2019 Radio Operator's Home Page (Archived)

Thanks to everyone who volunteered!!

Ham Radio Operators at CSM 2019

The Canadian Ski Marathon for 2019 ran on February 9th and 10th. As in 2018, the CSM used commercial digital radios for health&safety and for logistics (OPS) traffic. Health&safety services were provided by a commercial supplier (Groupe Montagne Explore) and they had their own net on a different channel from OPS traffic. OPS traffic included checkpoints, ADMIN-1, ADMIN-2, propane trucks, water trucks, transport vans, road crossing crew, chip team, and Gold Camp.

However, the CSM still needed the skills and knowledge of ham operators to run a controlled net on the commercial rigs for OPS traffic. Where equipment or environmental factors make the commercial rigs difficult or impossible to use, 2M ham radio will be used as a backup.

To comment, please send an email to Harrie Jones, VE3HYS harriej59_at_gmail.com or to Neil Herber, VE3PUE ve3pue@hambone.ca.

If you worked on previous marathons, this year counted towards your years of service to the CSM.

Here is the thank-you message from Harrie:

The 2019 Ski Marathon is in the books and your skills helped to keep everyone safe and to have a wonderful time. The volunteer banquet is Wednesday, Feb 20th. Please let Neil, Admin 2, know if you are coming by noon Friday. Let Neil know if you are bringing a guest, they will have to pay.

I encourage you to attend if only so you can shake Hunter's hand. Don't worry, I'm sure it's all good by now.

Thank you so much for giving your time and skills to make it work. Neil, you deserve special thanks for all the behind the scenes work you did with files, websites and meetings to make it happen. I said you deserve but I didn't say you would get so don't let it go to your head. (HiHi! NH)

Harrie

Volunteer Banquet Feb 20, 2019 at 6:30 PM - PLEASE RSVP ASAP!

The Volunteer Banquet is in the "usual" spot, Buffet des Continents, 4 Impasse de la Gare Talon, Gatineau, QC https://goo.gl/maps/Fj7sSuKbkC12 .

You MUST RSVP to Neil Herber, VE3PUE ve3pue@hambone.ca prior to noon on Feb 15, Friday.
You can bring a guest, but they will have to pay. Please indicate how many diners. If we don't hear from you by noon Fri, we will assume you are NOT coming.
If you are owed any service pins (3 years first then every 5 years starting at year 5) please indicate which one(s).
Food is free, but you must pay for your drinks.
Come out and enjoy yourself! (And get to shake Hunter's hand, if you dare ...)

Pictures From the Banquet

Ops Radio Team

Service pin awards: Admin-2, Glenn MacDonell VE3XRA (10 yrs), Margaret Tidman VA3VXN (10 yrs), Tyler Tidman VA3DGN (10 yrs), Frank Fullum VE2KOI (5 yrs), Admin-1 ...

Pictures From the Event

Net Control Teams (NC photos by Frank)

Georges Ankenmann VA3LZY and Frank Fullum VE2KOI - Operations ...

Attach:NC2.jpg Δ Frank and Georges along with Safety Jean-Marc Nantel and David Nantel ...

The Repeater Tower on Saturday (Photo supplied by Jonathan Lévesque)

Tower was damaged in a windstorm the night before the marathon ...

CP11/6 (Start) Team

Steve Regan VA3MGY and Jocelyn Tremblay VE3JCT, VA2DIY ...

CP10/3 Team

Hunter Bagby VE3HVB (joined later by Steve VA3MGY from CP11/6)...

CP9/5 Team

Margaret Tidman VA3VXN and Tyler Tidman VA3DGN ...

CP8/4 Team

Scott Curda VA3PTO and Austin Sweezey VA3SWY ...

CP7/2 Team

Clarence Barnes VA2SLB and Malcolm Harper VE2DDZ ...

Gold Camp Finish Team

GC groupie (??) and Leonard Chodat VE3LPH and Glenn MacDonell VE3XRA ...

CP6A/1 (Finish) Team

Alan MacPhee VE3ZTU and Luc Pernot VE3JGL ...

Admin-2 Team

In hi-viz vests, Shelanie Braganza, Stéphane Quevillon VE2STQ, and Justin Braganza ...

The Admin-2 voice, Neil Herber VE3PUE ...

Admin-1

In the blue jacket at the right, Frédéric Ménard ...

But This Isn't Ham Radio! (you say to yourself...)

The commercial radios must be used for all "official" CSM traffic, but you are free to use your own ham equipment for other traffic. For example, you might use handy-talkies to talk with others at your checkpoint. If you are working at a checkpoint, you should test your ham backup radio with a local repeater before the checkpoint is active. Just remember that there is no formal net or agreement for the CSM to use ham repeaters.

The important point is that the CSM needs people who are skilled at operating on a controlled net. Those are ham skills.

But I am Not a Ham

Because the CSM is using commercial radios, you do not need to be a licensed ham to operate them. However, it would be best if you were experienced in working on a controlled net (military, police, etc.)

But I am Busy That Weekend!

Well, maybe next year? Would you be willing to pass this info on to other operators you know? Perhaps your local club ... ? Thanks!

Trail Routing the Same as 2018

Here is a quote from the CSM President's special message:

Due to the great popularity of the Northern Trail route introduced in 2018, the 2019 CSM will again travel from south of Mont Tremblant to Montebello on Saturday and then the traditional Montebello to Lachute route on Sunday. The trail and snow qualities were outstanding last year and allowed for an superb ski experience on all sections. Learning from this first Northern trail experience of last year and listening to your feedback, we are making slight enhancements to this route for an even better ski experience this year on both days.

Routing details are on the Maps page.

Bye-bye Barcodes!

Here is another quote from the CSM President's special message:

To further enhance your CSM 2019 experience, we’re introducing a skier chip system. It will make checking in and out of checkpoints faster and seamless and help us better safeguard skiers. During the event it will permit your friends and family, via a web application, to know when you checked in and out of each section as you make your way through the course. The new chip-based system is also providing cost savings to the CSM as our current bar code scanning system required an expensive hardware upgrade for a system that is out dated.

Comments

Sylvain Parent ? — 28 September 2018, 13:25

Thanks Neil for featuring the CSM on your site! And thank you also for your many years of volunteering to the CSM, it is people like you and many, many others that make this event possible to the benefit of the ski community. Thank You.