General HAM information

Amateur Radio Operators are an essential part of bicycle touring.  Over the past years, Hams have proven their weight in gold during our tours.  They pass messages about rider welfare, road hazards, changing weather conditions, and assist with the coordination of rest stop supplies.  Communications are a key ingredient for our summer tours to run smoothly and safely, so we can never have enough Amateur Radio Operator volunteers.

Time Commitment
Amateur Radio Operators may volunteer for a single day, multiple days or the entire week of the tour.  We invite operators from near and far to participate during our tours, in fact, we have amateur radio operators that come from as far away as Texas. 

Equipment Recommendations
The volunteer Communications Coordinator for each tour obtains permission from trustees and ham clubs along the tour route to utilize various two meter repeaters.  Due to the nature of being on the back roads of Wisconsin, we highly recommend that Ham volunteers use mobile two meter rigs with output power of no less then 25 watts.  Having the capability to be able to hear or utilize your mobile rig outside of your vehicle is also highly recommended.  We encourage you to bring your handie talkies or portable radios which can be utilized as well.  We will also make use of APRS.  While you are not required to have an APRS station, we encourage the use of it as it provides our net controls with more information.  Additional equipment that is not required but you may consider bringing is a GPS and a cell phone capable of digital and analog operations.