June 14th was The Milligan for 2025. The Milligan is a bike event that is formerly know as The Big Hill Challenge. You can read more about the event at TheMilligan.org.
This radio communications for this event are run my the Nashville Amateur Radio Club. This year a few additional clubs were invited to assist with communications. SCARA and SCARES jumped at the chance to help out their respective sister organizations.
Brian, NG2S, volunteered and was assigned to the rest stop at the corner of Murfreesboro Rd and Stumpy Ln in Lebanon, TN along with a couple other radio operators from the NARC. The tactical call sign for this location was REI Rest Stop because it was in the parking lot of the REI Distribution Center.
The day started overcast and was uneventful. Around 11:30 a race staff member was reporting a bicyclist in need who was only able to communicate via text message to his wife due to the poor cellular coverage in the area he was in. Information and a general location was gathered by the radio operators and race staff at the REI rest stop from the spouse of the rider and Net Control was notified. A SAG Unit was dispatched and the rider was found. He had a major bicycle failure and was unable to continue the route to get back. This was a perfect example of why radio operators support events like this.
The skies opened up as the last riders left the REI rest stop. The radio operators were released from that location and break down was completed as quickly as possible due to the downpour.
The event was used as an opportunity to do some equipment testing. In the pictures below you will see a field box with a dual band mobile being powered by a Dewalt 20v 6ah cordless tool battery as well as a Meshtastic node and a Yaesu FT-5D running APRS on VFO B. An Ed Fong roll up dual band J-Pole antenna was supported by a 17′ Japanese Tenkara fishing pole secured to a canopy leg.
