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Home About Amateur Radio Amateur Code AREC ATV Becoming an Amateur BBS Bridge to Bridge Classes Club Nets Committee and Officers Contests Contact Event Operators Ham Hum Ham Hum Online J W Memorial Field Days Kona Page Market Day Membership Form National AREC Page National System Award 2010 NZART Upcoming Meetings Visitor Licensing Info Hamilton Weather Contact Us	Fletcher Bay – Photo – Tony; ZL1UD Saturday 13th March  2010. Each year, the Hamilton Section provides safety communications for the Kona Colville Connection. This is a Mountain Bike Race that circles the top of the Coromandel from Colville to Colville – 72 Km’s, of which 8 Km’s is on a walking track from Stony Bay to Fletcher Bay. Owing to the terrain, we use H.F. Communications between Base and Stony, Fletcher and Fantail Bays. We provide two operators on the hill and communications for them is through the Hamilton STSP. Circumstances dictated that we used the UHF repeater this year. Safety and isolation dictates that a team consists of two people; a primary operator and either a secondary operator or friend/family member. Distance and road conditions require that operators are on site the previous night, so this involves camping out.	Weather conditions this year were the worst I have seen on this event with constant rain, sometimes horizontal, and lower temperatures than normal. Riders would turn up at Fletcher Bay; themselves and their bikes covered in mud. The water station provided a hose for cleaning bikes, with a long queue. Most riders chose to throw their bikes and themselves in the creek and have a clean up. There were 980 riders on this event. At the same time, the organisers run two other events with any communications required being provided by cell phone. All proceeds from this event go to the Colville School. Operators: Base – Phil; ZL1PK, David; ZL1DGK and Laurence; ZL1LD. Stony Bay – Terry; ZL1TNO with his wife Sandy. Hill Operators – Dave; ZL1TCE, Robin; ZL1IC and friend Greg. Fletcher Bay – Tony; ZL1UD and Cameron; ZL1CNM. Fantail Bay – Jono!; ZL1UPJ with his Father Arthur. Tony Case ZL1UD Bike Cleaning after the bush Photo – Tony; ZL1UD
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