The organizers of the 4^th of July Parade in Takoma Park have again reached out to ask us to provide communications support for the parade, as MARC and MCACS members have done for many years. The parade has the well-deserved reputation of being the premier home-grown Independence Day parade in the DC area. Many of us who have been involved with this event in the past look forward to it, as being a participant is definitely FUN as well as rewarding.

Our role is as follows:

• Before the parade, we spread out across the parade assembly area and help units get to their assigned spot in the lineup.
• We convey any changes in the lineup to the operator assigned to the reviewing stand.
• We are asked to be alert for any situation that might require intervention by the parade organizers and/or or public safety.
• Once the parade starts, ham volunteers are welcome to join in the parade, either in their personal vehicle or accompanying their assigned division on foot.

Volunteers should plan to arrive no later than 9 AM to avoid getting tangled up in road closures. The parade kicks off at 10 AM and is over by noon.

If you can help out, please send an email to parade@mcacs.net.

The topography of the parade route poses a challenge for VHF/UHF communications. All the local repeaters that we have tried have dead spots at one or more locations along the parade route, and operating on a simplex frequency doesn’t work particularly well either. In recent years, the MCACS portable UHF repeater has provided handheld coverage of the parade route when sited appropriately. It’s relatively easy to set up with an antenna on a 30-40’ mast, and can be powered from a 20 Ah or larger battery. We hope to be able to set it up at our leisure a day or two ahead of time.

Although I am happy to recruit volunteers and organize the operation, I will not be available on the day of the parade. So in addition to a minimum of seven operators, we need someone to manage the operation on the 4th. I can provide detailed materials, including information packets for participants, from past years. If you can lead the event, please give me a call directly. Hint: the leader doesn’t necessarily have to be net control. The leader is responsible for getting information out to participants on site, making assignments, interfacing with the parade organizers, and solving any problems that arise.

— Al, KN3U
ataylor@mcacs.net
(202) 875-0268