The Plano Amateur Radio Klub provides public safety communications support to the
Plano Balloon Festival, held annually in Plano, TX. The event is held in
Oak Point Park
(near the Collin County Community College Spring Creek Campus). The club provides saftey communications for the
balloon flights which are held twice a day each day. Hams are needed to work both the field and chase both days.
Work Shifts
There will be 9 shifts total for this event, 3 shifts per day.
1. Morning shift - Volunteers are needed to cover the morning balloon flight and should expect to be on site from 7am to 11am
2. Afternoon shift - The afternoon shift will consist of net talk-in duty only and will be held on the launch field.
3. Evening shift - Volunteers are needed to cover the evening balloon flight from 4:00 pm to approximately 8pm.
Volunteers covering the balloon flights may work either the launch field or the recovery crew.
Field Volunteers
Launch field volunteers will walk out on the launch field and help identify balloons by number as they lift off. Volunteers will be out on the field for 1 to 3 hrs and should dress for the weather and bring comfortable walking shoes. Shuttle service will be provided to get volunteers on to the launch field.
Recovery Volunteers
Recovery volunteers will follow the balloons in their vehicles and verify the safe recovery of the balloonists. Recovery vehicles must have two persons, one to drive and one to spot. If you would like to work recovery but do not have a partner or a vehicle, please come anyway and we will partner you up.
APRS
APRS is desirable, but not required for the event. If you need help putting together an APRS station for the event, the Plano Amateur Radio Klub is sponsoring an APRS tuning party on Tuesday August 31. You will need to obtain all the parts and software you will need before the event. Don't know what you need? Join the NTX APRS Users Group list. Software and hardware training presentations are available.
The APRS Tuning Party will be held at:
Tuesday, August 31
7pm to 10pm
Grace Presbyterian Church
4300 West Park Blvd
Plano, TX
Talk in on the Plano repeater, 147.18 pl 107.2
The NTMS / HSMM org is intending to provide 802.11b wireless network support at the launch field and other related locations. If you are interested in participating, join the NTMS-HSMM working group
T-shirts
The event provides us with some T-shirts to mark volunteers. Because we usually have more volunteers than T-shirts, shirts will go to those volunteers who are working the most shifts.
