24 Hours in the Old Pueblo: Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Question:

What are the restroom facilities like and where are they located?

Answer:
The only "facilities" provided are "Port‐O‐Potties". They are located throughout 24 Hour Town. There are NO facilities available on the bike route.

If you intend to use these "facilities", it is HIGHLY recommended that you bring a BIG can of Lysol or some equivalent, use it LIBERALLY before you touch anything. Also consider bringing your own toilet paper. In other words, please consider these "Port‐O‐Potties" as highly septic birthing areas for disease. Personally, I will try my best to avoid them by going to a remote/private location and do my business in the "woods" as the bears do.

The "woods" are MUCH cleaner, MORE private than "Port‐O‐Potties" and can benefit the local plants over time. I do realize that majority of our "modern/civil" society has been culturally indoctrinated with an irrational disposition for the use of these disgusting contraptions called "Port‐O‐Potties". Therefore, if you feel that you SOCIALLY COMPELLED/INDOCTRINATED to use these "Port‐O‐Potties", please take the appropriate precautions!!!

Question:

What is the availability of food and drink at the event?

Answer:
24 Hour Town does have food and drink vendors but their schedule is unknown. In the past it seemed as if they were really only available during high volume times (i.e. no vendor stayed opened overnight during "off hours"). But this event has grown, so there may be offerings during the entire event. But do not count on it.

Remember, this event is in the middle of the desert. Expecting a "Macaroni Grill" to be available at the event site is just not a reality. These vendors spend significant time and $$$ to come out and set up shop in the middle of the desert. So, do not expect the vendors to give their food away. They are there to provide a service and make a profit. Indeed, they deserve a profit for their services. Thus, do not be surprised if their food might be pricey. In short, if you are a typical cheap‐@$$ amateur radio operator looking for freebies because you feel entitled and are not prepared to pay a premium for food service, then be prepared by bringing your OWN food and drink that will sustain you whilst in the field.

Question:

I have prescription medicine... what do I do about that?

Answer:
If you have MEDS, bring’m' and use’m them as directed by your doctor!! If your meds impair your ability to work in the field, then contact Net‐ Control and they can help.
So BY ALL MEANS, take your MEDS as directed by your doctor. If you fail to take your MEDS and you become a liability to the team, you are helping no‐one. Including yourself!

Question:

Do I need a 4X4 vehicle for this event?

Answer:
NO, but it does not hurt. For field work, you do need at least a HIGH CLEARANCE vehicle for basic transportation. The ONLY station that is remotely "NICE" for low clearance vehicles (i.e. Honda Civics et. al.) is Net‐Control. If the only vehicle you have is a low clearance vehicle... you are probably going be stuck at Net‐Control.

Question:

I only have an 11m single crystal radio with a broken coat hanger for an antenna, pinched coax and a dead battery. Can I still participate?

Answer:
The short answer is YES! The long answer is that you technically do not need a radio or even a license. If you fail to provide yourself with the minimum necessary radio equipment and/or license, NO PROBLEM! We will simply pair you up with someone that does meet all of the requirements for our operations.

Question:

Hey, I worked El Tour de Tucson with my 0.03 milliwatt crystal/galena/tube hybrid software defined radio on my iPhone!! Why do you think you need more radio than El Tour? This event is not even half the size of El Tour!! And another thing, why do you think you need PL tones on SIMPLEX frequencies? Don't you know that PL Tones are just like D‐Star and are only used on repeaters!? Answer:
Wow, is that a loaded question or what... but indeed... I have been challenged with similar questions as this. Alas, me being a person of infinite patience and humble disposition, I shall endeavour to answer this question to the extent that I can.

There are multiple reasons why PL Tones and dual band radios are required in this event.

The most important reason is that as Communications Coordinator, I make the decisions about what is required to achieve an effective communications network which is based on my history with this event. The buck stops with me and these are the decisions I have made. There is no democracy here.
This is a rural venue, we need higher power and better antennae as compared to El Tour which enjoys a significant urban repeater network and complete cell phone coverage.
Net‐Control is located in a fairly RF active area and can be subjected to intermod and/or de‐sense problems. Having a second band available whilst using PL Tones affords Net‐Control the flexibility to mitigate if not eliminate all intermod and/or de‐sense problems.

Question:

Why do you have so many rules?! Why do you make things so complicated?!

Answer:
There are only four very simple rules. Deal with it. The perception of this event being complicated lies in the nature of the average public service event as compared to this event. The average public service event has the amateur radio operator arrive in his vehicle, rag chew on the net for a few hours and then goes home. 24 HoP is VERY different. The amateur radio operator for this event is the safety line for the riders. They are the first or better said... zerothresponders. They initiate life‐saving support via radio for a downed rider. They are engaged, active, and intimately involved the proper execution of the medical care given of the riders. We help locate find downed riders. We help locate and clear LZ’s for helicopters. We help clear a safety zones around the medical scenes. We directly clear vehicular traffic for emergency vehicle response. So in a way your right, this can get complicated. If your intent is to support this event by “rag chewing” on the net, then please find another public service event to support. We need active and engaged Amateur Radio Operators ... not rag chewers.