Memoranda

Exercise Fritton Lake  -  29th June 2008

Exercise Fritton Lake will take place on 29th June in support of the Big-C’s Walk of Thoughts. The Walk of Thoughts is a 6 mile sponsored walk around Fritton Lake through fields, tracks, woodland and not on main roads. It is not completely accessible by vehicles, hence some marshal points are only accessible by foot. We hope to be able to man between 7 and 12 marshal points. These will be a mix of places where it is possible to reach by car and those only accessible on foot. We will need to be at points at staggered times from 0930 through to around 1700 local, dependent upon how fast people walk and which marshal point you would be at as control points will be closed after the passage of the last walker/sweeper.

If you would like to take part, please email me a.s.a.p. Please say if you are able to be foot mobile, or car mobile or both. If you are only able to do a few, hours, this may be possible to fit in to give more flexibility / people time to have a break. If numbers allow, it should be possible to give the opportunity for members to gain experience as a controller during the day. A map giving Marshal points will be posted in the members section later, and sent to all members taking part.

Operational frequency, 144.625MHz, call sign, M0RGY/P, controller G4PSH, control location Fritton House Hotel, approval for the exercise has been obtained from the East Suffolk EPO and Suffolk RAYNET.

Steve

G7VAH, North Norfolk and Great Yarmouth Controller, Norfolk County RAYNET.

E-mail -  NN1GY1@Norfolkraynet.org.uk

 

De-brief of Fritton Lake exercise

Exercise Fritton Lake,

June 29th 2008.

 

After the cold, wet and windy weather of Trail and Rail in May, it was with keen eagerness that we watched the weather forecast as Sunday 29th June approached . . . would it rain? wouldn’t it rain?, that was the question.

 

In the end there was no need to worry, the sun shone and a gentle breeze cooled things nicely for the walkers as well as keeping the mossies at bay!!

 

Big C really had things organised really well, we arrived for a briefing for all at 9am – G4PSH had control in the air and working (no fighting with strong winds, rain and hill trying to get the pump-up mast urr up! It was all done by the time I arrived – Rachel, the Big C organiser briefed half the marshals and then they and M1CQS and G0SMS disappeared off to their Control Points with them, along with a lovely fresh packed lunch which was provided for them.

 

While waiting for the next briefing, I cheated and worked M0RGY/P (control) for the first time, from the car park, as soon as it went on air – that must be a first – first contact that a call sign makes is with its holder!! But I digress, time was spent solving handheld problems  and soon we were whisked off to our Control Points – 2E0ILH cheated here, as he had done a reccy midweek and found a nearby parking space with a householder so set off with the marshal while we set off for CP6 – somewhere deep off road down a dirt road. Eventually we got there and reported into control, with the refreshments, and the St John outpost of 2 members. 2E0DJR, was then taken off to CP 7 and spent time assembling his home brew aerial connecting it to his handheld. (I have to assume, as I wasn’t there that he had a long lead from the top of his pole and didn’t have to keep shinning up it every time either he contacted control or when control contacted him!), but soon made contact with control.

 

Comms were good on the day, with only a few problems working in the trees and certainly they surprised some of the officials as we were having a QSO with control, before they could get their mobile phones out of their pockets and the number dialled. Fortunately for this event, control and Big C control were side by side and the St John ambulance were around the distance of a long bandage away too . . . if only everything was as well organised!

 

There were 320 walkers in the event, of whom 319 completed the walk, CP6 being the furthest one walker got – the one real incident we had to deal with on the day – we had to arrange transport back to the start for this person. St John Ambulance dealing with 1 blister, 1 scratch and 1 dodgy muscle

 

As the walkers got back to hot dogs and cold drinks, each CP was stood down, starting with G0SMS at 14.06 and finally with 2E0DJR at 15.56, with M0RGY/P closing down a minute later (The walk was swept in a different way . . .)

Of the 9 Check Points on this exercise, Raynet managed to have stations at 5 which were considered either medium or high priority, as well as the Great Yarmouth control, at the event start/finish.

 

I would like to thank G0SMS, Diane (CP3), M1CQS, Graham (CP4), 2E0DJR, Julian (CP7), 2E0ILH, Ian (CP8) and G4PSH, controller for the event for so freely giving of their time on this important training exercise, which was not only a first in this location, but our first out of county outing and we thank Suffolk Raynet for allowing us and the Suffolk EPO who authorised the exercise.

 

Steve, G7VAH (CP6), Controller, North Norfolk & Great Yarmouth groups of Norfolk County Raynet                          (pictures HERE)