RE: Radios -the spirit of Endurance

["Bruce Murdock" <bmurdock@cyberhighway.net>]

I feel there is one other aspect of this issue, other than the prompting.
And that is the issue of rider and equine safety. I am a licensed Amateur
Radio Operator (Ham), and at least here in the NW, Hams provide
communications and man checkpoints during the rides to track riders and
provide emergency communications. Naturally, as a newcomer to the sport, I
thought nothing of carrying my handheld, and it was certainly no big secret
as the ride manager and a number of others knew I was carrying it, and could
communicate with the Hams. At the time nobody mentioned anything about it,
and it wasn't until sometime later that it was brought up that it might be
against the rules. I thought OK, the game here is endurance, not radio so
I'll leave it in the truck.

The part that bothers me the most about it is, if something happened on one
of the more remote sections of trail, that handheld could literally be the
difference between life or death. In that situation, I know that I would
feel pretty lousy knowing that I had the capability, but was unable to use
it.

I will admit, that were I so inclined to use it, the information being
passed by the Hams, could be considered an advantage, But I think Joe Long
made the point, that the same information could be and is passed by anyone
along the course.

Of course, if I stuck the antenna between her ears, and used a couple of
hundred watts of power, that would be considered prompting <G>.

Bruce, KI7CI
Emmett, ID