Events/Trails LCDC 6 Official Thread (1 Viewer)

[Romer]

Bringing my 31 year old daughter and her husband.

My younger daughter (29) also probably coming, not for the whole time though as she has a new baby

Probably not what you had in mind Eric, but they will always be my little girls . . . . in a built GX470 and built 100 series

They have been wheeling with me since they were each 15, so get them involved young and the wheeling helps maintain a relationship through the bitchy teenage years that lasts a lifetime

 

[codyaustin5]

Cody / Cole,

I'm pretty stoked about LCDC and meeting everyone. How kid friendly is this? I have a 5 & 7 yr. I will use my own judgement on trails. Mainly asking to determine if they should come, stay home, or just hang out with my wife at an Air BnB. Anyone in a similar situation?

As others have mentioned very kid friendly. We’ve done family Trail runs in the past where we took more breaks and let kids run around. Still working through trail logistics but Poudre River is always a highlight for kids to play in. Mine are 9 and 7 now. Hard to believe LCDC 1 they were 4 and 2!!!! Teaching them young @Romer

 

[codyaustin5]

Shaping out to be an interesting year as we work through all the details of the event and ensure we comply with local and state guidelines but wanted to give a huge shout out to our current sponsors this year! They are excited to be part of the event... Slee Off Road, OtterBox, Elite Land Cruisers, Cruiser Corps, ARB, Summit Auto Transport, Cruiser Gear and 5.11 Tactical. We have a few others in the works which hopefully we can announce soon.

 

[BTUMAN]

@elitelandcruisers is fully on board to partner with @cruisercorps for the opening afternoon\evening at the park.

We may not be able to do food this year (probably bring your own type picnic or fast food), but will do our best to get us together to kick things off in a fun way. More to come as it gets close! See you all there!

 

[Eric Sarjeant]

Anyone want to give free advice for a good radio to use? I don't really know anything about them.

 

[elkeye]

Anyone want to give free advice for a good radio to use? I don't really know anything about them.

Check out the BaoFeng BF-F8HP.

BaoFeng BF-F8HP ‣ BaoFeng Tech & BTECH Radios

BaoFeng BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio (136-174MHz VHF & 400-520MHz UHF) Includes Full Kit with Large Battery ‣ #woocommerce_price ‣ Purchase, Software, and Support for BaoFeng and BTECH Radios

baofengtech.com

I got this handheld based on the recommendation of Markuson

You can listen without a FCC license. If you want to transmit, you will need a FCC Technician Class Operator License (or higher FCC Class Operator License).

Great little handheld. I will have two or three to loan in my groups for better listening reception.

Here’s an amazon link for others...
BaoFeng BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio (136-174MHz VHF & 400-520MHz UHF) Includes Full Kit with Large Battery Amazon product ASIN B00MAULSOK

 

[empty80]

Anyone want to give free advice for a good radio to use? I don't really know anything about them.

The Baofeng BF-F8HP handheld is a pretty solid investment. The difficult part of these events is getting everyone on the same...wavelength. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

HAM is a great trail solution, but not everyone will take the time to get licensed, so FRS, GMRS and other frequencies are used as well. With the BF-F8HP you can still monitor those frequencies and use HAM frequencies for a relatively low cost.

In theory, you could still use the BF-F8HP to transmit on the non-HAM frequencies, but even in the low power setting, it may still exceed frequency power limits. This is acceptable in emergency situations, but not for normal operating circumstances.

 

[elkeye]

The Baofeng BF-F8HP handheld is a pretty solid investment. The difficult part of these events is getting everyone on the same...wavelength. I’m sorry, I couldn’t help myself.

HAM is a great trail solution, but not everyone will take the time to get licensed, so FRS, GMRS and other frequencies are used as well. With the BF-F8HP you can still monitor those frequencies and use HAM frequencies for a relatively low cost.

In theory, you could still use the BF-F8HP to transmit on the non-HAM frequencies, but even in the low power setting, it may still exceed frequency power limits. This is acceptable in emergency situations, but not for normal operating circumstances.

I made the assumption that everyone has a FRS/GMRS two-way handheld radio.

I trust that 'indycole' or 'codyaustin5' will be sending out trail communication information for LCDC 6, however here is the personal recommendation of 'indycole' for LCDC 5.

...

We don't have any official rule about trail communications and thus it's left up to the leader. There's definitely still time to get a ham license before the event and I highly recommend getting a license for many reasons. That said, we totally understand that not everyone will have the time or inclination to do that.

To cover your bases, I personally recommend having an FRS/GMRS two-way radio and at least a cheap handheld ham. Anyone can listen on ham but you can only transmit if you have a license. It gets kinda chaotic simultaneously leading and broadcasting on both FRS and ham.

 

[afgman786]

@Eric Sarjeant there is also a 5watt version that's half the price and just as good. I've got a couple of them since it's so cheap to start off with. Swap the antenna for a longer one and they actually work pretty darn good!

 

[Romer]

I made the assumption that everyone has a FRS/GMRS two-way handheld radio.

I trust that 'indycole' or 'codyaustin5' will be sending out trail communication information for LCDC 6, however here is the personal recommendation of 'indycole' for LCDC 5.

You know what happens when you make assumptions

Based on Coles recommendation I did buy the FRS. However, only 1 person with us on each day didnt have a HAM so I lent them my Baeofeng hand held. Letting them know they could transmit in an emergency and that needing a spot to me was an emergency. It worked out well for us

I will bring the same FRS radios with me this year and maybe they wont be needed, but I will have them if they are. Ham is so much better IMOP for distance and quality, but I know its a bigger investment in time and money. With HAM I can be on a trail and reach someone on another trail or even back in Fort Collins if we need help. Two years ago on a club run someone on Imogeme had a part on hand that ended up fixing another vehicle on Goveners Basin and someone in Ouray was able to hear us and bring what else we needed

But yes I do believe FRS is what you should get if you don't have anything to be safe as communications on the trail are very important

 

[empty80]

I made the assumption that everyone has a FRS/GMRS two-way handheld radio.

I trust that 'indycole' or 'codyaustin5' will be sending out trail communication information for LCDC 6, however here is the personal recommendation of 'indycole' for LCDC 5.

FRS don’t always reach from front of a convoy to to the back, especially when 6+ vehicles. That’s where HAM shines. Also having the ability to reach out to a repeater saves lives.

Last year was a very tidy package. IIRC, we we given the comms plan for our trails when we signed in. It was plenty of time to program radios and whatnot.

HAM seemed to be the most common platform on the comms plans, but due to radio availability, and this is purely opinion, most of the communication was on FRS freqs. It was a non-issue because I was able to plug in the freqs and monitor on my Baofeng, and communicate on my Icom.

We can’t give @codyaustin5 and @indycole enough credit for the work they put into these events. They really do make it easy. Plus, the “elder statesmen” of the 200-series community will do everything they can to make this event safe and enjoyable for all.

They’ll even stop to make sure you are good to go when you are pulled over on the side of the highway scooping, and I mean that literally, vomit out of a car seat.

 

[afgman786]

You know what happens when you make assumptions

Based on Coles recommendation I did buy the FRS. However, only 1 person with us on each day didnt have a HAM so I lent them my Baeofeng hand held. Letting them know they could transmit in an emergency and that needing a spot to me was an emergency. It worked out well for us

I will bring the same FRS radios with me this year and maybe they wont be needed, but I will have them if they are. Ham is so much better IMOP for distance and quality, but I know its a bigger investment in time and money. With HAM I can be on a trail and reach someone on another trail or even back in Fort Collins if we need help. Two years ago on a club run someone on Imogeme had a part on hand that ended up fixing another vehicle on Goveners Basin and someone in Ouray was able to hear us and bring what else we needed

But yes I do believe FRS is what you should get if you don't have anything to be safe as communications on the trail are very important

Isn't it only illegal if your on public channels and no license? My understanding was if you're communicating on private channels you are good to go.
Along with that it's not like people are checking if you're licensed when communicating, so long as you aren't doing dumb stuff and clogging frequencies.

 

[Ratchey]

So if I read this correctly, you aren't using CBs then. Was getting ready to order one but will look at something else if you aren't using them.

 

[Romer]

Isn't it only illegal if your on public channels and no license? My understanding was if you're communicating on private channels you are good to go.
Along with that it's not like people are checking if you're licensed when communicating, so long as you aren't doing dumb stuff and clogging frequencies.

I am not aware of any private HAM FCC approved channels, really frequencies, but I only use it for wheeling or long road trips with others. My daughters are both licensed operators as well and we use it on the 6 hour trips to Moab and everywhere else just to stay in constant contact. Interesting, we did a test and from our Garages we can chat on the HAM if we ever needed to and thats about 11 miles and both inside our garages.

 

[afgman786]

I am not aware of any private HAM FCC approved channels, really frequencies, but I only use it for wheeling or long road trips with others. My daughters are both licensed operators as well and we use it on the 6 hour trips to Moab and everywhere else just to stay in constant contact. Interesting, we did a test and from our Garages we can chat on the HAM if we ever needed to and thats about 11 miles and both inside our garages.

I have my tech, I understood enough to pass and know what not to do haha. For some reason I thought club frequencies or the like fell under "private" compared to repeater frequencies or general broadcasts that are known. So those that aren't licensed aren't broadcasting to fully public freqs but fine tuned freqs that groups are using.
But I guess it'd be similar to speeding on back roads where you're less likely to get caught is the thought process.

Was just curious, to potentially learn more info.

 

[indycole]

The communications guidance @elkeye posted will remain consistent this year. Personally, I strongly prefer the ham amateur bands (2m/70cm but mainly 2m) when leading a group especially given how spaced out we can get. We do our best to transmit on both ham and FRS/GMRS but there are times where it's not practical to repeat everything on both devices.

I usually bring along an extra handful of ham radios for people to listen and transmit in an emergency if needed.

One thing for sure is that you'll be unlikely to use a CB in this event.

 

[txtortoise]

Check out the BaoFeng BF-F8HP.

BaoFeng BF-F8HP ‣ BaoFeng Tech & BTECH Radios

BaoFeng BF-F8HP (UV-5R 3rd Gen) 8-Watt Dual Band Two-Way Radio (136-174MHz VHF & 400-520MHz UHF) Includes Full Kit with Large Battery ‣ #woocommerce_price ‣ Purchase, Software, and Support for BaoFeng and BTECH Radios

baofengtech.com

I got this handheld based on the recommendation of Markuson

You can listen without a FCC license. If you want to transmit, you will need a FCC Technician Class Operator License (or higher FCC Class Operator License).

Looks like this is backordered most places. Alternative suggestions? ICOM, Yaesu, other Baofeng? Being able to track the ham bands on FRMS in one unit is appealing.

 

[afgman786]

Looks like this is backordered most places. Alternative suggestions? ICOM, Yaesu, other Baofeng? Being able to track the ham bands on FRMS in one unit is appealing.

Baofeng UV-5R is a good option as well. See quite a few on Amazon. Even a bulk option if there's a few people that need it...

 

[Romer]

Baofeng UV-5R is a good option as well. See quite a few on Amazon. Even a bulk option if there's a few people that need it...

I think thats the one I have as a loaner for others. Good radio and you will be amazed how well you hear if you are use to a CB. You may like it so much you get a license and then get a mobile transceiver that can go to 50 watts and reach 30-100 miles depending on Line of Sight

 

[indycole]

We just sent an email about the event. Here's an excerpt from plain text version:

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LCDC 2020: See You in Fort Collins on July 29th!
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We have some exciting news to share: after careful consideration (and taking every last minute of our self-imposed decision deadline of June 15th), we've decided to hold the event during the original dates from July 29th to August 2nd in Fort Collins.

This email contains background information on the decision, the necessary modifications we are likely to make to the event, and what to expect in terms of next steps. Also, don't miss the section at the end of this email about T-Shirts.

It's definitely been a tough few months and while we are excited to hit the trails and interact with everyone, we must emphasize that safety is our top priority. One of the upsides of hosting this year's event in Cody's hometown of Fort Collins is that it's very easy to get on-the-ground guidance on what is safe and allowable under local jurisdiction. As of this writing, almost everything we typically do during an LCDC event is allowable in Larimer County (Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Health)).

What modifications will we need to make to the event?

* Attendees must engage in proper social distancing throughout the event whether we are in town or on the trail.
* At the moment we can't have the entire group in one place at one time. This means we'll lean toward informal small group gatherings that may potentially need to be self-organized.
* If things do change and we are able to get larger groups together, then expect to bring your own food and drink.
* We will max out trail groups at 6 trucks. This means that larger groups will need to stagger as much as possible.
* We assume that you will stay tuned into the Larimer County health and safety recommendations (Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Health)) related to COVID-19.
* While we do not plan to police the group in terms of following safety guidelines, do not be surprised if USFS Rangers, local police, etc. take a curious look at our group to make sure we're following local guidelines.

Do you have concerns about attending the event? What about refunds?

* We completely respect the decisions attendees must make for themselves and their families. For instance, in the SF Bay Area, we are still under shelter-in-place and if this had been a CA-based event we would have cancelled. We're confident that we can have a safe and successful event that conforms to the local guidelines.
* We are happy to issue refunds to anyone who decides not to attend until June 19th. After that date we cannot promise full, or even partial, refunds as we'll start using the funds for event expenses that are non-refundable.

What if COVID-19 gets worse and/or the Larimer County guidelines are revised to be more stringent?

* At the moment this seems unlikely to happen within the next 45 days, but it's certainly a possibility. Who can predict anything these days?
* If unforeseen consequences emerge after we pull the trigger on event expenses, then we may not be able to issue full or partial refunds if we cancel the event or if you decide you can't make it.

What about the trails and trail groups?

* We don't anticipate major changes to the trail experience, but we do plan on making some minor changes to how trails are organized. Shelter-in-place orders and closed public lands prevented our being able to run the trails in advance.
* This means we will approach this event with far less collective knowledge about the trails compared to any prior LCDC event.
* In prior years we've capped each trail group at 10 trucks. This year will be different on two counts. We are not going to cap signups per route each day; instead, we'll accept as many sign ups as there's demand for each route and then folks can form small groups and stagger departures before heading out on the trail.
* The trail days will be more of an exploration than a guided event. The trail leaders are more apt to be people who are comfortable driving offroad and simply being the "first truck in the line" rather than a formal leader and trail guide. The majority of trails will be lead by people doing the trail for the first time. If this doesn't sit well with you then please consider opting out and asking for a refund.
* We will still define trail routes and plenty of documentation for all drivers just like prior events.

Please let us know if you have any further questions or concerns. Our goal is to make the event as fun as possible while also ensuring that we're supporting and following guidelines to help keep folks safe.