Events/Trails LCDC 6 Official Thread (1 Viewer)

[TheGrrrrr]

Check out my post above for all options. Which Marriott? Quite a few are staying at the Elizabeth which is my personal favorite and right downtown. Would be great if a bunch of you took over a campground...

Just FYI... It's about a 30min drive from Ansel Watrous to the Elizabeth and downtown FC. Right now I'm thinking parks in FC for evening events but hoping with new updates July 1 we can look at some gatherings at the local breweries such as New Belgium and O'Dells. They have huge areas for folks to hang out with food trucks, games and dog friendly. We'll just have to wait and see how this all shakes out.

I still have my reservation at The Elizabeth from Tuesday night to Sunday. Will probably cancel it and camp or just make it for Saturday night so I can get cleaned-up for the drive home Sunday.

 

[Kurosawa]

@tincan45 I'll be hoping a spot opens up at Ansel by a late cancelation so let me know if you hear of someone who's plans change. My back up is Kelly Flats since it seems to be the only one in that corridor that is first come first served and therefore technically still has availability for our event dates. It will be my wife and me along with our 13yr old daughter. We had planned to do an Airbnb in the old town so we could easily hit the breweries and socialize each night but given the circumstances have switched to camping and of course found everything booked up.

 

[Kurosawa]

Thanks for those coordinates. I will be planning to post up Tuesday night at this camp spot or one close to it, should it not be available. Looks like room for at least a few rigs.

40°41'10.6"N 105°29'42.9"W

40°41'10.6"N 105°29'42.9"W · Colorado

Colorado

goo.gl

Good find, we may be checking that spot out as well if we end up having to be as far out as Kelly Flats what's another mile or two? I'm guessing its an hour drive to downtown.

 

[tincan45]

@tincan45 I'll be hoping a spot opens up at Ansel by a late cancelation so let me know if you hear of someone who's plans change. My back up is Kelly Flats since it seems to be the only one in that corridor that is first come first served and therefore technically still has availability for our event dates. It will be my wife and me along with our 13yr old daughter. We had planned to do an Airbnb in the old town so we could easily hit the breweries and socialize each night but given the circumstances have switched to camping and of course found everything booked up.

Your best bet will probably be Kelly Flats or Dutch George. That actually looks like a nicer area but a bit further from the FC action. Regardless, starting to look like we already have a solid group of kids for the family focused. All three campgrounds are are a short drive from each other.

Going West from Fort Collins

FC to AW - 22.8 Miles (34 Minutes)
FC to Dutch - 31.4 (48 Minutes)
FC to Kelly - 35.3 (53 Minutes)

 

[Romer]

I didnt want a long drive after enjoying old town FT Collins or in the morning to get there so I have a house a couple blocks away from old town. There is social distanced dinning and drinking allowed

Looked good camping (In my Camper) was 30 minutes away and I could be home in 60 minutes if I wanted a drive.

The house was cheaper for me, my daughter and nephew then a hotel and looks to be more comfortable

 

[TheGrrrrr]

Good find, we may be checking that spot out as well if we end up having to be as far out as Kelly Flats what's another mile or two? I'm guessing its an hour drive to downtown.

I am always listening on 146.460 and usually a repeater. Is there a repeater in the area that we could use for non-trail comms? Also, when I have cellular signal, I am transmitting GPS location on APRS under my callsign KJ7MIT, sometimes I am transmitting via DSTAR as well. Either way you can usually find me on aprs.fi

 

[tincan45]

I didnt want a long drive after enjoying old town FT Collins or in the morning to get there so I have a house a couple blocks away from old town. There is social distanced dinning and drinking allowed

Looked good camping (In my Camper) was 30 minutes away and I could be home in 60 minutes if I wanted a drive.

The house was cheaper for me, my daughter and nephew then a hotel and looks to be more comfortable

Assuming a few of the trails start nearby. Being in the canyon may allow for a little extra time in the mornings.

 

[molanginaeda]

There is a great chance I will be attending my first LCDC. Just got my hall pass from wifey. Will be traveling solo from MA. I just need to get the LC fixed due to 2” lift and it’s has KDSS lean now.
I’m not camping (hope hotel reservation still valid), but will be staying in Hotel (although I don’t mind camping).

Anyone know the hotel situation around Ft Collins? I have a reservation prior to the pandemic.

I can also help out or being volunteer for some tasks if needed. (Perk of being solo)

p.s. I can’t say no if wifey approved my hall pass request.

 

[use2bn83]

I am always listening on 146.460 and usually a repeater. Is there a repeater in the area that we could use for non-trail comms? Also, when I have cellular signal, I am transmitting GPS location on APRS under my callsign KJ7MIT, sometimes I am transmitting via DSTAR as well. Either way you can usually find me on aprs.fi

Check out the Colorado Connection - 146.460 is currently annoying due to space station coms.

 

[PhuckItImDone]

Well, hit my first speed bump in trip planning, Kansas doesn't want anyone from Maryland. So cosmosphere is out. Bummer.

 

[taccruiser97]

You might check as the time gets closer, the Ks governor has indicated there will be more openings in the next few weeks. The Cosmosphere is certainly worth a side trip.

 

[kcjaz]

I’ve been reading through a lot of the trail comms posts but I’m not clear on if I need a ham or some other kind of radio or if I’ll be able to get by without. This will be my first event like this. I do have walkies that I use on general road trips and skiing. Do I need to go out and get a radio for this event?

 

[Romer]

There will be lots of communication, banter etc on Radios. It's how you let people know you are stopping for a bathroom break, its how you ask for a spot or hear the advice of the person in front of you on which line to take. To me personally, Coms is essential on a trail. Without it your sitting in your truck for 8 hours without really knowing whats going on other than following the person in front of you. If you stop, know one will know why or that you did and keep going and the group might have to backtrack to find you and you could get lost

Its also a good way to get to know the people you are wheeling with

 

[kcjaz]

There will be lots of communication, banter etc on Radios. It's how you let people know you are stopping for a bathroom break, its how you ask for a spot or hear the advice of the person in front of you on which line to take. To me personally, Coms is essential on a trail. Without it your sitting in your truck for 8 hours without really knowing whats going on other than following the person in front of you. If you stop, know one will know why or that you did and keep going and the group might have to backtrack to find you and you could get lost

Its also a good way to get to know the people you are wheeling with

Thanks. I’ll go back through the thread and see what makes the most sense for me to get. I won’t be able to get a ham license before the event so it will have to be something else with maybe ability to listen to ham but transmit another way. I’m a total newbie with this.

 

[PhuckItImDone]

I'm hopeful, but they seem to really target Maryland, going back through May, so I won't keep my hopes up.

 

[tincan45]

There will be lots of communication, banter etc on Radios. It's how you let people know you are stopping for a bathroom break, its how you ask for a spot or hear the advice of the person in front of you on which line to take. To me personally, Coms is essential on a trail. Without it your sitting in your truck for 8 hours without really knowing whats going on other than following the person in front of you. If you stop, know one will know why or that you did and keep going and the group might have to backtrack to find you and you could get lost

Its also a good way to get to know the people you are wheeling with

I've never really been with large groups, but would a good GMRS frequency be a good compromise? The GMRS radios are cheap and all the HAM equipment can all handle the UHF channels. I'm sure there are other factors to consider, but it just seems like it would be a good way to allow everyone to transmit and receive on a variety of radios.

 

[Romer]

and all the HAM equipment can all handle the UHF channels.

I don't believe this is correct. I know GMRS can handle all FRS freqs, but not the other way around. I don't think HAM and GMRS communicate as a norm. I have heard of radios you can buy that does or modifications you can make, but don't know if thats legal. If I can communicate GMRS via my HAM, that would be nice to know

I have a CB Only use it when I lead a trail and thats what people have

I bought two FRS radios for LCDC last year

I have a HAM mobile unite and also two handheld HAM radios

I really don't want to have to buy another radio

Last year at LCDC I never used the FRS radios as the runs I was on everyone but one or two folks had HAM and we lent them handhelds so they could listen in

 

[tincan45]

I don't believe this is correct. I know GMRS can handle all FRS freqs, but not the other way around. I don't think HAM and GMRS communicate as a norm. I have heard of radios you can buy that does or modifications you can make, but don't know if thats legal. If I can communicate GMRS via my HAM, that would be nice to know

I have a CB Only use it when I lead a trail and thats what people have

I bought two FRS radios for LCDC last year

I have a HAM mobile unite and also two handheld HAM radios

I really don't want to have to buy another radio

Last year at LCDC I never used the FRS radios as the runs I was on everyone but one or two folks had HAM and we lent them handhelds so they could listen in

Yep - you are right. I'm obviously not a HAM operator. Looking a the specs, there is nothing that would prevent us from using the radios this way, it's just not legal. Turns out, I've been using GMRS without paying the $25 $70 fee as well. Great - Now feds will be knocking.


..I went ahead and ordered a cheapo baofang just to have in the kit. What kind of commitment is the HAM license?

 

[afgman786]

Yep - you are right. I'm obviously not a HAM operator. Looking a the specs, there is nothing that would prevent us from using the radios this way, it's just not legal. Turns out, I've been using GMRS without paying the $25 fee as well. Great - Now feds will be knocking.


..I went ahead and ordered a cheapo baofang just to have in the kit. What kind of commitment is the HAM license?

Getting your Tech is super easy. There's an app you can download that has a pool of questions you can do to learn the material for the test. Test is 35 questions, and if I'm not mistaken since the whole covid shenanigans they are allowing online testing to get your license as well. You could also look at your local HAM club to see if they have any offerings as well. Pretty inexpensive test.

 

[sdnative]

If you stop, know one will know why or that you did and keep going and the group might have to backtrack to find you and you could get lost

If you always watch for the vehicle behind you this shouldn't happen. If the vehicle behind you stops, you stop, then the vehicle in front of you stops, and so on.