Annual Hamvention Event
Uses Radio Broadcasts to Counter Congestion |
Amateur Radio
Convention uses (of all
things) radio to inform inbound event
attendees. |
XENIA, OH: Like a
match made in – well, Ohio – Amateur Radio and
Information Radio were on display at the same venue in
2018.
Last year’s Amateur Radio “Hamvention,” that happened
near Dayton, Ohio, utilized an Information Radio Station
on AM 1620 as a new tool to push out traffic, parking
and event details to attendees, as they approached the
Greene County Fairgrounds and Expo Center. The service
is planned again for this May at the national event. |
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Perhaps it’s good
that Xenia’s name means “hospitality,” because the town
braced to host an influx of nearly 30,000 “HAM” radio
operators – roughly doubling its population for the
weekend. Due to the web of two-lane roads that serves
the venue, a shuttle-bus operation was set up to alleviate
traffic congestion. Helping people understand the need
to park at the special shuttle lots and how to find them
was a key goal of the new radio service. |
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Coverage
of Hamvention's Info Station on AM 1620 in Southern Ohio
- click image to view |
The Information
Radio signal blanketed Xenia and 3-5 miles into
surrounding Greene County, Ohio, directing approaching
motorists to the five special park-and-ride facilities. |
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Portola
Valley, CA's, Amateur Radio Operator Mark
Bercow (W6MSB) at Work |
2017 was Xenia’s
first experience with the event, and while largely
positive, traffic and parking operations were not
without hiccups. It is hoped that adding the radio
service will help congestion and give event organizers
an additional way to reach attendees as they arrive to
park.
The 2019 Hamvention will wrap in the annual meeting of
the national association for Amateur Radio (ARRL), which
could add a new wrinkle – or wave. |
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Long Beach
Grand Prix
Participant |
"Just-in-Time" Info
Stations Add Event Efficiency & Security |
Special events and
destinations using radio broadcasts to relay details and
updates to visitors
just as they arrive. |
WEST PALM BEACH,
FL: What did they say on their website? It’s hard to
recall. What does it cost to park? Can I bring in my
cooler? Will the weather affect the show time? Many
special events and special places are answering those
last-minute questions using patrons’ car radios rather
than on their smart phones. |
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The reasons are many:-
The ideal time to get parking, directions, safety
and schedule details to a visitor is when he or she
actually needs the information – which is at the
time of arrival.
- Trying to use a smartphone while
driving is inefficient, unsafe and illegal in many
places.
- Radio messages can be written to focus on
the most important information that arriving patrons
need, such as parking and directions, and can be
repeated multiple times to help listeners retain the
info.
- Messages delivered by radio can save lives,
if safety personnel need to re-route traffic or
clear the venue due to an emergency.
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Changeable
Message Signs invite inbound attendees to tune in. |
The South Florida
Fair near West Palm Beach experienced record crowds
again last year and is about to begin its 2018 run.
Director of Safety and Security Randy Hoffer states,
“The ability to communicate safety and schedule
information, along with traffic directions, makes the
radio medium a perfect match for our venue.” The premier
winter event draws more than 400,000 visitors annually
and has utilized a rental radio system (EventCAST)
for the past three seasons. “We’re so happy with the
results that we’ve purchased a permanent antenna system
and a 10-year FCC license. Guiding our patrons to the
proper parking areas throughout the day is vital. Nobody
likes to wait in a line of cars. Our radio solution is
central to our strategy on traffic control and flow
patterns for our patrons.” The 1690 kHz signal covers 5
miles in all directions – more than sufficient to talk
to inbound patrons as they exit Florida’s Turnpike and
I-95, both of which run just to the east of the
Fairgrounds.
In April, the Grand Prix of Long Beach, California,
revved up their annual road race. It will be the fourth
year running in which the Grand Prix has utilized a
similar radio broadcasting system for public information
during the event. The city invested in
RadioSTAT technology in 2015 to provide the
coverage. “The system was an excellent investment,”
states Communication Manager John Black. “The coverage
is phenomenal and it’s absolutely unbelievable that a
10-watt signal can be heard nearly 6 miles away in an
urban environment with many tall buildings.” The
broadcast informs visitors and locals of the event
schedule and the numerous detours that go into effect
when city streets are repurposed as part of the race
course.
The technology employed falls under the FCC’s
“Travelers Information Service” (TIS) rules and is
generally licensed to the community where the event
takes place. Some venues continue to operate their
systems in association with their host community for
general visitor and local event information all year.
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Safety: A Fair Question |
The Texas State Fair
expands its Info Radio Service to protect guests. |
DALLAS,
TX: On
October
19,
2012,
visitors
to the
Texas
State
Fair
watched
in
disbelief
as their
historic
5-story
talking
mascot
caught
fire
before
their
eyes.
“Big
Tex,”
the
Fair’s
gargantuan
greeter
and
personified
public
address
system,
had
experienced
an
electrical
fire
that
forced
him into
early
retirement
at age
60.
The same
year,
the
State
Fair
launched
an
Information
Radio
Service
whose
parallel
job it
is to
welcome
and
inform
patrons
– though
over a
much
larger
area.
The 1650
kHz
signal
is heard
all
around
downtown
Dallas
each
summer
and
fall.
The
“howdy
pardner”
style
broadcast
directs
motorists
to
available
parking
lots and
suggests
efficient
travel
routes
in a
distinctly
urban
environment.
The next
summer
the Fair
made
their
broadcast
antenna
and
their
FCC
license
permanent,
expanding
the
operation
dates to
coincide
with
"Summer
Adventures
at Fair
Park,"
which
runs
through
August.
The
Texas
event
joins
the
South
Carolina
and
Kentucky
State
Fairs,
which
have
employed
Information
Radio
Stations
in the
recent
past, to
prepare
patrons
with
event
parking
and
traffic
info, as
they
approach
the
state
fairgrounds.
Should
visitors
be
required
to exit
parking
lots due
to an
emergency,
the
service
can
become a
critical
conduit
for
public
safety
information
for
motorists
in
harm’s
way who
might be
required
to take
alternate
routes
or who
could
become
gridlocked.
Large
gatherings,
including
major
golf
tournaments
and
music
festivals,
have
provided
this
service
to
visitors
in the
past,
and so
have
smaller
ones. In
June
2013,
the
Douglas
County
(Nebraska)
Department
of
Emergency
Management
employed
a
portable
Information
Radio
Station
to
inform
and
advise
30,000
visitors
at the
College
World
Series
games in
Omaha.
Allegan
County,
Michigan’s
Department
of
Emergency
Management
provides
a
similar
service
to
alleviate
traffic
congestion
at an
annual
music
festival
"Birthday
Bash,"
which
draws
70,000
people.
The Farm
Progress
Show in
Decatur,
Illinois,
reaches
out to
its
150,000
attendees
using
the
EventCAST
Radio
Station
(rental)
provided
by
Information
Station
Specialists.
Meanwhile,
the
Texas
State
Fair
continues
to
upgrade
and
enlarge
their
Information
Radio
Service
for
patrons.
And Big
Tex has
returned
too –
with all
new
wiring –
to keep
guests
informed
and safe
and
providing
them an
occasional
"howdy"
along
the way. |
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Information Radio Stations is a generic term
synonymous with Travelers Information Stations (TIS), Highway
Advisory Radio Stations (HAR) / Highway Information Systems &
Low Power Radio Stations (LPR). Operation of the stations is
governed by FCC Part 90.242 Rules. A FCC license is required.
Information Radio Stations may be fixed or portable.
Subcomponents may include transmitter, antenna and ground
system, digital voice player, wattmeter, cabinet with
conventional or Corbin locks, lightning arrestors for RF, power
and telephone lines, coaxial cable. Most stations employ black
maximized antennas to discourage ice accumulation and security
measures to prevent unauthorized program access. Options include
synchronization, battery backup, solar power, remote programming
by local, network or telco, multi-station audio distribution via
RF or LAN / WAN or wireless network. |