A new assistant to GWRRA Deputy Director (Overseas)

His success with bringing elements of the Rider Education Program to Israel Chapter A, was a first step in his current task of assisting me in dramatically expanding the opportunities of Overseas Members to take advantage of GWRRA programs and events.

"The technology available to us today removes the geographic barriers that may have previously existed," he says. "There is no reason for Overseas Members to have any less access to the rich banquet of rider education products than any North American Member. We just have to figure out how to do it."

I am confident that Bob's experience as a GWRRA Master Instructor Trainer, Motorcycle Safety Foundation Instructor, and certified Arizona (U.S.) Driving School Instructor will be an immeasurable help to me in creating a dynamic and inclusive experience for Overseas Members. 

Please join me in welcoming Bob to the Overseas team. 

My motorcycle trip during early July, 2013

Hi all, I thought I would write this article for the GWRRA e-newsletter about myself, and my quick, long trip during early, July, 2013.

I'm deaf myself & have been riding motorcycles the last four years.  I have logged close to 50,000 kms now.  The1998 Gold Wing 1500 is my 4th motorcycle that I really enjoy the most  of all, of the last 3 bikes.  Last year, I had the 1985 Gold Wing 1200 LTD which I sold last spring.   It was a very nice looking bike, but too many problems which I would not trust for long trips.

Friday, June 28th was the last day of school where I work as a teacher for the deaf.  I left right away for Minneapolis.  It was a hot day down to Medicine Hat, where I saw some of the floods there which happened the same as Calgary.  I rode south through the Cypress Hills National Park, crossed the US border and stopped at Malta, Montana for the night at a motel.

The next day, June 29th, I rode all day to Minneapolis.  It was a long day at 1322 kms. I arrived there by the late afternoon and visited with my brother & family.  We all went out for ice cream and then I gave my niece a short ride around her neighborhood to the gas station to fill up for the next day to Michigan.

The next day, Monday, I was at Port Huron and the long bridge for the Canadian border to Ontario.  A bird unexpectedly flew into my way and hit my windshield.  Poor bird!  I arrived at Toronto where my son Jeremy lives.  We motorbiked around Toronto and Oakville and watched the Toronto Blue Jays play the Detroit Tigers - We saw Cecil Fields, one of their top hitters for Detroit.   We then celebrated Canada's birthday on July 1st by the fireworks at Oakville.  On July 2nd,  Jeremy and  I left Oakville for Washington, DC.  We stopped at Niagara Falls to witness the fast flowing river heading towards the big falls.  We then crossed the bridge for the USA, towards DC and arrived by dark to my friend Ward's house in Silver Spring, Maryland.  Ward, Jeremy & myself visited Gallaudet University, the only one university for the deaf in the world.  This is where I graduated.  We visited many museums - all for free.  The Air Museum, the Smithsonian Museum, Abraham Lincoln Memorial, Martin Luther King Memorial, Franklin Roosevelt Memorial were some of the highlights we visited.  We watched the fireworks during July 4th for America's birthday.   

By July 6th, Jeremy flew back to Toronto and I left for the west.  I motorbiked through the Shenandoah National Park and a little while later, there were angry looking black clouds ahead.  The downpour started all of a sudden, so I quickly stopped on the shoulder, got my rain gear out and on, and about 15 minutes later, I stopped at a convenience store for a meal.  The rain became less, so it's back on the road to Lexington, Kentucky where I stopped at a motel.   

On July 7th, I continued on to St. Louis where I saw the big hump (Arch) for the first time  just beside the  highway.  I  continued on to Kansas City and stopped for the night.  The next day was a long one to Denver, where I visited my ex-student of 25 years ago, as well as a classmate from Gallaudet University.  We all went for a walk up north of Denver in Golden, Colorado, then we said our farewells.  I rode up north to the Rocky Mountain National Park.  It was a long climb up the mountain at 14,000 ft.  I could feel the bike laboring to move as the air was getting thinner as I climbed higher.  It managed well anyway all the way to the top and down and I stopped at Laramie, Wyoming.  I was riding along the way prior to Laramie and the back road was not what I had wanted, but I had no choice except to keep on and to keep my mind vigilant and slow at no more than 55 mph for any possible wildlife to cross the road. There was a mother moose about to cross in front of me, but she changed her mind and went back as there was a calf moose back at the pond, looking up at  me  as I went along.   Whew - such a good thing of my decision to go slowly!   

Next day, July 10th, I went on to Boise, Idaho where it  got so hot at 104 F.  Overnight at the Comfort Inn and on to Washington state to Port Angeles.  It got so cold along my crossing of the Cascades mountains.  I arrived at Port Angeles and waited for the Coho ferry for Victoria, BC. I almost had an accident at their parking lot.  There was a chain hanging across to stop cars from  entering to park there.  The chain has a small yellow flag in the middle of the entrance which I didn't see until the last moment. Wow - what if a motorcycle hits it and worse of all, cause injury?  I told the office that the chain needs to be more visible with more flags across instead of just one small flag.

WB5JZP

GWRRA Ham Radio SIG Representative

I have contacted the Ham Radio Clubs in Madison, Wisc. MARA The Madison Area Repeater Association, for our Radio Frequencies we should use.

The club asked that if you are going to use a repeater use 147.150MHz +600 PL Tone 123.0 There is a 3 minute timer for the timeout function.

This repeater has a height of 750 feet above the ground so it is a wide coverage repeater which will go to the state line to the south and places like Milwaukee, Wisc. It is hittable with an HT from the Convention Center.  There is a net on Wednesday night at 8PM. Feel free to check in at the appropriate time when they call for visitors. Make sure to mention you are with the GWRRA Motorcycle group. If you have an HT you should program that frequency with PL Tone before you leave.

Also program 146.520, 146.550 and 146.580MHz simplex frequencies in there also. We will use these 3 frequencies inside the Convention Center rather than tie up the repeater.  Start on 52 simplex and if it is busy move up to 55 then 58 if it is also busy.

There is also two Echo-Links in the area at 443.775 and 443.600 MHz  which you can also use if you are interested in Echolink to talk back to home.

There is one D-Star Repeater on 145.305MHz -600 no PL Tone, which is W9HSY. We have permission to use that D-Star Repeater.  Don't wear it out, but you should be able to talk back home on D-Star.

There is APRS in Madison Area, I cannot find any repeaters in Madison, but within about 10 miles there is one, so listen on 144.390MHz simplex for that APRS Signal. It seems they are all over the state so as you are traveling you should hit many digipeaters.

This information and permission was obtained from the MARA Club President N9VWH Paul Goussaing.  We thank him for getting with the club for the above permissions.

I am hoping to get a classroom and hold a Ham Radio Forum at Wing Ding 36 also.  Please check the WD36 Seminar Schedule when it is published.