The first Surrey Emergency Program Amateur Radio (SEPAR) ‘Mobile Cruise -In’ took place on August 14, 2022. As far as we could determine in planning, it was the first such event in Canada. The idea originated from an article that I spotted in ‘The Radiogram’ newsletter of the Portage County (Ohio) Amateur Radio Service. Curious about the purpose of the event I emailed the PortCARS contact. I received a reply almost immediately with details about the history and past success of their Mobile Cruise-In. They have been doing the event for twelve years previously in conjunction with their local A&W restaurant. Their turnout has varied with the weather, but in past years they’ve had 50 or more entries. In addition to the entrants, they welcome members of the public to stop by and check out the goings on. They say that it’s a great way to generate some exposure for Amateur Radio and for their emergency programs.
The goal is to encourage the building of good mobile installations and ‘Grab ‘n Go’ kits, and to give local hams an opportunity to display them in a social setting. It also provides an opportunity to let those attending learn what works, and what does not, which is invaluable money-saving information particularly for those new to the hobby. Like SEPAR, PortCARS is involved in their local emergency preparedness program and the availability and proper operation of mobile and other portable stations is considered a key component of their readiness to respond. Two factors were key in my planning of our Surrey event. Number one is the sometimes-unpredictable west coast weather. I was keen to have the event in a summer month but I purposely avoided the end of August. This is the time for our local 2-week Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) which often seems to have a rainy start. Secondly there was doubt whether the event would be well attended. ‘First-of’ events can be tricky anyway and this one has a limited interest group. SEPAR has not been particularly active recently due mostly to COVID restrictions. In the past we have done school visits, public library presentations and other public events geared to promoting better understanding of emergency communications. SEPAR is closely allied with the Surrey Amateur Radio Communications (SARC) Society which …….