A sound communication strategy is an important component of our bid for the 2008 Baja 1000. Communication systems can be broken down into two groups: ones for riders and ones for support.

Rider Communication

We’ll be riding a modified Honda CRF 450X motorcycle so we need to use a portable radio that can be handed off at driver changes.

We’ll then adapt the radio to the particular demands of off-road racing. Since it’s a race, the driver must be able to ride and talk at the same time. This requires a ‘push to talk’ button that can be mounted on a motorcycle handlebar, and a helmet wiring kit with mouthpiece and headphones:

The primary function of this set-up is to allow communication with the pits. A lot can go wrong out on the course and if you need anything other that fuel at your next pit stop, it’s best to let them know in advance. That way a new wheel, light, air filter, etc. can be waiting for you when you pull-in – keeping pit time to a minimum. This radio will be set to JCR Pit frequency, the outfit providing the Dukes pit service during the 2008 Baja 1000.

The second function of the radio is preparedness for an emergency situation. In case of a medical emergency, the driver will primarily rely upon a SPOT Satellite Messenger, a device that can send an emergency message along with exact GPS coordinates to your support crew. The support crew would then head to your location while contacting Weatherman, BFG relay, SCORE Ops (Operations) and onto SCORE Medical (Emergency Medical Services). If for some reason SPOT failed, a driver would turn to his portable radio. The radios aren’t that powerful so he’d try to contact the Weatherman, then BFG Relay – if both failed, he’d try and find a passing rider. There is a good article on this chain of command.

For those of you who don’t know about the Weatherman, he’s a legendary figure in the Baja 1000. He volunteers each year, setting up a radio outpost on top of a windy mountaintop. He becomes the central relay point for all communications during the race. Everyone involved in the Baja 1000 should know the proper way to relay communication to the Weatherman.

Support Communication

At this point, it’s unclear how many chase vehicles we’ll need for the race, but each one will require a radio. The primary chase vehicle will be a Toyota FJ Cruiser equipped with a Kenwood TM-D710A, or something similar:

The advantages of this radio are sheer power and the ability to monitor two separate frequencies.This allows support to simultaneously monitor the JCR Pit and Weatherman channels, allowing support to keep abreast of their team as well as the race.

It will be critical to program all race radios with important channels. Here’s a list from a Baja 1000 a few years back: