A couple of comments are in order, I guess. We're driving through the metropolis of Moorehead, Minnesota right here, and I might as well forgo the fine urban scenery and let you see this stuff.
First -- last year Mike and Junior Cook and we talked about the need for some kind of broadcast station offering widespread communications on the salt during the Shootout - so it'd be possible to do a better job of (for instance) making sure the course was clear for a run. If spectators were told as they leave Land's End that they are required to listen on the FM or AM channel then they'd have a better chance of knowing when they need to park and watch. We've always had a few difficulties keeping everyone under control. We - the workers - have 2-way radios, but we need to make sure the spectators know what to do, too. Cook told us to go ahead and try to buy a small system and run it - he'd be happy. It wouldn't be to provide "coverage" of the action, although we'd hook it into the CB radio and the announcements from James Rice, but it would do that, too. Max was on the trail of a couple of possible systems -- small FM transmitter and an antenna and the ancillary equipment needed to offer 12-15 miles of range to make sure the far end of the course heard us form the beginning of it -- and if we put the transmitter at the timing tower it'd be easier still to make it the length of the course.
As far as I know Max never did hook up with a system. Craig's list, eBay - whatever - nothing yet, dang it, but we aren't done. Both of us have one sort of FCC license or another, so we'd each know just how many laws we'd be breaking to run it. Stay tuned is all I can say.
As for the audio from SW and other events - Max is doing the work and I'm helping by trying to pay/pave thje way for him. We both tried all winter to get a sponsor to pay the estimated $1000 - 1500 it'll cost for him to drive back and forth, run the audio all day long for a handful of events, feed him some M&Ms and Purina Max Chow, etc. We both tried major businesses - like a brewer or a speed parts company, and many others. Nothing there, but maybe next year - after we've done it up properly for an entire event and can show not only good listenership but even offer the archived audio of what it sounds like.
In the meantime, if Max says he'll try to recover a few bucks - please consider giving him something. If you're there, visit him - either in the SSS pit (usually on the front row near registration) or wherever he happens to have taken his rig for a while. If you're not at the salt in person -- use the lr.com Paypal button(s) and offer up a few $$ so I can compensate him. I don't think we'll make it like the public TV telethons and give the names of the donors, but we will thank you very much.
That's a long-enough post for now. Please give it a listen and help us make it better and as good as you want it to be.
