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The Baker to 'Vegas Race Logo
The combined efforts of Orange County Amateur Radio Club and COAR (City
of Orange Amateur Radio) and volunteer hams from the City of Cypress provided over 24 hams
to help plan, prepare, and provide the communications for the Police Department team of
the City of Orange compete in the 120-mile-long running relay race. Over 220
different law-enforcement teams participated in this yearly event. |
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A map of the 120-mile-long B2V relay race course. It
contains 20 individual relay legs and starts outside of Baker, goes through the cities of
Shoshone (Calif) and Pahrump (NV), goes over the mountain at Mountain Springs and ends in
Las Vegas |
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Eleven
members of OCARC helped OPD in planning, preparartions and operations of the race. Orange PD B2V Planning Meeting participates: In back - Noah-KF6FOJ (very tall), Bruce-KC6DLA,
Mike-WA6OUE, Rich-KE6WWK, Bev-KI6APH, and Willie-N8WP In front - Ken-W6HHC, Bob-AF6C,
Steve-KB6ROL, Leon-KK6AB, Mike-KF6WRM, Rich-KR6BA, Robbie-KB6CJZ, Dieter-N6ZKD, Les-KM6SQ,
and Lowell-KQ6JD. |
Photo taken by Debbie Klein of OPD |
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| Preparation included testing out equipment and antennas before
the big event at the QTH of KE6WWK: L-R are Robbie-KB6CJZ, Rich-KE6WWK (red hat) and
Mike-KF6WRM |
Photo by Beverly - KI6APH |
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The Pool-side Workbench of W6HHC tested out the brand
new COAR 144/440 MHz antenna before the race. L-R are Bob-AF6C (with mike) and Ken-W6HHC
Photo by W6HHC |
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This is the new COAR Comet GP-9 antenna for 144/440 MHz
base comm center in Pahrump being tested before the race at the pool-side workbench of Ken
W6HHC. |
Photo by Ken W6HHC |
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The Orange PD team captain, Dave Nichols (standing in
truck), gives final instructions to the runners and supporters at a Baker H.S. meeting
before the race begins.
Photo by Mike - KF6WRM |
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Here is a great picture of the entire racing team from
Orange Police Department with their supporters prior to the race. |
Photo by Mike - KF6WRM |
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The first communications center on the route was set up
out in a motorhome atop Ibex Pass. The ridge blocked some communi- cations south
towards Baker, so this helped in the initial part of the race. You can see some other
communications organization used a cherry picker as a portable tower.
Photo by WA6PFA in 2003 |
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The OPD "follow vehicle" traveled along side
the runnners during the entire race. This vehicle not only provided drink or food as
needed and a back-up runner, but was also equipped with a radio operator. The radio
operator could easily reach the communications centers of COAR to pass information
(including running times) to OPD officials. The vehicle was APRS equipped, so that the
location of the runner was always known at the comm centers by glancing at an APRS screen. |
Photo by KF6WRM |
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Radio operators from the OCARC and Cypress manned
the communications center in Pahrump. 144 MHz simplex was used as the primary channel for
"back bone" communications. A cross-band repeater with 440 MHz that was located
in Sandy Valley linked the "back bone" to Las Vegas . |
| Photo by Bob-AF6C |
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