2009 Baker-to-Vegas Race PIX  Portfolio - Part 1

W6ZE - Orange County Amateur Radio Club

2009 Baker to Vegas Race (B2V-2009)

Page 1 of 2

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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 30 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.  245 different law-enforcement teams participated in this yearly event.

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 at the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas. The red circles on the map locate the five COAR Communications Centers.

Annotated Image by Dieter N6ZKD

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One of several COAR-RACES B2V-Planning-Meetings that were held in the EOC room located at the OPD building to work out locations,  staffing, and frequencies. 12 members of the OCARC participated in helping with communications for the Orange Police Department running team.

 

Photo by Ken W6HHC

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Before the race, testing equipment for the Las Vegas Communication Center are: (L-R) Robbie-KB6CJZ and Steve-KI6DDE

 

Photo by David KG6RWU

 

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The pool-side workbench of W6HHC tested out radios, computers, and antennas for the Pahrump Comm Center. The Equipment Testing Session really began to look like "Field Day" when some COAR operators from the "Follow Vehicle" showed up. (L-R) Nicholas-AF6CF, Mike-WA6OUE, Ken-W6HHC, David-KG6RWU, Kathleen-K6IBH, and Bob-AF6C

Photo by Ken W6HHC

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Here are many of Orange PD team runners and supporters at a Baker H.S. meeting before the race begins on Saturday, March 14. A few of the communications support can be seen in yellow shirts.

 

Photo by Michelle Micallef of Orange PD

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They're Off!!!

The gun has just started for the Orange PD runner and other teams in the same class of 300 sworn officers.

Photo by Mike KF6WRM

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The OPD "follow vehicle" will travel 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 closest communications center of COAR to pass information (including running times) to OPD officials. The Follow Vehicle had  three ham antennas, including one for a APRS beacon gear..

 

Photo by Mike KF6WRM

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During the first half of the race, Kathleen - K6IBH was the radio communicator in the OPD Follow Vehicle. She has the 144 MHz "Las Vegas mike" in her right hand and the 440 MHz "support vehicle mike" in her left hand. Like a good quarterback, she has all the critcal frequencies written on her left arm.

Photo by Mike KF6WRM

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The OPD runner is seen in front of the OPD Follow Vehicle and a long stream of other runners and support vehicles on the long desert course.

 

Photo by Mike KF6WRM

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Radio operators from Cypress  manned the communications center in Shoshone. 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 "OPD back bone" into Las Vegas . Shown is radio operator Rich-KR6BA

 

Photo by Mike KF6WRM

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Shoshone is really in a "radio hole".  In order to reach the the Sandy Valley cross-band repeater by 2M, they set up a "local" 440MHz repeater antenna to the rig in the shack. The 2M beam is on a nearby hill (their motel is down below) and the the tent on the hill holds the local cross-band repeater.

 

Photo by Mike KF6WRM

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This photo shows the OPD runner Dave Pasino (Team #60) running uphill towards Ibex Pass with the OPD Follow Vehicle right behind to provide water, fruit and communications. The APRS beacon allowed all of the communications stations to "see" the location of the runner.

 

Photo taken by David KG6RWU

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This page last updated on 20 April, 2009
OCARC S-Mail: P.O. Box 3454 Tustin, CA 92781
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