2000 Henry Hahn Sled Dog Race

PUBLIC SERVICE

ACTIVITY REPORT

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About This Form

Amateur Radio donates thousands of man-hours of supplementary public service communications in civil emergencies, official drills and events such as parades and marathons each year. Such events show Amateur Radio in its best light, and it is critically important that ARRL bring documentation of this public service work to the attention of the Congress, the FCC and other public officials. Your information below is an important addition to the record. Please complete and return this form to the Public Service Branch at ARRL Headquarters. Thank you.

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1. Nature of activity (Check one).

Communications Emergency. Amateurs supplied communications required to replace or supplement normal communications means.

Alert. Amateurs were deployed for emergency communications, but emergency situation did not develop.

X Special exercise. Amateurs supplied communications for a parade, race, etc.

Test or drill. A training activity in which amateurs participated.

2. Brief description of activity: Communications support for the Henry Hahn Sled Dog race.

3. Places or areas involved: Anchorage, AK; Matanuska-Susitna Valley, Alaska

4. Number of amateurs participating: 14

5. Event start date/time: 16 Dec 00/1000 6. Event end date/time: 17 Dec 00/1900

7. Duration of event (hours): 33 8. Total man-hours: 280.5

9. Number of repeaters used: 0

10. Estimated manpower cost: $2,805.00 (man-hours times $10/hr)

11. Estimated cost of equipment used: $6,200.00 (hand-helds, repeaters, etc.)

12. Total estimated cost of service: $9,005.00 (add amounts from lines 10 and 11)

13. Nets and/or frequencies used (including repeater call signs): KL7KC Repeater, 146.79; 146.52 simplex

14. Number of messages handled: Continuous tactical traffic and 1 instance of "3rd Party" traffic

15. Names of agencies receiving communications support: The Henry Hahn Sled Dog Race Committee

16. Please list call signs of amateurs who were major participants: WL7UB, KL0CJ, AL0W, WL7TX, AL7BJ, NL7WO, WL7CPS, WL7TP, KL0WH, KL0CK, NL7XH, N3GQV, KE4ITP, AL4BL

17. Other comments: The race covered 100 miles with full amateur support and is a qualifier event for the Iditarod and Yukon Quest long distance sled dog races in early 2001. The race started at the Pump House Restaurant and ran out to Angel Creek using trails and rivers.

We had 5 checkpoints covered by the amateurs from start to the end/turn-around point at Angel Creek. There were 14 amateurs working, some in –28 temperatures.

The Henry Hahn Dog sled race had 25 entrants for the 200 mile event and 10 for the 100 mile event. Trail conditions were difficult in places and we had some open water on one of the rivers. We had one team hit by a snowmachine....no injuries but a loose dog that necessitated the musher scratching so he could find his dog. Another musher ran afoul of a moose and several dogs were injured as was the musher. Two teams got away from their mushers but were caught by bystanders down river.

Amateur radio provided the only continuous coverage of the whole course, with about half of it being out of cell phone range. We also provided assistance when the team was attacked by the moose, making arrangements for the musher. We were used for tactical, data, emergency, and third party traffic. All the teams were reported as they came into the checkpoints to make sure that all of them made it safely.

We had amateurs standing out in –28 weather, in campers, in mobile units. They deserve a standing ovation for going above and beyond to make sure this was a fully covered event.

All of the amateurs working are members of the Arctic Amateur Radio Club in Fairbanks, Alaska, and one of them flew 400 miles from Anchorage to be part of this event.