1. Tri-State Rally November 3rd & 4th, 2017 Mesquite, NV and the Desert west of St. George, Utah Ham Radio Event Report Brad Denham – KF6PSL Wednesday, November 8th, 2017

2. Event Background: • Tri-State Rally 2017 • 2nd Annual • “Off-road Performance Rally” • ARA Regional Rally…not a national event • Location: • Rally HQ: Holiday Inn Express • Parc Exposé/Fermé: Eureka Casino and Rising Star Sports Ranch Hotel • Performance stages located in desert west of St. George, UT • Located on Shivwits Paiute Indian Reservation • 11 Individual ‘Special Stages’: • 100% dirt roads • 98 Special Stage Miles • Transit miles unknown • Altitudes of 4200’-5700’ ASL Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

3. Event Map: Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

4. Performance Rally?: • What is it, exactly? • Flat-out competition • Over closed sections of rural roads • By modified production automobiles, ATVs, and Motorcycles • It is different than most car races in that: • Competitors race one car at a time against the clock, usually at one-minute intervals • Competition is done on limited access dirt roads, blocked off from "civilian" traffic • Events can be several hundred miles long, often lasting for several days • Racing often happens at night! • Each car has a driver and a co-driver (or navigator) • In-between competition stages, the cars travel over public roads and are required to obey all traffic laws Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

5. More Rally Details… • How is different than Baja? • The special stage is closed to traffic and there and no alternate routes • All side roads are blocked • Amateur radio operators or licensed GMRS only. • Crews often do not have radios and rely on the ham radio net to relay messages to crew and service • Service areas are usually in a central location • A two day rally has an overnight break and will usually only be 100 – 160 stage miles (around 300 total miles) • Rally is held all over the world on many different road surfaces: dirt/gravel, ice, snow, and tarmac • Rally Cars: • Production based…must be 1000 units • Most classes restrict to original engine configuration • Street legal…car is fully registered and insured • Suspension upgraded • Rally tires on upgraded wheels Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

6. 2017 Rally Stage Schedule • Friday: 1st Car Starts Stage Miles • MTC1 – Eureka 1800 • SS1 – Mine Valley East: 1858 12.0 Block 7 • SS2 – Mine Valley West: 1941 9.2 Block 7 • SS3 – Joshua Tree 2027 11.6 FINISH • MTC2 – Eureka: 2142 • Saturday: • MTC3 – Eureka: 0800 • SS4 – Bulldog Pass North: 0847 11.7 START • SS5 – Bulldog Pass South: 1014 11.7 FINISH Service 1147 • SS6 – Mesquite Heights North: 1205 3.6 • SS7 – Mesquite Heights South: 1250 3.6 Service 1413 • SS8 – Gunlock West: 1531 11.3 START • SS9 – Jackson Wash West: 1557 6.5 • SS10 – Jackson Wash East: 1644 9.3 • SS11 – Gunlock East: 1707 8.3 FINISH • MTC8 – Eureka (Finish) Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

7. TrI-State Rally 2017 COMMS RADIO FREQUENCY ASSIGNMENTS MAIN: 145.490 (-) PL: 100.0 Hz – Located on Utah Hill Can be used on ALL stages SECONDARY: 449.350 (-) PL: 100.0 Hz – Located on Utah Hill Can be used on all stages as BACKUP & stages 9-10 (Sat.) SIMPLEX:147.505 Rally Back-up Frequency Note: Use on Friday Mesquite Stage! Note: Friday Night Stages can use 145.450 (-) PL: 100.0 Hz (which is linked to the 145.490 MAIN frequency Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

8. Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

9. Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

10. Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

11. Main & Secondary Repeaters “Utah Hill” Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

12. Overall Ham Support Contingent: • Details: • Max of 1 Special Stages being run at any one time • 10-15 Ham Radio Operators Supporting each Special Stage • Upwards of 20 Hams for the entire event • VHF & UHF Simplex & Repeaters in play • Most all organizers, rally officials, stewards, primary staff are all licensed ham radio operators! • Duties of Ham Radio Operators: • Support general radio communications • Stay Alert! • Physically block side access roads with your vehicle • Respond in the event of an emergency • Document cars that pass your location • Advise non-rally traffic • Relay messages to: Net Control, Rally Staff/Officials, Race Crews, Service, Police • Keep in contact with your Stage Communications Captain • Help keep the rally on time • Have fun! Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

15. Cost of Rally Support… • Catastrophic failure of serpentine belt idler pulley somewhere north of Beaver, UT – $240 • Tow from pulley failure site to Cedar City Ford – $190 • Room not ready at Virgin River Hotel & Casino – $54 (cancellation fee and relocation to Rally HQ) • New room reservations at Rally HQ hotel - $400 • Working a cool (albeit small) rally in the picturesque desert of Utah in an awesome 4x4 with good working radios and some great people…Priceless! Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

16. Rally Event Information: • Organizing/Sanctioning Bodies: • http://californiarallyseries.com/ • https://www.nasarallysport.com/ • http://www.rally-america.com/ • https://www.americanrallyassociation.org/ • 2018 Rally Events Close to Utah: • Rally Colorado, Rangely, CO – July: http://rallycolorado2017.com/ • Rally Wyoming, Lusk, WY – August: http://www.rallywyoming.com/ • Idaho Rally, Boise, ID – September: http://idahorally.org/ • Prescott Rally, Prescott, AZ – October: http://www.prescottrally.com/ • Tri-State Rally, Mesquite, NV – November: http://www.tristaterally.com/ Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

17. Rally Volunteer Information: • Rally-America Events: • https://rallyamericainc.redpodium.com/rally-america-volunteer-registration • NASA Rally Sport and California Rally Series Events: • http://www.rallydata.com/default.cfm Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report

18. Thanks!Brad DenhamKF6PSL Tri-State Rally 2017 - Ham Radio Event Report