Public Service
One of the hallmarks of the Athens Radio Club is public service. Each year the ARC participates in multiple public service events that benefit countless numbers of people. From UGA football games to the Classic City Marathon, ham radio volunteers are there to serve the community.
There are also numerous opportunities to support the many run and bike races held in the Athens area. With so many organizations associated with the University of Georgia as well as other groups, there tends to be one, and sometimes more than one, every weekend. Watching for runners that may experience physical problems is crucial to the welfare of the runners and it assists race organizers to keep abreast of the event's status.
Reminders are sent out prior to the events listed via the Club's Listserv. Feel free to invite other hams who may not have participated in public service events, particularly new hams. We want to give them something fun and exciting to do with their new licenses.
Listen to the audio from a QSO with Bob, James and the kids of Foxfire Farms June 2023.
UGA Games, First-Aid Dawgs
ARC has been providing communications support for first-aid workers in the UGA stadium every fall since 1979. The first-aid workers originally came through the Red Cross organization but now Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center coordinates them. The first-aid teams, with their ham operators, are refered to as the First Aid Dawgs. Ham radio operators from the ARC, and other operators from around Georgia, shadow the first-aid workers and coordinate their movements through net control.
Bob KE4JLL as net control at UGA vs Alabama game 2025
Sam KN4SPF
Lamar KO4OYR
Bill N4WHM
You do not need to be a member of ARC, or be first-aid trained, to be a communicator, however, you must register and receive an ID card before you will be admitted to the stadium. Contact Bob Herrin, KE4JLL to get registered.
Communicators meet at the University of Georgia Health Sciences Campus guest parking area, just off Oglethorpe Avenue and Foster Road, on the day of the event and depart the assembly point 3 hours before the published game start time, unless another time is announced. Clear bag policy is in effect if you bring personal items into the stadium.
Each amateur operator is expected to provide their own equipment. Extra fully charged batteries for your radio are of primary importance. Headsets are required due to the noise level in the stadium. Program your Transmit Timeout (TOT) on your radio to 1 minute, if possible, to help prevent inadvertent frequency seizure through accidental dead keying. Remember to use your call sign at the end of your final transmission or every 10 minutes.
All HTs in the stadium will transmit and receive on 440.775 MHz with a CTCSS tone of 100.0. HTs should also be programmed with 147.525 and a CTCSS tone of 100.0, as a secondary frequency.
The following equipment is required:
Handheld transceiver with dual band VHF/UHF ability
Charged HT battery and an extra battery
Headset (required due to the high noise environment)
Flashlight or headlamp for night games
First Aid Dawg ID badge
The following equipment is optional:
Colored emergency vest
ARES, or Call sign badge
Sunscreen
Sunglasses
Hat
Nitrile Gloves (In case you are asked to assist with a patient)
Other 2026 Events
Stadium concert Saturday, April 25, 2026
Spring commencement in Sanford Stadium
on Friday, May 8, 2026
2026 Georgia Football Schedule
9/5 TENNESSEE STATE
9/12 WESTERN KENTUCKY
9/26 OKLAHOMA
10/3 VANDERBILT
10/17 AUBURN
11/14 MISSOURI
11/28 GEORGIA TECH
Colbert Trunk or Treat
ARC provides communications and parking support for the Colbert Community Trunk or Treat event each year at the Colbert City Park (Red Canna Park).
Phillip W4PHC
Bob KE4JLL
Jesse N4JAH and Bill N4WHM
Coach Mike’s Run Through the Woods
One of the oldest cross country 5K races through the woods behind the Athens YMCA. The race begins on the YMCA track, makes 2 loops through the woods behind the YMCA and finishes on the track.
Ed N4ZRA, James KF4AQO, and Bob KE4JLL
Mark W0GZR
Jesse N4JAH, Kevin KR4BDR, James KF4AQO, and ??? heading to their positions.
Claude AC4SH
Jesse N4JAH
Since 2024 ARC has provided communications supporting parking and traffic management for the Star Spangled Classic Fireworks event celebrating July 4th.
Athens-Clarke County Star Spangled Classic Fireworks
Classic City Marathon
Since 2024, ARC has provided course communications for the Athens Classic City Marathon. This race offers a Marathon, Half Marathon, and a 2 - 4 person Marathon Relay. More than 2000 runners participate in this event.
ARC provides safety and coordination communications for the race officials. Hams need to be on site no later than 6:45 a.m. Saturday morning. This is a staggered race, so operators can leave their stations as soon as the runners clear. We need at least 16 operators for this race.
This event does coincide with the Winter Field Day event. However, most operators can work the Marathon and be back before the Winter Field Day officially starts. Each year, many hams participate in both events. For more information, contact Bob (KE4JLL).
Net Control for the Marathon.
Ed N4ZRA.
Bob KE4JLL.
Marathon racers run by.
Colbert July 4th Parade
Since 2024 ARC has provided communications for the Colbert July 4th Parade helping coordinate traffic, float line-up, and float parking.
2024 Participants:
Back Row: George Kelly, KQ4OHA; Dennis Heinz W4AAW; Claude Ray, AC4SH; Mark Campbell, W0GZR.
Front Row: Bill McGee, N4WHM; Lamar Hughston, KO4OYR; James Reeves, KF4AQO; Phillip Campbell, W4PHC; Henrique Miranda, KQ4DZY; Bob Herrin, KE4JLL.
Not shown: Kathleen McCook KN4IJM (taking picture).
Don’t skip breakfast.
Dennis W4AAW.
Henrique KQ4DZY and Kathleen KN4IJM.
Mark W0GZR and James KF4AQO.
When it comes to severe weather, outdoor warning sirens have one purpose and one purpose only— to alert people who are outdoors that a tornado warning has been issued for Athens-Clarke County and they should go inside and seek shelter. In Athens-Clarke County there are 12 outdoor warning sirens. Four of these sirens are located on University of Georgia property.
Sirens are tested once each quarter on the first Saturday of the month at 11:30 a.m. If the weather is bad on that day, sirens will not be tested. The test will be rescheduled for the following Saturday. The ARC assists Athens-Clarke county officials test the sirens by traveling to the eight non-UGA sirens and monitoring them during the tests. Any abnormal sirens are noted and that information is passed to the officials.
The siren locations are:
Sandy Creek Park
Holland Sports Complex
Bishop Park
West Broad at Old Epps Bridge
College Ave Parking Deck
Hillsman School
Winterville 5 Points
East Athens Park
Athens-Clarke County Outdoor Warning Sirens Test
Milledge Mile Run
The Milledge Mile is a one-mile race down Milledge Ave.. For runners, this mile race is particularly motivating because of the marginal elevation gain on the course. The Milledge Mile boasts a relatively flat, straight route that allows runners to accelerate at the top of their abilities, with only 16 feet of elevation gain.
In addition so providing traditional course safety communications, for this race, the ARC radios provide a way for course officials to syncronize their clocks to the starting gun, allowing the runners to see acurate time spits as they make their way down the course.
ARC club members learning how they help to get the clocks syncronized.
Mark W0GZR.
Chuck KR4EBB.
Kevin KR4BDR.
Held in May of each year, the Marigold 10K is one of the oldest 10K races in Georgia, second only to the Peachtree 10K. It is one of the qualifier races for the Peachtree. The race is held as part of the annual Winterville Marigold Festival in Pittard Park. ARC provides race officials with real time information concerning the status of the runners including who is in front, who is in the back and if any runners are having difficulties.
Marigold 10k
Gant KR4CWB.
Check out Jesse N4JAH sporting his emergency vest with a bluetooth microphone talking to his HT, hanging on his push-up pole, which is supporting a J-pole antenna.
A shout out to amateur radio at the finish line.
James KF4AQO.
Winterville 10K Snowflake
The Snowflake 10K is a Peachtree Road Race qualifier. and is the first race in the Firefly Trail Race Series. The course is on city and country roads through the beautiful and relatively flat countryside. The race is put on by the Winterville Civitan Club and supports the Firefly Trail, the community and persons with disabilities. According to the Oglethorpe Echo, the first Snowflake 10K was held January 31, 2015.
ARC provides race officials with real time information concerning the status of the runners including who is in front, who is in the back and if any runners are having difficulties. The race starts at 9 a.m., so hams need to be in position by 8:30 a.m. We need 8 operators to support this event. Download the course map in PDF.
