KJ7WRF Relay Race

About the Race

A radio relay contest for ham, FRS, and GMRS operators. The app keeps time and codes. The messages still go over the air.

What the race is

Teams relay a 16-character code from a Start station to an End station through a chain of relay operators. End checks the code and sends a response code back the same way. Fastest total time wins. Lowest total transmit power is a separate category.

A round, step by step

Net control sets the active band and starts the round.
Start reads the forward code, e.g. K7QM-4XR2-P9ZT-W3LD.
Each relay writes it down, reads it back, and passes it on.
End enters it in the app. If it's correct, a response code appears and goes back the same way.
Start confirms the response and the clock stops.

Events run 2–4 rounds, on one line-of-sight band at a time. Every team gets unique codes. Relays can be skipped if the path allows it. Long-shot propagation (ducting, sporadic E) is fair game.

Relay operators work by radio only. They do not need this app, a phone, or the internet. Start and End do need a connection so the app can show codes and record the clock.

How to use the app

Organizer — Upcoming or Join, then Create Event. Set the name, start and end locations, start time, bands, and notes. Share the lobby code.
Captain — Join, enter the lobby code, and create a team. Share the team code and build the roster, including radio-only relay operators.
Start and End — Join with the lobby code and team code, then claim a station on the phone that will stay online.
Net control — On the Organizer tab, set the active band, generate codes, and start the round.
On the air — Start reads the forward code. Relays pass what they hear. End validates it and sends the response code back. The app records the time.

Joining & playing

Find a race near you and ask to join a team on Discord. Teams pick a captain.
Offer what you've got: "There's a summit by my house; I can drive up in the morning." Or work it out with the team on maps and terrain tools.
Plan the chain. Captains assign sites, or the team works it out on one big call. Check line of sight with terrain profile tools.
Build PACE plans (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency) for sites, frequencies, transport, and gear. Know the compass bearing to your neighbors' main and backup sites.
Do a test run before race day if you can.
Race day: be in position at the start time (or at the endpoint for a Scramble). Wait for the code, write it down, read it back, and pass it on.

Discord

Questions, scheduling, and event talk live in the KJ7WRF Radio Relay Race Discord.

Join the Discord

Hosting an event

Pick the equipment level: FRS, 5 W HT, 25 W portable, mobile, or home. See "Pick your scale" on the Rules tab.
Pick two general areas that can't normally talk to each other. A hill, a few hills, a city, or plain distance should be in the way. Examples: two suburbs, two ends of a big park, Denver to Boulder, Portland to Seattle. Both should be accessible to your players, and ideally landmarks.
Lock in a date once the areas are known. Wrangling people is the hardest part, so compromise if you must, then commit so everyone can plan around it.
Secure the endpoints. Fairgrounds, club sites, schools, parks, or volunteered private sites. If you could pitch a couple of tents or play soccer there, it's big enough. Get permission, and make sure it's public or the owner is fine with a crowd. Ideally it is ADA-accessible, covered or tentable, and has power and parking.
Set the rules: variant, bands, rounds, code trips per round, blackout length, power class, and the endpoint low-power rule.
Create the event on the Organizer tab, post it on Discord, and help teams round out.

Steps 2–4 often loop a few times. All you really need is two locations that can host, and a set time.

For clubs: The easiest way to run an event is two ham clubs in two cities, each with a reliable free location. Pick a date and set the operating rules. Your club already knows the terrain, the equipment, and the people, which makes it the ideal organizer.

Terms, privacy, and license

Terms of Use

Use license, host rules, fair play, liability. Required for players, captains, and organizers.

Read Terms

Privacy Policy

What's public (callsigns, scores) vs private (email, precise location). Deletion requests.

Read Privacy

License

Read License

Enter the Lobby

Start and End need internet. Relay ops use radio only — no app required.

Checking server…

Join Game

Create Event

Organizers create events on the sync server and share the lobby code.

Not checked in to a station.

Create or join a team first to manage the roster.

List every operator before the field. Mark relay ops RF only — they do not need the app or cell signal.

Callsign	Role	App	Notes

Live Check-ins

Final Score: Total Transmit Power

Every station logs its transmit power on paper during the race. At the end, collect the logs from Start, End, and every relay, add them up, and enter the team total here. Lowest total power is its own category, separate from fastest time.

Organizer / Net Control

Create an event or enter an organizer session from a saved token.

Event Status

Round Control

Round

Active Frequency

Band

Synced to all stations. Applied to the round when you start it.

Team	Code	Roster	Checked In	Status	TX Power

What is the sync server? A small Node.js program (server/server.js) that stores events, teams, and codes in a JSON file on disk (server/data/events.json). Start and End devices connect over the internet — relay ops do not.

Run: cd server && npm install && npm start — then open the URL shown (default port 3847).

Clear the database

This event only: button below removes the current event from the server.
Everything: stop the server, delete server/data/events.json, restart.

Upcoming Events

Events still open on the server, soonest first.

Select an event to see the start, end location, time, rules, and notes.

Records

Rules Summary

Safe, Sane, Legal

Follow all FCC rules (Part 97 for amateur radio, Part 95 for FRS and GMRS) and local law. Each operator is responsible for operating safely and legally.

Public land only. It keeps the race fair and accessible, and it keeps it legal. No trespassing, and no operating from private property you happen to own (see Home Operation).
Get permission for every endpoint and gathering spot.
Identify on the air. Hams give their callsign every 10 minutes and at the end of each exchange (FCC Part 97).
Codes are sent in the clear. Read them with standard phonetics. They are random check strings, not secret codes. Amateur rules don't allow messages meant to hide their meaning.
Never transmit while driving. Mobile stations park first.
Field stations set up at least 100 ft from the vehicle (a Relay Race rule).
Elevation cap: no operating above 7,500 ft unless the organizer sets a different limit for the region.
FRS: license-free, but radios must keep their built-in antenna, so no Yagis or external antennas. Power is capped at 2 W (0.5 W on channels 8–14).
GMRS: requires an FCC GMRS license.
Weather and terrain beat the clock. Bail out early, and tell your team how you will check in.

Low power at the endpoints: Start and End put many stations close together. Either spread out, or have ham stations run 0.5–1.5 W with directional antennas. Band-pass filters and attenuators are strongly recommended to cut cross-talk and intermod.

Frequencies Are Part of the Game

Other teams and operators will be on the air, especially over long routes and through cities. Deconflicting is part of the challenge, so have backups ready. In FRS events, each team gets its own channel.

The Comms Blackout

Optional, recommended for hams.

For a set time before the start, contestants coordinate by radio only: no internet, no phones. The recommended length is 12–48 hours, and the organizer can set anywhere from 0 to 72 hours.

OK: HF, VHF/UHF simplex, repeaters that are not internet-linked, JS8Call, Meshtastic and other off-grid LoRa mesh.
Not OK: EchoLink, AllStar, IRLP, and networked DMR.
Start and End may still use the event app.
On race day, one or two HF stations per endpoint can link endpoints and relays before the start.

Why? It builds point-to-point skills and forces real fallback plans for a washed-out road, a fogged-in summit, or a busy frequency.

Safety first: anyone may always call family or emergency services. Non-racers aren't restricted.

Digital Play (this app)

Organizer shares a lobby code. Teams get a unique team code.
Start and End connect via the sync server (internet required).
Relay ops are RF only — listed on the captain roster, no app needed.
Each team gets unique codes; only Start/End devices display them.

Fully Offline / No Internet

Operators who want a true off-grid experience may emulate the race manually:

Net control pre-generates unique codes and seals them in envelopes at Start and End.
Use manual stopwatches or written logs for timing.
Follow the same relay rules: forward code out, response code back, honor system throughout.

This app is optional tooling — the race rules work with or without it.

Objective & Rounds

Relay 16-character codes between endpoints over permitted bands. Fastest total time wins; lowest power is a separate category. Events run 2–4 rounds.

Variants

Standard: Everyone is in position at the start time.
Scramble: Everyone gathers at an endpoint. When the code drops, the clock starts and teams race (by car or on foot) to their sites and set up at least 100 ft from the vehicle.
Mobile Scramble: Same race, but the operator stays with the vehicle on vehicle power.
Home Operation: For homebound operators and areas with little public land. Start and End are broad areas (counties, cities, or grid squares), and the organizer sets one power class (100 W, 500 W, or 1,500 W). Best on flat ground: in hilly areas, hilltop homes can dominate a route.

Power category: every station logs its transmit power on paper and hands the log in at the end. The captain adds up the logs and submits the team's total transmit power on the Captain tab.

Home Operation

Home Operation is a rule set for running the race from your own station instead of a field site. The point is to open the hobby to more people — especially operators who cannot leave the house — while still giving well-equipped home stations a fair way to play.

Start, End, and any relays operate from home. No scramble, no vehicle, no requirement to deploy in the field.
Rotatable Yagis, towers, and other fixed home antennas are allowed and expected. Pointing a beam is part of the game.
Relay ops may still be RF-only. Start and End use the app when internet is available, same as other variants.

The organizer picks one power class for the event so times stay comparable. Suggested classes:

100 watts — a common home-station level, easier on neighbors and power supplies.
500 watts — a mid class for amplifiers below legal limit.
Legal limit (1,500 watts) — amateur maximum, for stations that can run it cleanly and legally.

Honor system: run the published class, not “a little extra.” Lowest-power scoring can still be a separate category when an organizer wants it.

Pick Your Scale

Equipment level and number of operators decide how far apart Start and End can be. Most hams own a 5 W handheld, so start there. For non-hams, a box of cheap FRS radios works.

1 · FRS RelayNo license

Players: 6–30; endpoints hold 2–10 people
Distance: A large park to a camp, campus, or small town
Planning: 2 hours to 1 week
Cost: Free in public spaces
Great for: Scouts, camps, schools, colleges; on-foot Scrambles

2 · 5 W HT RelayStart here

Gear: Handhelds; optional handheld Yagis
Players: 6–80+; endpoints hold 2–30 people
Distance: Across town, up to 10–300+ miles
Planning: Weeks for a local pilot; 3–12 months for long routes
Cost: Free at club sites, churches, parks. Up to ~$300 to book two endpoints (~$5–20 per person).
Examples: Seattle–Portland, Houston–New Orleans, Buffalo–Boston

3 · 25 W PortableExpert

Gear: 25 W portable rigs, large Yagis on masts or tripods
Players: 6–100+
Distance: 300–3,000 miles
Planning: 6–18 months
Cost: $100–500+ for large sites; ~$10–20 per person
Examples: Seattle–San Diego, Portland OR–Portland ME

Mobile class (25–250 W): Operators stay in the vehicle on vehicle power and must be parked to transmit. Endpoints only need parking. For a Scramble, the departure lot must fit 30+ cars; endpoints need room for 5–8.

Antennas and tinkering win races. At every ham tier, the antenna is the biggest upgrade you can make, and it usually does more for range than extra watts. A handheld Yagi, a tape-measure beam, or a homebuilt J-pole on a painter's pole can turn an impossible hop into an easy one. More gain also lets you run less power, which helps in the lowest-power category and at crowded endpoints. Design, build, tune, and field-test your antennas, masts, filters, and feedlines before race day. Experimenting is half the fun. (FRS radios must keep their built-in antenna.)

Radio Relay Race