Memorial donation helps establish WHS radio site

The establishment of an amateur radio tower at Wasilla High School will not only get students involved with another form of communication, but it also will help preserve the memory of one of amateur radio's legends.

Arlene Robbins, the wife of the late Dan Robbins, recently donated $2,000 and radio equipment to Wasilla High School to help get an amateur radio club started and get students involved.

Dan Robbins died in a motorcycle accident in Hawaii, where he was for an amateur radio contest.

"He was one of the preeminent contesting operators in the world. Whenever people talked about contests, Dan's name always came up. He was famous worldwide for his contesting," said Matanuska Amateur Radio Association member Len Betts.

There are a number of contests with amateur radio. Betts explained one type of contest is a "prefix contest," in which operators see how many different prefixes -- which pinpoint location of the other operator -- they can contact in a single day, for instance. You earn a point for every destination you contact.

"And KL7Yankee [Robbins' radio sign] was always the winner or at least at the top of those lists," Betts said. "He was quite a guy. He'll be missed, but I hope this [the radio tower] helps keep his name and his legacy alive."