The North Pole Network

In the spirit of the holiday season, some Amateur Radio (ham) operators across the country have found a way to bring joy to hospitalized children. Thanks to the world-wide range of Amateur Radio equipment, it's possible for hams to communicate with other hams almost anywhere on earth, including the North Pole. Fortunately, Santa Claus is able to take time from his busy gift production duties to speak individually to the hospitalized kids.

In southern California, members of the Hospital Disaster Support Communications System (HDSCS) annually take their portable ham sets to Childrens Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). Using the North Pole Network (NPN), which purports to use a special amateur satellite link, ionospheric propagation and VHF relays, kids can talk one-on-one to St. Nick without having to leave their hospital rooms.

The globe-spanning NPN link means that HDSCS doesn't have to rely on ordinary Santa-helpers who can only ask, "What is your name and what do you want for Christmas?" As one patient put it, we talk directly to "the Man, the real one!" During NPN contacts, Santa is in his North Pole office where he has access to his mega-computer system. Thanks to the computer and lots of advance "elf" work by hospital staff, Santa already knows which patient is in each hospital room and he has a lot of information already stored about each child and family. The NPN connection gives Santa a chance to make final updates to his gift request database before loading his sleigh on Christmas Eve. It also affords him a chance to send greetings and wishes for happiness and a return to good health.

The founder and leader of the Orange County's North Pole Network is April Moell WA6OPS. In addition to CHOC, NPN occasionally visits other Orange County medical facilities, including rehabilitation centers for both adults and children.

The North Pole Network was activated for 2007 on Tuesday, December 18. More than 50 inpatients at Childrens Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) were able to have personal conversations with Santa via Amateur Radio. In spite of frigid winds at the North Pole, Kris Kringle's antennas held up well throughout the event, which lasted almost five hours.

This was the 31st year for North Pole Network at CHOC and it was just as special as the first. Santa's elves had made sure that he knew all the important facts such as individual patient names, the names of pet dogs, and requested gifts. Only "the real Santa" would know all that.

The Big Guy got advance notice about what he might find as his sleigh flew into Orange County on Christmas Eve. Chocolate cookies topped the list, but some patients declared that oatmeal and sugar cookies, and maybe even pizza might be waiting. For St. Nick, the best part was the many patients who wanted to tell him, "I love you, Santa!"

As communicators finished up each QSO, they gave a small stuffed toy to the patient, along with an "I talked to Santa on Amateur Radio" button. Boys and girls were excited to pin on this special memento, which proclaimed that they had conversed with the real St. Nick via the airwaves.

Our medical background and our regular disaster communications service to the hospitals give CHOC staff members confidence in us. That makes it possible for us to take Santa's voice to the sickest patients. We went in and out of isolation rooms (gowning, gloving and scrubbing as needed) and went from bed to bed in Intensive Care units. That is what Santa wants most -- to talk with the patients who are most likely to be confined to the hospital through Christmas Day and to those whose medical conditions limit their ability to enjoy the holidays. Many family members were present as we visited. Their reactions let us know how important Santa's words were to their children and to them. There were more tears and had more hugs than ever this year. The personal touch meant a great deal to parents.

Many thanks to Odessa Stevens and Emily Grankowski at CHOC for making our visit possible.

This year's technical crew included Jim McLaughlin AB6UF, Cheryl Simpson KD6MWD, Ken Simpson W6KOS and Woody Woodward KJ6LE.  Joe Moell KØOV was Technical Coordinator.  The communicator team members were Tom Gaccione WB2LRH, Dennis Kidder W6DQ and Vicki Moll.  Lead Communicator and overall North Pole Network Coordinator is April Moell WA6OPS.

"Never stop believing!"

To learn more about NPN and how it works, read this article:

• "Join the North Pole Network," originally published in 73 Amateur Radio Today Magazine.

To see NPN in action, click to our photo pages:

• North Pole Network Photo Album shows what happens in a typical patient room.

• NPN Through the Years has over two dozen classic photos from 1976 through 2005.

Our North Pole Network has been featured in other publications, too. Here are links to two articles elsewhere on the Web:

• "Bringing Santa to Kids via Ham Radio---12 Ways to Make It Better," published in the ARRL Web site.

• "Santa 'Hams' It Up Via Two-Way Radio for Hospitalized Children," published by NurseZone, a Web site for the nursing profession.

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Text and images on this page ©2002 and 2007 by Joseph D. Moell. Republication of any content without permission is prohibited.
This page updated 8 January 2008

This North Pole Network site exists to encourage Amateur Radio groups all over the country and the world to sponsor their own local North Pole Network events. We are always pleased to hear from other groups. .