02/23/2016
The US championships of Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) return to the
Lone Star State this April. Sponsored by Texas ARDF and the Austin Orienteering
Club (AOC[1]) the events will take place April 7-10 near Killeen, Texas.
On-foot foxhunting fans of all skill levels will gather for 4 days of intense
competition. The primary site will be the Parrie Haynes C5 Youth Ranch and
Equestrian Center.
National ARDF championships typically take place in the late summer or early
fall, but because the ARDF World Championships in Bulgaria take place in early
September this year, the national event is being held in April to provide
plenty of time for the selection of Team USA members and to make travel
arrangements.
An optional training day just prior to the championships on Wednesday, April 6,
will feature an 80 meter short course. Thursday, April 7, will be devoted to
foxoring[2], a combination of radio direction finding and classic orienteering
on 80 meters. Friday morning will be the formal 80 meter sprint[3] event,
followed by a catered lunch, competitor meeting, and model event for equipment
testing.
Classic 2 meter and 80 meter competitions will take place on Saturday and
Sunday, respectively. An awards banquet on Saturday evening will feature the
presentation of medals for the foxoring, sprint, and 2 meter classic events.
Awards for the 80 meter classic event will be given Sunday afternoon,
immediately following the competition.
Lead organizers, event hosts, and course planners are Jennifer and Kenneth
Harker, W5JEN and WM5R. They have competed at the USA Championships almost
every year since 2003 and have won numerous medals. They represented USA at the
ARDF World Championships in 2008, 2010, and 2014. Assisting them will be
members of the Austin Orienteering Club.
ARDF championship rules[4] are set by the International Amateur Radio Union
(IARU). For scoring and awards, participants are divided into 11 age/gender
categories[5]. In the classic ARDF events, competitors start in small groups
made up of different categories. As they seek hidden transmitters, they
navigate through the forest from the starting corridor to the finish line - a
distance of anywhere from 4 to 10 kilometers. They plot their direction-finding
bearings on orienteering maps that show terrain features, elevation contours,
and vegetation type.
The USA ARDF Championships are open to anyone who can safely navigate the woods
by themselves. A ham radio license is not required. Each participant competes
as an individual; any teamwork or GPS use is forbidden. Competitors bring their
own direction-finding gear to the events, although extra gear is sometimes
available for loan from other attendees. Competitors may not transmit on the
course, except in emergencies.
The US ARDF Championships are an ideal opportunity to watch and learn from the
best radio-orienteers in the US and from around the world. Stateside winners of
the US championships will be considered for membership in ARDF Team USA, which
will travel to Albena, Bulgaria for the 18th ARDF World Championships[6]. A
maximum of three competitors in each age/gender category may be on a nation's
team.
The Texas ARDF[7] website includes the schedule, technical details, and sites,
plus details about transportation, lodging, site embargoes, tourism, weather,
and much more. An e-mail reflector[8] is available for Q&A with the organizers
as well as to coordinate transportation and arrange equipment loans.
Basic information[9] on international-style transmitter hunting is on the
"Homing In" Web site, including rules and signal parameters. This site includes
equipment ideas for 2 meters[10] and 80 meters[11], plus photos from previous
championships. Information about the Amateur Radio Direction Finding Fund[12]
is on the ARRL website. - Thanks to ARRL ARDF Coordinator Joe Moell[13], K0OV
[1] http://austinoc.com/
[2] http://www.homingin.com/sprints.html#foxoring
[3] http://www.homingin.com/sprints.html
[4] http://www.homingin.com/intlfox.html#rules
[5] http://www.homingin.com/intlfox.html#categories
[6] http://www.homingin.com/farsnews.html#wc16
[7] http://www.texasardf.org/usa2016/
[8] https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/usa2016ardf/info
[9] http://www.homingin.com/
[10] http://www.homingin.com/equipment.html
[11] http://www.homingin.com/joemoell/80intro.html
[12] http://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-direction-finding
[13] mailto:k0ov@homingin.com
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