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Radio Society of Great Britain
Shorne Woods Country Park
Sunday 11 Feb 2018

ARDF Training Day "To improve my TX hunting skills"

Summary
The ARDF Training event on Sunday, 11th February 2018 at Shorne Woods Country Park will be organised as two separate training courses on 2m and 80m with 5 transmitters each. The Training event will be a “low key” “self-timing” and “self-managing” event under the badge “To Improve My ARDF TX-Hunting Skills” and there will be plenty to explore and discuss. Please come with all of your “problems” or questions.

Location, Car Parking and Directions:
The location of the ARDF Training Event is Shorne Woods Country Park, Kent. The Start and Finish will be co-located at the Car Park in Brewers Road, Shorne DA12 3HX (nearest post code). Click here for a map extract showing the location

From the North and West: Follow the M25 clock- or anti=clockwise to Junction 2 with the A2. Tolls are levied at the Dartford Crossing (payment has to be made online or phone). Take the A2 East towards Canterbury and Ramsgate and leave at the sign-posted junction on the A2 towards Shorne Wood Country Park (brown sign). Turn right at the T junction (Brewers Rd) and Shorne Wood Country Park Car Park is on the left 200-300m from the junction. The car park is Pay & Display (coin operated).

Format of the ARDF Training Event

Two ARDF Training courses will be on 2m and 80m, which will conform to the general principles of IARU rules, but will be less formal than a Championship. The distances between the transmitters and Start/Finish will be more than 300m from each other on 2m band and more than 100m on 80m band (Sprint-like).

On 2m there will be 5 hidden transmitters (in a five minute cycle – one minute transmission each) and TX#5 will be last to be found and hidden close to the Start/Finish. There will be no Beacon on 2m. Self-navigation will be required from TX#5 to the Car Park.

On 80 m there will be 5 transmitters (in a one minute cycle – 30 seconds transmission each). There will be a separate Beacon on a different frequency and placed close to the Finish.

On both bands there will be an option for a Long Course of 5 transmitters, a Short Course of 4 transmitters and Novice Course of 3 transmitters. Competitors can elect to hunt all 10 ‘foxes’ (5 + 5 Long Course) with or without a break, or a specified 8 ‘foxes’ (4 + 4 Short Course). Some competitors could choose one band only. The Start-Finish will be self-timing and self-managing. There will be a Letter Code at each Transmitter, which should be entered onto the Individual ARDF (Punching) Card together with the Start/Finish times and left with the organiser to compile the Event Results. The time limit is 150 minutes combined time for both courses but competitors must finish no later than 14:30 pm, when both courses close.

The results will be posted on this web site as soon as possible after the event.

Map and the Area

The map is 1:10,000, A4 landscape and is NOT on waterproof paper. It has some old orienteering controls marked on it. Competitors should plan to apply waterproofing after receiving the map at the start,

No crossing of the A2 is allowed. The minor roads must be crossed with care. Beware of mountain bikes, which may have right of way over pedestrians on some paths.
In addition, fences should not be crossed and there will be no transmitters in the fenced enclosures.

Timetable

10:00 Registration opens. Information sheets and training rules issued to ALL entrants.
10:00-1200 Starts - self managing, self timing
14:30 Courses close.

Entries

There is no entry fee for the day, which is a training activity

Procedures

Registration, Start and Finish for both ARDF training courses will be co-located. Assembly will be at the organiser’s car in Shorne Woods Country Park Car Park )look for a silver Mercedes C200 SC04KVB) at the far end of the car park towears the woodland. Please try to park anywhere available as the car park may become very busy. A cafe and toilets are available at the car park.

In accordance with the informality of the event the organisers will not require you to deposit your receiver in a pound before the transmitters start sending. They do expect you to respect the spirit of this concession by refraining from using your receiver until reporting to officials in the start area and then only under their supervision.

Safety

Competitors are responsible for their own safety and take part at their own risk. No smoking in the forest. Whistles should be carried (the emergency signal is 6 blasts repeated at 1 minute intervals).

Loan Equipment

Receivers for 3.5MHz and 144MHz are available on loan. E-Mail the organiser (address below) to reserve.

Enquiries

Vlad Boev at: vladboev at aol dot com; gsm (on the day): 07754621351