[ARDF] Protractors

[Matthew Robbins]

I have been looking at the Brno photos again (online).

I was hoping this would show a more conclusive result, but it doesn't.

It seems that about 90% of the people use a compass on their 80m receiver.

Almost all of the Czech competitors have a compass on their 2m rig. 
Of everyone else, compasses on the 2m antenna are about 50/50.

The juniors almost always use one compass.  Some exceptions,
especially the Czechs.

Most people have a map in a plastic cover (a bag), with some notable exceptions.

Here's one exception: 

http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/32.jpg

It appears he's using an A4-ish map board, a thumb compass, and a
little compass or something on his 2m rig.  This is Victor Romanov. He
won gold on M40 at least one day.


Here's an 80m radio with a compass, a folded map and a thumb compass.
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/358.jpg
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/18.jpg

This is Karel Fucik with a 2m rig w/ compass, and an apparent thumb compass.
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/352.jpg
Another Czech with 2m/compass, folded map plus thumb compass.
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/366.jpg

Here's a 2m rig w/ compass and a folded map (only).
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/200.jpg

Here's an 80m w/ compass, a saucer-sized stick-on rosette (on map), a
marker on the finger, and a hidden thumb.  This one is really odd,
because it's not clear how she draws bearings.  Does she switch map
and radio, or does she pass the map to her radio hand?  Maybe she
stops and kneels down to hold the opened map on her leg while she
draws the line.
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/205.jpg

Here's a 2m radio, a wrist/arm mounted map board with a nifty
direction of travel "line" that stays still when you spin the map. 
There are azimuth markings.  (I know this because he showed it to me
the night before when we were at the cut-out map seeing if our map
boards were big enough.)  I always thought the map would go on top of
your wrist like a watch, but I now think this pulse-side map makes
more sense.  It tucks under your arm when you run.  I'm not sure if
I'd like a map board like this, but I'd certainly like to try it.
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/220.jpg

Here's Romanov again with an 80m w/ compass, map board plus thumb compass.
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/222.jpg
(Is there any chance that is an analog watch on the radio?  I don't
think so, but I did see some of those.)

Here is an 80m radio w/ compass and a map (only) in the other hand.
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/356.jpg
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/223.jpg
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/251.jpg
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/282.jpg

80m/compass, mapboard(?) (Some mapboards have compasses, some don't.)
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/253.jpg

80m/compass, mapboard with compass:
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/266.jpg

2m, map, no apparent compass in either hand:
http://www.wch2004ardf.com/admin/img/galerie/278.jpg

I am definitely going to try the 80m radio with compass. (Yes, like
Bob, Dick, Vadim, and several others on the team.)  Because that
compass has to be fixed (for the reversed rosette to work), I'm going
to try a thumb compass in the other hand so I can run bearings without
having to remember anything (set it and forget it).

On my 2m radio, I have a thumb compass mounted between the driver and
reflector, and a map board on the right side elements.  Because I hold
my map in my left hand, and the map is on the antenna, I hold the
whole thing in my left hand.  The problem is that I have my antenna
over my head *a lot*, so I can't use the map or compass without
lowering the antenna.  So...I'm thinking of putting a reversed rosette
on the antenna and holding it in my right hand, and using a map and
thumb compass in my left.

For both 80m and 2m, I'm going to try to mount a china marker pointing
down on the radio/antenna or maybe on my finger, so I can mark with my
right hand.

I currently stop to draw bearings.  I don't stop when I take 2m
bearings, but I stop to draw them.

I have been having trouble with my 80m bearings being way off, like 35
degrees off, and I'm sure I didn't screw up.  I was using a ruler
taped onto my 80m radio to actually draw a very accurate line on the
map.  I have a theory that it's bad to take 80m bearings while
standing still, but I haven't tested it yet.  The ruler won't work if
I'm moving, so I think I need the reversed rosette to read a bearing
as I'm running.  (I walked at the 80m Park O in Brno, and I know for
certain that 80m gets weird sometimes.  I was surprised.)

I'm certainly no expert here, and I'm definitely still learning.

Matthew
Cincinnati, Ohio USA


On Mon, 25 Oct 2004 20:05:15 -0400, Matthew Robbins
<cedarcreek at gmail.com> wrote:
> Ken,
> 
>    I do something different from most Americans.  I've been trying to
> figure out what other countries do, because I figure they probably use
> something that works.
> 
>    With that in mind, I'd place a lot of credibility on Tcherman's method.
> 
>    But, I what I do makes sense to me (as an orienteer first).
> 
> Basically,
> 
> I face the signal.
> 
> I align my map to north.
> 
> Then I put my china marker where I am on the map and draw straight up,
> toward the signal.
> 
> If I intend to travel in that direction, or for future reference, I'll
> align my compass bezel and the compass needle.
> 
> That's it.
> 
>    I just bought a compass with a reversed rosette, and I've been
> trying to figure out how I'm going to navigate.  The reversed rosette
> requires the compass capsule to be aligned along the direction of
> travel (toward the signal).  And that means you can't set it to a
> bearing.  If you want to run that bearing, you have to remember the
> number and fuss with keeping the needle pointed to a little number,
> rather than the lines on the bottom of the capsule, which are much
> larger and easier to see.
> 
>    I've been looking at the photos from the Czech Republic, and I
> notice most people seem to use a map (folded) and a thumb compass in
> their left hand and a radio in their right.  One reverse-rosette
> compass I saw was epoxied in the bottom slot to keep it aligned for
> taking bearings, meaning you could not set it to run a bearing.
> 
>    One thought I've had is that you run the bearing by lining up the
> drawn line and the compass direction of travel line, then running in
> the the normal manner for a thumb compass (by turning your body until
> the needle lines up with north on the map).  Again, I prefer the
> crutch of setting the bezel, but this is a complicated sport, and you
> have to do what makes the most sense.
> 
> Matthew
> AA9YH
> Cincinnati, Ohio USA
>