[ARDF] How did I do in Brno?

[Marvin Johnston]

Take a look at http://www.rain.org/~marvin/. This is one of the first
descriptions I found many years ago on the web showing the process of
ARDF. BTW, I copied this from the web and have been unable to find out
who originally wrote it. When I was first started, it helped out a LOT
with learning the process!

When I get the maps scanned, I'll let you know as I have already had
several other requests for it. I still need to check out the video I
took at training camp, Brno, and the 80M Control for both days. I'll
also make an edited version available when it is done.

Marvin, KE6HTS

Matthew Robbins wrote:
> 
> Marvin,
> 
>     If you could scan the maps with the routes drawn on it, I'd love
> to see them.
> 
> Sam, Marvin, and all,
> 
> I had awesome punches.  I always knew which direction to exit.  Unless
> I was going uphill, I was in and out fast. Somewhere there is video of
> me at control 1 on day 1, and I'd love to see that.   It was as fast
> as I've ever punched and gotten out-of-there. The guy had a wide-angle
> on the camera and was about 8 inches from the bag.  I'll bet it was a
> really cool composition.
> I'll try the drill with the watch.  Here in the land of big reentrants
> and big spurs, I don't need to stop as much to look at my map (bigger
> meets excepted), but when the small details are important, I can't
> make sense of it when I'm moving.  I've been trying to ignore smaller
> details and focus on gross terrain features, and that really helps,
> but still, the thing holding me back is my fitness.  A year ago I
> almost didn't make orienteering mistakes because I was always going so
> slow.  Now I'm faster, and I'm having to re-learn some on-the-fly
> skills.  In ARDF way more than regular O, I lose contact usually when
> I'm pushing to get in place for the next cycle.
> 
>     I want to try some different "work flows".  By that I mean I want
> to look at the ways other people keep track of where they are, and how
> they manage to hold and operate the radio and how they manage the map
> regarding drawing bearings.  I use a map board for 80m, but I saw a
> large number of people with folded maps.  I've done that (because Sam
> recommended it), but I mess up the order unless I can see the drawn
> bearings.  The best thing about folding the map is that you can use
> your thumb to keep track of where you are.  I can't do that on a
> board, unless I'm near the edge.  It saves a lot of time to not have
> to search with your eyes to find where you are each time you look at
> your map.  It also saves you from parallel errors if there are similar
> features.
> 
>     I tend to draw my bearings from where I am all the way across the
> map.  I think Dick Arnett just puts a little tag with the number and
> the written bearing drawn from where he is but only for an inch or so.
>  It unclutters the map a lot.  The problem I notice with my method is
> that I tend to place too much emphasis on bearings that I took from
> really far away, even though those bearings are often signficantly
> off.   I heard or read that Gyuri recommends waiting until you're
> closer to draw bearings for the distant Ts.
> 
>     Another thing I've noticed about 80m is that if you stand still to
> take the bearing, it can be off significantly.  I'm going to try to
> take 80m bearings while running, like for 2m.  There aren't
> reflections, but maybe localized bending of the signals.  I don't
> know.   I do know that when I stand still, no matter how careful I am
> finding the null and drawing the line, it's occasionally wrong by 10
> or 20 degrees.
> 
> Matthew
> 
> On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 12:37:58 -0400, Sam Smith <sam.smith at ece.gatech.edu> wrote:
> > Marvin and Matt, glad to hear everyone had a good time at the World Champs.
> >
> > The regular orienteers practice the control procedure as a seperate
> > drill. Running in, punching, folding their map and running out in one
> > smooth motion.
> >
> > You can think of the time spent at the control as a constant that never
> > varies. The competitor needs to make that time as small as possible. One
> > drill that is useful is to use a wristwatch to record how much time you
> > spend running as opposed to stopped or walking. Start your watch when
> > you begin. If you must stop, stop your watch. When you start moving
> > again, restart your watch. At the end compare your total time to the
> > time on your watch to see what percentage you spent standing still. That
> > can be a very sobering drill.
> >
> > Sam N4MAP
> >
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