[ARDF] Texas ARDF event - comments

[Freyra at aol.com]

Hi Ken:
 
First I would like to thank you and Jen for a great time. Between the 
Orienteering on Saturday and the ARDF on Sunday, it was definitely worth the trip. 
Now that I have had  time to take a breath, I though I would do like Jen and 
replay my decisions and comments on the course.
 
On first examination of the map I made some early decisions, either a 
counterclockwise or clockwise run was appropriate. I expected at lease one 
transmitter, if not more to be north and east of the main road with two or three in the 
middle and one south.
 
Good Start - On leaving the start area I got an immediate bearing on MOE to 
the south and decided to get it last and go north east. Ten seconds or so into 
MOE, MOI came on and caused an overlap.  As I did not need MOI I ignored the 
signal. When MOS came on in sequence, I got a good bearing to the northeast and 
decided to take the trail that looped around the north side of the main 
east-west road. This turned out to be a great decision, one, of only a few, Hi Hi, 
as I got a strong signal, a 5, on the Aussi unit on the second cycle. I 
followed the bearing into the woods on the left of the trail and spotted the 
transmitter just as the cycle ended. Total time to find MOS was 9:14. Running 
distance just over 1 KM.
 
Comment – The route to this transmitter was what I call, an in/out route. Try 
to avoid setting this type of transmitter. The choices were either to 
continue around the loop clockwise back to the road or back track along the same 
trail. As I did not want anyone to see me coming from MOS, I decided to take the 
latter course and continue around the loop. I measured the distances – 
backtracking to the main road then to the east end of the loop 1.4K, around the loop 
clockwise from MOS 1.7 to the road.
 
During this time MOH was giving a 210-220 degree bearing and MO5 was not 
transmitting. It took me four plus cycles to get back to the east end of the loop 
and the main road. Time on course approx 33 minutes.
 
Problems start – I had just decided to start south west toward MOH when MOE 
started to transmit. (Ken went out and reset it) It was stronger, slightly, 
than MOH and to the east but exactly on-top on MOH. I went east on the main road 
another cycle, next time it transmitted, I got a south to south west bearing. 
I had overrun the transmitter.  I headed south, through a fence. Next cycle it 
was to the west and slightly north, I think, but it was almost impossible to 
distinguish if I was DFing MOH or MO5 and signal strength was nearly 
identical.  To make a long story short I spend at least another five cycled trying to 
pick out MO5 from HOH. I finally located it approximately 100 meters south of 
the main road. I had made a circle around it. I ran into Jan at the 
transmitter. She was less than 50 meters in front of me. Total time now 65 to 70 minutes 
Ouch! Estimated total distance traveled, 4.8K. I figure I traveled an extra 
1.4K just trying to corral MO5.
 
Onward to MOH, I hope. -  Jan and I both headed northwest back to the main 
road with a plan to go west to a main north-south trail. I took off on a jog 
west and then headed south. I was going on my first bearings to MOH.  I 
concentrated on getting to the bottom of the trail were it intersected a second east 
trail. This decision was based on my original bearings and the fact that I could 
not hear MOH well enough under MO5 to get any good bearings. I wasted well 
over six cycles trying to get a good fix but finally said forget it in 
frustration. Total time on course is now about 105 minutes and nearly 8KM.
 
Analysis - My bearings to MOH from the northeast but me some 500 meters south 
and slightly west of MOH’s actual location. 
 
After the hunt it became apparent that I had run right past the transmitter 
while it was off cycle. After the fact – On examining the map, MOH and MO5 were 
just 500 meters apart  with MOE at a higher elevation making it stronger or 
equal to MOH’s signal most of the time. That explained a lot.
 
Let’s get MOE and go home – MOE and MOI were overlapping but not totally as 
MOH and MO5. I had 15 seconds in the clear each cycle to take bearings. My 
original bearing was correct. From my current location I got a clean bearing dead 
west. I took a southwest trail and got a north bearing on the next cycle. 
Rather than travel cross country through several ravines, I decided to continue 
west to the main north-south road and travel north until forced to go back east 
to the transmitter.  This strategy worked perfectly as I got a strong dead 
east bearing two cycles later. Cutting into the woods I located the transmitter 
on the edge of a ravine.  Total distance traveled 9.2K and 130 to 140 minutes.
 
Go home – west from MOE and north up the steep road to the finish. Total time 
2:37. . Total distance approximately 10K. 
 
I rolled one possible optimum course route using trails in place of straight 
line bearing and estimated that shortest course distance to be around 6.6K.
 
Lesson Learned – The Aussi units are difficult to use on two simultaneous 
signals of similar strength. 
  
Mixed results – good results for MOS and MOE, Lousy times for MOH/MO5. 
Surprised and happy my legs held out after doing 6K at the orienteering event on 
Saturday.