[ARDF] Region 1 Champs 144MHz results...

[Matthew Robbins]

1.  One photo shows a guy with a Leggio-looking TMB.  It appears to
have no fittings on the director, although it might have a little
plate with two screws.  His number is 705, and that is...Michael
Dunbar, GBR:

http://www.2005ardf.org/gallery/index.php?spgmGal=144
MHz&spgmPic=50&spgmFilters=#pic

I wonder how he made that?   I think he might have used some of those
"saddle clamps" that lets you attach the pipe to a rafter.

2.  They mounted the SportIdent box so you have to punch horizontally.
 I've never seen that at a big event.  I did hang a start box from a
string once, though---the string went through the punch hole.

http://www.2005ardf.org/gallery/index.php?spgmGal=144
MHz&spgmPic=16&spgmFilters=#pic

3.  Here are the orders for minimum distance, sorted by length.  I
added winning times to the table:

>>>>> Minimum of running routes >>>>>
M21  S-5-1-2-4-3-6-Fi    8100 m 59 minutes
M40  S-1-2-4-3-6-Fi      7800 m 59 minutes
W35  S-5-2-4-3-6-Fi      7780 m 79 minutes
W21  S-5-1-2-3-6-Fi      7770 m  67 minutes
M19  S-5-1-2-4-6-Fi      6710 m  48 minutes
W50  S-1-2-5-6-Fi        6580 m  78 minutes
W19  S-1-5-4-3-6-Fi      5850 m 77 minutes (same course as M50)
M50  S-1-5-4-3-6-Fi      5850 m 59 minutes (same course as W19)
M60  S-1-5-4-6-Fi        4470 m  45 minutes

The only one that really stands out to me (and remember I have little
experience in this area...) is W50 being 6.5km and M60 being 4.5km.  I
almost expected M19 to be longer than M40.  And W35 is the same length
as W21 and M40.   W19 seemed really short, until I saw the winning
time was 77 minutes---And M50, the same course, had a winning time of
58 minutes.  In fact, the *fastest* winning time of all the women was
W21 at 67 minutes.  I asked them to post a Day 1 map.  Let's see if
they do.  That might explain the distances better.

4.  Did you see that they had a 120-minute time limit?  I thought 150
was standard.  If you're used to 150 minutes, you get used to making
decisions based on that.  I wonder if these courses are shortened to
120/150 = 4/5 normal distance?  The winning times, at least for
M21/W21 seem like full courses.  Is there a "recommended" winning time
for each category?  I scanned the rules, and I didn't even see that
150 minutes was the "standard" time limit.  They do say that the time
limit must be on a special board at the start.  I guess I'm confused. 
(I know I'd have trouble finishing M21 at 8.1km.  I think I can do an
8.1km 2m course in 150 minutes on a good day.  I would have about zero
probability of getting them all and finishing in 120 minutes.)

5.  The finish corridor looks like it goes uphill.  I hate uphill
finishes on *so* many levels.  Mostly, I hate it when I'm too
exhausted to run up them.  The finish pictures aren't nearly as
impressive, except for the uber-fit people, who tend to be dramatic no
matter what.  I am embarrassed to admit this, but two of my criteria
for a "good" finish chute are actually trivial concerns:  I want it to
be *not* uphill, and I want it to be lit into the faces of the
competitors, so the photos are better.  In the end, I'll put the chute
where it needs to be, but if I can meet those two things, I'm much
happier.  By my two criteria, the Day 1 chute fails on both accounts,
although the photos are pretty decent.

I love the internet, and I am soooo envious of Bob.

Matthew
AA9YH
Cincinnati, Ohio
.