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

[Dale Hunt, WB6BYU]

Matthew Robbins wrote:
>
> 4.  Did you see that they had a 120-minute time limit?  I thought 150
> was standard....


    There is no standard as such, though I think it should be at least
    120 minutes given the allowable range of course lengths.  This
    is one of the things about the course that the course setter is
    responsible for.  It can be changed as necessary to accomodate the
    weather if necessary, but only before the first competitor starts.

    Generally a good guideline is that he winning time (for M21) should
    be about 40% of the time limit (though this can be hard to gauge
    ahead of time.)  In this case it was 50%, which is still acceptable.

    And remember that, unlike our Region 2 Championships, those in other
    Regions are limited to the top 3 competitors in each category from
    each country.  Given that the general participation in the sport is
    higher in Europe, this means that those competing have a much higher
    skill level than our "everyone-is-welcome" events.  Still, whether the
    time limit is 2 hours or 3 hours, one simply takes that into account.
    (Clearly the shorter time changes the calculations, and WHO has to 
    skip one or more transmitters to make it, but so does the course and
    how fast you can run on it.)




> 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...
> 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.


     G4WIZ beat me to the Basingstoke ARC link for this. Suitable
     materials here would be the grey plastic conduit hangers (they 
     fit regular PVC pipe, but are normally sold with electrical conduit.)
     Also look at the fittings for hanging copper pipe - the sizes
     are different, but they will fit CPVC or PEX pipe.  I found
     two types: one goes all the way around the pipe (but is otherwise
     basically similar to the standard "U" shaped bracket) and
     one that is designed for a single nail going crosswise through
     the two ends to attach the pipe to the wall.  With the latter
     I was imagining passing a round element through the hole, or
     perhaps a threaded rod sticking out each end for the elements
     to screw onto.

     The PEX pipe is very light and more flexible - the boom will bend
     somewhat as the antenna is whipped around, but it won't shatter
     into sharp shards if you fall on it.

     The PVC pipe fittings, though, are faster to build and quite easy 
     to disassemble to put in my carry-on luggage.


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