[ARDF] maps

[Matthew Robbins]

On 6/12/07, pete sias <petesias at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Second, I notice the rules  state the use of
> horizontal omni directional antennas on 2 meters. For
> ease of setting this course up for the first time I am
> using 1/4 wave vertical antennas. Is there a down side
> to this? Attenuation is more with vertical in foliage?

I wouldn't worry about it at this point. Just use verticals for now.

My big recommendation would be to get as many people interested as you
can, and make-do with whatever equipment and maps you can put together
now.

If I couldn't get an orienteering-quality map, I'd just use a USGS.
There are several ways to get them from the internet. A lot of times
parks have a map of hiking trails.  Sometimes they're usable, and
sometimes they're not. It's even possible to print out aerial photos
sometimes. If your state or county has a GIS office, you can sometimes
look at that data online.  Otherwise you have to go to their office.
Quality varies, but these are sometimes really nice as a basemap.

This time of year is probably not the best time to go off-trail.
You're likely to find a lot of thick vegetation---but it depends on
your area.  Some old growth forests are beautifully open.  If you can
find an area with a complicated trail network, it might work better
this time of year.

Matthew
AA9YH
Cincinnati