[ARDF] Open Letter & Petition: Region 2 Rules Request

[Robert Frey]

Well this is nothing new. I tried getting feedback and input for region II
rules months ago. Even did a lot of editing for our event.  I think it will
be a long term topic after this years competition.

Bob, WA6EZV

On Wed, Jun 28, 2017 at 11:01 PM, Dale Hunt <wb6byu at arrl.net> wrote:

> Hi Charles,
>
> I'd suggest a good place to start would be a discussion of what
> characteristics of ARDF and associated skills make it unique and
> interesting to all of us as a sport.  This can then provide a shared basis
> for discussing what components of the rules are important to maintain the
> desired aspects of the sport, and which ones we can make more flexible.
> Such a public discussion - both via electronic means and in person (such as
> at the upcoming Championship in Ohio) will help the members of the Region 2
> ARDF Working Group get a sense of how the ARDF community feels about the
> matter, and craft rules accordingly.
>
> Looking forward to seeing many of you shortly at the vents in August!
>
>           - Dale   WB6BYU
>                         ARDF Coordinator, IARU Region 2
>
>
>
> > On Jun 9, 2017, at 8:18 PM, Charles Scharlau <charles.scharlau at gmail.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > Dear IARU Region 2 ARDF Working Group:
> >
> > Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the 9th IARU ARDF World
> Championships in Hungary, held in 1998 when the first six USA participants
> competed at a World Championships. Since then the sport has taken hold in
> Region 2, with nearly 30 participants from this continent competing at the
> 2016 USA ARDF Championships in Killeen, Texas.
> >
> > The growth of the sport in Region 2 is apparent, albeit modest, and the
> experience and knowledge of our ARDF community and Region 2 ARDF Working
> Group members has matured. After more than two decades of ARDF in this
> hemisphere, Region 2 now has the expertise and experience to establish and
> manage its own permanent rules document.
> >
> > While Region 2 rules governing how the sport is administered and
> conducted should not be allowed to stray far from those of our Region 1
> brethren, specific changes could increase the sport's appeal to include a
> wider segment of our population. In particular, strategic rules changes
> might help ARDF to expand more readily among the youth, orienteering, and
> the maker movement communities.
> >
> > The need for permanent rules is well illustrated by a particular
> adaptation that is sorely needed, and long overdue: the use of personal
> smart electronic devices (smartphones and tablets) in ARDF competitions.
> >
> > In an acknowledgement of the need to adapt ARDF to the realities of
> advancing technology, Region 1 rules have evolved to allow broad use of GPS
> devices in ARDF competitions. That was a profound departure from the
> traditional map-compass-receiver sport it had been since its origin. But
> the sport has always been a combination of skills and technology, and
> failure to adapt would render the sport an anachronism. Region 1 leadership
> is clearly cognizant of that risk.
> >
> > As Region 1 has chosen to advance the sport with the use of GPS devices,
> the time has come to include smartphones, and similar portable electronic
> devices capable of running customized applications. Such "apps" running on
> personal electronic devices can be designed to preclude the use of banned
> functionality, such as maps and radio communications. Apps can also record
> if they are closed, placed in the background, or otherwise circumvented.
> Thus, if an app logs all such events to a file, that log file can be
> submitted as proof that no banned activity occurred on that device. In that
> respect, smart devices can be made less prone to undetected abuse than the
> GPS devices that Region 1 already permits. But, unlike GPS devices,
> smartphones would also provide ready access to emergency communications at
> many venues where cellular connectivity is available.
> >
> > Permanent Region 2 rules are essential in order to provide an incentive
> for experimenters and innovators in this Region to invest the time and
> effort required to develop apps for ARDF. Without a permanent set of rules,
> there is no ongoing assurance that the use of their creations will be
> permitted at sanctioned ARDF competitions. That is a powerful disincentive
> for innovation, and discourages those with such interests from getting
> involved in our sport.
> >
> > If Region 1 wishes to adapt their rules in tandem with Region 2, that
> would be ideal. But the time has come for Region 2 to take the initiative
> for advancing ARDF in the Americas. Innovating with our own rule set, and
> proving the benefits of our rules changes to our Region, will help make the
> case for Region 1 to incorporate them as well.
> >
> > Therefore, I call upon the IARU Region 2 ARDF Working Group to establish
> permanent IARU Region 2 ARDF rules before the close of this year; For those
> rules to include provisions for the appropriate use of apps on smartphones;
> And that all Region 2 ARDF Championship competitions in 2018 and onward be
> conducted in accordance with Region 2 rules.
> >
> > Signed,
> > Charles E. Scharlau, NZ0I
> >
> > Please spread the word, and sign the petition:
> > https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/permanent-ardf-rules-for-region-2
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