Training Log Archive: Vector

ARDF-O training! 2m, 5 transmitter training course at Green Township Veteran's Park in OH.

Very fun stuff. Very similar principles to hunting down ELT / distress beacons from all those Civil Air Patrol years. Tried an ARDF training event once back in 2013. Seemed to make more sense this time. Took me about 20-30 min's to really start feeling like I was catching on, then I started cruising. Definitely glad I came to the training & grateful for all the advice from all who imparted.

Its interesting because the task load is very heavy up front right out of the start chute, tons going on at the same time... getting oriented w/ the map, looking for how the terrain is laid out and how that may effects the signal, getting bearings on the signal, paying att'n to which of the 5 transmitters is currently emitting, and developing a plan of action to make a route to get them all. As you go it seems to get easier as you knock off each transmitter one-by-one leaving fewer to have to worry about. And then since you're so focused on bearings to signals, it can be easy to loose track of where you're at on the map. Very interesting taking orienteering and adding the additional layer of DF'ing on top of it.

Really looking forward to more ARDF soon!

CY17 control goal count = 797

Event: RMOC - Fox Run Regional Park
 

Rocky Mtn State Games (RMSG). Good nav, but hadn't run for about 2 weeks minus a short 20 min outing one day, so totally unprepared and felt it, but fun course and navigated well. Appreciated the clouds for the 1st half of the run. M30+ gold again, 2nd in RMSG. Troy a bit faster than me today, plus a couple folks from Denmark, one of whom I think was wearing a nat'l team jersey. I think if I had actually been keeping fit over the past couple weeks I could have shaved the needed 5 min's as I resorted to walking up several hills, so overall I'm happy w/ the results all things considered. Here's the play-by-play:

1- Up spur then hill, spike
2- Rain to trail junction then contoured around to spike
3- Direct to spike
4- Stayed in woods but kept visual of trail & road, using curve as AP then spike
5- Ran up the long reentrant to spike
6- I got a little messy in here and had to stop once I hit the middle trail because I went farther south than planned which confused me but got back on track
7- Over to open area, trail, drop-off as AP, spike
8- Used fence as handrail, contoured around the hill to spike
9- Down reentrant/hill then shallow spur to spike
10- Tried to stay same elevation across the hill, used trail a little
11- Getting tired now, feeling the pain of not working out for a couple weeks. Went right to it, just slow, spike
12- Green runner and I were in proximity for next few controls. I went a little too far north but had the right idea and spiked
13- Followed a bearing but control farther north than I thought it would be. Maybe didn't have good bearing discipline.
14- Long haul the hill but a spike
15- Straight over to road section going NE, was pretty much right on
16- A little sluggish but right on target again, spike
17- Straight to it, spike
18- Wound up farther north than planned, thought I was south of a hill but was actually north, a couple hills similar features, but once I saw the trail in front of me I took it SW to junction as AP and then spike
19- Down the reentrant high speed and sighted control from far out, spike
20- Around the south side of hill, past the building and fence on south side, corner as AP, spike
21- Contour to avoid climb, trail down to corner as AP, spike
F- Pretty good pace coming into finish all things considered.

CY17 control goal count = 778

Red - Splits

Hip strength