Santa Barbara Club to Host USA ARDF Championships:

The Santa Barbara Amateur Radio Club will host the 2004 USA Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) Championships, ARRL ARDF Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV, announced this week. Moell said the fourth annual USA ARDF event will be held next June in California.

"Radio-orienteers from all over the country plus visitors from abroad are expected to attend," Moell said. "The competitive courses are open to anyone of any age from any country, with or without an Amateur Radio license."

Medals will be awarded in five age categories for male competitors and four for female competitors, in accordance with International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) rules. The competition, which will include both 80-meter and 2-meter events, gets under way June 16.

After a day for practice and alignment sessions and opening ceremonies the full-length 2-meter competition will take place June 18. The 80-meter competition will take place the next day, followed by closing ceremonies.

Moell says the USA Championships will occur just in time for final selection of ARDF Team USA 2004 members. Those chosen for Team USA will travel to the Czech Republic for the 12th ARDF World Championships, September 7-12. "Team positions will be filled based on performances in the 2004 events in California and the 2003 events in Ohio," he explained.

One of North America's ARDF pioneers, Marvin Johnston, KE6HTS, will serve as general chair for the 2004 USA Championships. Johnston was a member of USA's first team to the 1998 ARDF World Championships held in Hungary and he won medals at the last two USA ARDF Championships.

The hosting SBARC also "has an abundance of ARDF talent," Moell said. That includes club president Jay Hennigan, WB6RDV, who took gold in his age category on both 80 and 2 meters in this year's USA Championships in Cincinnati. Other SBARC medal winners include Scott Moore, KF6IKO, who won bronze on 80 and 2 meters in Cincinnati. SBARC will collaborate with the Los Angeles Orienteering Club (LAOC) to prepare maps and set up the start/finish areas for the competition.

An official Web site for the 2004 Championships is under construction. It will contain complete rules and technical details, including competition frequencies, plus registration and lodging information. Information about transmitter hunting and US ARDF activities is available on Moell's Homing In Web site http://www.homingin.com/.

Source:

The ARRL Letter Vol. 22, No. 47 November 28, 2003

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