Bastrop State Park in Central Texas will be the site for this year's USA championship of on-foot hidden transmitter hunting. The Texas ARDF group and the Houston Orienteering Club are combining to host this year's events, to be held the second weekend of May.
Thursday, May 8 is scheduled for arrival and equipment testing as 2-meter and 80-meter transmitters will be on the air near the event headquarters. There will also be a get-acquainted meeting and drawing for the starting order. The 2-meter contest will take place Friday morning and the 80-meter event will be early Saturday morning. After everyone returns from the woods and the results are tallied, medals will be presented for first, second and third place in each category. There will be ample time for everyone to return home in time for Mother's Day activities.
As always, the USA ARDF Championships are open to anyone of any age who can safely navigate the woods. A ham radio license is not required, so encourage your unlicensed-but-athletic friends and family members to join in. Each person competes as an individual; there is no teaming or person-to-person assistance allowed on the courses.
Our annual ARDF championships are an ideal opportunity to watch and learn from the best radio-orienteers in the country, as well as visitors from around the world. Previous USA championships have drawn experts from Australia, China, the Czech Republic, England, Germany, Hungary, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.
Registration for the 2008 USA championships is now open. A $70-per-person package includes the practice session, both competitions, Friday dinner and a T-shirt. Check out the Texas ARDF Web site <http://www.texasardf.org> for detailed schedules, frequencies, lodging information and registration forms. An e-mail reflector is available for Q&A, as well as for coordinating transportation and arranging equipment loans.
If you have never participated in an international-style transmitter hunt, you will find all the basics at the "Homing In" Web site <http://www.homingin.com> including the rules and signal parameters. You will get equipment ideas for 2 meters and 80 meters. You can also determine your own age category. The pages of photos from our previous championships will help you decide what gear to carry (the lighter, the better) and what to wear.
Please pass this announcement on to local foxhunters and ham clubs. I hope to see you there.
Joe Moell K0OV
ARRL ARDF Coordinator