Radio Orienteering at Schenck Forest
We will have a two-band small Classic Radio Orienteering event at Schenck Forest on Saturday, April 1 – no foolin’ You may start between 10 AM, and 1:30 PM. Courses close at 3 PM sharp.
(This is a new procedure, so let us know if you have problems with it.)
To accommodate more people who need to rent receivers a receiver rental will be for either in the morning 10AM – 1230PM OR in the afternoon from 12:30PM until 3PM. (We will be flexible with this timing depending on the availability of receivers.)
- For example, you can rent an 80m receiver in the morning and a 2m receiver in the afternoon if you want to rest between courses or you could rent both for the morning and do the two courses back to back finishing by 12:30 so someone else can use the receivers in the afternoon.
In any case, be sure to bring wired headphones
Both 80m and 2m courses will be set out. These should serve as good practice for those planning to compete at the 2023 USA Radio Orienteering Championships in Texas later in the month.
The time limit will be 90 minutes for each course. Neither 5-fox course is longer than 3.5 km (effective length), and an even shorter 3-fox option is available. The exclusion zone around the start/finish is only 200 meters, but each fox will be separated from the others on its band by the regulation 400-meter minimum to make this a good practice for the championships. We will be using the actual transmitters and antennas that will be used in Texas. So this dual-band event can double as a dual-band equipment check.
There will be a first-time beginner’s class that starts at noon. There is no charge for the beginner’s class, and no need to rent a receiver – a beginner receiver will be provided free of charge. Also, no map or finger stick will be needed for the beginner class – we will just concentrate on learning to use the receiver. But please register for the beginner’s class if you plan to come – we need to know how many to expect. Beginners who plan to do the 80m course after the class may elect to use the beginner receiver rather than rent an 80m receiver: the course is small enough that the beginner receivers should have no problem hearing all the course transmitters. But you will need to register for the 80m course in order to try it. It is not recommended for first-timers to attempt the 2m course until they have a few 80m courses under their belts.
Everyone must check in at the shelter upon arrival. The same map will be used for both courses, so hold onto it if you plan to run on both bands. There is no additional charge (except for receiver rental) for running both courses – and you are encouraged to do so. Remember to rent receivers for both bands if you need them. To ensure that there are enough receivers to go around, please return your receiver as soon as you are finished with the course.