ARRL BOARD OF DIRECTORS
2002 ANNUAL MEETING
JANUARY 18-19 -- FORT WORTH, TEXAS

Document #38

Date: January 15, 2002
To: David Sumner K1ZZ, Executive Vice President
From: Joe Moell K0OV, ARDF Coordinator
Subject: Progress Report to ARRL Board of Directors

This report of the ARRL Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) Coordinator to the ARRL Board of Directors covers the period January 12, 2001 to January 15, 2002.

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

As defined by the Terms of Reference document of the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) Region 1 ARDF Working Group, "ARDF is a technical, sport activity within the framework of the amateur service. It deals with the taking of radio bearings and finding hidden transmitters, constructing relevant equipment, and the training of amateurs involved in and with the organizing of relevant sport and social events."

The purpose of the national ARDF Coordinator position is to promote the development of this sport within the country and to work with ARDF Coordinators of other IARU countries to organize ARDF events and activities.

It should be noted that the focus of a country's ARDF Coordinator's effort is on international-rules on-foot foxhunting (also called foxtailing, fox-teering, and radio-orienteering), a sport that is most commonly practiced in Europe and Asia. It is not on vehicular transmitter hunts, search/rescue or volunteer enforcement.

RECENT ACTIVITIES

Promotion and development of ARDF continues to accelerate in the USA. Regular ARDF practices and demonstrations are taking place near Los Angeles, Santa Barbara, Albuquerque, Atlanta, Raleigh, and Cincinnati. Occasional ARDF events occur elsewhere.

The First USA ARDF Championships, held in and near Albuquerque, New Mexico from July 31 to August 4, 2001, were very successful. Radio-orienteers from ten states plus Australia, China and Ukraine learned new ARDF techniques, practiced their skills and engaged in friendly competition under IARU rules. Most attendees were housed in dormitories of the University of New Mexico. Formal competitions were staged in Manzano Mountain State Park.

The Albuquerque Amateur Radio Club (AARC) did an excellent job of organizing the Championships. Special recognition is due to AARC President Mike Eaton K5MJE, Event Chair Jerry Boyd WB8WFK, and the other organizing committee leaders: Mike Pendley K5ATM, Brian Mileshosky N5ZGT, and Scott Stevenson KC5VVB. In attendance representing ARRL were Jim Haynie W5JBP, Joe Knight W5PDY and Art Goddard W6XD.

WB8WFK and N5ZGT have submitted a feature article on the Championships, scheduled for publication in QST for March 2002.

UPCOMING EVENTS

Your ARDF Coordinator has selected Georgia Orienteering Club (GAOC) to host the Second USA ARDF Championships, to take place April 19-21, 2002 at F. D. Roosevelt State Park near Pine Mountain, Georgia. The site is approximately 90 minutes southwest of Atlanta. Laurie Searle KG4FDM is the Meet Director. Sam Smith N4MAP will set the ARDF courses.

There will be a practice event on Friday afternoon, followed on Saturday by the main two-meter hunt and on Sunday by the 80-meter hunt. In addition to the hunts, there will be a cookout on Friday evening, a spaghetti dinner on Saturday night, and an award ceremony following the 80-meter hunt. GAOC is now accepting registrations. The USA ARDF Championships are open to anyone, at any skill level.

Preparations are under way for ARRL's participation in the 11th ARDF World Championships at Tatranske Matliare in Slovakia, September 2-7, 2002. The first call for potential participants went out on January 9, 2002. Eight persons have responded so far. A Letter of Intent to Participate from ARRL is due to the Slovakian organizers by the end of January and will be submitted by the undersigned.

It is hoped that Team USA for the 2002 World Championships will be even larger than the 12-person team that competed at the 2000 World Championships in Nanjing, China. Nations are allowed three persons maximum in each of five age categories for males and four age categories for females. If more than three persons apply for Team USA positions within a category, selection will be made on the basis of performance in previous competitions, including the First USA Championships in New Mexico and the Second USA Championships in Georgia.

As was done in 2000, the assistance of ARRL Headquarters in collecting and electronically submitting entry fees to the Slovakian organizers is requested for the 2002 World Championships. Entry fees are due in full to the organizers by July 15, 2002.

CONCLUSION

The encouragement of the ARRL Board of Directors for activities of ARDF Team USA, the North American ARDF Task Force and the ARRL ARDF Coordinator is greatly appreciated. Thanks also to ARRL Headquarters, especially QST and ARRL Web staff, for publicizing ARDF activities and events. Latest ARDF news and information can be found on my Web site, URL below.

Respectfully submitted,

Joe Moell K0OV
ARRL ARDF Coordinator
homingin@aol.com
http://www.homingin.com