ARRLWeb: Georgia to Host 2002 USA ARDF/Radio-Orienteering Championships

ARRL ARDF Coordinator Moell says the sport goes by many names--including foxhunting, foxtailing, radio-orienteering and ARDF. "No matter what you call it, the competition combines physical skill and radio expertise," he said. Fox hunter Brian Peddicord, KF6DZN, shown here at the 1999 IARU ARDF Championships, likely would agree.

NEWINGTON, CT, Oct 30, 2001--ARRL Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) Coordinator Joe Moell, K0OV, has announced that the Georgia Orienteering Club will host the second USA ARDF/Radio-Orienteering Championships. The event will take place April 19-21, 2002, at F. D. Roosevelt State Park near Pine Mountain, about 90 minutes southwest of Atlanta. GAOC's Laurie Searle, KG4FDM, will serve as the meet director.

The USA ARDF/Radio-Orienteering Championships are open to all, from beginners to experts from the US and elsewhere, and no Amateur Radio license is needed to compete. The 2002 competition will feature a practice session on Friday, followed by the 2-meter ARDF event on Saturday and the 80-meter hunt and an awards ceremony on Sunday.

The registration fee includes all events and activities during the weekend. Participants will compete in age/gender categories with awards given for first, second and third-place finishes in each. Awards will be presented in two divisions, Overall and USA-Only.

Registration is now open. Details, including rules and registration forms, are on the Georgia Orienteering Web site. Click on the "Radio-O Champs" link (under Special Events). The GAOC site information on lodging options, which include cabins in the park and campgrounds with RV hookups, plus local motels and bed-and-breakfast inns.

The next ARDF World Championships in fall 2002 will be held in Slovakia, and positions on Team USA for that event will be determined by individual performances at Pine Mountain and at the USA Championships in Albuquerque that were held this past August (see "The 2001 USA ARDF Championships are a Winner!").

For additional information on Amateur Radio direction finding, visit Joe Moell's Homing In Web site.--Joe Moell, K0OV

Competitors have precious little time to get accurate bearings on up to five transmitters and to decide a strategy for locating them efficiently. Displaying their DFing skills during the 2001 USA ARDF Championships 80-meter competition are Wei Deying of China and Dave Jacobs, K9KBX. [Art Goddard, W6XD, Photo]

Jim Haynie, W5JBP, Serhiy Zarubin, and Csaba Tiszttarto

After crossing the finish line in Albuquerque, ARDF competitors catch their breath, then discuss their luck and critique their performances. ARRL President Jim Haynie, W5JBP (left), gets the post-finish scoop from Serhiy Zarubin, Ukraine, and Csaba Tiszttarto, USA. [Art Goddard, W6XD, Photo]