Yesterday I did my first Radio-O event. Amongst those taking part, the only other orienteers were WIM members Helen Bolton & Joan Crompton. Organised by the Blackmore Vale Amateur Radio Society (BVARS), this was the first Radio-O (more properly an amateur radio direction-finding hunt) event ever held in Dorset. The event used the WIM map of the Bryanston estate and we also loaned them a set of flags and punches. Apparently although this type of activity has only reached the UK in the last couple of years, it is quite popular in Eastern Europe and also in mainland China.
Five small radio beacons are hidden out in the woods. Each of these beacons in turn emits its own particular call sign for a minute, before remaining silent for four minutes whilst in turn each of the other stations emits its signal. Competitors use a specially designed radio-receiver (either self-built or commercially produced. We used cheap and cheerful Chinese-made radios hired to us by BVARS, which incorporate a couple of aerials together with an earpiece.
As the radio picks up the signal from each radio beacon (known as foxes), rotating the radio causes the signal volume to rise and fall, giving some indication of the direction of the beacons. The signal volume also increases as you get closer to the control.
In theory you stand at a point in the forest, mark a line on your map towards the direction from this point to each beacon, then move a few hundred metres to another known point and mark the direction of the beacons again. The intersection of the lines should show the approximate position of the beacon. You then navigate to each point in turn. With care, and by moving from one place to another, you should then be able to locate each ‘fox’, and punch your control card (or even dib) before moving on to the next control.
Usually there is a time limit, perhaps 120 minutes, and different age classes are expected to find a varying number of controls in that time. For example, as an M60 I would be expected to find three controls, with the quickest to get the requisite number of controls and return to the finish being the winner. However as this was an introduction to the sport, there was no timing, other than a request that everyone was back to base by 3.00pm having started at 1.00pm.
Helen & Joan managed to get all 5 controls within the two hours. As I was unable to start until just before 2.00, I was quite happy to find the three control appropriate for my age in just over the hour at which point the rain set in and I came back to base.
An interesting experience then, and whilst I wouldn’t want to be doing this type of orienteering every week, its certainly something I might try again occasionally in the future. I think that BVARS will probably ask to use suitable local events for further DF hunts, but probably no more than once or twice a year.
