In conjunction with the MelBush-O orienteering event at Darebin Parklands, a 2m classic ARDF event was held, in the rain on Sunday 16th March 2025
Despite the awful weather, 12 ended up taking part.
Peter M arrived too late to do an O course, but I allowed him to start the ARDF, but with the usual proviso we’d start picking up transmitters whether he was back or not.
Paul VK5FAB from SA also took part in his first pedestrian ARDF hunt. He had some difficulty recalibrating to the 1 minute ON cycles, more used to the 30s ON time of the Mt Gambier car-based ARDF style hunt. However, at least it’s easier to work out which TX is which with the proper MOE, MOI etc ID.
It was a compact area with a 1:3500 scale A4 map, so all transmitters could be easily heard over the whole course, but the complexity of the creek and steep river banks make it quite a challenge, and increased the course length suitably. The two creek crossings went underwater during the event, making it extra challenging for the later starters.
At such a public park, transmitter placement is a compromise between not being particularly visible to random walkers (even on such a wet day there were still many out), yet visible enough to be punched whilst not transmitting.
Thanks to those who were able to pick up transmitters afterwards, Ewen, Darian, and especially Alistair who grabbed the two on the other side of Merri Creek (driving all the way around rather than risking the now underwater creek crossings. Everything was packed up by 1:30.
It was a blustery but warm day for the Karkarook Park Orienteerng and Sprint ARDF event on Saturday afternoon on 29th August.
Not only was the AR club running the Saturday afternoon Cake-O event, set and organised by Suzanne O’Callaghan, but the numbers were also boosted by AR members having a go at a 2m 5 transmitter Sprint-format ARDF event.
The new Map
Some orienteers were attracted by the new colour park map by AR member Geoff Hudson. This map had as the centrepiece the original 2005 Karkarook Park map by Adam Scammell, but now significantly updated from field checks by Bruce and Geoff. This was then extended by a colour street map of the area north of the bypass road, and extended south into industrial/retail estate. This region had previously been mapped by Steven Dunbar as a B&W street-O map for BK, but the detail was insufficient for park orienteering, so the decision was made instead to make a new colour map of the whole area.
Park O
There is a push to move Saturday Cake-O’s from just another street-O to a bit more park based orienteering, and the new map and the cunning course from Suzanne did not disappoint. She had to avoid much of the newly mapped intricate minor tracks around the lake itself, as this was mid-winter and things had a chance of getting sticky, but expect to see a summer event taking advantage of these in the future.
There was strange indirect hearsay of some discontent from some about actually having to navigate, but this was rumored to be from persons who really should know better anyway (bush-O people), and were really just caught out being lazy.
Notable placings are Lauris Stirling and Ros King in Power Walking, and yours truly & Phil Torode in Run45 (noting that Phil was riding a bike).
Control 9 was one of those controls where concentration was required, unlike depicted here
Sprint ARDF
Five 2m transmitters running 12s each, so the whole cycle takes 1 minute to repeat. The time limit was set to 90minutes, but a soft landing of 5 points/min late was applied instead of the normal ARDF sudden death overtime rule. Each TX was assigned 20 points, but due to a strange MapRun bug, the start and finish both counted as 20 points too.
Transmitter locations
This map segment shows the 5 transmitter locations, but this is hidden from ARDF competitors both on the map and on MapRun when competing.
Some complained that the distance required for this Sprint event were more akin to a full classic ARDF, and though it is true the obstacles did make it longer than a typical Sprint, there were only half the number of transmitters than in a full double-stage Sprint ARDF. Also, here’s what the normal classic ARDF exclusion circles of 500m and 750m look like on this map:
Totally fails classic ARDF exclusion zones
11 ARDF competitors gave it a go on the day of the Cake-O, and Darian completed the event (total 12) only yesterday (Monday 7th). His time has been adjusted to exactly remove the time he spent actually retrieving each of the transmitters (thanks Darian!) as he went. Peter C enjoyed it so much the first time, he revisited Karkarook during the week to try to track down the transmitters he didn’t find the first time around. In that he was 50% successful.
Apologies to Dougie who replied just a tad late.
Here are the results. You can also see the routes taken.
Congrats to the placers: Bryan, Darian and Monica/Rod, just edging out Ewen from the placings, but who also located all 5 TX in time. Bryan also had the extra self-inflicted handicap of not using MapRun, and the transmitters were pretty well hidden from public view.
Here are the 4 routes of those who found all the TXs:
Next Event
Peter Cole is setting the next AR street-O this Wednesday on Academy Hill.
Darian has plans for a Large Sprint format ARDF (or small classic ARDF) possibly using 30s TX timing as a compromise (2.5 minutes per cycle). Those traveling overseas soon should let Darian know when you’ll be back.
We wish Jack (as an official), Peter, Ewen & Jenelle the best of luck in Czech Republic at the World ARDF championships, 2023.
