04/29/2022 The results are in for the 21st USA Championships in Amateur Radio
Direction Finding (ARDF). The 4 days of competitions were held from April 7 -
10 in Prince William Forest Park (PWFP) in northern Virginia. The competition
results will help determine the makeup of ARDF Team USA at the 20th ARDF World
Championships, set for September 2022 in Serbia.

Thirty participants competed in categories for men and women ranging in age
from 15 to 70+. All the competitive events were held within PWFP, on maps
provided by the Quantico Orienteering Club (QOC) of Quantico, Virginia. In an
innovative approach, the Backwoods Orienteering Klub (BOK) of Raleigh, North
Carolina, organized and sponsored the event across state lines, applying the
Raleigh group's ARDF knowledge and experience to a beautiful new venue.

After a day of practice, the races began on April 7, with the fast-paced sprint
event in which two sets of five transmitters operating on two different
80-meter frequencies transmit sequentially in 12-second bursts every minute.
"The course was hillier than typical for this event. Nevertheless, none of the
finishers exceeded the 60-minute time limit," noted Event Director Joseph
Huberman, K5JGH.

Other events included:

Foxoring -- This event followed the next day. Foxoring is a timed race in which
individual competitors use a topographic map and a magnetic compass to navigate
through diverse, wooded terrain while searching for radio transmitters (foxes).

2-Meter Classic -- This involves locating up to five transmitters on courses of
up to 12 kilometers in length. Course lengths and the number of foxes are
adjusted for different age and gender categories, so that men, women, youth,
and seniors, can traverse courses designed to be appropriate for their
capabilities.

80-Meter Classic -- This is conducted much like the 2-Meter Classic, but
without the reflections and multipath propagation that are often observed at
VHF frequencies.

US competitors in the six International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) categories
for men aged 19 - 70 and women aged 19 - 65, are under consideration for
membership in the US team for the 2022 ARDF Championships. Up to three
competitors in each age and gender category and competition format may be on a
national team.

For more information on amateur radio direction finding, visit the ARRL ARDF
website[1].

[1] https://www.arrl.org/amateur-radio-direction-finding

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