2012 Gage-Tyler Cup Round 4

20 June 2012

Report from John

Another good turnout of eight teams assembled at Pinkneys Green with Ray Goodearl on the transmitter. A weakish signal was heard at the start but all teams managed to get a satisfactory bearing. I plotted 340 degrees which wasn't far from the true bearing. Most teams did the sensible thing and headed up the M40 towards Stokenchurch for the 8:00pm transmission but I opted to go to West Wycombe which turned out to be a bad move. The bearing of 310 degrees at 8:00pm crossed the start bearing near Bledlow and I wasted a lot of time gradually moving north up the map getting almost the same bearings and it was obvious that I had underestimated the distance to the transmitter. At 8:50pm I reached the Chinnor to Risborough road near Henton where most of my previous bearing crossed and got a bearing of 290 degrees and the signal was quite strong. The 9:00pm signal pointed towards a wood called Great Covert and I decided to walk from where I had parked on a bridleway, just to the north-west of Henton even though it was about 2km to the wood. Nearing the site I met most of the other competitors returning from the site. Fortunately, the transmitter wasn't as far as the wood and I managed to clock in with about 10 minutes to spare, and, as it turned out, was the last to clock in. Teams adjourned to the Red Lion in Chinnor to compare notes and sample the very good Rebellion beer. I even had difficulty in finding the pub!

Thanks to Ray for organising a good event.

John Mullins

Report from Ray (operator)

Eight competitors gathered at Maidenhead thicket for the start of the 4th Round of the Gage-Tyler Cup on Wednesday 20th June. All competitors heard a weak signal and plotted from about 330 to 350 degrees. The actual bearing to the TX was 333 degrees and the distance 22km. The aerial consisted of a single 140ft long wire thrown up into trees about 30ft high trailing into a hedge adjacent to a small copse, with an earth stake hastily constructed, thanks to Graham, out of 22mm copper tubing about 18inches long.

Second bearings were taken from around High Wycombe/ Stokenchurch, many competitors of the opinion that the TX was not that far from the start. Most readings confirmed that the site was the other side of the Chiltern ridge in the NE of the Oxfordshire Plain. The site chosen was on an area of the map devoid of any obvious features, due NE of Emmington village off the Chinnor/Thame Road. This led to much confusion by most competitors except for Mark Coventry who took a flyer on his cross from the first two transmissions and ran in from the hamlet of Emmington along a very water logged track. From the 8.15 transmissions. He then followed a hedgerow to a small copse, the operator heard the conversation between the team over 'beat down undergrowth being caused by cattle', (the adjacent field was arable, with a crop about 3ft high, Cattle!!!) 'Ignore that,and move on to a wood further down the footpath was the cry'. However his elert navigator started to look around and spotted a trail in an adjacent hedge.

Mark was first in at 8.27pm. Six further competitors came in between 8.50 and 9.15. and one competitor failed to finish. After the event competitors and operator retired to the Red Lion in Chinnor and downed a few pints of local Rebellion ale, having all enjoyed the evenings entertainment. 

Ray Goodearl

Competitor Time Adj. Time Time Diff. Score Bill North
Mark Coventry 20:27:23 20:27:23 00:00:00 -5 10
Bill Pechey 20:51:28 20:51:28 00:24:05 26 6
Roger Shepherd 20:54:44 20:54:44 00:27:21 30 4
Andy Collett 20:55:11 20:55:11 00:27:48 31 3
Steve Stone 21:00:10 21:00:10 00:32:47 37 2
Peter Lisle 21:03:44 21:03:44 00:36:21 42 1
John Mullins 21:18:07 21:18:07 00:50:44 57 0
Graham Phillips NF 21:38:07 01:10:44 78 0
Ray Goodearl op - - - 4