Following the recent development and successful introduction of multi transmitter direction finding contests in the Colchester and Chelmsford areas of Essex, an offer was made to the Mid-Thames RDF Club to stage an introductory demonstration and trial for their members using this new contest format. This offer was enthusiastically accepted and a date chosen to fit in with the busy schedule of National and local events. Unfortunately, the most suitable date available coincided with the week-end of H.M. the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations and as a result a number of members were unable to attend on Sunday the 3rd of June due to other commitments. However a total of seventeen people took part, including two travelling from Devon and two from the Midlands; as well as six already having experience in this type of event, from Essex and Kent, to add further support.

The car park at Whiteleaf Cross, Princes Risborough had been selected as the starting point for the contest, where a micro transmitter had earlier been hidden nearby to offer newcomers some practice in finding the type of items that they would encounter later in the afternoon.

Seven miles to the south-east, Penn Wood had been chosen as the location for the hidden transmitters. This large wood, under the care of the Woodland Trust is completely open to the public and very popular with walkers. A number of major footpaths pass through the wood and it is also criss-crossed with numerous smaller tracks.

For this event ten transmitters were hidden within the wood. The major station, Maxi “A” being hidden in undergrowth to the edge of a sylvan glade approximately at the centre of the wood and close to The Chase, the main pathway through the wood. About 150 metres away from the main transmitter one of the mini transmitters was hidden and less than 100 metres to the other side of the main station one of the very low power micro transmitters was secreted beneath a large beech tree. The intention of placing these three individual transmitters near to each other was to introduce the newcomers to the different types of devices that were to be found in the competition. To progressively increase the difficulty for competitors, three mini-micro pairs of transmitters had been hidden at increasing distances from the main station. At 300 metres to the south, a mini and a micro had been hidden on opposite sides of a wide floral path bordered by rhododendron bushes at The Penna. About 350 metres to the north-west, another mini-micro pair had been hidden amongst the fir trees and holly bushes on either side of Beamond End Pond. At the extreme eastern edge of the wood, close to Penn Street Church, and about 650 metres from the central point, a third pair of transmitters had been hidden. This pair was mainly intended to be challenging for the experienced competitors, but were also successfully found by many of the less experienced competitors as well. The fifth mini transmitter was hidden in fallen undergrowth to the side of Church Path about 300 metres east from the A station in the direction of the church.

On the day before the contest the four micro transmitters had been installed at their allotted location, during light rain, and the main station antenna also erected in the wet. As the forecast for the following day also promised poor weather and heavy showers it was decided to add additional antenna extension lengths to the micro transmitters to help to ensure that their signals would not be lost in the wet trees should it rain.

And rain it did!

On the morning of the contest the rain was still falling, but the other six transmitters were successfully installed, and the micro transmitters activated. Matters did not improve however, the rain becoming heavier and heavier during the day, until by the end of the afternoon it was falling in torrents.

With the arrival of the contest start time at 1.30, much relief was felt by the organiser as all the hidden stations commenced transmitting automatically on time as previously programmed. Soon after two o’clock the first competitor, Paul Clark, arrived at the A site, followed by others who then quickly departed in search of the other hidden stations. In recognition of the occasion, a Union Flag was raised on a nearby tree and towards the end of the competition festive bunting was tied onto the bushes close to the main station, to guide the bedraggled, but smiling, competitors to the finishing line at the end of the contest, to deposit their collected scoring tokens.

Competitors assisted in recovering the hidden transmitters at the end of the contest and then met at The Old Oak Public House in nearby Holmer Green. Now changed into dry and warmer clothing all enjoyed a very welcome roast meal and choice of hot sweets, while the scores were being checked and the results determined. In spite of the rain and water getting into the receivers of some to cause unreliable operation, most competitors were successful in locating a large number of the transmitters, with three finding all ten. One competitor, better known for his activities in 2 metre orienteering DF circles, managed to find eight of the stations after “rediscovering” his Top-Band DF receiver after 25 years!

Prizes were awarded, with the overall winner of the contest, Steve Stone, being presented with a bottle of wine. An additional prize of some cans of beer, being presented to Dick Brocks for achieving the highest score by any of the competitors new to this type of event. Rosie Merry was also presented with chocolates as the winner of the Ladies Prize, she being one of the three who had found all ten transmitters.

To mark the auspicious nature of the contest and of the royal celebrations at the week end, commemorative trophies were also presented. Accordingly, unique cups (well, actually mugs with Union Jack decoration), and Multi-TX Jubilee DF Contest Winner labels, were awarded to Steve and Dick, to applause from the assembled group.

The individual scores achieved and final overall results may be viewed on the BTBDFA web site. Additionally a selection of photographs taken during the event with maps showing the locations of the hidden transmitters, may also be seen.

Ian Butson