Ken Harker WM5R
2007 IARU Region II ARDF Championships


Jen and I competed in the Fourth IARU Region II ARDF Championships held September 14-16, 2007, in South Lake Tahoe, California, USA. The competition was held in the Tahoe Basin National Forest, on the north side of Fallen Leaf Lake. The meet headquarters was Camp Concord, a summer camp a few miles west of South Lake Tahoe. The competition used the same orienteering map as the 2003 USOF Championships. Jen came home with the gold medal in both the two meter and the eighty meter W21 categories, and I took home the bronze medal in both the two meter and eighty meter M21 categories.

Practice Day | 144 MHz Competition | 144 MHz Awards | 3.5 MHz Competition | 3.5 MHz Awards

These photos are copyright © 2007 Kenneth E. Harker. All rights reserved.


Practice Day

The meet headquarters was Camp Concord, a summer camp owned by the city of Concord, California. Concord is over 150 miles away, in the greater San Francisco Bay area.
The group activities all took place in the camp's Dining Hall. A small meeting room in the dining hall was being used by a ladie's scrapbook club during the weekend as well, but our activities rarely crossed paths.
The dining hall was equipped with a disco ball. We never got around to using it.
This was the two meter rig of Paul Gruettner WB9ODQ. It's a tape measure yagi, a two meter handheld radio, and an active attenuator. Paul found surplus plastic tubing and end caps that he adapted to allow him to roll up the antenna elements for transport.
Ken Harker WM5R during the practice day, September 14. On the practice day, the event hosts set out two transmitters on each band within a short walk of the camp. Competitors can check out their equipment and get a quick practice at taking bearings and calibrating S-meter readings.
The chipmunks in camp were very comfortable around humans.
Emily DeYoung K4MLE and Brian DeYoung K4BRI.
Richard Thompson WA6NOL. Richard is a past member of Team USA. He did not compete this year, but came to support his son, Jay Thompson W6JAY.
Joe Moell K0OV and Dale Hunt WB6BYU. Joe is the American Radio Relay League ARDF Coordinator and Dale is the International Amateur Radio Union Region II ARDF Coordinator.
Four regulars at the USA/IARU Region II Championships: Csaba Tiszttarto, Harley Leach KI7XF, George Neal KF6YKN, and Vadim Afonkin. George and Csaba came from New York, Vadim came from Massachusetts, and Harley came from Montana.
Paul Gruettner WB9ODQ, Nadia Scharlau, and Charles Scharlau NZ0I. Paul came from Wisconsin, and the Scharlaus came from North Carolina.
Brian DeYoung K4BRI, Brian Ackerley VK3YNG, and Dick Arnett WB4SUV. Brian and Dick came from the Cincinnati, OH area. Brian travelled to the event from his home in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Matthew Robbins AA9YH and Jay Thompson W6JAY. Matthew came from Ohio and Jay came from southern California. Matthew is wearing a Team USA jacket.
Vadim Afonkin travelled further than any other IARU Region II competitor to attend the championships. Here, he is sitting with Ardy Fox, the Team USA mascot, and his friends. area.
Nadia Scharlau, Brigitte Roethe, and Nick Roethe DF1FO. This was the second year in a row that Nick and Brigitte had traveled to the United States to compete in the ARDF championships and then enjoy sightseeing in the American west.
Bryan Ackerley VK3YNG examines Nick Roethe DF1FO's homebrew 144 MHz receiver and antenna. Like Nick, Bryan builds his own ARDF equipment.
Jay Hennigan WB6DRV built this log periodic antenna for 144 MHz. The blue receiver is a VK3YNG Sniffer Mark IV.
A modified Ron Graham RX1 receiver for 144 MHz on a three element yagi. The modification adds a digital VFO to the design.
A homebrew three element yagi using a gamma match. The receiver is the VK3YNG Sniffer Mk IV.
A classic WB2HOL design three element tape measure yagi with RG-58/U feedline.
A homebrew three element yagi with a VK3YNG Sniffer Mk IV. The receiver is mounted on a unique bracket underneath the boom that tilts the receiver upwards.

144 MHz Competition

Competitors gathering in the dining hall before setting off as a group down some hiking trails to the start area.
The start areas was on a trail near the northern end of Fallen Leaf Lake, a reservoir south of Lake Tahoe.
Fallen Leaf Lake was created by a small dam that we had to walk across to get to the start area. This is the creek below the dam.
A glimpse of Fallen Leaf Lake through the trees.
Group photo of all the competitors at the two meter start area.
At the start area, Charles Scharlau NZ0I applies duct tape the feet of Nadia Scharlau.
Bryan Ackerley VK3YNG and Dick Arnett WB4SUV waiting for their start times by the impound area.
The impound area was a tarp where we all deposited our receivers before the transmitters were turned on. This is a Ukrainian receiver.
The two receivers of Nick Roethe DF1FO and Brigitte Roethe. Notice that in one of the antennas the receiver is located between the driven element and the reflector, whereas in the other one it is mounted between the driven element and the director.
Marvin Johnston KE6HTS, Karla Leach KC7BLA, Brian DeYoung K4BRI, Emily DeYoung K4MLE, and Monique Beringer.
Some more two meter gear at the impound area. Almost everyone uses three element yagis as the basic antenna design.
Both of these integrated radio/antenna units originate from eastern Europe, and were probably purchased by members of Team USA at one of the previous World Championships.
Because of transmitter and rechargable battery problems in the field, there was an unexpected two hour delay at the start. Mostly, people tried to find places to sit in the sun to keep warm.

144 MHz Dinner and Awards Ceremony

Marvin Johnston KE6HTS, working hard on getting the final results for 144 MHz finished.
Neil Robbin WA7NBF and Dale Hunt WB6BYU talk with Vadim Afonkin stokes the fire.
Marvin Johnston KE6HTS leads the presentation of awards.
Jen Harker W5JEN receives her gold medal from Ron Murdock W6KJ, the ARRL Sacramento Valley Section Manager.

3.5 MHz Competition

On Sunday morning, September 16, everyone gathered again in the Dining Hall to get ready for the 3.5 MHz competition. This is a Ukrainian receiver. Notice the compass mounted on the bottom. The receiver is designed to be held with the whip antenna pointed straight up.
Dale Hunt WB6BYU prefers ear bud style headphones. The sweat band holds them in place while running.
Scott Moore KF6IKO came from Santa Barbara, California. Like the rest of us, he's waiting for the group to head out to the start area.
George Neal KF6YKN explains to Matthew Robbins AA9YH how he has attached a compass to his map board.
The start area for the 3.5 MHz competition day was on a trail near a small pond. Emily DeYoung K4MLE is enjoying the warm sunshine while waiting for her start time.
Karla Leach KC7BLA ran both competition days in the D50 category.
Bill Wright, who does a lot of orienteering with the Bay Area Orienteering Club, gets ready for his run in M40.
Charles Scharlau NZ0I has a unique way of keep his map board at hand at all times. He wears a wristband that snaps onto the center of the back side of the board. The board can spin freely while remaining snapped to his wrist.
Down the trail, you can see the blue tarp of the impound area off to the right.

3.5 MHz Awards Ceremony

Ken Harker WM5R with his third place Region II medal for 3.5 MHz in the M21 category.
Jen Harker W5JEN won first place in the D21 category.

Last Updated 26 June 2020
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