Month: January 2024

 

ROCCy came down with a nasty cold after OpenAI updated their API a few months ago. But now he seems to be up and at ’em again and better than ever. 

His name is Radio Orienteering Cyber-Coach (ROCCy for short). The Cyber-Coach will answer any question related to Radio Orienteering. It might not always get the answer entirely right, but the coach usually gets it mostly right. Please let me know if you discover important topics the bot knows nothing about or is badly mistaken.

ROCCy also speaks many languages, so feel free to ask questions in Spanish, French, German, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, Portuguese, or any other language you speak, even English.

ROCCy sticks to the topic it knows best: radio-O. So if you ask it, “What is a fox?” you’ll get a radio-O answer that has nothing to do with furry-tailed critters. It has built-in knowledge about obscure subtopics, so you might be surprised when you receive detailed answers to questions about past competitions, radio gear, propagation, and other subjects.

You’ll find ROCCy in the lower right corner of this website. Just click on theicon.

Even though our radio-O classes are offered through our local orienteering club, many of our beginner students are not good orienteers. For some, it is their first orienteering experience of any kind. Thus, foxoring is not a good format for them to start with: they’d need to learn how to orienteer while learning to use the radio.

Instead of foxoring, we start beginners on a small classic course. We offer a series of two or three classes. The first two classes have the students go out as a small group, and an instructor walks the course with them and is always there to instruct or answer questions.

Class #1 uses constantly transmitting foxes on a ~1.6 km long, simple course with no maps and no compasses. This first class is all about learning to use the receiver and interpret what the signal is telling them. That is plenty of challenge for most first-timers. 

Class #2 uses a tiny (4-5 km long) classic course in which students learn to use a compass to continue navigating toward foxes while they are off the air. A reverse rose compass is always attached to their receivers! Students might also carry a map to help them realize how few hands they have and how important a map holder is – and they can practice some basic orienteering. 

Class #3 has a small (4-7 km) classic course, and students might be assigned just three foxes to find. They are still learning to handle cycling foxes, and three foxes are usually challenging enough. This class focuses on learning to use their receiver, map, and compass to draw a single accurate bearing toward each fox. Adults comfortable doing so can go alone on the course.

Those who continue beyond Class #3 learn more advanced skills like taking crossing bearings, determining optimum order, and other skills. We no longer consider them beginners after Class #3, and they (those who are not minors) are encouraged to go out alone on regulation courses.

An alternative approach would be to restrict radio-O to only those who have attained a certain level of orienteering experience. I don’t favor that approach because it discourages newbies by introducing a hurdle they must clear before trying radio-O. Since radio navigation can be safely accomplished without a map or compass (if the terrain is not hazardous and there’s a reliable homing beacon), orienteering newbies should be encouraged to give it a try. They and expert orienteers will be equally challenged in Class #1.

If one has a class full of good orienteers, then teaching Class #1 in the same manner (receiver only; no map and no compass) still makes sense. Orienteers generally don’t seem more radio-savvy than the average beginner, so they should start by concentrating on the radio. Then, Class #2 might feature a small (or even a regulation) classic or foxoring course. If the students are fit enough and have the time, the first two classes could be held on the same day – though I don’t think that is ideal. After Class #1, a student has a pretty good idea of what radio orienteering is all about and has an inkling of whether the sport is for them – so most of the attrition occurs after Class #1. It is better to dedicate one day to Class #1 so those who don’t wish to continue beyond it can opt out of additional training without inconvenience or pressure.

Radio Orienteering is interesting to many people. We’ve found that getting people to give it a shot isn’t difficult. We’ve had as many as 20 individuals show up for a single Saturday beginner session. What is more difficult is getting people to come back. Nadia, KO4ADV, seems to have hit on a winning formula for getting folks to return.

Getting people to come back requires at least the following elements:

1. Training – most folks have never laid hands on a radio-orienteering receiver. Start with the very basics: this is how you hold the receiver, this is how to adjust the volume, this is how to turn it on, etc. Walk with them while they navigate to each transmitter until it is clear that they understand how to use the receiver effectively. (For most folks, getting the knack will require two or three found foxes.)

2. Focus – focus on using the receiver. Don’t even provide maps or compasses for the first lesson. Use constantly-running transmitters each on its own dedicated frequency. Beginners might be ready to advance to cycling transmitters by their second lesson, but they should not go out alone. Instead, on a short course, show them how to obtain a bearing direction while a fox is transmitting and then follow in that direction using a compass while the fox is off the air. Maps can be introduced in the second lesson, but drawing bearings and deciding on a proper order for finding foxes should wait for a later lesson. Going solo on a small classic course should not happen until at least two lessons have been completed and the student has confidence in always being able to navigate to the finish beacon.

3. Equipment – have enough equipment for everyone to have their own receiver. We use R3500D Chinese receivers (the latest design and factory-built) for first-timers and have found them to work well enough for that purpose, and they are cheap enough to buy in bulk.

4. Opportunity – let everyone know when their next practice opportunity will be. Ideally, it will be no more than one week after their final beginner lesson. Give them a near-term opportunity before they forget what they’ve learned. Provide monthly practices (or more frequently) throughout the year.

We’ve been following Nadia’s formula for the past year. Note that BOK has sent ten participants to the 2023 USA Championships (one-third of all registrants!), and eleven competitors to the 2023 World Championships (over half the US team!) Radio orienteering has been on the rise in North Carolina. That’s undeniable. But it didn’t happen with 2-times-a-year practices.