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.