Radio Society of Great Britain
Mytchett - Sat 12 December 2009

Summary
The event is being run on a Saturday and incorporated into an Orienteering event promoted by the Southern Navigators Orienteering Club as part of their Junior League series of events. Short, long and novice courses will be available using the 144 MHz band

Location and Directions

Mytchett - an area of woodland with some interesting contour detail, situated near Aldershot and junction 4 of the M3.
The car park will be at the Basingstoke Canal Centre SU893552.
Click here for a map of the area.

Map and Terrain
The map is 1:10,000 surveyed by Dave Peel in early 2008 for the British Night Championships 2009. Maps will be printed on waterproof paper but not bagged. Size will be A4+. The area is predominantly forested, criss-crossed by a multitude of paths from forestry work, military exercise and more recently, active mountain bike groups. There is one steep slope running roughly north south rising 30m in 90m, to the west of this slope the ground falls away into gentle wooded re-entrants, to the east lie smaller hills and slopes with deep military trenches. Most of the forest is fast and runnable typically offering orienteering speeds of 4.5min/k in the day.

Mytchett actually lies within the Ash Pirbright Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and in accordance to Section 28I of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 (as amended by the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000). Southern Navigators have taken all reasonable steps consistent with the proper exercise of orienteering on the land, to further the conservation and enhancement of the SSSI. We are very grateful for the direction and understanding shown by both Natural England and Defence Estates in allowing the competition to be held on the land.

Natural England considers that provided the conditions listed below are complied with there will be no significant harm to the designated features of the area.

The proposed race /event routes are designed to avoid all wet habitats which are marked on the map accompanying this permission and any wet areas already noted on the map supplied by Southern Navigators.
Dogs must only be allowed in car parks and kept on leads.

To adhere to these requirements several areas on the map are marked OOB please do avoid, courses have been planned to minimise the risk of entry.

Format of the Event
The event will conform to the general principles of IARU events, but will be less formal than a Championship. There will be a maximum of seven transmitters and an MO beacon at the finish. Competitors can elect to hunt all seven 'foxes' (long course) or a specified five (short course). There will be a walk to the start of the long and short courses.
A three transmitter novice course will also be available and this will start and finish at the assembly area.
Pin punching will be used for this competition.
The transmitters will be separated by 400m but the nearest transmitter to the Start may be as close as 400m (IARU rules state 750m).

Timetable
0930 Registration opens. Information sheets issued to ALL entrants.
1030 Assemble for the walk to the start of the long and short courses.
1030-1145 144 MHz Starts
1430 Courses close.
1555 Sunset.

Fees
Entry fee is £5.

Procedures
Registration and Finish will be co-located near the car park. The novice course start will also be here. There will be a walk to the start of the long and short courses.
Look out for the ARDF Feather Flag.
In accordance with the informality of the event the organisers will not require you to deposit your receiver in a pound before the transmitters start sending. They do expect you to respect the spirit of this concession by refraining from using your receiver until reporting to officials in the start area and then only under their supervision.
The orienteering event is using SI electronic punching whilst the ARDF is using Pin Punching

Loan Equipment
Receivers for 144MHz are available on loan. Telephone the organiser (number below) to reserve.

Safety
All participants are warned that Mytchett is a military training area with numerous unmarked trenches. Barbed wire and/or low wire may be present on ruined fences; beware! Do not touch suspicious objects. You are responsible for your own safety.

Whistles should be carried (the emergency signal is 6 blasts repeated at 1 minute intervals).

Enquiries
Telephone Michael Dunbar on 01276 505052