What is ARDF ?
ARDF — Amateur Radio Direction Finding — is an exciting branch of amateur radio activities, attracting people from youngsters and teenagers to experienced old-timers and veterans. Participants of these events arrive at the spot announced by the organizer, dress the sport garments suitable for running and start in small groups to meet the direction finding adventure. Their task is to discover — by taking radio bearings — four or five hidden low power transmitters, located in a forest inadequate distance each from other. The discovery of a hidden transmitter has to be confirmed by the personal presence at the spot and punching the starting ticket. The winner of the event is an amateur who discovers, visits all prescribed transmitters and appears at the finish line in a shortest possible time.
ARDF joins the amateur radio skills like construction of transmitters and receivers, knowledge of HF and VHF propagations phenomena, antenna patterns, evaluation of strength and quality of received signals (and basic knowledge of Morse code, too!) with orienteering skills like proper using of map and its symbols, usage of compass and taking bearings and azimuths, continuous knowledge of own position in the terrain (without using of GPS satellite equipment), and — last but not least — with physical fitness and ability to run a couple of kilometers in diversified terrain, mostly wooded.
