Kent Multi DF     Aug 19th  2012

Operator  Colin G4CDM
10 Txs on new closer frequencies   1915, 1928, 1940, 1960.
Colin's REPORT

It was probably on a train journey that this site was first spotted, since the railway line runs alongside “Oxenhill Shaw” near Otford. It had to be explored as a potential DF site so one day we went there for a walk there. It was ideal, open-access land with a mixture of scrub, bushes, field and woodland. Apparently, Sevenoaks Council own the land and it is managed by the Woodland Trust. On OS maps this area appears as a white area with some green – but no footpaths shown across the site – it just shows the surrounding paths and tracks.

The site was chosen as one of the two transmitter sites for the Kent 2011 national DF qualifier round. It was used with some reluctance as the site was better suited for multi-TX hunting. As it happened only a few competitors actually arrived on site. It seemed reasonable, therefore, to re-use the site one year later for this event.

The site was barely a kilometre in diameter but had some fringe areas to the east and to the south (over the M26 motorway), accessible by public footpaths. Whilst investigating a car parking area we discovered that the plot of land to the west was owned by the Woodland Trust “Palace Park” and had public access alongside Otford Cemetery. This was separated from Oxenhill Shaw by the north-south railway line although free passage was possible under a bridge on the southerly track. Using these fringe areas the site was of adequate size to place some far peripheral mini transmitters.
Transmitter Deployment Plan:

The maxi-TX needed to be placed near the centre of the usable area and with easy access from all directions. A site just in the bushes near the railway line was earmarked. Two more minis were planned to be in the immediate area, one hosting a micro TX the other hosting two, to give novices a fair chance. However, to ensure the hunt was going to be a challenge to the more experienced competitors  three minis were planned for the outreaches, one to the west next to the motorway, and one to the south across the motorway. Another to the west would be ideal to host the last micro-Tx as the site was quite extensive. Back at home, coordinates of the proposed transmitted sites were mapped and distances between checked. The latter stage turned out to be essential since two of the micros were outside of the allowable 200m from hosting mini-TX and adjustments were effected.

 On the Day:

I had been to the site on the previous day to put up the A station aerial so that saved some time and I was confident about setting up all stations in good time. However that concept was soon to be disproven! I expected to set up the A station start delay to be 2.5 hours at 11am. In fact, the delay used turned out to be just 20 minutes! If only I had packaged the mini transmitters as carefully as I had for the micros (ie, putting complete station kits into dedicated station bags).
Having just deployed micro Z, I returned to the car for the next station only to discover that my hand-held GPS was missing. Searched the car, my pockets and boxes. Nowhere! Hoping that it was dropped somewhere near the Z transmitter I retraced my steps and fortunately found it nearby. Back to the car.
To cut a long story short I then mixed up two mini TX kits. This meant extra visits to both of those mini-TX sites (one of which was very distant!). To make matters worse, on arrival at the distant mini, I found that the kit was missing the numbered tickets and post. It was possible that these had been dropped at the last mini site. Just time to search that area, fortunately successfully finding the missing bits, before returning to the A site to make sure that the first transmission started at 1:30. This was a very hot day and I had some drinks in the car for competitors so I went back to the car for these while the first automated transmission was in progress. Then I headed off to the south with the all-important tickets for mini L, returning to the A station at nearly 2 o’clock. From here onwards the reports from various competitors will tell a better story with some first-hand tales of finding my carefully-deployed transmitters at Oxenhill Shaw.........

 

Colin had walked the site with his GPS then used the data from it plus good old Pythagoras to compute the inter-station distances.  Yours truly did the sum of all the distances on all sides squared!
With three of the locals away on holiday we were initially concerned that there wouldn't be enough competitors to make the event worthwhile but fortunately Graham D returned from France and then Rosie emailed to say that Dave (who had come with them to Philip's event) plus two other friends Ian D and Colin F would be coming - had I got any more sets ready?

I had another working board and set about some rapid wood and metal hacking. With the new crystals purchased off eBay recently it is unlikely that we will need to go outside the 1900-1980 window in the future so the tuning system was simplified to a normal  pot fitted with a large knob. Other controls were kept to a minimum, to my surprise it worked very well. My other 'beginners' set will be simplified in the same way.

Graham and I arrived at the start at 12:00 and set up a Micro for the beginners.

As Dave had done an event before it was decided that Steve would take him to the site and then leave him to hunt on his own. Ian D and Colin F would come with Graham and I, to be handed over to Colin at Tx A. Unfortunately Ian was held up in London so Rosie took him to the site when he arrived. As a result of the usual  c..'ups and strange bearings (see Ian B's account later) they may well have been there before us!

Ian D has it all explained , a lot to take in on your first event.		 Steve leaving Dave to hunt on his own - this guy is good, well better than me, see the results!

 
Please don't ask how I am getting on!

Gary had an idea   .....   shorts,  ............    it was certainly hot .......
  


 .... but .....

I've time to find another ...... you're kidding!
  
The 'first timers' are doing well .... see below.
So how did  Ian do it?

A few days prior to this event I was contacted by Tim Parker inviting me to join him and Gary to travel together to the event being organised by Colin and Rosie.  With an invitation from someone with considerable success on such events, how could I consider saying “no”  and I might even gain some useful winning tips into the bargain as well.

The plan was hatched that Gary and I would both take bearings as we progressed in the contest, pooling our results, with Tim concentrating on the driving.  The start close to Wrotham transmitter was reached and the contest commenced with the first transmission from the main A station being briefly heard before being completely wiped-out by overwhelming local interference. I had managed to obtain a rough bearing in the general direction of the station and with Gary’s measured bearing a reading of 255 degrees was agreed upon. 
This indicated a direction to the north of Sevenoaks and running parallel with the M26 motorway.
The smaller side roads were travelled until the signal received on the in-car monitor suggested we were much closer to our goal and a further bearing taken in Kemsing. Both of our bearings exactly agreed, indicating that the transmitter was to be found in the area of Greenwood Hill above Otford Mount. So up the steep hill to the top of Rowden Lane and another transmission confirmed that we were in the vicinity of the hidden stations. At this point the unanimous decision was made to leave the car and all to go our separate ways looking for the hidden stations. A very BAD move indeed!
We three all disappeared into the adjacent woods on both sides of the road with signals of considerable strength in various directions.  Back down the hill, through housing estates and side footpaths until about 20 minutes later reaching a smiling Colin in Oxenhill Shaw, a mile or more from the car.  Hurray, a familiar face, so game-on!  So much time lost already no time for a strategic plan to be made, but just to go looking for as many transmitters as possible. Two micros heard strongly, Z straight ahead and Y across the railway to the right.  Z quickly located, and then a long walk along lanes and across fields eventually locating Y and its associated mini transmitter, K near to Otford cemetery.  Back again towards the main site, but before then crossing the M26 via the service bridge and across the open fields to find L.  Another long walk in blazing sunshine, but at last 40 points gained.  Return to the main site to find I and W and eventually my joker, J.  All seemingly going well after all, 3.45 pm, 7 transmitters found, only 3 to go!  Find X just after 4 pm so mini H must be close by.  But not so, H still in the distance even after two more transmissions, but now I have the bit between my teeth and am determined to locate it. I must find it by 4.15 though to stand any chance of reaching Maxi A by the end of contest.  “Last chance transmission” at 4.15 happily finds me within a few feet of H.  Grab score token and stagger back  into A, finding it by the skin of my teeth at 4.28, aided by its then continuous transmissions.
Back at Colin and Rosie’s afterwards for thirst quenching drinks and a splendid buffet and BBQ, no one was more surprised than I, to find that I had won the contest.

Thanks to Colin and Rosie for once again organising such a challenging event, as well as also looking after our appetites and thirsts, on such a hot afternoon, at their home.



Well done Ian, good that one of us 'Senior DFers' is showing the youngsters how it should be done!

Yes another super Kent event, good site, lovely tea and best of all three more potential DFers - excellent!

The next Multi-DF will be the Mid Essex Trophy on Sunday October 14th.
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