|
 Organiser Colin F |
Sunday 18th
Aug 2024 Multi-Tx
DF
|
 10 Txs and associated triffids provide the amusement. |
| I
searched high and low for a site that was fairly level, but soon
realised most of Kent is high and low. However one priority was to find
a site with a car park, and not too far from the M25, Cuckoo Wood
seemed to fit the bill. On my first visit I almost overshot the
entrance to the car park (signs obscured by trees). |
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| This park is split into two areas by High Elms Road, the East side is shaped like a boot bordering a golf course on the north side. I could easily fit 2 groups in here leaving the other side for the 3rd and place the Ghost near to the car park. A couple more visits defined the rough positions of each Tx, which I checked distances with NGR’s. |
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 The path to K
is between the gates.
|
 Just past K which was off to the right. |
 A drop down from the top path, getting near G. |
 Descending the hill, a little further on is H. Mind the poo bag. |
 Time for a break. |
 Perhaps consider applying for the Gamekeeper's job? |
 Wire fences and sheep - should keep them out. |
 These are always good for
exercise.
|
 Charging the Txs.
|
 Setting up the software, |
| After setting clocks, I set off late
Saturday morning with 9 of the Tx’s (C was feeling run down). I planted A and B by parking in a small car park next to B, then drove around to Cuckoo car park and loaded up with not 3 but 6 Tx sets for the long walk to M then off loading one at a time L,K,H G & F. Back at the car I picked up the Ghost, crossed the road SW for a couple of 100m, that should do it. Now I only had to drop off the menu choices at the Queens Head and head for home. |
| Sunday morning I took C Tx off charge, and checked the voltage, it was just over 10v, good. After setting its clock, I headed off to Cuckoo land once more, parking up in a now busy car park. I headed out with C in my backpack and a DF set, from the bridle way it was a short walk in between the trees to the young Holly’s tall enough for C’s shorter aerial, I had just locked the wire to the Triffid, when I realised it was now after 11:00. Quickly flipping the DF set on, I could hear morse quite loudly, it was C that I had just set up, I had missed A & B. I hastily made steps back to the car park listening for each transmission, oh dear there was a pause between G & K, where is H I wonder? Roy was in the car park when I returned. ‘We’ve got no H I reported, ‘Oh, I better get the old ‘A’ re-programmed then’. I didn’t want to resort to this, it’s a big heavy piece of kit that requires tuning up, so I suggested I go and check on H, it might just be a fallen aerial which I could fix, so I headed out whilst Roy began to teach ‘A’ to imitate the morse and timings of ‘H’. H was definitely weak but the aerial was still up, so what was wrong? I removed the Tx from it’s bag and the next transmission was very loud, so carefully covered it up without disturbing the wire. But as I was walking back I realised it had gone again, and my heart sank. I knew what had to be done, but how do you hide such a large beast, after spotting some balls of hay that had blown from the field, these made good camouflage. The long aerial ended up as an L between trees, it worked well and I brought back mini-H, relieved that H was now working, On returning, however it was past 13:00 so I needed to move. First, I needed a drink, find a competitors sign-in sheet then issue Dibbers and Jokers. |
 |
 13 competitors - would this be unlucky for some? Is there a whiff of spice in the air, are the electronics working, are brains working? Read on! |
| At 13:15 we headed a short way into the
woods, took a couple of photo’s, the usual briefing and we were ready
to start. 13:30 Colin M had no reception on any of the transmissions, he ran to his car to change his set, but the results were no better, heading off SE, fortunately in the right direction for his joker and Rosie followed. What I didn’t see was Colin return for a 2nd set change, but this time he picked up the Ghost, and went the opposite way. I was left with Mihaela & Nicholas, Remus & George, had left to have a go on their own, as did Andrew. I took Mihaela & Nicholas towards A,B,C the nearest group. |
 Chris on the way to B.
|
 Getting closer, finds it at 14:20. |
Tx B
|
| Nicholas was in charge
of George’s hi-tech rod set, which had a speaker and George had
explained to him how all the controls work. His main problem was
remembering the loudest sound is not when the rod is in line with a Tx,
but at a right angle. Also, he hadn’t grasped that you can turn the
gain down as the volume goes up, so by the time we were close it made
him jump when a Tx started. Otherwise, he didn’t need too much coaxing,
to deal with A, B and C. |
 Tx C
|
 A first - photo catches the Triffids LED flash as it records the time? But then this was the Ghost ......... WOooOoooh! |
|
When we returned to the car park (after
collecting the
Ghost), Nicholas had mastered the DF set and they were keen to go off
and have a go at F, leaving me to
erect the Ghost as the homing signal at 16:00.
By the time I caught up they had found F & G and were ready to do H, so I followed them to H just as Colin M arrived. |
 Near H - Applicants for the gamekeeper's job need to re-hydrate! |
 At H - LED flash or
is the Ghost following them?
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After lots of dibbing & photo’s
they
were keen to try K, no problems with navigation we arrived at K,
but Nicholas overshot and tried to attack it from behind, then the
sound of machine gun, said it was all over. However, Dave C-A waiting
patiently on the path, allowed them time to find the Triffid and dib
their late times.
Now it was time to encourage everyone
towards car park,
to hand in their equipment and get to the pub as quickly as possible.
Roy did not have time to do all the result processing, so finished that in the pub. |
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| Strange
behavior in 'Cuckoo' Wood Locals seemed to have developed some immunity but those from flat earth Essex just went .... 'Cuckoo, Cuckoo' ..... The Cuckoo (or was it the Ghost?) followed us into the pub, where a combination of a missed dib, a competitor level setting and half a chicken, caused the newly appointed Gamekeeper to be rather slow in coughing up the results. Must get more Lucozade before the next event! Results
Times for competitors - but only points in the table above mean prizes.
The red entries above show that Txs were
found but that the scores were not validated at the person's Joker Tx.
The estimated time for failed dib was established by comparing times of Chris and Colin M with Dave's dib at G and validation at K. Follow this link to learn about the Multi-Spice! Times for those not competing, working together but dibbing separately for extra 'fun'.
Here
K was found after the end of the event at 16:00 and Ghost end at 15:00
BUT for a 'times only competitor' this does not matter!
Very well done!
|
 Colin M - Multi-Star and Ghost buster of the day. |
 2nd Rosie - so good to see her back in action. |
 Nicholas (2E0UKT), Mihaela, Colin F, Remus (M0UKL) , George (M0UKK). |
| Our
visiting family took away a token prize for outstanding progress on
their first attempt, I think they all enjoyed the day. It had been a challenge for most of us, not least Roy, who got to do all the difficult stuff. I thank all who came along and gave their best on the day. Over to Colin M, how did he win? Colin F. |
Back to the start and again nothing heard. Other competitors were saying that the stations were weak so with insensitive sets I was not receiving anything. Then at 13:35 everyone left the start on way for locating the TXs. What could I do? Well my plan was to go in any direction and hope that I would come into range of a transmitter. I crossed the road opposite the car park and veered to the right, passing through a field and eventually arriving on a golf-course green. I was listening to all 3 frequencies frequently – but heard nothing. I doubled back to the car park and then tried searching on a different path. |
| Now
I got lucky. I was scanning all three frequencies and I caught a sniff
of a signal on 1915. It was the ghost (?)
haunting me! Another couple of transmissions and I found it. Then
back to the car park and start area to randomly search in another
direction. I must have passed the start at around 2pm so every other
competitor would have a half-hour start compared with me. Oh well,
perhaps I can find another one of two transmitters and be an “also-ran”
competitor. Eventually I got in range of transmitter K and with a just audible signal I started homing-in. It led me up a gentle hill to a field boundary. Spent some time looking for the triffid before heading off for L which was now audible. Transmitter L was on another field boundary and a number of competitors had assembled in its vicinity. I did spend a ridiculous time finding both the transmitter and then finding the elusive triffid. I was now in a position to go for my joker, M – if I could hear it. Yes, it was just receivable on my set at L so off I went up a steep hill on the edge of a field. There were big power lines here to pass beneath but that did not prevent me getting very close to M at around 3pm and finding it some ten minutes later. I now had about fifty minutes to find some other stations so decided to listen carefully. I could hear F weakly and went towards it without delay. And soon it was found and dibbed. Then from F I could just detect a signal from G. Having found that, I pursued H and dibbed it at about 3:50pm. Roy was there and he said “you’ve only ten more minutes to validate”. M was about a kilometer away so I just ran, initially along a field edge, then along another field edge and then up a steep slope. I dibbed M with just one minute to spare! Now I had not realized that my first visit to M was a first-to-find |
giving me 80 points and I hadn’t appreciated the difficulty others had experienced locating the transmitters. So I had no idea that, with finding only seven TXs I had actually done quite well. In fact, very well as it transpired (at the rendezvous) that I had won the contest. (I really had NO idea before the results were announced). Many thanks to Colin F for finding another good DF site with ample car parking and a good network of woodland to hunt in, and also for finding a great pub with grub afterwards. |
| The Hero League Gary (on holiday) remains the current Hero on 130 points |
Changes this event
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| Words
from the Gamekeeper An excellent event Colin. It seemed very hard at the time, with the terrain and extremely well hidden Triffids. Perhaps if A, F and K had been a little easier, then Andrew, Remus and George (M0UUK) could have been more successful hunting solo, with hindsight they would have been well advised to accept your offer of assisting for a Tx or two. Nicholas and Mihaela did amazingly well once you had given them some skills and confidence. For old hands the difficulty was just right, no one found all ten, eliminating long waits for the machine gun at Jokers and, perhaps more important, all had to decide when to give up and return to validate. I think this is the first time Tim has experienced the spice, this really adds skill and fun to the game. When events are too easy, DF experienced athletes are missing out. A shame Gary wasn't there, I wonder how he would have done. So keep up the good work Colin, after a day to recover, I am really looking forward to your next one  .Roy |
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Hi Roy, 73 Thank you all for the most comprehensive report yet ! |
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