Come try cell phone orienteering!
This will be a benefit for the WIOL travel fund.
In addition to the cell phone O' course,
there will be a beginners course and,
for the cell phone impaired,
a longer novelty course.
Registration fees for the cell phone course will be a regular meet fee
plus a fee for the second map.
The other courses will have normal fees.
This meet will NOT use e-punch;
we will use conventional control cards.
Regular start procedures will be used,
in particular there will NOT be any mass starts.
What is 'Cell Phone Orienteering?'
Participants will form teams of at least two, with two cell phones.
(Optionally, teams may use FRS radios or ham radios - please coordinate
with the organizers to avoid using the same frequency/channel as another team.)
The first half of the team ("map") will have the map of the first half of the course
and the description sheet for that half.
The second half of the team ("forest") will have the team's control card,
and is not allowed to see the map or description sheet.
After the team starts,
the first half will remain at the start and
direct (via cell phone or radio) the second half to each control in turn.
GPS is not allowed,
nor are pariticpants allowed to send video images to each other!
Oral descriptions/directions only
(if there is enough interest, there will be a "text only" category).
After completing the first half of the course,
the two halves of the team will switch roles for the second half of the course.
Teams may consist of more than two participants,
but teams larger than four are discouraged.
If the half of the team in the forest is more than one person,
they must stay close together
(no spreading out to search for controls).
Useful hints
- know how to measure distances on a map
- know how to measure distance in the forest (i.e., pacing)
- know how to determine a compass heading on a map
- know how to follow a (numeric) compass bearing in the forest
- absolute directions ("east) are almost certainly better than relative ones ("left")
- know the difference (on the map) between distinct and indistinct trail junctions
- be able to describe a location/setting in the forest
- have an unambiguous vocabulary that is common to all team members
- it is perfectly acceptable to go back to the previous control...
- get a headset for the cell phones/radios
- most likely, the winning team will have made use of contour detail
- ...and will have communicated exceptionally well
Start Procedure
Here's how the cell phone starts will work:
We will not use any mass starts at the meet. Normal interval starts.
There will be two maps for the course (which is why each team must pay for
an extra map), one map showing just the controls for the first half of
the course, the other map the second half of the course.
Each team has two halves, "A" and "B", where each "half" is at least one
person, with exactly one cell phone/radio per half. To begin, all members
of a team must be at the start.
After starting, "A" goes to the "cell phone area"
while "B" (who has the team's control card) goes to the start triangle and awaits
further instructions from "A" (to be delivered via cell phone or radio).
"A" and "B" may not look at each other!
No wild hand waving!
No pointing!
After completing the first part, the "B" half gives their control card to
"A", after which "B" gets the second map while "A" goes to the
start triangle and awaits further instructions...
At the finish, "A" crosses the finish line in a normal fashion.
If still on talking terms, "B" may cross the line with them.
Teams using radios are requested to report to the registrar so that
the frequency/channel they were using can be recycled.
We won't be handing out any prizes,
but we would like to identify teams by which of the following groups they are in:
- couples (married or not, a team of exactly two participants in a relationship)
- siblings (all of the same generation)
- familial collections other than the above
(e.g., parent/child)
- co-workers
- students
- other
Disclaimer:
Neither Cascade OC, WIOL, nor any of the event staff will be responsible for
any changes in relationships that occur as a result of participation in
this event.
Last Bit Of Advice
Test your cell phones/radios before the event.
Make sure your batteries are fully charged.
Questions?
Ask Mike Schuh (e-mail address below).
Go to:
WIOL webpage
•
Cascade OC webpage
Webmaster:
Mike Schuh (schuh
AT
farmdale
D0T
com)