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Sunday October 19th 2025 Multi-Tx DF Location Oldbury Hill, Kent. Car Parking NGR TQ 578 558. Map with zoom |
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| This site has been used
before as it offers great potential for DF with
a reasonable-size car park. It is owned by the National Trust. I went
to the site a week ago to survey. The quiet lane (Styants Bottom
Road)
runs north to south in the middle. To the east is the site of Oldbury
Fort, high up with a steep slope to access. I could have made this DF a
physical challenge but, considering the average age of competitors,
decided not to put a single TX on the hill. The plan for TX deployment was to arrange the three sets of TXs in straight lines, each set running roughly east-west with the ghost being remote in the far north. Next south was the ABC group, next the FGH group and, to the south, the KLM group. On the day I arrived just before 8:30 and headed off the plant TXs, starting with the most northerly, the ghost TX. On passing the start location I saw some signs for “forest operations” and saw areas of substantial felling. Continuing on to the north there was a new road driven into the wood and heavy vehicles were parked there. Fortunately no work was in progress on the day. However much of the area had been completely flattened and my plan had to be revised to the north, affecting the ghost Tx, Tx C and Tx F. So a revised plan was followed on the day, see map. (The ghost Tx had exhibited a strength problem and may have benefitted from a move to be closer to the start.) |
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 Competitors assembled at 1pm
for signing-in and a group photo. At 1:30
all TXs were heard at the start, although most were quite weak. The
start location was central to the TXs so bearings fanned-out in all
directions. Then along came the rain, exactly as predicted. Fortunately
it was not too heavy and the tree canopy seemed to keep us dry(ish).
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Competitors
headed off in all directions. I meandered around taking
photos of anything or anyone that moved until “ghost duty” at 3pm.    Colin F (competing) had brought friend Tony along - times only today, but hopes to compete next year. |
Tony has mastered Triffid spotting.
|  Txs survived with help of silica gel.
Remember to add to trousers before next event. |
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After the contest it transpired that 4 out of the 9 competitors had
found all 10 transmitters. We reconvened at the Bull Hotel where we had
a small private room reserved for meals and results. Colin G4CDM |
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Results Points - which mean prizes!
Times - which can reveal peoples' strategies (or lack thereof!)
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 Philip - took a consecutive Star and the Hero!
|  George - 2nd, consistently good this year. |
 Roy - first at Ghost and not much else!
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| Wetty - Oldbury Wood 19th October 2025 - ( by Philip) We did think the event might be called off given the high winds and rain that were in the forecast earlier in the week. On the day we sailed down the A12 with light winds and the round sunny thing in the sky that we had not seen for some weeks. It did not last, as we approached the car park the first smattering of rain hit the windscreen and we hid under the tailgate whilst we nibbled lunch. We then picked up on the problems Colin had when he found logging work had cut down some of the trees he had planned to use, which he had to relocate that morning. We had been here before and remembered the long slog up and down the main hill to the top of the hill fort. The start took us into that direction across the ‘Styants Bottom’ Road. Surprise then that A was back over the road as was F, only K of the maxis was this side, and that wound away round the bottom of the hill. All signals were fairly weak, but just there. Luck and a fancy bit of computer generated random element had given me K as joker and I was pleased to run off round the hill in my own company and on a decent track, this though ran alongside a near vertical ditch, which it became clear I was on the wrong side of. No option really but slide down it and then pull myself up the other side. First thing I spotted was a black dog poo bag hanging on a bush, but with a bit of searching soon found the TX and triffid on the side of the ditch. |
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Retuning for L back down the hill, also spotted a lesser track on the lower side of the ditch which took me back to the road and across. I then spotted I was getting close to the car park and recognised the area I had earlier scouted for a convenient tree earlier in the day, where I then found L nearby. Next on my list was M which was still weak so I assumed it was up and over the next hill. It proved more tricky and as I searched I spotted newbie Tony and his minder Colin F coming in from a different angle, not realizing at first they were on the same errant. In amongst the holly bushes the signal came up and forced me to back track to a tree that I ran round to no avail before it went off and Colin turned up. He suddenly froze and started to search about his person, having spotted the triffid hanging in the tree. Being quicker off the mark with mine I just beat him into M for the third 40 points of the day. By then whilst clearly working the right way down the line, I was completely disorientation in the gloom and due to the lack of radio signal to my phone, no idea where I was, so let myself be led by more local sources. |
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Having heard H close by whilst looking for M, decided to try that next.
By that time it was all a bit of a blurr, but it only took me five
minutes to do H and then start working back up the set to G, which only
took another six minutes. I then decided to leave F and do the ghost which eventually took me back across the road, but kept peaking up by a large tree right on the side of the road – which seemed the wrong place, given the risks. After some frustrating runs at it, finally moved further into the scrub as Colin M came along to watch and wonder. Eventually found the TX and aerial, then struggled to find the dibber some way off under some leaves. It felt like ages but in reality took only 20 minutes. I then decided to finish the set off and found F up the hill alongside the recently felled trees with Colin M hovering by, and little in the way of points left. Looking for the last chain, with still a weak signal, started with A and after a fairly long run up the hill by a corner footpath, not difficult to spot. Then back down the hill past the caravan camping field to find B in about ten minutes. | |
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C then turned into the biggest challenge of the day, again more holly
bushes just off one of the tracks and peaking up by the wrong tree. It
took several frustrating signals before I finally stumbled across the
TX and triffid, but it was the last one of the day and though it had
taken 25 minutes it was still only 3.18 pm, so plenty of time on the
way back to the joker to stop at the car for a milkshake and to pick up
a coat to counter the rapid cooling, after all the running around. Nice to get warmed up and the Hotel afterwards and for the rain to wait before it came on fully on the way home. Great day and apologies to Tim for beating him on handicap. Somehow also managed to top the league for the Hero competition. Philip G0NXH. |
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Hero League
- a competition for those who are prepared to compete with a high
handicap. Well done to Philip for winning two events in a row, thus gaining 100 Hero points and leaping into the lead. Those within a win of becoming the Hero on the next event
Gary was the Hero on 147 points but couldn't make this event. As you can see above, after the rescale, he is now on116. The full list of Hero Points may be seen here |
Philip's win gave
him 165 points, exceeding the 150 limit, causing a rescale. All
those with handicaps above their experience minimums are scaled
down by the same factor as Philip - 130/165.
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| Thanks to Colin (M)
for preparing all the kit and getting up very early on Sunday to do the
planting, to Rosie for organising an excellent pub for us to dry out
and then rehydrate in, and to all those who turned out on a day when
the forecast said stay at home. The DF gods were kind to us by saving
the worst of the weather for the drive home and the Monday - phew! So that's it for 2025, I'm not sure where the time has gone - I must check the reports to find out! Looking forward to 2026 - keep your eye on the Noticeboard for details of when it will be time to charge those DF sets, or perhaps build a new super improved one. Bye for now, Roy G4JAC |