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From
the Chair
What a
fantastic
event we had
at Hambleden.
Many thanks to
all those that
helped at this
event in
anyway and
please read
the article by
the organiser,
John Dalton
below (and a
selection of
the many
comments we
received). As
with all
things not
everything was
perfect, a
discussion on
the location
of C137, a few
injuries and
many nettles.
But still a
great event.
We also cover
in detail what
happens at
various stages
of the Start
process with
SiAC, as this
is still new
to a few, it
may help
anyone who
comes up with
an issue on
any start in
the future. We
also pose a
couple of
controls from
Hambleden for
you to review
that will be
discussed in a
later issue.
May you always
run in sunlit
forests,
Chris Poole
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Caption
Competition
Please let us
know the
thoughts of
our Planners
from
Hambleden,
send your
suggestions to
TVOC...@gmail.com
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SCOA
Championships
and Chiltern
Challenge
The
Organiser,
John Dalton
writes:
We held our
annual
Chiltern
Challenge
alongside the
SCOA
Championships
at Hambleden,
near Henley- on-Thames
on Sunday 23rd
May. This is
only the
second event
we have
organised this
year.
Why did we go
back to
Hambleden so
quickly after
the British
Night
Championships
and Chiltern
Challenge in
February
2020?
Firstly, the
estate was
very
encouraging of
us returning.
A good sign!
And secondly,
the very large
event field
means that
there is
plenty of
space to
spread cars
and people
around in one
central
location.
Unlike other
recent events,
we had no
limit imposed
on us to entry
numbers. So
we determined
a three hour
start window,
and were able
to keep online
entries for
the colour
courses open
until the day
of the event
itself. The
last entry was
on Saturday.
We had 805
entries and
747 runs.
This is by far
the largest
Chiltern
Challenge we
have run since
2011, when
that event
(also at
Hambleden) was
incorporated
with the
Southern
Championships
(a level A
event).
 What
differences
would a
competitor
have seen?
Copious
quantities of
hand gel in
many places.
Three separate
starts.
Stakes laid
out on the
ground at key
points to
retain a 2m
distancing.
Toilet
touch-points
being cleaned
on a regular
basis. And so
many warning
signs! Too
many, perhaps!
But, once in
the forest,
all was well.
Everyone
seemed to
thoroughly
enjoy their
courses.
Feedback was
excellent.
And no one
seemed to have
any problems
with the
arrangement we
put in place
to protect
them.
Did we have
any problems?
Only one or
two. But
none were
Covid-related.
May had been
so wet. It
rained heavily
during the
Friday
beforehand,
and the
forecast for
the weekend
was wet. So
the estate
were able to
offer us an
alternative
parking
field.
The backup
field they
provided
turned out to
be fantastic
for parking.
It was
definitely the
right decision
to switch.
But
unfortunately
it did mean
that the SI
collection,
Finish,
Download and
toilets were
somewhat
marooned away
from the car
park and
traders.
We had a few
injury
issues.
Including our
own Neville
Baker who fell
heavily on his
shoulder when
checking
controls early
on Sunday
morning. He
dutifully
carried on,
not just
completing
that task, but
staying to the
very end of
the whole
event, and
being last off
the field at
the end of the
day. Formal
diagnosis says
“broken
collarbone”.
Other
injuries and
health scares
were handled
very well
indeed by
White Star
Medical.
Thanks to
them.
And thanks to
all our
mappers,
planners,
controller,
jury, team
leaders and
helpers. I
hugely
appreciate all
the offers of
kind help and
support from
club members.
It would
obviously be
impossible to
put on such an
event without
everyone’s
commitment to
contribute.
Thank you
again.
Would I change
much next time
(apart from
the weather)?
Perhaps reduce
the
Covid-related
signage. I do
wonder how
much of it
actually got
read. This
might be one
case of where
“less is
more”! And
surely we
should have
ambitions to
encourage
newcomers back
to our events
as soon as
possible.
Though
avoiding entry
on the day by
allowing
pre-entry up
to the day of
the event (or
even during
the event,
mobile signal
permitting) is
very
appealing...
Congratulations to TVOC’s SCOA Champions (Ed
note: a full
list of TVOC
winners is
below).
 Some
things cannot
be determined
by a simple
majority.
Apparently
about 80
people found
the control on
the thicket at
137 without
problem. Only
four
questioned
it. But when
one of those
four was Roger
Baker, it had
to be taken
seriously!
I overheard
someone joking
with Mark
Thompson about
it. The
competitor
concluded
assertively
(but with a
big grin on
his face) that
there was
definitely
a problem
there, and it
was a problem
with either
the map, or
the siting of
the control.
For once, Mark
was speechless
as he realised
he had been
responsible
for both!
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Some
good TVOC
results at the
SCOA Champs
Alun
Jones writes …
A good number
of TVOC
members
grabbed a
medal at the
SCOA
Championships
at Sunday’s
Hambleden
event.
Medallists
were:
W12 Louisa
Lloyd (Silver)
M14 Nathan
Taylor
(Bronze)
W16 Carys
Sharp (Bronze)
M18 Joel
Taylor (Gold)
M21 James
Haynes
(Bronze)
W35
Charlotte
Coles
(Silver),
Yulia
Akhmetyanova
(Bronze)
M35
Andreas Frisk
(Gold), Nat
Skidmore
(Silver),
Marcin
Krzysztofik
(Bronze)
W40 Heidi
Lloyd (Bronze)
M40 Simon
Ross (Gold),
Jan Travnicek
(Bronze)
M50 Julian
Birkinshaw
(Gold), Tim
Must (Silver),
Simon Kippin
(Bronze)
M55 Roger
Thetford
(Gold),
Richard Sharp
(Bronze)
M60 Alun
Jones (Gold)
M65
Vladimir
Kuznetsov
(Bronze)
M70 Martin
Ricketts
(Gold), Paul
Kilpin
(Silver),
Richard
Steptoe
(Bronze)
M75 Jim
Prowting
(Gold)
W80 Jenny
Thompson
(Gold)
M80 Andrew
Chalmers
(Silver)
M85 John
Thompson
(Gold), Roger
Baker (Bronze)
 I
feel Jenny
Thompson’s
performance
deserves some
comment. She
may have been
the only W80
competing in
the SCOA
Champs. But
she could have
run up to W75
and taken
Gold, beating
the next
competitor by
a huge
margin. She
could have run
up at M80
(women are
allowed to run
up in men’s
classes) and
taken Gold.
Indeed if you
look at the
entire results
for Very Short
Green, the
only people
who beat Jenny
were a W21 and
an M55.
Respect!
Great to see
TVOC take a
clean sweep of
medals at M35,
M50 and M70.
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SiAC,
How Do I Know
It Is Working?
Chris
Poole Writes…
From being on
the Starts at
Hambleden I
observerd that
some
competitors
were confused
as to what
each control
point at the
Start was
doing, and
instead of
re-assuring
competitors
that their
card was ‘good
to go’ many
did not
understand all
the beeps that
were going on
(or not) and
if their SiAC
card was ok.
The first
indication
that you will
get that your
SiAC is
nearing end of
battery life
is at the end
of an event
when your
results print
out will tell
you the
battery state
is poor and
suggest
changing the
battery. The
download
control
measures
battery status
as well as
reading the
contents of
the card, so
that is your
first
indication,
but the
battery can
last a bit
longer yet.
At an event
you should
come across
controls for
SiAC in the
following
order;
Usually at a
mutual point
on way to the
start or near
to
Registration
so you can
change your
card if
necessary.
 SiAC
Battery test.
(Note: Not all
clubs use a
Battery Test.)
This is the
same check as
done at
download and
lets you know
your card
status, this
can be done by
two types of
control. The
SiAC card will
not flash at
any time as
the card is
still
inactive.
The
blue control,
with display.
Briefly dib
your SiAC
(take out at
first beep at
the latest, if
you leave it
in it will
continue to
beep), display
will show ‘OK
and eV of SiAC
card usually
about 295, so
you will see
‘OK 295’, if
this is not
displayed then
you may get a
series of
beeps, this
lets you know
'battery low',
but probably
ok for event.
No display
change or
beep, card is
not working in
SiAC AIr
Mode. It can
still be used
as a normal
manual punch.
A
Red Control
test.
Single flash
on control
(and beep if
turned on),
SiAC card will
not flash.
At the Start.
Clear.
This
clears the
card as
normal, SiAC
Air Mode is
still
inactive.
Punch the Clear.
Check.
This
confirms the
card is clear
and switches
on Air Mode
for SiAC, SiAC
is active, you
now have
contactless
capability.
Punch the Check.
SiAC
On/Test. This
now confirms
Air Mode
active,
passing your
SiAC over the
control or
close to it
the SiAC card
will beep and
flash.
If the SiAC card
fails to beep
or flash.
This
can be
because; 1,
the card has
not gone
through clear
and check and
Air Mode not
activated, or:
2.
occasionally
the Air Mode
failied to be
activated by
the Check
control, or 3.
(and more
likely) the
test control
has switched
itself off;
controls only
remain active
for a specific
amount of time
with no
activity,
activity is
counted as
registering a
punch, but
SiAC does not
register to
the control,
so despite
being in
continual use
to check Air
Mode, the
control will
switch off at
its set time
(this can be
set as short
as 20 min).
You now have 2
options; 1,
you can punch
the SiaC Test
control to
wake it up, it
will beep as
will your
card. You now
need to check
that Air Mode
is operating,
so wait until
your card
stops beeping
and flashing,
wait at about
a further 10
secs (cards
are configured
not to repeat
a control in a
certain set
time, and you
can find this
out on a
course if you
punch a
control and
try a second
swipe often
your card will
not activate
as it thinks
you are
hanging about
at the
control), then
reswipe the
test control.
If it
flashes/beeps
then all is
fine. If it
does not then
you need to
redo clear and
check as this
was not
recorded
correctly. A
second option
is to get one
of the start
team to punch
the SiAC Test
with any
dibber to wake
it up before
you try again.
Start.
As normal and
will be
punching (so
your start is
recorded for
safety
purposes).
Punch the Start.
Run the Course.
Happily
wafting
controls as
you streak by.
Check for
flashes and
beeps on card
as you
progress, if
it fails and
you wafted
correctly,
retry, if it
still fails
then revert to
manual
punching.
Card/Control
should flash,
if not and
rules allow,
use backup
punching.
Finish.
Some clubs use
a Punching Finish.
Punch as
normal, this
stops your
time and turns
off Air Mode.
The Finish
station also
records that
you have left
the course.
 Our
standard
procedure is
to use a Contactless Finish.
Waft
through as
normal
(fastest way),
records your
time on your
SIAC and turns
off Air Mode.
After this if
not straight
to download
you may come
across a Safety Control.
As we
mentioned
earlier, the
SI station
does not
record a SIAC
waft, so we
can not
interrogate
the Finish
station to see
if you
wafted., so as
a SAFETY
MEASURE if the
Finish is
remote from
Download, all
competitors
are required
to
punch the
Safety
Control. That
physical punch
is recorded on
the Safety
Control
station. If
we have
someone who
has started
but not
downloaded, we
can then
interrogate
the Safety
Control
station to see
whether they
finished - in
which case
they have
presumably
gone home
without
downloading
(it does
happen!).
Punch the Safety
Control.
Download.
For SiAC this
downloads race
data as
normal, checks
eV status of
battery (and
puts a warning
on your splits
if necessary),
it also
switches off
Air Mode for
anyone who
retired and
did not go
through the
Finish.
Thanks to
Robin Bishop
for the
diagramatic
summary below
(dashed boxes
may not be in
use);
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Some
Interesting
Legs from SCOA
Champs
From the
Coaching Couch
Chris Poole
writes:
There were
some excellent
courses out
there last
weekend, two
legs are
highlighted
below, have a
look at them
and think what
would you do
and why,
remembering
TOPCAR(E) if
that helps (I
failed to do
so for 1
control and it
cost me
time). When
you have
decided what
you would do
then look at https://www.tvoc.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#115 to
see what
others did,
and if you
have not
already done
so, record
your own
route. The
legs are 3-4
on Green and
5-6 on Blue.
I will discuss
various
options next
time when I
bring out the
E of
TOPCARE.
 
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T’Voice
from the
grave!
A few
highlights
from our
newsletter,
excavated from
a deep drawer.
Peter
Riches writes;
October
1998
A “Thetford”
edition of
t’voice with a
report on our
club champs
where Caroline
and Roger won
their
respective
classes, Roger
ran for
England in the
Senior Home
International
and mopped up
with the big
one, by
winning our
summer series.
Mark Thompson
was
volunteering
again, to plan
Wendover in
December back
when this was
a regular
Christmas
treat.
Back then we
used to have a
club ranking
list, compiled
I see by
Richard Sharp.
What ever
happened to
Ross and Mark
Sanderson?
More to the
point we
listed 317
competitors
although quite
a few had only
one or two
runs. This was
before the
Saturday
series
started.
December 1998
The World
Championships
needed
volunteers and
the club was
asking for
people to meet
with Katy
Stubbs the
finish
organiser and
give up their
time. We had
a very good
turnout in
Scotland the
next summer
with the bonus
of a British
World Champion
Yvette Hague
on the short
course. More
about that in
a later note,
if I am not
planning
something
else.
April 1999
We were
hosting the
Compass Sport
Cup Final and
competing as
well. The news
was full of
the World
Champs in
Scotland that
summer, but I
suggest that
the “Any other
business”
section of the
club minutes
contained the
most important
step forward
for the club.
Roger Thetford
suggested
forming teams
of helpers who
would perform
the same tasks
at events. He
would form
teams in the
summer, I am
still
surprised at
the number of
clubs which do
not do the
same.
Stirling
Surveys were
preparing a
base map of
Hambleden, but
we did not
have a mapper
at that point.
May 1999
We had a few
winners at the
JK Relays.
M165 The
Thames
Shufflers
comprising
Mike Perry,
John Spence
and Neville
Baker. Though
some dark
dealings by
Neville in
team selection
were remarked
upon. M40 Tim
Capron and the
Sanderson
brothers.
The club
captain made
an appeal to
all club
members to
attend the
Compass Sport
Cup Final with
the words
“death is the
only
acceptable
excuse”. No
prizes for
guessing the
captain
involved...
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What
orienteering
events are
coming up?
These are a
few events
available in
the next few
weeks that
have caught
our eye. All
events are
pre-entry
only, so plan
ahead. (Level
of event shown
in brackets)
Keep
a close eye on Fabian4, SiEntries or Racesignup for
other events
appearing.
And if you
spot anything
new, do use
the TVOC email
group to
update your
fellow club
members. Not
in the group
email? Sign
up here -
there are two
Subscribe
buttons, for
two different
emails; you
want the first
one on the
page.
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TVOC
e-News is
edited by Alun
Jones &
Chris Poole.
Any feedback
on e-News is
always
welcome, to ne...@tvoc.org.uk
You are receiving
this email
because you
are a member
of TVOC.
We
hope you will
want to
continue to
receive these
emails,
because they
contain
important
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about what is
going on in
your club,
including
events we are
organising.
However, if
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