British NIGHT Championships

[nooomember]

Firstly thank you to SYO for putting on this event in the tricky little area...

I dont think its my eyesight, but, werent the Description sheets VERY small? I had to give up trying to read them in the dark and use the ones on the map; Surely they should have been larger, especially as they were for night use.

I thought guidelines used to say not to put controls in the BOTTOM of deep pits.... since every other control on course 3 was IN a pit/depression, these seemed to be 'hidden' at the bottom, meaning a climb out; and in the dark it was a dead giveaway when other competitors were going in/down and back out - you could clearly see their lights from a distance so you just had to head to that spot.

Surely its time to standardise Headlamps, or ban the extra bright ones. Surely as we could manage 10 years ago with £10 Petzl's, then we could now. Lights will get brighter, and more expensive, so it makes it almost like running in daylight - unfair on those who cannot afford the expense of these Headlights; plus Why do the wearers of these insist on blinding other people - this should be a disqualification offence!

British Night Championships in 2015 - 2 years time, organised by AIRE, again in YHOA - twice in 2 years.... WHY?

[DM]

Really enjoyed last night, thanks Charlie and the organising team.

It's so lumpy out there that I don't accept the bottom of pit argument, it could just as easily be someone going over a ridge that you saw. Anyway, it's best at the bottom of the pit because that's where you stop when you slide down.

And ban the dim lights, on safety grounds.........really not safe bumbling around with a candle on your head.

Hope todays is just as good and the locals have left the controls in place.

[andypat]

As it happens I've had to postpone buying a new pair of O shoes (at around £80 they cost approx the same as my super bright head torch I got for last Christmas) - should we ban expensive O shoes? Luckily I do have a super fast SI Card for those extra few seconds advantage on sprint O though...

[Scott]

I believe you can pick up those cheap-but-very-bright Chinese-made headlamps (of the sort imported and sold by Bright Bike Lights) for around £30 on eBay, which is cheaper than almost any other piece of orienteering equipment.

Thanks to SYO for a great weekend. Tankersley was a brilliant area for the night champs, and the planning today did a good job of avoiding the feeling of running over the same ground.

[awk]

Firstly thank you to SYO for putting on this event in the tricky little area...

I dont think its my eyesight, but, werent the Description sheets VERY small?

No - my eyesight is particularly problematic (I can't resolve the brown on the map under headlamps, which makes night-O on an area like Tankersley very interesting!) and I had no problem with the descriptioins. They neatly fitted my control holder - any larger and it would have been a problem.

in the dark it was a dead giveaway when other competitors were going in/down and back out - you could clearly see their lights from a distance so you just had to head to that spot.

Several people mentioned to me afterwards how they'd been drawn to controls that weren't theirs, or found that those lights hadn't actually been going into a control.....

Surely its time to standardise Headlamps, or ban the extra bright ones. Surely as we could manage 10 years ago with £10 Petzl's, then we could now.

Well you might have done, but then people enjoy driving antique cars round too, and re-enacting ancient battles and sports. Personally, ten years ago (twenty years ago and more), I was running with halogen lights......

Lights will get brighter, and more expensive

that were a lot more expensive than the lights I use today.

so it makes it almost like running in daylight

no it doesn't: night-O is still very different to day-O even with decent lamps.

unfair on those who cannot afford the expense of these Headlights

.
Same in any sport when it comes to equipment. The cost of my headlamps over a few years is rather less than the cost of my O-shoes, bat and replacement rubbers for table tennis, the initial cost and running expenses of my bike etc etc.

British Night Championships in 2015 - 2 years time, organised by AIRE, again in YHOA - twice in 2 years.... WHY?

Maybe because we volunteered, and BOF wanted someone to take it on. Volunteering?

Thank you SYO for two great races. I especially enjoyed last night, even though I wasn't originally going to run but found myself going as a taxi driver, so thought it would be a waste if I didn't. My only complaint from today, is why that fiendish branch that almost removed my eye hadn't been identified as a risk and removed beforehand!!!! I'm sure it must be the organiser's or planner's fault!!!

[Freefall]

Surely it isn't the orienteering itself which is important but rather the hours and money frittered away on the battle of the lumens. After the demise of the Silva at Polmaise (which replaced the home made halogen which replaced various Petzls which in turn replaced an Achil Wonder headtorch) it was time to move up to the 1600 Lumens Brightbikelight offering. Only problem this monster sat at a 45 degree tilt so I had to fashion some sort of housing that allowed a horizontal beam. I am rather proud of the contraption (mounted on a Petzl headband I may add) which used a couple of small nuts and bolts, bicycle parts and I know not what from the plumber's merchants. This was used successfully last night apart from one minor error where I looked into the wrong pit.

battle of the lumens 2.jpg (236.04 KiB) Viewed 4640 times

[DaveR]

.....
Luckily I do have a super fast SI Card for those extra few seconds advantage on sprint O though...

Oh, electronic doping

and, yes I have one too

[DeerTick]

You have to give nooomember some credit - half a dozen trolls in one post.

AP

[mister blobs]

Firstly thank you to SYO for putting on this event in the tricky little area...

I enjoyed my run. I thought the area gave an interesting technical challenge at night with the added difficulty of having the north lines at 45 degrees to the edge of the page which kept catching me out. Well done SYO!

If noomember wants a championship in his/her area then pester your club to volunteer to organise it...

[seabird]

Surely its time to standardise Headlamps, or ban the extra bright ones.

A competitor running on a headtorch bought by his wife at a pound shop seemed more than satisfied with it's performance. He didn't hold it responsible for him picking up the map for the wrong course!

[Spookster]

Winsplts and RouteGadget also now uploaded, links on the results page.

You can spend any amount you like on a fancy bright headlight, but if the battery dies 75% of the way round the course, you can quickly lose a lot of time .

[AndyC]

one correspondent on here who also ran this event, did on, one of our Night Owls events, find himself stuck on a wooded hill with expired battery; took him an awful lot of time to get down by starlight

[nooomember]

You have to give nooomember some credit - half a dozen trolls in one post.

AP

So only certain members are allowed to ask questions or make comments here? There is free speech in the UK.

[King Penguin]

Really sorry I was double-booked and could not make it.

[blindasabat]

Excellent event, thanks SYO.
One note about Routegadget. On course 6 runners 'disappear' at ctrl 11 which is the timed out section, never to be seen again