reflective strips on o flags for night O
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reflective strips on o flags for night O
Just wanted to flag up my appreciation for the reflective strips on the O kites at the Scottish Night O champs at the weekend. What a difference (in a good way) this made the the enjoyment of the event. Darnaway can be fairly low vis in places and without the reflective strips on the flags I reckon I've have missed a couple of controls by just feet. I never felt like I was being guided into controls from far away - kits were hung nice and low, but compared to (and this is not to denigrate the event in any way) the situation at my last night event where I ran past a control hung in an open stubble field because I couldnt see it at 30m this felt like a much fairer way to do night O. If its the norm elsewhere I seem to have missed out!
Orienteering - its no walk in the park
- andypat
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Re: reflective strips on o flags for night O
Didn't help me much! We actually felt that these kites were too reflective on some of the night league events. Thanks to the SOA for financial help for the Northern Night Cup - a big success though ultimately I didn't seem to learn any lessons.
We have a set of reflectors made up with plumbing pipe and reflective tape which work really well and Steve Smirthwaite organised various informal night events with these too.
We have a set of reflectors made up with plumbing pipe and reflective tape which work really well and Steve Smirthwaite organised various informal night events with these too.
Fac et Spera. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Scottish 6 Days Assistant Coordinator
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Freefall - addict
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Re: reflective strips on o flags for night O
The DNC doesn't use kites at all, just a similar plastic pipe about 8 inches long and wrapped with red, white and blue reflective tape. These just hang on the control stake and it's only down to control location and how it's hung to determine how visible it is from a distance.
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plain lazy - blue
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Re: reflective strips on o flags for night O
I've always had mixed feelings on this subject but having spent over 5 minutes searching for a control amongst abandoned shopping trolleys and other rubbish recently I can now see the benefit. I'm not aware of any guidance in the rules on the issue though. I doubt we'll have reflective strips at BNOC this weekend. Can anyone confirm?
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Homer - diehard
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Re: reflective strips on o flags for night O
Dave R used a similar pipe thing recently for a night sprint training event. Definitely helped more than a flag- on one of them there was a building spotlight shining direct on the control and it was so bright I thought it was a spotlight itself!
I'm sure I can remember competing (unsuccessfully) in a night event in Dumfriesshire in the early 80s at which some (but possibly not all) the controls had a red light attached. Does that sound familiar to anyone? I can see why it would be a difficult thing to sustain with batteries etc. Might have been a junior training rather than an event I suppose.
I'm sure I can remember competing (unsuccessfully) in a night event in Dumfriesshire in the early 80s at which some (but possibly not all) the controls had a red light attached. Does that sound familiar to anyone? I can see why it would be a difficult thing to sustain with batteries etc. Might have been a junior training rather than an event I suppose.
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Re: reflective strips on o flags for night O
andypat wrote:Dave R used a similar pipe thing recently for a night sprint training event. Definitely helped more than a flag- on one of them there was a building spotlight shining direct on the control and it was so bright I thought it was a spotlight itself!
I'm sure I can remember competing (unsuccessfully) in a night event in Dumfriesshire in the early 80s at which some (but possibly not all) the controls had a red light attached. Does that sound familiar to anyone? I can see why it would be a difficult thing to sustain with batteries etc. Might have been a junior training rather than an event I suppose.
Yes, I've used the reflective pipes for a couple of night training events. They can be very visible at night, but almost invisible in daylight. Great for leaving them out in the forest as nobody interferes with them but require careful hanging or they are too visible at night.
I remember planning a simple night event in Mabie Forest (as a junior) using dim red lights in the controls. These were small battery powered lights that Carol McNeill had.
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Re: reflective strips on o flags for night O
DaveR wrote:
I remember planning a simple night event in Mabie Forest (as a junior) using dim red lights in the controls. These were small battery powered lights that Carol McNeill had.
DO you remember putting one in the middle of a marsh??
Orienteering - its no walk in the park
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Re: reflective strips on o flags for night O
Interesting that in a sport with international and national rules and guidelines the size and colour of a control flag or kite is described but nothing about what should be used at night. Use of LEDs would make use of lights (flashing, coloured etc.) much easier than in the 80s for sure. Chris Spencer's hang em low strategy for Darnaway with the very reflective Silva kites was about right (except I couldn't find them)
Fac et Spera. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the Scottish 6 Days Assistant Coordinator
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Freefall - addict
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Re: reflective strips on o flags for night O
Having managed one NNC event prior to my injury, I was disappointed at just how bright the reflectors (used at this weekend's Scottish nights) were. They do need to be hung very carefully not to shine out from hundreds of metres away. I guess the planner there may not have known he was getting them as they were brand new. I actually lost time at one control as tit was so bright and large I thought it was a reflective jacket, and for some reason assumed it was a photographer watching the control - thus I went to the other side of the hill In contrast the DNC reflectors can only be seen from a distance if you are really looking expecting to see them - I think they are perfect - when planning there I took the view that controls in line features like reentrants had to be hung high, but those on point features like crags and ditch ends I put very low.
It sounds as though Chris's got them just right on his excellent looking courses.
It sounds as though Chris's got them just right on his excellent looking courses.
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