Twenty-Second USA Radio Orienteering Championships
April 19-23, 2023 — Cooper Lake State Park, Texas
Hosted by New Mexico Orienteers
Short Link to this bulletin: bit.ly/USAROChamps2023
Official Bulletin
Event Organization
Event registration and cost
Registration is now closed. Please mark your calendar for the next USA Radio Orienteering Championships to be held in Michigan in October 2024.
Personnel
Director & Registrar: Gerald Boyd, WB8WFK (email: wb8wfk@icloud.com)
Course Designers: Nadia Scharlau, KO4ADV, and Charles Scharlau, NZØI
Host Club
New Mexico Orienteers, Albuquerque, NM (Member, Orienteering USA) is hosting the championships, using maps provided by North Texas Orienteering Association
Contact Information
Web URL
Physical Mailing Address
9128 Surrey NE Albuquerque, NM 87109 US
Email Address
Venue, Activities, & Dates
Event Location
Cooper Lake State Park - South Sulphur Unit, Sulphur Springs, TX — (lat/lon: 33.287685, -95.657478)
Google Maps: Cooper Lake State Park - South Sulphur Unit
Climate Data
April weather in Sulphur Springs, Texas, is generally pleasant. Sunrise in mid-April is about 7:00 AM, and sunset is about 8:00 PM. Sulphur Springs is in the Central time zone, and daylight saving time will be in effect during the event.
Course Hazards
There are steep hazardous trenches marked out-of-bounds on competition maps: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS THEM, except at marked crossing points.
There are fences that may present trip hazards. The fences are shown on the competition maps. Use caution when approaching or crossing them.
Park Entry Fee
The park entry fee is not included in your registration fees. It must be paid directly to Cooper Lake State Park each day upon entry to the park.
A $5.00 daily park entrance fee* (day use pass) for each person entering the park is charged for all attendees 13 years of age and older (12 and under receive free entry). The fee must be paid directly to the park at the park entrance. Texas State Parks Department also offers an annual Texas State Parks Pass for $70 that will cover unlimited entrance fees for you and your guests at all Texas state parks for a full year.
*NOTE: multi-day entrance fees can be payed online only! The park will not sell multi-day passes at the office. Visit this site: https://texasstateparks.reserveamerica.com/. Make your multi-day pass purchase online. Then check in at the office to receive your printed multi-day pass.
Information on entrance fees and annual passes can be found at the Texas State Parks website: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/cooper-lake/fees-facilities/entrance-fees
Itinerary (subject to change)
All times are Central Daylight Time (CDT, UTC-5h)
Times are subject to change up until the day of the event. Check this bulletin frequently for updates.
Wednesday, 19 April 2023 : Practice Day
8:15 AM : Park office opens
8:30 AM : Check-in and instructions at Group Shelter.
8:00 AM - 3:00 PM : Training/Practice and Sprint Equipment Check
Thursday, 20 April 2023 : Sprint Competition
8:15 AM : Park office opens
8:30 AM : Check-in and instructions at group shelter.
8:45 AM : Drive and then hike (3.2 km) to Sprint Competition start
Sprint starts as soon as competitors arrive at the start (~10 AM?)
Foxoring Equipment Check at shelter immediately after Sprint.
Friday, 21 April 2023 : Foxoring
Due to a thunderstorm preventing installation of all of the FOXO equipment there will be a starting delay tomorrow. If there are additional storms in the AM the delay could be extended. Please pass the word around.
8:15 AM : Park office opens
9:00 AM : Check-in and instructions at Group Shelter.
8:45 AM : Hike (1.2 km) from Group Shelter to Foxoring Competition start
Foxoring starts as soon as competitors arrive at the start (~9:30 AM?)
Classics Equipment Check at Group Shelter immediately after Foxoring.
5:30 PM : Dinner with Sprint and Foxoring awards ceremony and general meeting.
Saturday, 22 April 2023 : Classics (80m: M60-M70, M19, W35-W65, W19; 2m: M21-M50, W21)
8:15 AM : Park office opens
8:30 AM : Check-in and instructions at group shelter.
8:45 AM : Classic Competitions (2m & 80m) first starts from Group Shelter.
Classics Equipment Check at Group Shelter immediately after Classics.
Sunday, 23 April 2023 : Classics (80m: M21-M50, W21; 2m: M60-M70, M19, W35-W65, W19)
8:15 AM : Park office opens
8:45 AM : Drive and then hike (~1.2 km) to Classics Competition remote start. The finish is at Group Shelter.
Classics start as soon as competitors arrive at the start (~9:30 AM?)
Classic awards ceremony at Group Shelter ASAP after finishers arrive.
Beginner Classes
Classes for beginners will be offered in the days leading up to the competition. Dates, times, and locations will be determined based on demand. Contact the organizers if you are interested in beginner classes: wb8wfk@icloud.com
Friday Evening Dinner
Reservations have been made for a large private room at Luigi's Italian Café in Commerce, Texas, for the Friday meeting and event dinner. The café is located at 1615 State Hwy 50 Commerce, TX 75428
The dinner Is not included in the registration fee. For convenience, the restaurant has agreed to handle separate checks. Each guest will pay for the meal and beverages of his or her choice from the full dinner and bar menus. A general meeting will be held during dinner to disseminate information related to the Saturday and Sunday classic courses and answer questions. Awards for the foxoring and sprint events will also be presented.
The dinner menu is available online: https://www.luigisitaliancafe.com/assets/luigis_menu_commerce_5-22.pdf
Competition Details
Competition Categories
Women (W) | Men (M) | Ages |
W19 | M19 | 19 and younger |
W21 | M21 | regardless of age |
W35 | M40 | 35/40 and older |
W45 | M50 | 45/50 and older |
W55 | M60 | 55/60 and older |
W65 | M70 | 65/70 and older |
Map Details
Sprint map scale: 1:5000
All other maps: 1:10000
Classic competition maps for M21-M50, W21 categories will be on legal size paper (8.5” x 14”)
All other maps will be on standard letter paper (8.5” x 11”)
Time Registration
SPORTident will be used to record the times of all competitors. Competitors who do not own an SI finger stick may rent one. Only conventional registration will be supported, Air+ registration will not be supported. A pin-punch backup system will be provided and should be used only in the event that a registration station, or finger stick, should fail.
Radio Technical
Transmitter frequencies, power outputs, and antenna designs for each competition format and transmitter type are listed in the following table:
Embargoed Areas
Effective June 15, 2022, the entire Cooper Lake State Park - South Sulphur Unit, Sulphur Springs, TX is officially designated as an embargoed area. All persons planning to compete in the championships should keep out of this area until the competitions have concluded. Note the following instructions:
- During the week of the event, after checking in at the park entrance, proceed using primary roads directly to the group shelter located at the Gulls Bluff day-use area.
- If you have a campground reservation within the park boundaries, proceed directly to your assigned campground area when entering the park. To exit the park proceed directly to the park exit. For event activities, proceed directly from your campground area (or park entrance) along the main roads to the group site at the Gulls Bluff day-use area.
- Unless you receive official instructions telling you otherwise (e.g., following a designated route to a competition start location), avoid using any other areas within the Cooper Lake State Park - South Sulphur Unit, including trails.
Note: The Cooper Lake State Park Doctors Creek unit (a separate smaller park located on the north side of the lake) is not listed as embargoed. There are public trails and additional campgrounds in that area.
Rules Deviations
Deviations from USA ARDF Rules:
- S-T2.6 — Sprint foxes will identify with shortened prefixes: Slow foxes will use “ME”, “MI”, “MS”, etc., fast foxes will use “OE”, “OI”, “OS”, etc. The abbreviated identifiers will ensure that each fox sends its identifier more than once during each 12-second transmission.
- C28.1 — Categories are divided into two groups: one group contains categories M19, M21, M40, M50, W19, and W21, the other group contains categories M50, M60, M70, W35, W45, W55, and W65. This will help provide better courses for the M50 category.
Accommodations, Transportation, & Parking
Parking at the Event
Event parking is located at the covered group shelter in the Gulls Bluff day use area. This park map shows the location of the event parking lot and the group shelter.
Camping
Tent and RV campsites are available within the park boundaries. See https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/cooper-lake
Nearby Towns & Transportation
The below screenshot from Google Maps shows nearby towns Cooper, Commerce, and Sulphur Springs. Sulphur Springs has the most services, including motels and restaurants.
Dallas, Texas, is about 60 miles west of Cooper Lake State Park. Dallas/Fort Worth International (1-hour 45-min drive), and Dallas Love Field (1-hour 35-min drive), are the nearest major airports.
Nearby Hotels
Hampton Inn: (lat/lon: 33.119205, -95.594544); located at 1202 Mockingbird Lane, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482 (Phone: 903-439-4646), has set aside a block of 25 rooms for Championships participants between 18-24 April 2023. Check-in time is 3:00 PM; for guests that arrive before 3:00 PM, complimentary luggage storage will be available. Check-out time is 11:00 am. All reservations will be made on an individual basis, with each guest responsible for their own room, tax, and incidental charges. Guests must call and reserve rooms by the cutoff date: 7 April 2023. Guests must call the Hotel Reservations Office directly at (903)-439-4646 during business hours, and they must request the "22nd USA Radio Championship" group block by name. Room Selections: 2 Double Queen Beds; Rate: $98.00 per night plus tax. Payment is due and payable upon checkout. Guests must have a credit card on file at check-in with the option to pay cash at checkout.
The following hotels are located close to The Hampton Inn for those preferring other accommodations nearby.
La Quinta Inn & Suites: (lat/lon: 33.118502, -95.590502); 1344 Eaton Dr, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482; Phone: (903) 885-8181
Clarion Pointe: (lat/lon: 33.118154, -95.589303); 411 Industrial Dr E, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482; Phone: (903) 885-6851
The below screenshot from Google Maps shows the location of the three above-listed hotels in Sulphur Springs.
Emergency & Safety Information
Close Urgent Care Centers
Commerce, TX: Quick Visit Urgent Care, 1704 Live Oak Street, Commerce, TX 75428; Ph: 430-562-8272
Sulphur Springs, TX: Hopkins Minor Emergency Center, 106 Hodge St, Sulphur Springs, TX 75482; 903-885-2911
Covid Policies
Please refer to and comply with posted park regulations and restrictions.
Safety Information
Everyone must carry a whistle with them on the course.
You are encouraged to carry a cell phone with you on the course. Using the cell phone will not disqualify you from the competition if used for reporting an emergency, contacting the organizer, or after you are overtime. (All other cell phone use is prohibited on the course.)
There are no unusual dangers in Cooper Lake State Park. You should use insect repellent on your clothes to repel ticks and chiggers, and there could also be mosquitoes. Expect rocky, thorny and marshy areas. There are steep hazardous trenches marked out-of-bounds on competition maps: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS THEM. There are venomous snakes in this region of Texas, but they are rarely encountered.
There will not be drinking water on the course. If the temperature is predicted to be above 90℉ (32℃) during the day, you will be required to take water with you.
We will have drinking water at the event shelter for you to fill up your container.
Disposable water bottles are not permitted on the course and are discouraged throughout the event.
Weather
Tornado season in Texas runs from April through June each year. Educate yourself on how to be safe in dangerous weather. Thunderstorms are common in Texas in the spring. Consult the National Weather Service lightning safety page, and heed this advice if you get caught out on a trail during a thunderstorm. The nearest NOAA weather radio station to the event venue is NWR Station WXK20 at 162.550 MHz.
Organizers will monitor local radar and cancel events if dangerous weather is imminent. Pay close attention to announcements, and carry a cell phone with you.
Nourishment
Each participant is encouraged to pack their own lunch and snacks. No food service is provided or available inside the park.
Miscellaneous
Things To Do In Dallas
https://www.visitdallas.com/events/attractions
Registered Competitors as of 13 April 2023
Please report any errors to the Event Director: wb8wfk@icloud.com
