Championship ARDF News
From USA and Around the World
Morrow Mountain in North Carolina was the site of the 2025 USA ARDF Championships.
When first formed, the Uwharrie Mountains of central North Carolina rose to nearly 20,000 feet above sea level. Erosion has gradually worn them down to the high hills that they are today. The top of Morrow Mountain is only 936 feet, but it's beautiful and the area is perfect for ARDF.
Morrow Mountain State Park was developed through the 1930s and named after James McKnight Morrow, a major land donor. It is 40 miles northeast of Charlotte and 90 miles southwest of Raleigh. Today the park has 5,881 acres and 32 miles of well-maintained trails. With excellent maps by Carolina Orienteering Klubb, it was an ideal location for the 2025 USA Radio-Orienteering Championships.
Organizing these championships were members of Backwoods Orienteering Klub. Joseph Huberman K5JGH was the Event Director and Ruth Bromer WB4QZG was the Registrar (both pictured at right above). Designing the courses was Charles Scharlau NZØI. All three have been consistent medal winners at previous USA Championships and have competed in the ARDF World Championships.
Attending were about thirty fans of on-foot hidden transmitter hunting from USA and Canada. Some took advantage of the campgrounds and cabins at the park, while others spent nights in nearby Albemarle. Traveling from southern California were long-time radio-orienteers Bill Wright WB6CMD and Scott Moore KF6IKO (pictured at left). "We got really lucky with the weather," Bill reported. "We finished before the big heat wave came in. I think on the worst day it was up in the nineties, which was miserable enough but not as bad as we feared. We were usually on course by 9:30 and people were pretty much done by noon. But you can't get around the fact that when it's 90 degrees with eighty to ninety percent humidity, it's going to be miserable sometimes. They had controlled burns on part of the map we were using, which really cleared out a lot of the low-lying vegetation. That was good for orienteering. I didn't encounter a single tick and the bugs were pretty minimal."
Starting on Saturday, June 14, four days of training and practice were hosted by K5JGH and WB4QZG near their home in Asheboro. The action moved to Morrow Mountain State Park on Wednesday for equipment checks, an information meeting and pizza.
Thursday was the first day of formal competition, foxoring. It closely resembles classic orienteering because there are circles on the provided map near the continuously-transmitting low-power 80-meter transmitters. Competitors use their orienteering skills to get to the circle locations, then perform direction-finding to home in on the foxes that can only be heard there.
The foxoring course was in the northern part of COK's mapped area, between a campground and the Pee Dee River. There were ten transmitters on three frequencies, separated by about 500 meters. Only competitors in the M21 category were required to find them all. Winning gold and having his best day of competition was Gheorghe Fala, who found them all in 59:23. W35 and M50 categories had eight required foxes. Lori Huberman was best for eight at 51:06.
Friday's event was the sprint, in which the transmitters are on for 12 seconds in sequence. The course has two loops. The first has five slow-keyed 80-meter transmitters on one frequency. The second has five fast-keyed 80-meter transmitters on another frequency. Competitors run through the start corridor leading to the area with slow-keyed transmitters. After finding all of the required transmitters from the first loop in any order, they run through a spectator corridor to the area with fast keyed foxes. After finding all required transmitters from this loop in any order, they run to the finish line.
To make the foxes easier to distinguish from one another during their short transmissions, the slow-keyed ones sent ME, MI, MS, MH and M5. The fast-keyed ones sent OE, OI, OS, OH and O5. The compact course was next to the parking area and a shelter to encourage spectators.
Eduard Nasybulin was fastest in M21, the only category required to find all ten sprint foxes. He did the course in 30:58, which was more than twelve minutes faster than second-place finisher William Allen. For the categories with eight required foxes (W35 and M50), Matthew Craig was fastest at 24:41.
The hardest event of a radio-orienteering championships is usually the two-meter classic, which took place on Saturday. Classics got their name because they were the first form of radio-orienteering. Five transmitters are placed at least 400 meters apart. They transmit for 60 seconds each in rotating order on the same frequency. Competitors are individually timed as they travel from the starting point to the finish, finding the transmitters required for their category along the way in any order. There are no transmitters within 700 meters of the start and 400 meters of the finish, except for a continuous beacon on another frequency near the finish line to help those who get lost, lose their map or break their glasses. To insure fairness, there are many additional rules for classic events, covering impounds, start procedures, course monitoring, protests and so forth.
The classics map encompassed 1850 acres. According to WB6CMD, "It was a compact area, which made it a challenge for the course designer. Charles did a pretty good job of finding good fox locations. Everyone was predicting beforehand that it would be really difficult on two meters due to the terrain and moisture. There was a lot of apprehension going into it, but I got pretty good bearings leaving the exclusion zone and they held up approaching the transmitters. There was one on which I didn't get good bearings early on. Fortunately it was far enough away and I knew the order I wanted to take. As I got close, the bearings cleared up and I found it on a little knoll next to the river."
Bill Wright's time for his three required foxes was 1:28:06, which earned him a silver medal in M60 category. The M60 winner was Evgeny Danilov in 1:13:24. In the other three-fox adult categories (W55, W75 and M70), the best time was turned in by Nadia Scharlau KO4ADV at 1:08:18. In the five-fox M21 category, the gold medalist was Eduard Nasybulin in 1:57:20.
In 2024, WB6CMD won M60 gold in all four events, but he was not disappointed with his two medals in 2025. "Nicolai Mejevoi and Iurii Kolesnykov weren't at the USA championships last year. Evgeny Danilov KQ4QYZ has really improved. I was very impressed with his skills and his performance. So the competition was much more intense. I think I did better than some years before. I seemed to have my act together and didn't make as many blunders."
Sunday was the final competition day with the 80-meter classic event. The map area was the same, but the start and finish points were reversed, so competitors had to walk in to a high point to get to the starting line. Bill Wright reported that the entire area was very good for orienteering. "The trails didn't help all that much, and the terrain was open enough that on 80 it was best to just go directly toward the signal. The small amount of green on the map overemphasized the vegetation."
It is typical for 80-meter course times to be faster on average than for two-meter equivalent courses. Eighty-meter signals do not reflect from terrain features to cause incorrect and confusing bearings like two-meter signals often do. The nulls on 80-meter ARDF sets provide sharper bearings than the pattern peaks of two-meter yagis. In addition, 80-meter receiver-antenna sets are smaller, lighter and less awkward to carry than two-meter sets.
In this 80-meter classic, Eduard Nasybulin was winner in the five-fox M21 category, finding them all in 1:00:39. He was just seven seconds faster than second place Gheorghe Fala. Nadia Scharlau KO4ADV had the best pace of the day, finding her three W55 required foxes in 41:22.
The championships went very smoothly, to the delight of Course Designer NZØI. He wrote, "All of the competition's radio equipment worked flawlessly. Some of the transmitters were placed in the woods as much as eight days before they were scheduled to operate. They all came on at their prescribed times and timing of transmissions was well within the maximum overlap rules. Spreading the deployments out over a four-day period made it very manageable for a single course setter to handle the task. I even had time to attend meetings and the banquet!"
Congratulations to all of the gold medal winners. They are, in alphabetical order:
Anastasia Afonkin W16 foxor sprint 80m
Ruth Bromer WB4QZG W75 foxor sprint 2m 80m
Maria Burrus W55 foxor
Matthew Craig M50 sprint
Evgeny Danilov KQ4QYZ M60 foxor 2m
Gheorghe Fala M21 foxor
Robert John Haddow M50 foxor
Erin Hammer W35 2m 80m
Joseph Huberman K5JGH M70 foxor sprint 2m 80m
Lori Huberman W35 foxor sprint
Jonathan Kross M40 80m
Natalia Leoni W55 sprint
Nicolai Mejevoi M60 sprint 80m
Alexander Myachin M50 2m 80m
Eduard Nasybulin M21 sprint 2m 80m
Adalia Schafrath-Craig W19 foxor sprint 2m 80m
Nadia Scharlau KO4ADV W55 2m 80m
Tiger Zhao M16 foxor sprint 2m 80m
Here are links to the official results:
FoxOring competition, Thursday, June 19
Sprint competition, Friday, June 20
2-meter Classic competitionay, Saturday, June 21
80-meter Classic competition , Sunday, June 22
Over 140 photos have been posted by the participants.
Joe Moell KØOV
Organized by the Lithuanian Amateur Radio Society, the 22nd IARU World Championships took place in Birstonas from August 16 through 22, 2025. This city of 3,000 residents is 50 miles west of Vilnius, the capital and largest city in Lithuania. There were separate classic ARDF events on separate days for national teams on eighty meters and two meters, each with up to five transmitters scattered in a forest that might encompass 1000 acres or more. There were also competitions in sprints and foxoring.
For the World Championships, each country may send up to three competitors for each event in each of twelve age categories, six for males and six for females, in accordance with rules of the International Amateur Radio Union. Team members are responsible for their own registration/room/board fees and for transportation expenses to and from Lithuania.
USA has been represented at every one of these ARDF World Championships since 1998, and 2025 was no exception. Team USA selection in competed categories (where more than three wish to attend) was based on performances and standings in qualifying events including the 23rd USA ARDF Championships (Michigan, October 2024) and the 24th USA ARDF Championships (North Carolina, June 2025). Co-chairs of the ARRL Team Selection Committee were Ruth Bromer WB4QZG and Nadia Scharlau KO4ADV.
Once again, Team USA was on the medal podium. Nadia Scharlau KO4ADV won an individual silver medal on 80 meters in the second classic event on August 21. In W55 category on that date, the combined scores of Nadia Scharlau, Alla Mezhevaya and Maria Burrus captured bronze for USA in the team competition.
In addition, the following team members had top-ten finishes:
Congratulations to all!
Complete results are in the ARDF Web site of Germany. Ken Harker WM5R, who is ARDF Coordinator for IARU Region 2, served as a juror at these championships. He has posted his photos here.
For more about the 2025 ARDF World Championships, visit the World Championships Web site of the Lithuanian Amateur Radio Society.
Joe Moell KØOV
It's time to look forward to 2026. The ARRL ARDF Committee is seeking organizers for the 24th USA ARDF Championships, to be held in the spring. Hams in the selected city will invite radio-orienteers from all over the USA plus visitors from abroad. They will stage separate events on 2 meters and 80 meters, as well as sprints and foxoring, in accordance with IARU's rules for ARDF competitions. They will provide medals and host a dinner at which the medals will be awarded. And if they organize it well, they will have lots of fun.
There are no rules regarding when the championships must take place. Depending on weather and ground conditions, it could be in the spring, summer or fall. Dates between Memorial Day and Labor Day have the advantage of encouraging school-aged youth to participate. It is typical for sprints and foxoring to be on Thursdays and Fridays, with classic events on the weekend. Training and practice sessions often take place in the days leading up to the formal events.
If you have experienced international-style foxhunting, you already know how the sport promotes technical skills, builds physical ability, and fosters camaraderie. Putting on large-scale radio-orienteering events can add even more excitement.
If your local radio club or club council has ever put on a hamfest or ARRL convention, then all the necessary organizational skills and experience to stage an event of this type are probably available to you. Hams who have organized previous championships will have plenty of advice about foxtailing sites, mapping, housing, publicity, transportation, finances, and so forth. A page of tips for hosting ARDF championships is now in this Homing In site. The ARRL ARDF Committee has produced a tri-fold brochure to promote radio-orienteering in local clubs.
If you believe that the hams in your area would be seriously interested in hosting the USA ARDF Championships in 2026 or another future year, please reach out to the ARRL ARDF Committee
via e-mail now. The committee will provide information to help you approach your club/council leaders about it.
What better way to generate enthusiasm within your club, help your fellow hams, promote international goodwill, and have a great time doing it! Let's get started!
This fund was first established in year 2000 with "seed money" from the Colvin Award, the ARRL Foundation and the ARRL General Fund. In its first five years, payments from the fund were made on behalf of 18 individuals to help defray the cost of their participation in three ARDF World Championships. Grants from the fund have also been made to the organizers of two USA ARDF Championships.
No further contributions are anticipated from the original sources, so the fund has been opened to contributions from individuals and clubs. All contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law and will be acknowledged by ARRL, a registered 501(c)(3) organization. Contributions may not be designated by donors to be granted to any specific recipient, individual or group.
Grants from the fund may be requested by groups sponsoring ARDF events in the USA and by individuals who have qualified to represent the USA in ARDF competitions sanctioned by the ARRL or the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU). Requests for grants should be submitted electronically at least 60 days in advance of need to the Development Office at ARRL Headquarters. They will be reviewed by a committee that includes ARRL's Chief Executive Officer, Chief Development Officer and ARDF Committee.
You can help support ARDF in the USA by sending a donation to ARDF Development Fund, c/o ARRL, 225 East Main Street, Newington, CT 06111. Checks should be made out to ARRL with "ARDF Development Fund" on the memo line.
The not-for-profit American Radio Relay League (ARRL) is the national association of Amateur Radio operators, founded in 1914. ARRL is a member society of the IARU.
Go to Equipment Ideas for Radio-Orienteering -- Simple and inexpensive receiving and transmitting solutions
Go to Radio-Orienteering News for Southern California -- Results and stories of recent radio-orienteering events in southern California, plus announcements of upcoming ones.
Go to Foxhunting for Scouts -- Let's get the kids involved
Go to Extenders Aid Handicapped Foxhunters -- A novel way to include persons with disabilities
This page updated 3 September 2025
Along the Nemunas River, the beautiful resort village of Birstonas, Lithuania hosted the 2025 ARDF World Championships
The 22nd ARDF World Championships
Birstonas, Lithuania, August 16 - 22, 2025
Nestled on the banks of the Nemunas River and surrounded by beautiful pine forests, Birstonas, Lithuania is known for its therapeutic mineral springs and natural landscapes. Visitors flock to this spa town to indulge in various wellness treatments, soak in healing mineral baths, and immerse themselves in nature. But for more than 300 radio-athletes from 25 nations, their trip to Birstonas was an opportunity to find out who is best at the world at finding radio transmitters in the woods.
Nadia Scharlau W55 5th in Sprint, 7th in 2m Classic
Erin Hammer W35 6th in Foxor, 8th in 80m Classic
Ruth Bromer w65 6th in Foxor, 10th in 80m Classic, 10th in Sprint
Alexander Myachin M50 5th in Foxor, 7th in Sprint
Natalia Leoni W45 8th in Foxor, 8th in 80m Classic
Alla Mezhevaya W55 10th in Foxor
At left, Nadia Scharlau KO4ADV won silver in the second Classic event on 80 meters. Here she is on the medal stand with the first and third place winners, both of whom are from the Czech Republic. At right, Team USA won bronze in the W55 category on 80 meters. On the medal stand in their blue uniforms are Maria Burrus, Nadia Scharlau and Alla Mezhevaya.
USA ARDF Championships 2026
Let's Start Planning Now 
Since the turn of the century, stateside hams have been treated to 24 outstanding national championship events. From preteens to septuagenarians, they have found radio foxes in the woods and have taken home medals. More Amateur Radio operators in the USA are aware of and have participated in international rules transmitter hunts than ever before.
Upcoming Championship ARDF Events Worldwide
Radio-orienteering Training and World Cup, July 20 - August 2, 2026 in Istanbul, Turkey. Details to be announced.
The 23rd USA Radio-Orienteering Championships
And 11th IARU Region 2 ARDF Championships
Chelsea, MI, October 9 - 13, 2024Same Sport, New-ish Name
This Homing In site has used the terms "ARDF" and "Radio-Orienteering" interchangeably with respect to on-foot transmitter hunting under international rules. Both terms are recognized in most countries where the sport is performed (see example at right from Czech Republic). However, ARDF is often confused with in-vehicle transmitter hunting (which I prefer to call "T-hunting"). Now the ARRL ARDF Committee has decided to emphasize the term "Radio-Orienteering" to help minimize confusion. The Committee sent this message on June 20, 2022:
ARRL ARDF Development Fund Seeks Donations
The ARRL Fund for the Development of Amateur Radio Direction Finding is now accepting monetary donations to support deserving groups and individuals as they expand international-rules ARDF activities in the USA.
Results and Photos of Other Stateside ARDF Events in Recent Years
Current SoCal sessions -- Southern California practice/demonstration events of 2025. SoCal 2024 -- Southern California practice/demonstration events of 2024, including Hillcrest Park and Mission Bay Park. SoCal 2023 -- Southern California (and Arizona) practice/demonstration events of 2023, including Hillcrest Park and Balboa Park. SoCal 2022 -- Southern California (and Arizona) practice/demonstration events of 2022, including Yuma Hamfest, Hillcrest Park and Felicita Park. SoCal 2021 -- Southern California practice/demonstration events of 2021, including Lake Los Carneros, Hillcrest Park and Bonelli Regional Park. (There were no events in 2020 due to COVID.)
SoCal 2019 -- Southern California practice/demonstration events of 2019, including Bonelli Regional Park, Mt. Pinos, Guajome Regional Park, Hillcrest Park, Mission Viejo Community Park, Yuma Hamfest and Lake Los Carneros. April 19 - 23, 2023 -- 22nd USA ARDF Championships near Sulphur Springs, TX. April 7 - 10, 2022 -- 21st USA ARDF Championships in Triangle, VA. October 14 - 17, 2021 -- Twentieth USA ARDF Championships in North Carolina. July 28 - August 4, 2019 -- Nineteenth USA and Tenth IARU Region 2 ARDF Championships near Raleigh, NC.
Additional ARDF Resources In This Site
Go to International-Style Foxhunting Comes To The Americas -- An introduction to the sport with the history of its development in the Western Hemisphere
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