Volunteers welcomed the bus after its lengthy journey from Oxford to Fort Ancient State Memorial near Lebanon, Ohio. The actual starting point was about 100 meters into the woods from there.
To keep competitors from getting bearings before they start on the hunt, all RDF equipment is impounded. Note that about half of the competitors used tape-measure yagis for two meters.
Up to four competitors, each in separate age/gender categories, were started at five-minute intervals. Front to back, this group was Daniel Nagy, Karla Leach KC7BLA, Ken Harker WM5R and Dale Hunt WB6BYU.
Off the two-meter starting line are Marvin Johnston KE6HTS at left, Emil Mayeva at right, and Paul Bohrer W9DUU behind.
Having a great time in mid-course on two meters is Emily DeYoung, the youngest competitor at age 11. Does she know she's on the way to a gold medal?
Coming down the final stretch is Dale Hunt WB6BYU. He has found all his transmitters and has folded up his antenna to help him run faster.
Jay Hennigan WB6RDV is about to finish his first USA Championships course and capture the gold.
Harley Leach KI7XF made his own synthesizer for his two-meter receiver. He has taken it to the World Championships twice. It is about to help him get a silver medal.
Jay Thompson W6JAY has also been to the World Championships. He was selected as Amateur Radio Newsline's Young Ham of the Year for 2003.
W6JAY's dad is Richard Thompson WA6NOL, who also takes to the courses.
Is he happy or delirious? Jerry Boyd WB8WFK of Albuquerque nears the finish and a silver medal in M40 division.
Turnstile antennas like this one on the two-meter finish line transmitter provide omnidirectional radiation in the horizontal plane.
Martha Carr KG4WVM of Atlanta crosses the finish line. Everyone received cheers as they came down the finish corridor.
The computer spat out labels to put on the control cards, which were placed in rank order on this line for all to see the results.
Hiroshi "Yoh" Izuta KG6CEH tore his pants on the course, but he's happy coming down the two-meter stretch. He's on his way to a silver medal in the M40 category.
Here comes Steve Shannonhouse KG4UFY of Georgia with his tape-measure beam and Ron Graham receiver.
Fighting his way to a bronze medal in M60 on two meters is Vernon Hammersley WA9FFZ of Springville, Indiana.
Terry Hudson KT9V is finishing his first championships two-meter course, and it looks like he had a great time. Terry does radio tracking of bobcats for the State of Indiana's Department of Natural Resources.
