The British Caving Association

Plans are well under way for the CREG Field Meeting to be held over the weekend of 22/23 August 2015.

We shall again meet in the Yorkshire Dales (and accommodation has been booked for the Friday and Saturday nights at the Bradford Pothole Club), but on subsequent occasions we plan to move around the UK’s caving regions.

Already we have some interesting activities planned including:
• A demonstration of the Cave-Link system by Tim Eastwood of CRO. This system is increasingly being used by cave rescue teams for through-rock text messaging.
• Black Meg 3, a low-cost means of passing simple pre-defined messages, developed by Fred and Jimmy Rattray, will be on show.
• Rob Gill plans some experiments with VLF radio, which might offer some benefits over the usual LF cave radios.
• Tests with the use of metallic reflectors in cave passages to improve microwave communication along passages.
• A continuation of the work at previous field meeting into the use of HF radio from caves.

You’ll notice that all of these activities are communications-related but we anticipate that, as at the last field meeting, there will also be demonstrations and tests involving other areas. Indeed, previous events have feature areas as diverse as surveying, data logging, cave detection, lighting and photography.

It would be useful to know who plans to join us, whether you’d like us to reserve accommodation for you at BPC, and if you plan to bring something along. So, if you’re planning to attend please let us know by posting a reply here, or by email.
Regular updates will be posted to this forum and on the CREG-announce mailing list.

Look forward to seeing you in August.
Rob

email: creg-editor@bcra.org.uk

Only a month to go!

I now have two bat detectors functioning (the Tony Messina frequency dividing design recently published in the CREG Journal and a design that mixes ultrasonic calls down to audible frequencies).
I’ve had limited success in finding bats to test these with, but hope for more success when I bring them to the field meeting. If anyone else has a bat detector, I’d be very interested to see it and compare performance. Please bring it along.

Other bits of technology are being worked on. More news on these and of other demonstrations being organised, in a few days.

Incidentally, we’ve had a number of enquiries for bunk space over the weekend. Please let Mike or me know whether to reserve you some space.
Rob

email: creg-editor@bcra.org.uk

It’s a little less than three weeks to go before the CREG Field Meeting over the weekend of 22-23 August.

The various plans are coming together and we are looking forward to a good weekend, with demonstrations and trials of a wide range of technologies.

On both Saturday and Sunday, we plan to meet at Bernies in Ingleton around 09:00 and then move to KMC Valley Entrance for 10:00.

Accommodation has been reserved with Bradford PC at Brackenbottom, Horton-in-Ribblesdale for Friday and Saturday nights. There’s still space, but please let us know if you plan to stay.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you need any further information.

Rob
email: creg-editor@bcra.org.uk

A final note to confirm that everything is on track for an interesting weekend. Plenty of bits of kit to take a look at and a wide variety of trials and tests to help with.

On both Saturday and Sunday, we plan to meet at Bernies in Ingleton around 09:00 and then move to KMC Valley Entrance for 10:00.

Look forward to meeting both familiar and new faces!

Regards
Rob
07768 030322
creg-editor@bcra.org.uk

Weather is somewhat wet here in Preston at the moment and Kingsdale Master Cave may be full of water tomorrow. I will be coming up to the Dales straight after work first thing tomorrow morning and I will be in Bernies for 9:00am.