Every weekend, in cities and towns all across the country, ham radio operators gather outside for a very special kind of contest–the Fox Hunt. A small, low power transmitter is hidden and the rest of the crew tries to find it. Sound simple? It can be very challenging and a whole lot of fun. The direction finding skills learned in this activity can be very valuable in locating a repeater jammer, or a lost hiker.
No, we don’t have horses, dogs or dress up in formal hunting attire. It’s just a fun way to get out and about and use your radio to find an hidden transmitter. Anyone can participate, licensed, unlicensed, club member or not, just come prepared to spend time outside(usually in a park). So bring the usual stuff, food, water, sunscreen, bug spray, etc. Nothing is provided to the group except a fun time.
| DATE: | Saturday, 23 September, 0900 – 1200 |
| Location: | Phil Hardberger Park |
| Contact: | n9eod@n9eod.com |
| We will have the next Fox Hunt at Phil Hardberger Park on Saturday, 23 September, 0900 – 1200. Hud, W5ZBR, will be hiding the MicroFox (15mw) transmitting once a minute on 146.565Mhz. | |
| Hunters may start anywhere in the park—no need to wait for the group. As soon as 0900 hits, you can begin hunting. If you can’t be there at 0900, that’s ok. The hunt will continue after the first person finds it. The Fox will still be transmitting and hidden till 1200. | |
| If you are new or don’t have the equipment, you can meet me in the parking on the east side of the park off of Blanco Rd. I will be there from 0900 – 1000, White Toyota Corolla with antennas and IL plates. GPS Cords: 29.56136, -98.51978 The meet-up location is marked on the map linked below. | |
| Please consider bringing non-hams out with you—especially kids who really seem to enjoy this activity. Fox Hunting is an excellent event for newcomers to radio as it doesn’t require a transmitter to find the Fox. | |
| Park maps can be found at:https://sartopo.com/p/FATDT | |
| Those that find the Fox will need to follow the instructions on the card with the Fox to get credit. The first person to find it will get the option to hide the Fox next month. Hud will monitor the AA5RO repeater 147.38 Pl 162.2 for talk-in and hints if needed. Tips will be provided after 1100 if requested. He will also be monitoring 147.435 if you can’t reach the repeater. |
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| If you need instructions on how to build a simple directional antenna to aid in direction finding, please navigate to https://nt1k.com/vhf-3el-tape-measure-yagi/ | |
