Somewhere in Gloucester County
Fox Hunt Map
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Al KB2AYU : The “Fox”
Fox Hunters : Jim N2GXJ : 1st Place Carl KD2YIF : 2nd Place Sheldon K2MEN Karl W2KBF Doug KD2VQA |
Len W2LJR Frank N3PUU Marc WM2Y Rich KD2WDN Brian KD2IEB |
It is becoming too hard to come up with a challenging hunt. The limited range of the fox transmitter and the fact that it must be in a public location requires the search area to be so small that it makes relatively easy to guess where to start. With that in mind, do not come into the search area before 12:45 or you may catch me in the process of hiding the fox. See the map above for the search borders. I will be looking for hunters to check in on the repeater starting about 12:50.
Al Arrison, KB2AYU
Al Arrison, KB2AYU
For everyone that is going to enjoy the 1pm hidden transmitter hunt today, a tip - you can always use Echolink on your Cell phone to connect and stay connected to W2MMD-R while using your hand-held radio to hunt!
It looks like the hunt area posted includes lots of wooded areas, which might otherwise make getting to Pitman repeater a challenge. Having Echolink on cell phone to check-in so we know who is hunting, monitor progress, and get hints if not found the transmitter within the allocated 1 hour might be useful.
They will also transmit hints FM simplex on the hunt frequency 146.565 as near 2pm, if you are still hunting. If think you are fairly close, and need help as 2pm approaches, just give an RF shout-out.
Jim Wright, N2GXJ
It looks like the hunt area posted includes lots of wooded areas, which might otherwise make getting to Pitman repeater a challenge. Having Echolink on cell phone to check-in so we know who is hunting, monitor progress, and get hints if not found the transmitter within the allocated 1 hour might be useful.
They will also transmit hints FM simplex on the hunt frequency 146.565 as near 2pm, if you are still hunting. If think you are fairly close, and need help as 2pm approaches, just give an RF shout-out.
Jim Wright, N2GXJ
For those that have not tried one of these fox hunts before, the idea is simple, and is quite fun. You can even bring the whole family along. It goes something like this.
A day before the hunt, the FOX will send an email to the Club reflector. In it, he will give directions that will narrow down search area we have to hunt in to something no larger than approximately 4 square miles, here in southern NJ. Then, by 1 pm on the Fox Hunt day, we drive into that area, and wait to hear from him on the W2MMD 2 Meter repeater (147.180 MHz PL Tone 131.8 Hz) asking for check-ins. You can also check-in using EchoLink : W2MMD-R. Each car full of us will check in with him on the repeater, so that he’ll know who all is hunting, and can give clues if anyone gets lost. Then the transmitter is turned on, and the hunt begins! By using a “warmer / colder” technique, where the signal is strongest when you are closer, and weaker when further away, or any technique of your choosing, the idea is to find the transmitter within an hour. If anyone is still searching after an hour, he’ll talk us all in using the Club’s repeater, so that all hunters will have the chance to meet up with him and laugh about our adventures! The transmitter is a Byonics MicroFox 15. It has an approximate transmitting range of 1 mile radius. The hunt frequency is 146.565 MHz. The transmission mode is FM simplex. When you are getting close to the transmitter, you can switch to 439.695 MHz, which is the third harmonic, to get a better read on its location. Hunters are encouraged to team up together, as it is a great event to partner up with non-ham family members who can help drive while you home-in on the signal using your radio. |
Transmitter
Frequency 146.565 MHz (3rd harmonic 439.695 MHz) Transmitter
Range +/- 1 Mile Radius |