Saturday, March 16, 2024
Starting @ 1300 Hours
In-person & Repeater Check-ins Start @ 1245 Hours
Fox Hunters, Please Meet Up @ The W2MMD Clubhouse
Somewhere in Gloucester County
March 9, 2024 Tech Saturday Practice Hunt
March 16, 2024 Fox Hunt XXX
Fox Hunt XXX After-Action Report
Fox Hunt 30 was a uniquely different hunt with 3 different transmitters and a Le Mans style start at the W2MMD Clubhouse. Hunters needed to find the first transmitter or FOX 1 hidden somewhere on the fairgrounds to receive a very weak signal bearing for FOX 2 located about 5.6 miles line of sight from the Clubhouse. Foxes 2 and 3 were located at the Elephant Swamp Trail in Elk Township. The weather turned out to be a nice early spring day in the low 60’s. We had six hunters signed up for the day’s challenge.
Congratulations to Alex KB2YEF who managed to find Fox 1 and Fox 3 before anyone else and too Jim N2GXJ and Sheldon K2MEN for finding Fox 2 at the same time.
Thanks to everyone else who was able to attend Fox Hunt 30 :
Special Thanks to Chris AD2CS for hosting the Yagi antenna and Attenuator build classes. Without that help hunters wouldn’t have had the proper equipment for this hunt.
The hunt turned out great, almost everyone managed to find the transmitters without too many clues. The initial signal bearing for Fox 2 was a little weaker than I would have liked, but most of us could hear it from the fairgrounds. When I did a test run it was way stronger. When we arrived at the park, we were surprised to find out that a dollar Easter egg hunt was also taking place. So, the park was a little busier than usual. Park goers were looking for plastic Easter Bunny eggs with surprises inside and a couple of Easter egg hunters even found a UV-5R hidden next to a tree.
WOW. Suffice it to say the Club got some good publicly with the Easter egg hunters and fellow hikers out enjoying the nice weather. As for the hunt, RF reflections sent some of our hunters in the wrong direction, but they quickly corrected the course and found the third transmitter located on the other side of Elk Road. This time I tried to keep the walking to a minimal but next time just wait.
The foxes for this hunt were provided by me and the radios were controlled by my custom designed circuit utilizing a Teensy 4.0 micro controller. The Teensy 4.0 micro controller provided DTMF remote activation, real time clocking, CW, and audio tone generation that was transmitted out over the connected UV-5R radio. The Baofeng UV-5R’s transmitters proved to be very reliable even with a very strong transmit duty cycle for well over an hour. All 3 transmitters were transmitting on different frequencies with a one minute transmit interval (30 seconds on, 30 seconds off). My controller boards worked very well, and I already have ideas for a possible version 3 and 4 (mini and micro).
The Elephant Swamp Trail in Elk Township is off East Elk Road between Route 77 (Bridgeton Pike) and 553 (Buck Road). The Elephant Swamp Trail is 5.1-mile trail in a wetlands area. In 1878 the former Pennsylvania–Reading Railroad had built tracks as part of a route from Camden to Bridgeton. The tracks were removed a century later, and the Elephant Swamp Trail now stands in their place.
Legend has it that in the late 1800s, an elephant got loose in the swamp when a traveling circus passed through Elk Township by railroad.
Again, Thanks to everyone who was able to help and attend Fox Hunt 30. Let’s make the next one even better.
Until next time.
DE
WM2Y (the fox)
73
Marc
Fox Hunt 30 was a uniquely different hunt with 3 different transmitters and a Le Mans style start at the W2MMD Clubhouse. Hunters needed to find the first transmitter or FOX 1 hidden somewhere on the fairgrounds to receive a very weak signal bearing for FOX 2 located about 5.6 miles line of sight from the Clubhouse. Foxes 2 and 3 were located at the Elephant Swamp Trail in Elk Township. The weather turned out to be a nice early spring day in the low 60’s. We had six hunters signed up for the day’s challenge.
Congratulations to Alex KB2YEF who managed to find Fox 1 and Fox 3 before anyone else and too Jim N2GXJ and Sheldon K2MEN for finding Fox 2 at the same time.
Thanks to everyone else who was able to attend Fox Hunt 30 :
- Earl KC2NCH
- Alex KB2YEF
- Sheldon K2MEN
- Jim N2GXJ
- Al KB2AYU
- Bruce KD2LBU
Special Thanks to Chris AD2CS for hosting the Yagi antenna and Attenuator build classes. Without that help hunters wouldn’t have had the proper equipment for this hunt.
The hunt turned out great, almost everyone managed to find the transmitters without too many clues. The initial signal bearing for Fox 2 was a little weaker than I would have liked, but most of us could hear it from the fairgrounds. When I did a test run it was way stronger. When we arrived at the park, we were surprised to find out that a dollar Easter egg hunt was also taking place. So, the park was a little busier than usual. Park goers were looking for plastic Easter Bunny eggs with surprises inside and a couple of Easter egg hunters even found a UV-5R hidden next to a tree.
WOW. Suffice it to say the Club got some good publicly with the Easter egg hunters and fellow hikers out enjoying the nice weather. As for the hunt, RF reflections sent some of our hunters in the wrong direction, but they quickly corrected the course and found the third transmitter located on the other side of Elk Road. This time I tried to keep the walking to a minimal but next time just wait.
The foxes for this hunt were provided by me and the radios were controlled by my custom designed circuit utilizing a Teensy 4.0 micro controller. The Teensy 4.0 micro controller provided DTMF remote activation, real time clocking, CW, and audio tone generation that was transmitted out over the connected UV-5R radio. The Baofeng UV-5R’s transmitters proved to be very reliable even with a very strong transmit duty cycle for well over an hour. All 3 transmitters were transmitting on different frequencies with a one minute transmit interval (30 seconds on, 30 seconds off). My controller boards worked very well, and I already have ideas for a possible version 3 and 4 (mini and micro).
The Elephant Swamp Trail in Elk Township is off East Elk Road between Route 77 (Bridgeton Pike) and 553 (Buck Road). The Elephant Swamp Trail is 5.1-mile trail in a wetlands area. In 1878 the former Pennsylvania–Reading Railroad had built tracks as part of a route from Camden to Bridgeton. The tracks were removed a century later, and the Elephant Swamp Trail now stands in their place.
Legend has it that in the late 1800s, an elephant got loose in the swamp when a traveling circus passed through Elk Township by railroad.
Again, Thanks to everyone who was able to help and attend Fox Hunt 30. Let’s make the next one even better.
Until next time.
DE
WM2Y (the fox)
73
Marc
Fox Hunt 30 Update - Friday, March 15, 2024
Information about tomorrow’s Fox hunt starting at 1 PM sharp!
In person or repeater check-ins will start around 12:45 PM.
The transmitters are preprogrammed to start at 1 PM. You will need to find Fox 1 on 146.430 MHz before you can take a bearing on Fox 2. Fox 1 is located on the fairgrounds after which you will need a vehicle to locate the others. Foxes 2 and 3 will be at the same park not too far apart from each other. Good luck
Fox Hunt Notes :
WM2Y Fox 1
WM2Y Fox 2
WM2Y Fox 3
3rd harmonic calculation : Base Frequency x 3 = 3rd harmonic
Marc, WM2Y
Information about tomorrow’s Fox hunt starting at 1 PM sharp!
In person or repeater check-ins will start around 12:45 PM.
The transmitters are preprogrammed to start at 1 PM. You will need to find Fox 1 on 146.430 MHz before you can take a bearing on Fox 2. Fox 1 is located on the fairgrounds after which you will need a vehicle to locate the others. Foxes 2 and 3 will be at the same park not too far apart from each other. Good luck
Fox Hunt Notes :
WM2Y Fox 1
- *Base Freq : 146.430*
- +4 MHz offset : 150.430
- 3rd harmonic 439.290
- 3rd harmonic + 4MHz 443.290
WM2Y Fox 2
- *Base Freq : 147.420*
- +4 MHz offset : 151.420
- 3rd harmonic 442.260
- 3rd harmonic + 4MHz 446.26
WM2Y Fox 3
- *Base Freq : 147.570*
- +4 MHz offset : 151.570
- 3rd harmonic 442.710
- 3rd harmonic + 4MHz 446.710
3rd harmonic calculation : Base Frequency x 3 = 3rd harmonic
Marc, WM2Y
GCARC’s 30th Hidden Transmitters Game Set for Saturday, March 16, 2024 @ 1300 Hours
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ & Marc Federici, WM2Y
We’re talking about a game where you use your handheld radio to try and find other hidden transmitters nearby. It is an unusual activity that your GCARC Club is offering for you to try with other Club members here in March.
This will be slightly different from hunts the Club has done in the past.
For this 30th anniversary hunt, we will be having a common starting location. For Saturday, March 16th, we ask for everyone to meet outside in front of our W2MMD Clubhouse. Please try and arrive there with enough time to assemble ahead of the 1pm rally start. At 1pm, there will be a brief welcome, followed by an announcement of the first transmitter frequency to hunt for. A mini-hunt will then start from the Clubhouse to find that first transmitter to get everyone situated and pointed the right way. For those able to find this first fox transmitter, on it they will find a note. The note will tell them the frequency to switch over to for finding the second fox transmitter. And the hunt continues from there! Find just one to win. Find them all to win a chance to be the person to hide them for others to find next time. More fun for everyone!
Want time to practice ahead of time? A practice session is being set up for the Tech Saturday Forum on March 9, 2024. Come on out to the Clubhouse that morning from 10-11am for some practice finding the 146.565 MHz FM transmitter. There might be one of the new transmitters there available to find too. Bring your own radio or borrow one of ours. Helpers will be available to show you how, helping you to practice “homing-in” on the radio transmitter fox.
Hope to see you there!
By Jim Wright, N2GXJ & Marc Federici, WM2Y
We’re talking about a game where you use your handheld radio to try and find other hidden transmitters nearby. It is an unusual activity that your GCARC Club is offering for you to try with other Club members here in March.
This will be slightly different from hunts the Club has done in the past.
For this 30th anniversary hunt, we will be having a common starting location. For Saturday, March 16th, we ask for everyone to meet outside in front of our W2MMD Clubhouse. Please try and arrive there with enough time to assemble ahead of the 1pm rally start. At 1pm, there will be a brief welcome, followed by an announcement of the first transmitter frequency to hunt for. A mini-hunt will then start from the Clubhouse to find that first transmitter to get everyone situated and pointed the right way. For those able to find this first fox transmitter, on it they will find a note. The note will tell them the frequency to switch over to for finding the second fox transmitter. And the hunt continues from there! Find just one to win. Find them all to win a chance to be the person to hide them for others to find next time. More fun for everyone!
Want time to practice ahead of time? A practice session is being set up for the Tech Saturday Forum on March 9, 2024. Come on out to the Clubhouse that morning from 10-11am for some practice finding the 146.565 MHz FM transmitter. There might be one of the new transmitters there available to find too. Bring your own radio or borrow one of ours. Helpers will be available to show you how, helping you to practice “homing-in” on the radio transmitter fox.
Hope to see you there!