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Transmitter Hunting in the San Francisco Bay
Area
Pleasanton, CALIFORNIA
January 19, 2002
Thanks for visiting the San Francisco Bay
Area T-Hunting WEB SITE.
Story and Photographs by:
Jim-KD6DX
Resized and edited with Thumbs-Plus
4.5 & Photo
Shop 6.01
From 2560x1920 to
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Nikon CP5000
Last updated:
Tuesday, January 22, 2002
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Participants
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Fox:
Ron - N7TVE |
TEAMS (5) |
Mileage |
Place |
Jim-KD6DX and Greg-KE6PTP |
40.3 (both Foxes) |
1st |
Rich-KN6FW and Chris-KF6VFU |
Second Fox only. (39.6) |
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Gary-WB6YRU |
First Fox only. (6.8) |
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Don-KD6IRE and Bruce-W6TED |
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Art-KF7GD and Kirby |
First Fox only. |
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Entire hunt track and Bearings |
Starting from the "Pleasanton Start Point" (Valley Christian
Center), five teams gathered to hunt Ron-N7TVE and his two hidden
transmitters. We were to find the closest transmitter first and then the
one he was waiting at. Mileage to both transmitter count to win.
Don-KD6IRE (very smart) figured out the riddle. At
4:50 PM transmitter 146.49 MHz turned on, I read a bearing of 45* and at
5:10 PM transmitter 146.415 MHz turned on (bearing 41*). Don said if
Ron, 20 minutes later turned on 146.415, then he must be at 146.415 and
146.490 must be the first, closest transmitter. |
Map to 1st Fox. |
Map to 2nd Fox. |
165957 |
Charley-W6RMR |
The past few hunts, I have been losing. Talking with my co-pilot,
Greg-KE6PTP, we determined I look to far out on my initial bearing and
must check the area closer-in along my bearing line.
Since both transmitters were along the same
initial bearing we took-off in-search of either transmitters along the
line. Which ever transmitter we came to first was the closest.
EQUIPMENT:
1) Arrow 4-element beam
& Attenuator.
2) Magnetic Compass and
Protractor.
3) Icom R3 U-R-Here radio.
4) Garmin
StreetPilot-III, street level mapping.
5) AHHA Doppler, set to
Filiter-2, 2/10/10.
6) Scout-40, Close-in
frequency counter. |
170156 |
170239 |
171037 |
171155 |
171210 |
180130 |
As you can see on "Map to 1st Fox", we
were within walking distance of 146.49 MHz at 5:45 PM. Not thinking it
was a walking hunt, we drove around to the other side of the Park and at
5:55 PM we walked down a dark path public path and found the
transmitter. Greg-KE6PTP found the actual
146.49 MHz transmitter using his
Arrow
Satellite Beam and
Scout-40. |
180219 |
180424 |
193454 |
193516 |
Locating the 2nd 146.415 MHz transmitter was a little tricky. I
couldn't believe it was hidden so far way. Looking at "Map
to 2nd Fox", you can see we drove in-land, trying all the unpaved
roads leading towards the Fox but, not quite getting us to it.
Finely, we determined it was on Morgan Territory
Road and drove right to the transmitter. The time, 7:30 PM.
While south of the transmitter, on Morgan
Territory Rd, the signal was very weak. Because the transmitter was on
the north side of the summit (behind the hill), it seemed the
transmitter was not up here either.
Experimenting with the
AHHA Doppler's filter-2
and setting the "QQ/Miss/Depth" to 2/10/10, really helped. My Doppler
pointed straight ahead, right up Morgan Territory Rd, all the time.
Periodically switching my Doppler to non-filter mode, I found my display
spinning and sometimes pointing behind me. |
194549 |
194653 |
195212 |
195548 |
202548 |
205636 |
Ron-N7TVE,
terminated the hunt at 8:10 PM (3 hour hunt limit). An announcement was
made to meet at the new Round Table Pizza in Livermore. |
205703 |
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Thanks for
reading about our hunt. See you at the next
transmitter hunt, Schedule.
Jim Sakane - KD6DX |
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