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Transmitter Hunting in the San Francisco Bay Area
Fremont, CALIFORNIA
May 4, 2002

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Story by: Jim-KD6DX
Photographs by: Jim-KD6DX
Resized and edited with Thumbs-Plus 5.01
& Photo Shop 7.0
From 2560x1920 to 800x600 and highly compressed (50%).
Nikon CP5000

Last updated: Sunday, May 05, 2002

THE FOXES

Don-KD6IRE, Linda-KE6BEO, Jim-KB6VF, Bruce-W6TED, Sara-KC6TPY

PARTICIPATING HUNTERS
Jim KD6DX
Ron N7TVE the Fox.
Henry KF6PCEBill KF6QGK


Jim-KD6DX, Larry-KD6FFN, Rich-KN6FW, Chris-KF6VFU
Ron-N7TVE, Chantel, Pete-N6YIF, Don-KC6IPO, Ray-KG6JWX
Gary-WB6YRU, Terry-KB6EBZ, Dave-KG6ACD, Henry-KF6PCE, Bill-KF6QGK
Johnathan-KG6KWT

 

Participants

Foxes: Don-KD6IRE, Linda-KE6BEO, Jim-KB6VF, Bruce-WD6TED, Sara-KC6TPY

TEAMS (10)

Mileage

Place

Jim-KD6DX 9.3 1st
Larry-KD6FFN 10.1 1st 10% rule
Rich-KN6FW and Chris-KF6VFU 12.7 2nd
Ron-N7TVE and Chantel 16.5 3rd
Pete-N6YIF, Don-KC6IPO and Ray-KG6JWC 17.1 3rd 10% rule
Gary-WD6YRU 17.8 3rd 10% rule
Terry-KB6EBZ 18.0 3rd 10% rule
Dave-KG6ACD 27.0 4th
Henry-KF6PCE, Bill-KF6QGK 32 5th
Johnathan-KG6KWT   Easy fox.

 

Don-KD6IRE hid two transmitters for this weekends hunt.

My initial bearing to Fox #1 was 310*, when it should have been 322* and on Fox #2 I read 315*, the actual bearing was 312*.

The "Yellow" lines show my GPS track to both foxes.

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EQUIPMENT (I used):
1) Arrow 4-element 2-meter beam, with a Standard C558A handheld as the receiver and Arrow attenuator. To obtain my initial bearings to the two transmitters.
2) Small (8-1/2 x 11) laminated map of Fremont, compass, protractor and felt-tip pen. To plot my bearings and get an general idea of the transmitters direction.
3) Garmin StreetPilot-III. I use a GPS street level mapping system to help me navigate the shortest route to the the fox.
4) AHHA MicroFinder Doppler, with a Standard C568A handheld as a receiver. In the beginning, I use the Doppler to check my initial bearing and continue heading along my initial bearing. As I get closer to the transmitters, I fine tune my path (following the Doppler display) and head directly to the transmitter.
5) Icom IC-R3, U-R-Here radio. This is a great little receiver, intended for direction finding with it's graphic (historical) display of the fox signal strength and it's 4 built-in attenuators. As you get closer to the fox, you dial in more attenuation. By the time you dial in attenuation #4 (50db), your within 500 feet (1/10 mile) of the fox.
6) Mobile radio, Standard C5900DA. I use this tri-bander to listen to both fox frequencies and talk on the communications channel all at the same time.
7) Scout-40 frequency counter, with the Arrow 4-element 2-meter beam and Arrow attenuator. When close-in (after my IC-R3 sounds off on attenuation #4), I use the Scout-40 to zero in on the fox transmitter, from 300 feet to within and inch of the radiating antenna.
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Starting from the Fremont start point, I used my StreetPilot-III to plot the shortest route possible along my initial 310* bearing to the first fox transmitter. Traveling north on Fremont Blvd. towards Fox #1, I kept checking (with my Doppler) for Fox #2. As I approached the Fremont Hub, my Doppler swung left, indicating Fox #2 might be there.

Switching my Doppler back to Fox #1, the Doppler display swung right, east down Mowry Ave. Missing my turn but, also wanting to confirm Fox #1 was not further north, I drove two more blocks. The Doppler was correct, the signal from Fox #1 was coming from east Mowry Ave.

Getting back onto Mowry Ave. and driving east, my U-R-Here (IC-R3 set to attenuation-4) sounded off as I passed Parkside Dr. Making a quick U-Turn and driving a short distance around the area I found Don-KD6IRE waiting for us in an out of the way parking-lot.

The Scout-40 setup with a 4-element beam, found Fox #1 cleverly hidden in some Ivey, against a large concrete pillar.

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After visiting with the foxes and with Larry-KD6FFN and Ron-N7TVE (hunters), I headed off to find Fox #2.
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Fox #2 was relatively easy to find, since I already knew it was west of Fremont Blvd. somewhere near the Fremont Hub.

I drove west on Mowry Ave. passing Fremont Blvd to triangulate Fox #2. Mental triangulation indicated it was definitely on the west side of the Hub. Driving right next to Fox #2, I again used the Scout-40_4-element beam setup to locate the exact location of the transmitter.

Bruce-WD6TED hid Fox #2 under some newspapers and right up against a cinder-block wall.

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Very nice hunt put on by Don-KD6IRE, Linda-KE6BEO, Jim-KB6VF, Bruce-WD6TED and Sara-KC6TPY. Thanks.

Off to Pizzeria UNO (3720 Mowry Ave.), ending a very nice evening with good friends.

NEXT HUNT:

May 18, 2002 (Saturday) at 10:00 AM
Start point, Altamont Pass.
Talk-in 145.35 (-) PL 100.0
Henry-KF6PCE is the fox.

See you there.

Jim Sakane (KD6DX)

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