Saturday, May 5, 2001

Ron (KK6I) and Mitch (KG6AYB)

ARRL film crews were on hand to capture Saturday's hunt for use in future General class training films. Travis and Bonnie were capturing the hide, from both Bobolink Elementary School and at the Grossmont College starting point. The transmitter actually hit the air at 6:20 due to all the extra attention, makeup time, and retakes.

There was a great turnout with seven teams hunting as follows:

Tom (N6JOJ) and Eric (W6LKK)
Tom (KE6VCR), Donna, Joe (KE6PHB), and Tony (WA6ZMZ)
Galen (N6YBK) and Lucy
Thomas (KE6CBR) and Johnna
Phil (N6WHK) and Jim (KA6ZVX)
Tuck (NZ6T) and Larry
Bruce (KF6AUW) and Steve (N6QEK)

Ron (KK6I) and Mitch (KG6AYB) hid the transmitters in a public park that also doubles a playground for Bobolink Elementary School. The main transmitter consisted of a mobile rig feeding five watts into a camouflage half-wave dipole. A secondary transmitter was used to make the sniffing a little more interesting and included a 1/2 -watt ammunition can transmitter placed in the crotch of a pine tree about 10 feet above the ground.

Tom and Eric were the first to arrive at the site at approximately 7:11 p.m., followed shortly by Tom, Joe, and Tony. Tom, Joe, and Tony first identified both transmitters at 7:16 p.m. The other teams arrival times are as follows:

Thomas and Johanna 7:18
Tuck and Gary 7:20
Phil and Jim 7:24
Bruce and Steve 7:30
Galen and Lucy 7:33

We reconvened at Filippie's on Mission Gorge Road for some tasty pizza and other Italian specialties. Travis and Bonnie also joined us for dinner and captured some additional footage for the training film.

Thank you to everyone for participating and making the hunt an enjoyable social event, Rebecca for the web posting, and Garry for the battery.

73, Ron and Mitch