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Transmitter Hunting in the San Francisco Bay
Area
Fremont, CALIFORNIA
May 4, 2002
Thanks for visiting the San Francisco Bay
Area T-Hunting WEB SITE.
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
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THE FOXES
Don-KD6IRE, Linda-KE6BEO, Jim-KB6VF, Bruce-W6TED,
Sara-KC6TPY
PARTICIPATING HUNTERS
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
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Participants
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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 |
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Easy fox. |
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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. |
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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. |
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See you there.
Jim Sakane (KD6DX) |
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