On 3/9/14 9:03 PM, Marvin Johnston wrote:
> Levi, I think you have the tape measure beam with the 4 MHz offset. So
> with a transmitter frequency of 146.565 MHz, you will need to set your
> receiver to either 142.565 MHz or 150.565 MHz. And just remember to keep
> increasing the attenuation as you hunt so the signal is always in the
> noise.
It's a fairly weak transmitter. Depending on where you are you might
want to first start with the beam connected directly to the receiver
tuned to 146.565. If you hear it try to get a bearing. Then travel to
a high spot in that direction, see if it's louder. If you can't hear it
at all, then travel to a high spot and have a listen.
When it gets to the point where it's full-quieting and/or pushing the
S-meter where you can't get a bearing, then use the attenuator as Marvin
described.
--
Jay Hennigan - CCIE #7880 - Network Engineering - jay(a)impulse.net
Impulse Internet Service - http://www.impulse.net/
Your local telephone and internet company - 805 884-6323 - WB6RDV
On 3/9/14 6:43 PM, Levi C. Maaia wrote:
> Jay,
>
> Can you send details for those of us for which this is new? I have DF
> gear from Marvin but I don’t know which frequency this transmitter is on.
Absolutely! It's on 146.565 MHz. It transmits for four seconds every
minute except every tenth transmission is 20 seconds long including my
callsign at the end.
If you have a GPS or NTP-synced clock or a WWV receiver, as of now it
comes on about 44 seconds after each minute, but this can and will drift
over time.
Here's the full story:
A collaborative transmitter hunt in Santa Barbara:
Amateur radio transmitter hunting is typically a competition. There’s a
scheduled start time, people gather on foot or in vehicles, the fox goes
on the air and the hounds are off!
This sharpens people’s skills in a competitive environment, but the
knowledge they gain is limited to their own experience. Techniques
learned are guarded as secret tricks of the trade to be used against the
competition on the next hunt.
Locating the source of a signal has applications other than fun
competition. Tracking down interference, hunting an ELT or EPIRB,
isolating a spur or noise source all require some knowledge of direction
finding. Working in parallel, these problems are solved faster than in
a competitive environment and everyone participating gets some knowledge.
With that principle in mind, I’ve begun to conduct an experiment. This
is based on the adventures of WB6JPI [1] and others[2].
Let the (non-competitive) games begin!
There’s a hidden transmitter somewhere in the Santa Barbara area. It’s
on the T-hunt frequency of 146.565 and transmits for four seconds about
once a minute. Every tenth transmission is 20 seconds in length and
includes CW identification. It runs 24/7 so feel free to listen,
observe, and hunt at any time.
Collaboration is encouraged. Negative reports such as “Can’t hear it
from my QTH” are useful as well as reports that you’ve heard it.
Discuss your ideas, signal strength, bearings, etc. on the various local
nets as appropriate, as well as on the SBARC mailing list. When you
decide to venture out to find it, take others with you as part of a
divide-and-conquer strategy.
With the transmitter is a logbook. Enter your name, date and time, and
callsign if any. Take a picture and send it to wb6rdv(a)sbarc.org. After
people have had a good opportunity to locate the transmitter we’ll move
it to a new location and let the fun start all over again.
[1] http://www.thunter.org/geothunt/
[2] http://home.comcast.net/~foxbw/site/?/page/FOXRADIO/
--
Jay Hennigan - CCIE #7880 - Network Engineering - jay(a)impulse.net
Impulse Internet Service - http://www.impulse.net/
Your local telephone and internet company - 805 884-6323 - WB6RDV
The collaborative hidden transmitter is back in the air from a new
location.
Now that we're on daylight time, there's more of a chance for folks to
look for it after work during the week.
--
--
Jay Hennigan - CCIE #7880 - Network Engineering - jay(a)impulse.net
Impulse Internet Service - http://www.impulse.net/
Your local telephone and internet company - 805 884-6323 - WB6RDV
Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area in Irwindale will be the site of our next
session of on-foot radio direction finding on Saturday, March 22, 2014.?
It is sponsored by the Fullerton Radio Club.? A ham radio license and
knowledge of radio equipment are not required.
If you have never done on-foot RDF before, there will be some
entry-level two-meter fox transmitters set by Joe Moell K0OV.? Once
you're proficient at finding these nearby foxes, try the 5-fox two-meter
international-rules course, set by Marvin Johnston KE6HTS.? It is also
suitable for beginner to intermediate hunters.? One or two optional
80-meter fox transmitters may also be on the air nearby.
If you have receivers, scanners, directional antennas, attenuators, or
other equipment suitable for on-foot RDF, be sure to bring it.? Make
sure all batteries are fresh.? A limited amount of RDF gear will be
available for loan.
For those who want to build antennas and attenuators for use with their
two-meter hand-held radios or scanners, we will have tools and soldering
stations available.? If you're not an electronic technician, don't worry
because there will be experts to help you.? Please note that our permit
does not allow sales of parts kits within the park, so bring your own
parts with you or purchase kits in advance.? Send e-mail to KE6HTS
(marvin(a)west.net) for more information about kits.
If it takes place, the antenna building session will start at 9:30 AM.?
Please be prompt.? Beginner transmitters will be on the air at that
time.? The main 5-fox hunt will start about 10:30 AM.? Hunters may start
the courses at any time until 1 PM.? Courses close at 3 PM.
All ages are welcome, but young children must be accompanied by an adult
at all times.? If you will be using your handi-talkie as a RDF receiver,
please make sure that you are familiar with programming it, so you can
tune to the offset attenuator frequencies.? Bring the manual with you if
you're not sure.
Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area is in the city of Irwindale near the
intersection of the 605 and 210 freeways.? From 605 northbound, take the
Live Oak Avenue exit and go east.? From 605 southbound, take Arrow
Highway exit and go east.? In both cases, you will merge into Arrow
Highway eastbound.? The park entrance will be on your left, opposite
Azusa Canyon Road.? Alternately, from the 210 freeway, exit at Irwindale
Avenue, go south to Arrow Highway, turn right (west) and look for the
park entrance on your right opposite Azusa Canyon Road.
Vehicular entrance and parking costs $10 per vehicle.? After the entry
kiosk, continue to the first stop sign, turn left and go southwest along
the dam.? Look for the signs for Parking Lot 2 on your right.? Our
gathering point will be close to the entrance to this lot.? Look for the
orange and white orienteering flag.? Talk-in is on 146.52 MHz simplex.
A map to help you find the park is at www.homingin.com.? If heavy rain
is forecasted, check that site for news of possible cancellation.
73,
Joe Moell K0OV
Santa Maria Swapfest
Once again, the Satellite Amateur Radio Club is having their annual Fathers Day weekend Swapfest and Barbecue.
Here is a link to the flyer for this years upcoming swapfest event. Please include it in your calender of events and pass it around as much as possible.
http://satellitearc.com/swapflyer.pdf
Y'all come and bring the family with you for a day of fun, food, prizes and activities!!
Dave Evernham
President SARC
KI6ZAP / AFA9AT
During today's break in the storms I went to check on and retrieve the
hidden transmitter.
Both the transmitter and its logbook survived the rain. There were four
entries in the log:
Wb6OBB - Dennis
N6CPN - Chuck
HE6HTS - Marvin
W6CGE - Les
The hidden T was on more Mesa in a eucalyptus tree near Mockingbird Lane.
34^ 25' 28" N
119^ 47' 21" W
It will be back on the air at a new location some time this week.
--
--
Jay Hennigan - CCIE #7880 - Network Engineering - jay(a)impulse.net
Impulse Internet Service - http://www.impulse.net/
Your local telephone and internet company - 805 884-6323 - WB6RDV
This episode is a documentary of the 2006 US ARDF Championships held
near Raleigh, NC. Formerly released only on a paid DVD, Gary, KN4AQ, he
has just released it as Ham Radio Now episode 134:
http://arvideonews.com/hrn/
While free to watch, he does appreciate donations that help him to
continue producing these types of programs.
Since at least Jay and I have the DVD, this might be the program that
was presented many years ago at an SBARC meeting.
Amateur radio transmitter hunting is typically a competition. There’s a
scheduled start time, people gather on foot or in vehicles, the fox goes
on the air and the hounds are off!
This sharpens people’s skills in a competitive environment, but the
knowledge they gain is limited to their own experience. Techniques
learned are guarded as secret tricks of the trade to be used against the
competition on the next hunt.
Locating the source of a signal has applications other than fun
competition. Tracking down interference, hunting an ELT or EPIRB,
isolating a spur or noise source all require some knowledge of direction
finding. Working in parallel, these problems are solved faster than in
a competitive environment and everyone participating gets some knowledge.
With that principle in mind, I’ve begun to conduct an experiment. This
is based on the adventures of WB6JPI [1] and others[2].
Let the (non-competitive) games begin!
There’s a hidden transmitter somewhere in the Santa Barbara area. It’s
on the T-hunt frequency of 146.565 and transmits for four seconds about
once a minute. Every tenth transmission is 20 seconds in length and
includes CW identification. It runs 24/7 so feel free to listen,
observe, and hunt at any time.
Collaboration is encouraged. Negative reports such as “Can’t hear it
from my QTH” are useful as well as reports that you’ve heard it.
Discuss your ideas, signal strength, bearings, etc. on the various local
nets as appropriate, as well as on the SBARC mailing list. When you
decide to venture out to find it, take others with you as part of a
divide-and-conquer strategy.
With the transmitter is a logbook. Enter your name, date and time, and
callsign if any. Take a picture and send it to wb6rdv(a)sbarc.org. After
people have had a good opportunity to locate the transmitter we’ll move
it to a new location and let the fun start all over again.
[1] http://www.thunter.org/geothunt/
[2] http://home.comcast.net/~foxbw/site/?/page/FOXRADIO/
--
--
Jay Hennigan - CCIE #7880 - Network Engineering - jay(a)impulse.net
Impulse Internet Service - http://www.impulse.net/
Your local telephone and internet company - 805 884-6323 - WB6RDV
Results and photos of the Topanga Park ARDF session of last Saturday
are now on the Web. Also Marvin has written some course notes that
will help you understand how experienced radio-orienteers achieve good
results on a course such as this.
http://www.homingin.com/joemoell/ardfinla.html
The next session will be on the campus of Cal Poly University in San
Luis Obispo on Saturday, February 22. More information will be in the
Web site soon.
73,
Joe Moell K0OV
www.homingin.com