Schabarum Regional Park is a great venue for on-foot transmitter hunting under international rules, but only if the weather cooperates. We've been there in January after a heavy rain that washed down the trails and made the going very slippery. We've been there in the summer months when the trails, which have very little shade, can seem like a solar oven. But on June 11, the weather was nearly ideal. A light misty rain fell in the early morning hours, not enough to make the trails slippery but enough to keep everyone refreshed. The temperature all day was neither too hot nor too cool.
This was the greatest number of radio-orienteers that we've had on a full ARDF course at Schabarum for several years. It took three trips to drive them all from the gathering point to the hunt starting point. Then they had to navigate their way back to our gathering/finishing location, searching for the five transmitters along the way. Many of them were newcomers who had built their antennas and attenuators at Tri-City Park in May and had learned the basics there. Now they were ready for a full ARDF course.
Another first for us was supplied by Sherman and Vinson Lam, students at Rowland High School. They live nearby so they wheeled to the site, one on a Razor scooter and the other on a unicycle! In the last month, they have gotten their ham licenses under the guidance of Bob Houghton AD6QF, their Physics teacher. Bob also came out and took to the course.
ARDF 2-METER COURSE RESULTS -- 5 FOXES
Name and call Time Foxes
Brian Kekich WY6X 2:33:59 5
Sherman Lam KJ6PJH 2:59:57 5 with Vinson Lam KJ6PJF
Bob Houghton AD6QF 3:49:27 4
Bill Smathers KG6HXX 2:56:54 3
Tom Gaccione WB2LRH 2:40:32 2
Michael Wheeley K6MRW 3:49:05 1 with Juntima Wheeley
Rick Allan W6WRA 4:02:37 1
The antenna/attenuator building session was well attended and my three-transmitter beginner course helped some newcomers learn RDF and improve their skills. It was a family activity for Tim Millard KJ6NGF along with Sheri, Adam and Joshua. Also on the beginner course were Greg Kawasaki WA6NJI, Terry Hall K6MA and Brooks Kachner W6BJK.
Photos have been posted at www.homingin.com
If you were able to complete the main five-fox course, you're probably ready for a mountain course. Come out to Mt. Pinos on July 16-17 and try it. Unlike Schabarum Park, the forest floor at Mt. Pinos is mostly runnable, so you can stick to the trails or go cross-country as you choose. This is also an excellent opportunity to try ARDF on 80 meters. If you don't have gear for that band, there will probably be some to borrow at the Mt. Pinos Event.
73, Joe Moell K0OV