Except for some stiff breezes, it was a perfect day for radio-orienteering at Griffith Park on April 9. Marvin's course through the hills was a real challenge and great practice for the upcoming USA Championships in Albuquerque. (Register now for those championships, because the fees go up at the end of April.)

Newcomers included musician Raul Mendez KG6YFS and ARRL Southwestern Division Director Dick Norton N6AA. Raul used his new pole-mounted log-periodic antenna and a borrowed attenuator to find all the beginner transmitters. Dick borrowed my Aussie Sniffer4 ARDF receiver and tape measure beam, grabbed his binoculars and set out for an afternoon of birdwatching. While doing that, he found all of the advanced-course foxes!

Jay Hennigan WB6RDV tested out his new FRWD Sport Performance Recorder on the advanced course. Afterward, he downloaded to his laptop and retraced his route, finding his maximum heart rate (170), distance traveled (10 km) and calories burned (1260).

ADVANCED HUNT RESULTS

Name and callsign Foxes Time Bob Cooley KF6VSE 5 1:01:45 Jay Thompson W6JAY 5 1:10:20 Jay Hennigan WB6RDV 5 1:48:35 Dick Norton N6AA 5 2:33:25 Scott Moore KF6IKO 4 2:20:59 Bill Smathers KG6HXX 4 3:01:07 Scot Barth KA6UDZ 3 2:25:14 Richard Thompson WA6NOL 1 1:41:53 Danny White W6DDW & family 1 1:47:04

BEGINNER HUNT RESULTS

Raul Mendez KG6YFS 5 2:30:47 Art Tanaka WA6TKO and Nick 2 1:41:53

The 80-meter transmitter was 1.6 km away by straight-line and considerably more by trail through the hills. The signal was very weak, but four hunters were able to track it down, as follows:

Jay Hennigan WB6RDV 0:27:28 Scott Moore KF6IKO 0:57:40 Bill Smathers KG6HXX 1:10:11 Bob Cooley KF6VSE 1:25:20

Afterwards, a bigger-than-average group headed to the nearest Sizzler for much-needed carbs and protein. Everyone is welcome at these post-hunt sessions, so be sure to inquire at the site if you're interested. Just be prepared to wait a while until all the foxboxes are recovered.

Thanks again to Marvin Johnston KE6HTS for a challenging course and to April Moell WA6OPS for bandaging up some minor wounds and providing a cold pack to a well-heated runner. Fifteen photos are at www.homingin.com

Next month, we'll split up the beginner and advanced hunts. The IARU-style full-length course will be at O'Neill Regional Park in southern Orange County (last hunt there 3/20/04). This time, the ARDF event will be a mix-in with the Los Angeles Orienteering Club meet in the park on Sunday, May 15. KE6HTS will set the course.

For beginners, I will put on a special hunt at the annual Antennas-in-the-Park hamfest and pig-out on Saturday, May 21. The festivities take place in Tri-City Park in Placentia, a 60-acre venue that is flat and has a big lake in the middle. It's prefect for newcomers, so if you and your kids/grandkids have never tried on-foot foxhunting before, this is the time.

See you next month.

73, Joe Moell K0OV