Next Wednesday will be a fox hunt. 

The fox will transmit on low power from 8pm.  The transmission will be every 2 minutes – 15 seconds on VHF (146.525)  and then 15 seconds on UHF  (432.425)

The fox will also be listening on 690 and if “contestants are taking too long or cant hear the fox, call up and we will increase the length of calls and or the transmit power.  Beware, the power level may randomly increase and decrease anyway!   If we can, a further very low power fox will be hidden somewhere in the same area. At the end, the usual supper at the club.

For those that haven’t been fox hunting before, you can use direction finding equipment if available,  but you can also be quite successful with nothing more than a hand held that has a reasonable S meter.   Hold the handheld horizontal and the signal is strongest at right angles to the signal direction and weakest perpendicular.  Of course, you don’t now if the signal is behind or in front of you.  Last fox hunt, that was all the winner or second place had. 

If you are getting close and need to attenuate the signal, just loosen the antenna so its minimising the coupling.  Again, if you are using your mobile to get an idea of increasing or decreasing signal level, start  by folding the antenna, then take the aerial off altogether, and when very close, you can even remove the antenna from the back of the set if necessary.  

We will run the Zoom as well with the club camera and sound activated and anybody who wants to can run it in the vehicles if they wish.  Don’t forget to watch where you are driving.   The fox will not have his camera on!