A Typical Night Hunt
of the Fullerton Radio Club
Fullerton Radio Club has held monthly two-meter transmitter hunts on Saturday nights since the 1970s. Hunts are intended to be challenging for both beginners and experts, but fun for all. Everyone is welcome.
Co-hider Tom Curlee WB6UZZ can't wait for the hunt to start.
We're hiding about 15 miles from the starting point. Our transmitting antenna is sending the signal away from the start point, over a fence toward this tower, which is in a secure area about a kilometer away from us. Will the signal reflect from the tower? Will it fool the hunters?
Tom aims the beam antenna toward the distant tower.
Battery, radio, and power meter are in place, SWR looks good, and we're on the air. Now we can sit back and enjoy a pleasant southern California evening.
The first team has arrived. It's Bob Miller N6ZHZ (at left) and Cathy Livoni KD6CYG.
April Moell WA6OPS chats with Cathy to find out their route. Were they fooled by the signal?
Bob N6ZHZ does search-and-rescue of aircraft Emergency Locator Transmitters for the Civil Air Patrol. Transmitter hunting gives him good practice for this important public service.
Deryl Crawford N6AIN (now a Silent Key) is usually the first to arrive, but this time, he's second. Depending on mileage, he could still win.
Vince Stagnaro WA6DLQ (also a Silent Key now) arrives next. He is testing out this new receiver, built from a kit, with internal attenuation of his own design.
Clarke Harris WB6ADC (also a Silent Key now) is last to arrive, as usual, but he has good mileage, also as usual. Tonight he has a young ride-along, David Feldman.
In Clarke's back seat is the youngster's father, Ira Feldman WB6ZXA. Note WB6ADC's famous antenna rotating contraption on top of the vehicle.
The ritual reading of the odometers at the start and again at the finish determines who wins the hunt. The Fullerton Radio Cub hunt is scored only by mileage. Time doesn't matter, except that the hider has the option of turning off the transmitter after three hours.
