HAMCON 2015 On-Foot Transmitter Hunt
Sunday, September 13, 2015

Angel's Gate Park, San Pedro

This two-meter direction-finding session is co-sponsored by the Fullerton Radio Club and the Fort MacArthur Military Museum.  It is part of the 2015 ARRL Southwestern Division Convention (HAMCON).  Although this event is primarily for registered participants in HAMCON, it is open to anyone who wishes to enjoy transmitter hunting on a Sunday afternoon.  There is no age limit and no additional fee.  A ham radio license is not required.  Visually-challenged persons are invited to participate, but are urged to pair up with a sighted person on the course.

This hunt is intended to be a suitable challenge to both beginner and experienced transmitter hunters.  There are prizes for the best hunters, but you must be registered for HAMCON 2015 to be eligible for prizes.  The convention takes place from Friday afternoon through Sunday at noon, September 11 through 13.  Look for the Fullerton Radio Club booth during exhibit hours Friday or Saturday and sign up there for prize eligibility.  For more information about the convention, click here.  Note that youth under age 16 are admitted to the convention free when accompanied by a registered adult.

Before the hunt, Julianne Walsh KI6DYX will host a session of RDF equipment building for those who have a two-meter hand-held radio or scanner, but don't have any gear for radio direction finding with it.  If you reserve ahead of time, we will have kits for measuring-tape yagis and active attenuators ready for you.  Also available is an assembled and tested assembly that includes the power switch, BNC connector, housing and battery, ready to install as the tape measure beam is built.  (See photo at right below).  There will be tools and soldering stations for building.  If you're not an electronic technician, don't worry because there will be experts to help you.  We want you to succeed!  Send e-mail to ardf2015@homingin.com to pre-register and get more information about equipment.  If you already have equipment and just want to hunt, you don't need to reserve in advance.

Measuring-tape beamThe building session starts at 12:30 PM and check-in for the transmitter hunt begins at the same time.  Please be prompt.  As soon as everyone has their equipment ready and is checked in, we will explain the special rules of this hunt and then the hunt will begin.  We expect the hunt start to be around 1:30 PM.  If you arrive after the rules have been explained, you may not be allowed to hunt for prizes.  Do not attempt to check out the venue in advance. (We'll be watching!)

This is primarily a hunt for individuals, but teams of two persons are OK.  If you are competing for prizes, there can be only one set of RDF equipment per team.  Non-hunting family members and spectators are welcome, but they may not be on the hunt course for the duration of the hunt.  They must arrive at the venue with you and remain in the start/finish areas.

Any individual or team communicating with others by any means while on the course will be disqualified from winning any prizes.  This means all forms of communication including talking, hand signals, radio, telephone, pager, etc.  The only exceptions to this are communications relating to emergency medical assistance and communications with official Course Marshals.

Bring your receivers, scanners, directional antennas, attenuators, and other equipment suitable for on-foot RDF.  Make sure all batteries are fresh.  A restroom building is located on the south side of Leavenworth about a block inside Angel's Gate Park.  Alcoholic beverages are not permitted in the park.  Smoking is limited to designated areas only.

The hunt will take place in front of the Fort MacArthur Military Museum at Angel's Gate Park in San Pedro (Thomas Guide LA-854-B2).  Directions to the park (also see map below):  Take the 110 (Harbor) freeway southbound until it ends.  To get to the 110 from the convention hotel, go east on Fashion Way, then turn south on Madrona Avenue and continue until it ends at Sepulveda Boulevard.  Turn left (east) on Sepulveda and go 3.5 miles to the 110, southbound.  When the 110 ends, it becomes Gaffey Street southbound.  Continue on Gaffey through downtown San Pedro toward the ocean.  Look for Leavenworth Street on your right, which is the entrance for Angel's Gate Park.  (It's just beyond the "bulge" at Lookout Point, approximately opposite West 36th St.)  Turn into the park and follow the road past the museum gate to the parking lot between the church and the marine mammal care buildings.  Park there and walk through the gate into the Fort MacArthur grounds.  Talk-in is on AARA Long Beach repeater 146.790(-) PL 103.5.

Fort MacArthur
Thanks to Stephen Nelson of the Fort MacArthur Military Museum for co-sponsoring this transmitter hunt.  The museum features displays that trace the history of port defense during the World Wars, including lots of old radio equipment.  It is open Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from noon to 5 PM.

Navigation map

For your car's GPS navigation system:  3601 S Gaffey St., San Pedro, CA    33.71130N    118.29446W

Special equipment note:  For this hunt, there will be transmitters on several frequencies in the two-meter band, set by Joe Moell KØOV.  It will be important for hunters to know exactly what frequency they are listening to.  This is not a problem with regular handi-talkies and scanners, or the Australian "blue box."  However, we recommend that you do not use continuously-tuned receivers such as the Russian Altai and Australian Ron Graham sets, because they do not have accurate frequency readout.

Questions? Send e-mail to k0ov@homingin.com


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This page updated 4 September 2015