Lake Los Carneros ARDF on 12/14/2013
Photos above and report below by Joe Moell KØOV.
It was one of those days that make you happy that you're living in southern Califoria during December. The temperature was just right and the ground was dry. There were lots of ARDF opportunities for the attendees. Twelve-year-old Justin King KJ6ZRT learned direction-finding under the guidance of his father, Tom King KA6SOX, who is a long-time mobile T-hunter. Then they both went out on the full two-meter ARDF course along with four others. Here are the results:
TWO-METER COURSE RESULTS -- 5 FOXES
Name and call Time Foxes
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 0:34:01 5
Jay Hennigan WB6RDV 0:37:20 5
Bill Smathers KG6HXX 0:53:19 5
Gloria Keawe KE6MQO 1:12:07 5
Tom King KA6SOX 1:46:20 5
with Justin King KJ6ZRT
There was plenty do find on the 80-meter band as well. For newcomers, there was a test transmitter close by and a practice transmitter about 350 meters away. Here are results for the practice transmitter:
EIGHTY-METER ARDF RESULTS -- 1 FOX
Name and call Time
Jay Hennigan WB6RDV 6:46
Tom King KA6SOX 16:30
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 17:17
Adam Houser KK6AXY 50:00
Instead of a full 80-meter ARDF course, Marvin Johnston KE6HTS set out a foxoring course on that band. Participants received a marked map with five circles where a very low power 80m transmitter was on the air:
EIGHTY-METER FOXORING RESULTS -- 5 FOXES
Name and call Time Foxes
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 0:29:25 5
Jay Hennigan WB6RDV 0:40:54 5
Adam Houser KK6AXY 0:55:47 5
Gloria Keawe KE6MQO 2:05:43 5
Thanks to everyone who came out and thanks as always to Marvin Johnston KE6HTS as well as to April Moell WA6OPS.
Joe Moell KØOV
Bonelli Park ARDF on 11/9/2013
Report below and photos above by Joe Moell KØOV.
Bonelli Regional Park is an ideal location for ARDF sessions. It's centrally located in eastern Los Angeles County with lots of nearby parking. Our gathering area was shady and comfortable all day. We were next to the Shack Shack operated by the Mounted Assistance Unit that gave us access to snacks, drinks, power and even WiFi. On this day there was a small 5K/10K race going on in the park, but it didn't impact us at all.
I put out four simple transmitters nearby for equipment test and practice. Almost everyone found at least one as a warmup for the main two-meter event. Our only complete newcomer was Gloria Keawe KE6MQO. With borrowed gear, I helped her find one practice transmitter, Marvin helped her find another, then she was able to find the rest all by herself. That made her ready to take on the main five-fox event, where she showed her perseverence by keeping at it until she found four of the five.
TWO-METER COURSE RESULTS -- 5 FOXES
Name and call Foxes Time
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 5 1:08:30
201(1) 204(1) 203(1) 205(1) 202(1) F
10:57 25:19 38:45 50:50 57:10 1:08:30
10:57 14:22 13:26 12:05 6:20 11:20
Gloria Keawe KE6MQO 4 3:52:12
202(1) 201(1) 204(1) 203(1) F
1:16:48 2:06:30 3:04:06 3:25:02 3:52:12
1:16:48 49:42 57:36 20:56 27:10
Scott Hanley WA9STI 2 2:36:00
with Steve Brtis WA6FGW
204(1) 203(1) F
1:24:40 1:55:39 2:36:00
1:24:40 30:59 40:21
Julianne Walsh KI6DYX also was out on the course but did not find any transmitters.
My 80-meter practice transmitter was 1.2 km away. Bob Cooley KF6VSE was the only one to seek it, getting there and back in 35 minutes.
Joe Moell KØOV
Lake Los Carneros ARDF on 9/14/2013
Photos above and report below by Joe Moell KØOV.
It was a good mix of beginners and experienced radio-orienteers at the session at Lake Los Carneros on September 14. Newcomers Theo Howe KK6YYZ, Jordan Sideris KJ6YVJ, James Brown KK6FNR and Dorothy Oksner KJ6UGL worked on antennas and practiced radio direction finding (RDF) on the beginner transmitters near the parking lot.
Five attendees went out on the full two-meter course including newcomer Scott Hanley WA9STI. Here are the results:
TWO-METER COURSE RESULTS -- 5 FOXES
Name and call Time Foxes
Jay Hennigan WB6RDV 0:40:50 5
Bill Smathers KG6HXX 0:51:28 5
Adam Houser KK6AXY 2:00:55 5
Steve Morse KI6HGH 2:36:25 5
Scott Hanley WA9STI 1:29:10 4
To provide practice in map-and-compass orienteering plus 80-meter RDF, Marvin Johnston KE6HTS set out a foxoring course on that band. One of the fox circles was mismarked on the map, but two of the hunters found it anyway:
EIGHTY-METER FOXORING RESULTS -- 5 FOXES
Name and call Time Foxes
Adam Houser KK6AXY 13:13 5
Bill Smathers KG6HXX 27:33 5
Jay Hennigan WB6RDV 16:02 4
Thanks to everyone who came out and thanks as always to Marvin, who set out two courses this time.
Joe Moell KØOV
Mt. Pinos ARDF on 8/24-25/2013
Report below and photos above by Joe Moell KØOV.
Thunderstorms raged in the California desert and mountains east of Palmdale through the weekend, but there were no clouds to be seen above Mt. Pinos. It was fine weather for radio-orienteering. Marvin Johnston KE6HTS set a two-meter course for Saturday morning, starting from the usual location on the trail north of the Nordic Center.
TWO-METER COURSE RESULTS -- 5 FOXES
Name and call Foxes Time
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 5 0:58:55
201(1) 204(1) 203(1) 202(1) 205(1) F
10:46 20:48 35:25 48:19 55:20 58:55
10:46 10:02 14:37 12:54 7:01 3:35
Scott Moore KF6IKO 5 1:20:58
201(1) 204(1) 203(1) 202(1) 205(1) F
13:28 24:22 39:09 1:02:31 1:16:52 1:20:58
13:28 10:54 14:47 23:22 14:21 4:06
Bill Smathers KG6HXX 5 1:47:14
201(1) 204(1) 203(1) 202(1) 205(1) F
16:10 41:10 1:05:15 1:27:09 1:41:19 1:47:14
16:10 25:00 24:05 21:54 14:10 5:55
Bob Cooley KF6VSE set a foxoring course on Saturday afternoon, after which almost everyone headed down the highway to Frazier Park, where the traditional tri-tip barbecue took place in the evening.
Marvin set a full five-fox course on 80 meters for Sunday morning, but one transmitter could not be heard. It turned out that the antenna and radial wires became shorted together, which kept the signal from getting out.
EIGHTY-METER COURSE RESULTS -- 4 FOXES
Name and call Foxes Time
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 4 1:02:41
201(1) 203(1) 204(1) 205(1) F
8:32 22:46 32:02 49:27 1:02:41
8:32 14:14 9:16 17:25 13:14
Brad Weyers 4 1:17:12
201(1) 203(1) 204(1) 205(1) F
12:19 43:00 54:03 1:04:22 1:17:12
12:19 30:41 11:03 10:19 12:50
Scott Moore KF6IKO 4 1:24:10
201(1) 203(1) 204(1) 205(1) F
10:37 39:02 50:14 1:10:22 1:24:10
10:37 28:25 11:12 20:08 13:48
Bill Smathers KG6HXX 4 1:39:27
201(1) 203(1) 204(1) 205(1) F
11:23 44:12 58:53 1:15:40 1:38:27
11:23 32:49 14:41 16:47 22:47
Chris Sanders KE6BRY also ran the course from start to finish but did not find any transmitters due to equipment problems.
Joe Moell KØOV
Mt. Pinos ARDF on 7/27-28/2013
Report below by Marvin Johnston KE6HTS.
The weather was really nice up in the mountains. Saturday was a bit muggy but it was a little cooler than normal, making it more comfortable to run. Fortunately, Les Benson W6CGE was there to help put out transmitters. Unfortunately, due to scheduling problems, we only had three people competing.
The 2m hunt on Saturday went off without a hitch. Because Les was helping, the transmitters were put in locations that I normally wouldn't have the time to set them. This time, all of them were on the north side of the ravine. The times were faster than normal with Bob Cooley KF6VSE, having the winning time of 1:15. And because of where the transmitters were located, we started at the south end of the Nordic Center parking lot.
TWO-METER COURSE RESULTS -- 5 FOXES
Name and call Foxes Time
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 5 1:15:37
201(1) 203(1) 204(1) 202(1) 205(1) F
11:10 26:43 41:00 57:04 1:12:18 1:15:37
11:10 15:33 14:17 16:04 15:14 3:19
Bill Smathers KG6HXX 5 1:22:13
201(1) 203(1) 204(1) 202(1) 205(1) F
18:20 36:53 48:26 1:03:00 1:18:07 1:22:13
18:20 18:33 11:33 14:34 15:07 4:06
Scott Moore KF6IKO 5 1:26:29
201(1) 203(1) 204(1) 202(1) 205(1) F
23:28 40:53 52:40 1:07:12 1:22:55 1:26:29
23:28 17:25 11:47 14:32 15:43 3:34
We had hoped to have a Foxoring competion, but there weren't enough people to justify it. Next time! Because of the fire danger, open fires and charcoal BBQs were not allowed, so I used the propane "flame thrower" to do the cooking for the Saturday evening tri-tip barbecue.
On Sunday morning, everything was going fine up to the time when Les turned on transmitter #1 and saw some smoke appear. Fortunately, we could still use the location, and make it a Foxoring control by marking the map (which we did). However, this transmitter ended up in a different location than the marked map location. This made it a lot harder to find and resulted in Bob Cooley KF6VSE not being able to find it at all. So for the first time, Bill Smathers KG6HXX took first place in the 80m event.
EIGHTY-METER COURSE RESULTS -- 5 FOXES
Name and call Foxes Time
Bill Smathers KG6HXX 5 1:16:42
201(1) 204(1) 203(1) 205(1) 202(1) F
15:47 30:11 46:57 56:56 1:10:21 1:16:42
15:47 14:24 16:46 9:59 13:25 6:21
Scott Moore KF6IKO 5 1:33:06
201(1) 204(1) 203(1) 205(1) 202(1) F
16:08 29:13 1:04:18 1:16:43 1:28:29 1:33:06
16:08 13:05 35:05 12:25 11:46 4:37
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 4 1:23:13
204(1) 203(1) 205(1) 202(1) F
41:30 54:34 1:07:49 1:18:42 1:23:13
41:30 13:04 13:15 10:53 4:31
Marvin Johnston KE6HTS
Lake Los Carneros ARDF on 6/8/2013
Photos above and report below by Joe Moell KØOV.
An enthusiastic group of both new and experienced on-foot transmitter hunters gathered at Lake Los Carneros on June 8, 2013. It was cloudy with temperatures in the 60s all day -- perfect radio-orienteering weather. Three participants built measuring-tape yagis with offset attenuators from kits by Marvin Johnston KE6HTS. Others, including Avi Carni and his family, brought along yagis that they had recently made at home.
For antenna testing and training, I put out three little transmitters nearby, which were all found by most of the new folks, including Mike Cooper Sr. (KK6EHK) and Jr. (KK6EHJ). Then it was time to try a two-meter international-rules ARDF course, slightly shortened, set by Marvin. Here are the results:
TWO-METER COURSE RESULTS -- 5 FOXES
Name and call Time Foxes
Jay Hennigan WB6RDV 0:38:01 5
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 0:42:12 5
Scott Moore KF6IKO 0:51:30 5
Bill Smathers KG6HXX 0:57:35 5
Levi Maaia K6LCM 1:50:45 5
Ziv Carmi 2:38:17 5
with Avi (K6AVI), Meital and Aura Carmi
I set out two 80-meter transmitters, one close by for testing and the other in the northeast corner of the park for training. Here are the time results for the distant one:
EIGHTY-METER RESULTS -- 1 FOX
Name and call Time
Jay Hennigan WB6RDV 9:36
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 13:55
Scott Moore KF6IKO 22:10
Levi Maaia K6LCM 34:11
Thanks to Marvin for setting the ARDF course and to Levi Maaia and Bob Cooley for helping to pick up the foxes afterwards. Thanks to April Moell for timing the runners and to Derryl Widman for the cookies.
Joe Moell KØOV
Tri-City Park ARDF on 5/18/2013
Photos above by Dan Slater AG6HF and Joe Moell KØOV. Report below by Joe Moell KØOV.
It was a beautiful day for the annual "Antennas-In-The-Park" (AITP) event at Tri-City Park in Placentia. Members of the Fullerton Radio Club (FRC) and the Catalina Amateur Repeater Association (CARA) gathered for transmitter hunting, radio operating and lots of good food. After my talk at the Edison Amateur Radio Network meeting on May 15, several EARN members came out to try transmitter hunting. Some brought their own gear and others made tape-measure beams from kits by Marvin Johnston KE6HTS. This may have been a record high AITP attendance.
There was lots of interest in my four beginner two-meter transmitters near the AITP encampment. We didn't time the dozen or so who practiced their RDF skills by finding them, but we did want to time the five-fox two-meter ARDF course. Apparently people didn't get that message, because only one person stopped at my table for timing. Chris Sanders KE6BRY ran the course in just under 49 minutes. Also finding all transmitters was first-timer Adam Houser KK6AXY. Dennis Schwendtner WB6OBB found three transmitters with visual help from KE6HTS.
I also put out two easy 80-meter transmitters nearby. KE6BRY found both and a couple of other attendees looked for them with borrowed gear.
Besides transmitter hunting, there were other things to see such as solar-powered QRP stations and microscopes. Dan Slater AG6HF flew his quadcopter and got the great aerial photo above.
Thanks to KE6HTS for a successful antenna/attenuator building session, to CARA for a great barbecue and potluck, and to FRC for organizing it all. The annual Foxhunting Weekend cake from April Moell WA6OPS was great, as usual.
Joe Moell KØOV
Kit Carson Park ARDF on 5/18/2013
Photo above by Joe Corones N6SZO.
While Orange County radio-orienteering fans were hunting transmitters at Tri-City Park in Placentia, another group was enjoying an on-foot transmitter hunt and barbecue at Kit Carson Park in Escondido. It was staged by the intrepid duo of San Diego Joes: Joe Corones N6SZO and Joe Loughlin KE6PHB. After an exhausting week of setting transmitters at the 2012 USA ARDF Championships at Mt. Laguna, they realized that the ARDF bug had bitten hard. They have been putting on occasional events in San Diego County parks ever since.
Schabarum Park ARDF on 4/20/2013
Photos above and report below by Joe Moell KØOV.
The idea was to have our annual Schabarum Regional Park ARDF session in April, before the weather gets too hot. But the temperature got into the 90s anyway. Nevertheless, a small group of intrepid radio-orienteers took on a difficult course set by Marvin Johnston KE6HTS with help from Dan Slater AG6HF.
We arrived to find our usual gathering and finish location blocked off because it was in use for a large-scale Scout camporee. There was a nice shaded area not too far from the barracade, so we set up there and everyone found us with no problems. Brooks Kachner W6BJK and his wife Susan soon arrived to get some practice on my three two-meter beginner-level transmitters nearby.
One of the five ARDF transmitters failed early on, so everyone ended up seeking the remaining four, with these results:
TWO-METER COURSE RESULTS -- 5 FOXES
Name and call Foxes Time
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 4 1:54:16
201(1) 204(1) 203(1) 202(1) F
15:57 45:26 1:18:32 1:47:15 1:54:00
15:57 29:29 33:06 28:43 6:45
Bill Smathers KG6HXX 3 2:06:01
201(1) 204(1) 202(1) F
17:05 51:22 1:57:43 2:06:01
17:05 34:17 1:06:21 8:18
Scott Moore KF6IKO 3 2:13:36
201(1) 204(1) 203(1) F
21:04 55:27 1:50:42 2:13:36
21:04 34:23 55:15 22:54
Tom Gaccione WB2LRH 2 2:22:16
201(1) 204(1) F
27:06 1:29:38 2:22:16
27:06 1:02:32 52:38
Due to the heat and the late start of the two-meter hunt, nobody went out to find my two 80-meter transmitters afterward.
Thanks to Marvin and Dan for braving the heat to set a challenging course and to April Moell WA6OPS for being ready to tackle any heat-related medical problems.
Joe Moell KØOV
Santa Fe Dam ARDF on 3/10/2013
Photos above and report below by Joe Moell KØOV.
Our mix-in with LAOC's relay event was a big success and the weather was perfect. Five Boy Scouts and four adults from Troop 860 in Hermosa Beach came by to learn about ARDF and try it for themselves. They were all successful at tracking down my four beginner transmitters nearby.
The main ARDF course, set by Marvin Johnston KE6HTS, was a good test of equipment and skills. It takes a selective receiver to pick out those micro-foxes from all the RF coming from Mt. Wilson, which was visible to the north.
TWO-METER COURSE RESULTS -- 5 FOXES
Name and call Time Foxes
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 0:52:39 5
Chris Sanders KE6BRY 1:25:45 5
Scott Moore KF6IKO 1:44:05 5
Bill Smathers KG6HXX 2:52:04 5
Tom Gaccione WB2LRH 2:17:15 3
My 80-meter transmitter was about 0.6 kilometer to the north.
EIGHTY-METER RESULTS -- 1 FOX
Name and call Time
Scott Moore KF6IKO 17:27
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 34:20
Thanks to Marvin for setting a fine course and to April Moell WA6OPS for tweezering out some pesky cactus spines. Ouch!
Joe Moell KØOV
The Amateur Radio Club at California Polytechnic University San Luis Obispo (CPARC) held its fourth annual transmitter hunt and equipment building session on Saturday, February 22. The event was organized by David Troy KJ6RPX of CPARC and included an antenna/attenuator building session by Marvin Johnston KE6HTS. Results are above.
Lake Los Carneros ARDF on 1/12/2013
Photo above and report below by Joe Moell KØOV.
A mixed group of beginners and experts gathered at Lake Los Carneros in Goleta for ARDF on January 12. There were a couple of easy transmitters for the first-timers and a full five-fox course that was good training for beginners and a sprint practice for the experts. After that, Steve Miley had some some fun with his quadcopter.
TWO-METER COURSE RESULTS -- 5 FOXES
Name and call Time Foxes
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 0:30:25 5
Jay Hennigan WB6RDV 0:36:53 5
Dean Dods KD6I 0:41:22 5
Steve Miley 0:41:24 5
Scott Moore KF6IKO 0:47:49 5
Bill Smathers KG6HXX 0:52:58 5
Sam Vigil WA6NGH 1:51:45 5
with Eve Vigil KF6NEV
Terry Hall K6MA 2:17:38 2
My 80-meter transmitter was on the other side of the lake.
EIGHTY-METER RESULTS -- 1 FOX
Name and call Time
Dean Dods KD6I 9:15
Jay Hennigan WB6RDV 13:30
Bob Cooley KF6VSE 15:54
Woody Jackson 37:05
Thanks to Marvin for organizing this event. Everyone had a great time.
Joe Moell KØOV
Go to Southern California ARDF -- Current radio-orienteering news and results
Go to International-Style Foxhunting Comes To The Americas -- How we're getting the ball rolling
Go to Equipment Ideas for Radio-Orienteering -- Simple and inexpensive receiving and transmitting solutions
Go to Foxhunting for Scouts -- Let's get the kids involved
Go to Local ARDF Contacts -- Links to hams and groups that are doing international-style foxhunting in North America and around the world.
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This page updated 23 March 2014