Santa Fe Dam Radio-Orienteering
Sunday, January 28, 2018

This on-foot direction-finding session is intended for beginner and intermediate level transmitter hunters.  All ages are welcome, so bring the family.  A ham radio license and/or knowledge of radio equipment is not required.  Experts will be on hand to teach you the basic techniques of on-foot radio direction-finding (RDF).  Try your hand at some easy two-meter transmitters set by Joe Moell KØOV and then a 5-fox two-meter international-rules course of low to moderate difficulty, designed and set by Marvin Johnston KE6HTS and Bill Wright WB6CMD.  One or more fox transmitters on the 80-meter band may also be set up to try.  Experts will be on hand to help you. 

This radio-orienteering session is being combined with a classic orienteering session of the Los Angeles Orienteering Club (LAOC).  That's why it's on Sunday, not Saturday.  If you have receivers, scanners, directional antennas, attenuators, or other equipment suitable for on-foot RDF, be sure to bring it.  Make sure all batteries are fresh.  A limited amount of RDF gear will be available for loan. 

For those who want to build RDF gear for use with their own two-meter hand-held radios or scanners, Marvin will have kits for measuring-tape yagis and active attenuator circuit boards.  He also has complete antenna/attenuator kit that includes the power switch, BNC connector, housing and battery, ready to install as the tape measure beam is built.  (Photo at right). 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 Marvin (marvin@west.net) to pre-register and get more information about equipment.  The building session will only take place if there are sufficient advance registrations.  If you already have equipment and just want to hunt transmitters, you don't need to pre-register.

If it takes place, the building session will start at 9:30 AM.  Please be prompt.  Beginner transmitters will be on the air at that time.  The main 5-fox hunt will start about 10:00 AM.  Hunters may start the courses at any time until 1 PM.  Courses close at 2:30 PM.

Orienteering flags and electronic scoring will be used on the 5-fox course.  If you have an "e-stick," be sure to bring it.  For non-LAOC members, there will be a $13 donation for individual adults and $10 for youth to cover expenses related to the use of Los Angeles Orienteering Club's e-punch equipment and maps.  There is no charge for a child age 10 and younger when with an adult.  For LAOC members, the donation is $8 for adults and $5 for students. No donation is requested for the beginner course and the 80-meter transmitter hunt.

Santa Fe Dam Recreational Area is in the city of Irwindale near the intersection of the 605 and 210 freeways.  From 605 northbound, take the Live Oak Avenue exit and go east.  From 605 southbound, take Arrow Highway exit and go east.  In both cases, you will merge into Arrow Highway eastbound.  The park entrance will be on your left, opposite Azusa Canyon Road.  Alternately, from the 210 freeway, exit at Irwindale Avenue, go south to Arrow Highway, turn right (west) and look for the park entrance on your right opposite Azusa Canyon Road.  Vehicular entrance and parking costs $10 per vehicle.  After the entry kiosk, continue to the first stop sign, go straight through the intersection and then turn left into the parking lot at the end of the short road.  See the map below for more details. Look for the orange and white orienteering flags.  (Example at left.)  Talk-in on 146.52 MHz simplex.

For your GPS navigation system:  15501 East Arrow Highway, Irwindale, CA    34.113484N    117.941549W

Questions? Send e-mail to k0ov@homingin.com.  The park's business office will not have updated information about this event.

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This page updated 11 January 2018