October 4 , 11 , 18 , and 25 at 6 pm

More and more hams are discovering the fun of tracking down hidden transmitters out in the woods.  It’s a worldwide sport with opportunities for friendly competition at home and abroad.  A ham radio license isn’t a requirement, but it makes it lots more fun.

 Radio direction finding is used to find sources of interference to any form of wireless electronic communications, including broadcast and two-way radio, television, and telephones.  It is also used to track missing or stolen cars and other property.  Search and rescue workers use it to find persons in distress.  Emergency Locator Transmitters in downed aircraft are tracked with RDF techniques.

Fox hunting links

• 4 MHz Offset Fox Hunt Attenuator. From Arrow Antennas, this device shifts the incoming frequency by 4 MHz to enable better close-in hunting.
• Radio direction finder kit of the so-called “doppler” variety, made by KN2C. (Advertisement on page 130 of May, 2011, QST—I know nothing more)
• Integrated transmitter for fox hunting. Article on page 33 of May, 2011, QST. Article itself has some further links for those interested in this kit.
• Homing In, a website devoted to fox hunting. Lots and lots of stuff, though you’ll have to poke around a bit to see how it’s organized. Lots of pictures and further links. While on the site, look at Joe Moell’s book Transmitter Hunting: Radio Direction Finding Simplified.
• Fox hunting video, 2006 USA ARDF Championships: International Style Amateur Radio Direction Finding, from Amateur Radio Video News