Hunt Results

Summary:

Once again, I tried to come up with a signal that could be heard at the start but lost once you leave the area. It was what I was trying to do at Helmer Lane a couple of years ago. The path profile for each had peaks in the way so I was not sure if it would work at all. I used my trusty 3 element beam on top of a 12 foot mast pointed to Grossmont parking lot. To make sure I brought the ability to use 50 W.

I was wrong. The signal came through just fine. I was using only 500 mW. I found this site using Google Maps. The satellite view gives enough detail to show the path between the end of Scripps Cape Vista Point (TX site) and Mira Lago Way. It looks like some open space for the neighborhood. It’s at the end of a dead end street with just enough curve in it so you can’t see from the intersection at the top to the other end where the path is.

I strapped the mast to a tree to get the antenna higher. I was still shooting through trees. Everything worked perfectly.

I gave Joe a call to get things started. Everyone could hear the signal. We were started. Hadiya and I moved to a parking lot at Lake View Park. It was just out of site from the transmitters. Everyone found me before finding any transmitter. That was about 5:25. As they were getting out their sniffers, I told them it is not here. Go find it someplace else. Soon after, at 5:31, Bill and Casey gave a call on 146.52 that they had found the main. I could see on APRS that the hunters were gathering at the main. I moved from the park to join them.

The two micro transmitters were as much of a problem for some as the main. They were discovered by groups at the same time. The last was underground in a covered sprinkler system valve.

Here is the way I saw it:

1. Greg Gibbs KI6RXX T1, T2, T3 reported all 3 at 5:42 by text msg Conrad

2. Joe Corones N6SZO reported T1 at 5:33, T3 at 5:40, T2 at 5:52 by text msg Greg Spalding W6BAF

3. Bill Hober KM6ORF reported T1 at 5:31 by radio call on 146.52 Casey Latoski KN4QK

4. Bill Elkerton W6ZM Bryan & Noah

By about 7:15, we were all, except Bill (ZM), headed for Olive Garden. I put out the suggestion of Olive Garden at the request off my wife, Hadiya. She doesn’t like pizza. Bill wasn’t feeling well and had had enough fun for the day. Still, everyone had a good time. Robert Dexter N9SCD