A different kind of Foxhunt

Suitable for the urban fox 

From the January-February 2025 SARC Communicator

If traditional foxhunts don't work well for your club or organization, this one might...

The last few months, I've been thinking about a different way to do a Foxhunt.  My vision was to have a Foxhunt available whenever you want, especially this time of year. Not everyone lives in town, and everyone's busy shopping and might not be able to dedicate an afternoon on a specific day for a group search. But what if the fox kept calling you out for a few minutes here and there, whenever you had a chance? No pressure, just try it out and see what you can find with your gear, experimenting with different antennas to get the best results. Go get that Fox!

Where to start with my build? You guessed it: Google and YouTube.  The first step was to make a Fox using things I had in my toolbox. I got a Baofeng radio, Arduino UNO, batteries, a waterproof box, and a Drok buck converter. Simple enough, right?

I first searched using Miss Google and came across this: https://www.hackster.io/nfarrier/auto-keyer-for-radio-fox-hunting-e89b99  "Cool, I can do this," I thought, so I did. After putting it all together, I programmed the Arduino UNO using the Arduino software with the code from that website. I set up the CW message, and everything tested just fine. My vision was starting to come true!

My power supply was an 18 volt 5.0 Ah Lithium-Ion Battery (Makita BL1850b) feeding in the Drok Buck Converter to reduce the voltage to 7.4 Volt for the Radio and that voltage was also perfect to feed the Arduino Uno as it has a 12 volt connection with its own regulator to supply 5 volt to the board.

Tested everything, and boy was this great! One watt output from the radio gave good range. I packaged it all up and headed outside. I found a good hiding place for the Fox, with easy access and safety in mind.

I could hear it from the east and west side of town. All was good darn... a few days later I couldn't hear it anymore until I was right beside it. I took the Fox home and discovered the TX (transmit) wasn't putting out power anymore, even though the battery was still good. My Fox SX5 Mosfet transistor must have failed. It must have been spending too much time in TX mode. So, I replaced the radio and changed the transmit message, reducing the time by almost 50 percent.

I put the Fox back in its den, and it was happy again, calling everyone to get searching. Darn... a few days went by, and once again, it stopped transmitting. I figured it must be the batteries. Out it came, and yes, the batteries were depleted. However, the Fox SX5 Mosfet transistor also failed again.

There goes the fox hunt, second radio blown. How disappointed you all would be!  I talked to a fellow ham about Baofeng radios. He uses them more often than me, and he showed me in the manual that the duty cycle is very small, 03/03/54 minutes (RX/TX/Standby). My fellow ham had a spare radio he wasn't using, so I bought it from him.

I did a few more programming changes to adjust the duty cycle.  I also decided to add "MORE POWER!" (à la Tim Allen)  So, I added a second Makita battery for a longer stay in the den.
I relocated the fox to be closer to home, just because I know I'll need to replace the batteries in a few days. For those of you in the area, I hope you all get a chance to find the Fox.

Happy Fox Hunting! 73,

~The Silver Fox VE3BQM

A video about ARDF (Radio Orienteering)

Whether you call it Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF), Radio Orienteering, Fox or Bunny Hunting

The feature speaker at our May 2024 meeting was Robert Frey WA6EZV. Robert spoke on ARDF - Radio Orienteering - Fox (or Bunny) Hunting. Robert was first licensed in 1968, and his interests include DX  and ARDF, as an on-foot foxhunter, for over 20 yrs. He was member of the US ARDF National Team in 2000, 02, 04, and 06 competing in China, Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and South Korea.

The presentation was recorded via Zoom so please excuse the video quality which is less than our usual presentations.

Robert Frey WA6EZV

We have documented some of our own SARC  Foxhunts in years past, including this locally developed 80m fox receiver:

and

~ John VE7TI

The May-June 2023 Communicator

Here's The Communicator!

'The Communicator' digital periodical of Surrey Amateur Radio Communications is now available for view or download.

Read in over 145 countries now, with almost 14,000 downloads for the March-April issue, we bring you 130 pages of Amateur Radio news from the South West corner of Canada and elsewhere. With less fluff and ads than other Amateur Radio publications, you will find Amateur Radio related articles, projects, profiles, news, tips and how-to's for all levels of the hobby.

You can view or download it as a .PDF file:  

The Communicator May-June 2023

Previous Communicator issues are at:

https://ve7sar.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Communicator

and a full index is HERE.  

As always, thank you to our contributors, and your feedback is always welcome. 

The deadline for the next edition is June 15th.

If you have news or events from your club or photos, stories, projects or other items of interest from BC or elsewhere, please contact us at communicator@ve7sar.net

73,

John VE7TI

'The Communicator' Editor

80 Meter ARDF (Fox) Receivers

Better than ever! 

Amateur Radio direction finding (ARDF), also known as Fox Hunting has become easier and more exciting using 80m. More and more kids are participating in our annual event and learning about radio. No transmitter, so no license required. 

See the 'How-to' video at https://youtu.be/YK3gETNc2jU

This is a project by Surrey Amateur Radio Communications in support of the hobby

The May - June 2022 Communicator Periodical

 

130+ Pages Of Projects, News, Views and Reviews

'The Communicator' digital periodical of Surrey Amateur Radio Communications is now available for viewing or download at https://bit.ly/SARC22May-Jun

Read in over 140 countries now, we bring you Amateur Radio news from the South West corner of Canada and elsewhere. You will find Amateur Radio related articles, projects, profiles, news, tips and how-to's. 

This month antennas, connectors, fuses, circuit breakers and much more.

You can view or download it as a .PDF file from: https://bit.ly/SARC22May-Jun

https://bit.ly/SARC22May-Jun

Previous Communicator issues are at https://ve7sar.blogspot.com/search/label/The%20Communicator

As always, thank you to our contributors, and your feedback is always welcome. 

The deadline for the next edition is June 20th.

If you have news or events from your club or photos, stories, projects or other items of interest from BC or elsewhere, please email them to communicator@ve7sar.net

Keep visiting our site for regular updates and news: https://ve7sar.blogspot.ca    

73,

John VE7TI

'The Communicator' Editor

The Annual SARC Fox Hunt

 Despite COVID, another successful event

Saturday, August was the date for this year’s annual SARC ‘Fox’ Hunt. As usual the venue was in South Surrey’s Crescent Park, a large venue with both forested trails and fields suitable for a picnic. The weather cooperated wonderfully providing mild temperatures and blue skies after a couple of days of much needed rain.

The briefing started at 9am, once five 80m foxes had been hidden throughout the park. A beacon had been activated allowing the competitors, many of them first timers, to practice their ARDF skills.

At 10am the foxes automatically activated as programmed and the hunt was on.

This year there were approximately 25 hunters with a welcome complement of ‘Junior’ hunters joining the Novice and Advanced groups, and yes, the receivers are easy enough to use even for a 5-year old.

The first finisher returned after an amazing 22 minutes, impressive given the amount of territory that had to be covered.

What followed was a barbecue expertly prepared by Brenda James with assistance of Heather Brodie and Anitha and Anil Cherian… Thank you.

We also thank fox placers Jeremy VE7TMY, Jan VA7VJ and Thomas VE7TXL. Special thanks to Chief planner Anton VE7SSD, who once again provided a smooth running and fun family event.

~ John VE7TI

A video of a SARC Fox Hunt: https://youtu.be/DMEKWOyaAnc

 

New Fox Hunt (ARDF) Receivers Available Now

 

They work GREAT!

Second generation 80m ARDF foxhunt receivers designed by Les Tocko VA7OM and produced by Dave Miller VE7HR are now available.

The RX80M is ready to use, with no assembly required – comes complete with:

• 9v battery
• antenna
• earbuds
• internal 100 dB attenuator
• tuning 3.51 MHz to 3.60 MHz 

Cost C$125.00 plus shipping by Canada Post/USPS or UPS Parcel.   

No volume or club discounts are available since the project is operated on a cost recovery basis by volunteers.  

To order, send email to JohnVA7XB@gmail.com and include:

• Your name and callsign (optional)
• Complete mailing address
• Number of units required

Upon receipt of your order, further instructions regarding payment will be provided.

An instructional video describing how to use the RX80M is available at www.RX80M.com

Also… TX80M transmitters suitable for use with the RX80M will be available soon.

What is a foxhunt?  

Also called “radio direction finding”, It is a radio sport, a friendly competition to locate hidden transmitters using a handheld receiver which can determine direction of the transmitted signal.  It’s fun and it’s easy to learn the technique and you do not need an Amateur Radio license. 

There is an earlier post describing fox hunting at: 
The Communicator Digital Edition: Fox Hunting (ve7sar.blogspot.com)

 Check out the videos at: 

https://youtu.be/YK3gETNc2jU and https://youtu.be/DMEKWOyaAnc  

~ John VA7XB

The SARC Foxhunt Is Coming Up

Postponed from May

With COVID restrictions in effect over the past few months, it has been some time since we have had any organized club activities.   So a no-fee foxhunt has been planned to get us moving again. 

What is a foxhunt?  Also called “radio direction finding”, It is a radio sport, a friendly competition to locate hidden transmitters using a handheld receiver which can determine direction of the transmitted signal.  It’s fun and it’s easy to learn the technique.  Check out the video at: 

https://youtu.be/YK3gETNc2jU and https://youtu.be/DMEKWOyaAnc  

There is an earlier post detailing fox hunting at:

https://ve7sar.blogspot.com/2020/03/fox-hunting.html

Details can be found in the poster below.  Loaner equipment is available for those who don’t have an 80m foxhunt receiver, we can pair you with an experienced team, or you can purchase one for $125.

We ask that you confirm with Anton (email in the poster below) if you plan to participate.

We encourage participants to practice proper COVID precautions and to maintain social distancing at all times.

~ John Brodie VA7XB

Fox Hunting

Also known as Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF)

Another Great Meeting Presentation

Amateur radio direction finding (ARDF, also known as radio orienteering, radio fox hunting and radiosport) is an amateur radio sport that combines radio direction finding with the map and compass skills of orienteering. It is a timed race in which individual competitors use a topographic map, a magnetic compass and radio direction finding apparatus to navigate through diverse wooded terrain while searching for radio transmitters. The rules of the sport and international competitions are organized by the International Amateur Radio Union. The sport has been most popular in Eastern Europe, Russia, and China, where it was often used in the physical education programs in schools.

ARDF events use radio frequencies on either the two-meter or eighty-meter amateur radio bands. These two bands were chosen because of their universal availability to amateur radio licensees in all countries. The radio equipment carried by competitors on a course must be capable of receiving the signal being transmitted by the five transmitters and useful for radio direction finding, including a radio receiver, attenuator, and directional antenna. Most equipment designs integrate all three components into one handheld device. (See Wikipedia and HomingIn for additional details) 

Receiver equipment

No radio license is required. The radio equipment carried on course must be capable of receiving the signal being transmitted by the transmitters and useful for radio direction finding. This includes a radio receiver that can tune in the specific frequency of transmission being used for the event, an attenuator or variable gain control, and a directional antenna. Directional antennas are more sensitive to radio signals arriving from some directions than others.

Most equipment designs integrate all three components into one handheld device. On the two meter band, the most common directional antennas used by competitors are two or three element Yagi antennas made from flexible steel tape. This kind of antenna has a cardioid receiving pattern, which means that it has one peak direction where the received signal will be the strongest, and a null direction, 180° from the peak, in which the received signal will be the weakest. Flexible steel tape enables the antenna elements to flex and not break when encountering vegetation in the forest. 

On the eighty meter band, two common receiver design approaches are to use either a small loop antenna or an even smaller loop antenna wound around a ferrite rod. These antennas have a bidirectional receiving pattern, with two peak directions 180° apart from one another and two null directions 180° apart from one another. The peak directions are 90° offset from the null directions. A small vertical antenna element can be combined with the loop or ferrite rod antenna to change the receiving pattern to a cardioid shape, but the resulting null in the cardioid is not as sensitive as the nulls in the bidirectional receiving pattern. A switch is often used to allow the competitor to select the bidirectional or cardioid patterns at any moment. ARDF receiver equipment is designed to be lightweight and easy to operate while the competitor is in motion as well as rugged enough to withstand use in areas of thick vegetation.

Les Tocko VA7OM has designed a top notch contest grade ARDF 80m receiver that has now gone into production. It is hoped that it will be available for our annual SARC FoxHunt in May. Once sufficient quantities are in stock they will be available for general purchase. Inquiries may be sent to VA7XB@rac.ca.

Les presented a club meeting program on ARDF and the receiver on March 11, 2020, along with his cohorts Amel Krdzalic VA7KBA and Dave Miller VE7HR. He has shared his presentation slides and two videos.

Les' Slides on ARDF (PDF 5Mb) or Les' Demo with Video (PPS 170Mb)

Les' ARDF Video: Fox Placement and Strategy

A video on the use of the receiver

Our 2019 SARC FoxHunt video

Update!

Our next Fox Hunt was scheduled for May 9th, however it was postponed due to the COVID crisis. The new date is Saturday, August 29. Here is the poster:

~ Updated 2020-08-12

SARC Fox Hunt

Our Annual Hidden Transmitter Hunt

The annual SARC "Fox Hunt" has long been an established event on our calendar and was recently held on Saturday, May 11th in the now usual location of Crescent Park in South Surrey.  A fox is a hidden transmitter. Fox hunting is a recognized Radiosport, and it has been compared to the ‘Amazing Race’ for Amateur Radio enthusiasts, but instead of getting clues, we use radio direction finding techniques to search for the 5 transmitters hidden somewhere in a large forested park. When one is found, by following a Morse code beacon, we use the identifying paper punch to verify the location. The faster time back to the start with all 5 foxes is the winner. There are annual World ARDF Championships for fox hunting.

SARC members, guests and friends have supported this event and it continues to grow in popularity. This year there were with 27 Hams participating in the actual hunt, along  with 5 unlicensed 'friends'. It was also encouraging that we had several young people participating.

It was a dry and sunny day, participants were divided up into teams of "Expert"  and "Novice" class. Where there were not enough receivers, participants "buddy-up" to share equipment.  After a brief intro  and training session by Amel VA7KBA and Jeremy VE7TMY, and with adrenaline flowing, the  groups were enthusiastically dispatched in 10 minute intervals.  Much fun was had by all .

With the popularity of 80m, we did away with the 2m foxes and five 80m foxes were hidden throughout the park. Participants were allocated 90 minutes to find them. 

 

 

  
The social half of the event was the informal BBQ, providing an opportunity to engage in  stories, an exchange of lessons learned  and challenges overcome. Warm camaraderie prevailed over burgers and hot dogs. 

In any planned event such as this, there are many moving parts and I extend recognition and greatest of thanks to Amel VA7KBA, Jan Voslenik VA7VJ, John Schouten VE7TI who  handled  all the set up and the technical aspects of the "foxes".  Much  appreciation  to Brenda (XYL of Anton VE7SSD) for food shopping, John Brodie VA7XB for ice and the BBQ and the able chefs, Stan VA7NF, Nell VE7PE and  Pam VE7PFH for expertly staffing the grill.  Special mention is made of Les Tocko VA7OM, who, through a conflict in schedule, was unable to attend. His support throughout the year is acknowledged.

The results:

Expert class 

1st place: Jan Vozenilek VA7VJ 5 foxes 44 mins 

2nd place: Henry Dahl VE7HRY 5 foxes 50.5 mins

Novice class  

1st place: Jeremy Morse VE7TMY 5 foxes 78:50 mins  

2nd place: Ken Patenaude (unlicensed)  5 foxes  80:20 mins 

3rd place: Paula Struthers VE7PSP  5 foxes 80:45 mins 

An informal “prize” ceremony, bragging rights and the 'crystal fox' trophy were awarded to the winner, Jan Vozenilek  VA7VJ.  The stuffed musical bunny was awarded to Jeremy Morse VE7TMY.   

Mark your calendars (tentatively) for the same weekend next year, Saturday May 16th, 2020, as we look forward to another annual SARC FoxHunt.

A video of the event is available for viewing at:

 http://bit.ly/FoxHunt2019

More photos

~ Fox-Hunt co-ordinator :
  Anton James  VE7SSD

SARC RDF FoxHunt May 19th

An Amateur Radio FoxHunt

Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF, also known as radio orienteering, radiosport, FoxHunt or Bunny Hunt) is an amateur racing sport that combines radio direction finding with the map and compass skills of orienteering. It is a timed race in which individual competitors use a topographic map, a magnetic compass and radio direction finding apparatus to navigate through diverse wooded terrain while searching for radio transmitters. The rules of the sport and international competitions are organized by the International Amateur Radio Union. The sport has been most popular in Eastern Europe, Russia, and China, where it was often used in the physical education programs in schools. It is also frequently used as an educational recreational activity in Scouting.

ARDF events use radio frequencies on either the two-meter or eighty-meter amateur radio bands. These two bands were chosen because of their universal availability to amateur radio licensees in all countries. The radio equipment carried by competitors on a course must be capable of receiving the signal being transmitted by the five transmitters and useful for radio direction finding, including a radio receiver, attenuator, and directional antenna. Most equipment designs integrate all three components into one handheld device.

The Surrey Amateur Radio Club hosts a FoxHunt annually in May. The event is held at Crescent Park in South Surrey.

SARC 2016 FoxHunt

The 2017 Event

Saturday May 20, 2017 at Crescent Park, South Surrey 

Pre-Hunt Coaching, Registration & Instructions 0900 - 1000 Foxhunt commences at 1000 with a barbeque at 12 noon.

To participate, you need a 2 meter handheld radio or scanner with a directional antenna. For those who have built kits, an 80 meter foxhunt is also planned. However, if you are a beginner or don’t have a radio, then come anyhow! You can be part of a more experienced team or we will have equipment that you can use. Talk-in 147.360+ (110.9 tone)

FOXHUNT – NO CHARGE  

BARBEQUE $10 

All are welcome, but we ask that you RSVP Anton James VE7SSD jamesadf@shaw.ca to indicate if you plan to attend the foxhunt, the BBQ or both.

To get there, take Crescent Rd. west from King George Blvd near Hwy 99, & turn off at 129th St. to the parking & assembly area and walk into the park.

Map: https://goo.gl/maps/M4Sqk4vLNPG2

The 80m Fox Hunt Presentation

by Keith VE7KW, Les VA7OM, and Amel VA7KBA

Al Peterson introducing the speaker on the 80m Fox Hunt

Keith Witney, VE7KW discusses the 80m Fox hunting receivers

Amel Krdzalic, VA7KBA promotes the construction of the 80m Fox hunting receivers

Les Tocko, VA7OM prepares the 80m fox hunting transmitter for demonstration

Les Tocko, VA7OM prepares the 80m fox hunting receiver
using a small speaker for demonstration

Amel VA7KBA, Les VA7OM, and Keith VE7KW after the 80m
fox hunting receiver presentation

SARC's annual foxhunt 2013

SARC's annual foxhunt event was held on May 18th at Crescent Park in South Surrey. Rain threatened but, other than a few drops early on, it never materialized. Approximately 20 hunters, many from other clubs throughout the area, turned up for SARC's Annual Event at Crescent Park The skill level of the crowd was mixed, comprised of a few very experienced RDFers plus the once-a-year dabblers and some first-timers The results reflected the experience level as only a couple of participants were able to find all primary 5 foxes plus the low-power micro-foxes within the allotted 1.5 hours. Others found one to three foxes. As usual a wide variety of equipment was used to hunt the quarry. A few SARC members put to use their newly-constructed loop antennas but found them to be disappointing performers, as the directionality was ambiguous. During the testing period before the hunt commenced, some loopers abandoned their experimental antennas and reverted to the familiar and reliable tape measure beams.
Event winners were:

1st: Les Tocko VA7OM
2nd: Mike Zavarukhin VE7ACN
3rd: Lou Beaubien VE7CGE
Most Improved: Anton James VE7SSD

From Top to bottom: Les, Mike, Lou 

Anton (center) recieved the prize from Amel (right) 

Anton Presented the 1st prize to Les 

The three happy winners 

The foxhunt was followed by a tasty barbeque and picnic giving all a chance to socialize and enjoy the park setting while joined by other family members. Our sincere thanks go out to Anton VE7SSD for organizing the event, Amel VA7KBA for setting up the foxes and his RDF expertise in working with Anton, Nicole VE7PET and Arthur VE7SIE for the cooking duties and Hiu Yee VE7YXG as official event photographer.

From left to right: Amel, Arthur, Nicole