Fox Hunting in Yorktown

Over the past couple weeks Randy WB7URZ has hidden a “fox” in and around the Yorktown area. If you are new to fox hunting, a fox hunt is a search for a radio transmitter that has been hidden somewhere. It is good practice for using direction finding antennas when tracking down an unusual or possibly problematic signal. While the fox is transmitting, you listen for where the signal is strongest, and move toward that direction. This is where directional antennas can come in handy. Also, some have found that the cheaper Chinese radios do not work as well as handhelds made by the “Big 3” manufacturers.

Several club members made the trip to Yorktown to look for the fox. At first Randy hid it in a place that was easy to locate, but over time he began finding more tricky spots that proved to really test the skills of even the more experienced hams. Overall, the fox hunts have been a big success.

Allan, WD4ITE brought his friend and her grandkids to Yorktown one day to show them what fox hunting is about. They seemed really interested, and had a lot of fun. Not only that, but they also are beginning to study for their technician license as well! While you do not need an amateur license to listen to or hunt for the fox, this can be a valuable way to attract new hams to the hobby.

Randy has also offered to hide the fox during our Yorktown Special Event on Saturday, October 17. If you are interested in joining in the fun, bring your 70cm (440 MHz) handheld, and if you have a directional antenna, bring that too! We look forward to seeing you out there!