NIRAA / W0MG Club meeting presentation, March 12, 2022
"Foxhunting", by Nathan Fisher / N0ZYC

- what is foxhunting
	- "radio direction finding"
	- can be a game played between a foxmaster and a group of hounds
	- or just a few people looking for a transmitter or source of radio noise
	- the game: foxmaster hiding transmitters in a part of town, cars gather, try to find first
	- can be a very organized event with prizes

- hunting
	- need to have some way to tell what direction the transmitter is, by signal str or bearing
	- beams and other stationary home arrays (or even "can you hear it
	  from your QTH?)
		= antennas are constructed for use on a single band
	- mobile finders
		= just using your S-meter, or directivity of your omni on the vehicle
		= mobile beams
		= mobile TDOAs
		= working as a team, division of tasks (driver, radio man, eyes)
	- hunting on foot
		= compact and tape-measure beams
		= sniffers / field-strength meters

- need for attenuation
	- problems with RF overload - S9 everywhere means you can't tell
	- selectable attenuators
	- offset attenuators
	- receivers that don't rely on signal strength (left/right, null, doppler)

- hiding
	- create a fun event, challenge your friends
	- build an automatic transmitter with ID (fox) or look for a person with an HT
	- fox camouflage
	- selecting challenging locations to hide transmitters
		= use of terrain or barriers to shape the signal
		= use of terrain features like lakes and fences

- considerations when playing in public
	- label your foxes with contact info
	- inviting hams and non-hams to participate
		= anyone can run a receiver, no license required
		= inexpensive to play, tape measure beams are cheap and effective
	- public concern over seeing strangers with weird equipment

- practical applications
	- identifying sources of interference
	- locating malfunctioning radios and transmitters
	- finding emergency beacons
	- learn triangulation, which is also useful when using a map, like hiking
	- finding and identifying jammers
	- just a fun activity for a group to play

- how it ties into ham radio
	- introduce new people to ham radio
	- teaches you more about how radio waves behave, band differences
	- learn to construct new kinds of antennas
	- experiment with antenna design and directivity
	- adds a new type of competition in addition to say, Field Day, Worked All States, QSL cards