Muncie Fox Hunt Coming Up This Weekend

Courtesy Peter G. Trimming (CC License)

It's going to be cold windy this weekend...

but that ornery fox needs to be found !

Come join us for a friendly fox hunt this Saturday in Downtown Muncie.  No special skills or equipment is required, everyone is welcome.  If you haven't ever been on a transmitter hunt, don't worry: we'll show you how and help you along the way.

When: 3:00 pm on Saturday, October 27, 2012.  Hunt begins at 4:00 pm sharp.

Where: Muncie Children's Museum, South Parking Lot (515 S. High Street, Downtown Muncie)

What to Bring: Aside from proper attire-- it WILL be windy and chilly-- no equipment is required.  We do recommend you bring an HT, and of course any RDF gear/antennas you may have.


New to the game ?  We've got you covered.
Come early and pick up the basics with Robert, KB7ZGB.  We will have a brief orientation for new hunters starting at 3:00 pm covering equipment, basic radio direction finding (RDF) technique and fox hunting strategy with plenty of time for questions.  If you have family and friends who aren't licensed but have interest in Amateur Radio, this is a great opportunity for them to participate and learn.  And to all the scanner enthusiasts out there... remember: tracking a fox only requires a receiver.  You're welcome to join the hunt too !

So how is this going to work...  What's the plan ?
New hunter orientation will start at 3 pm and run for about 30 minutes.  As we approach 4 pm, we'll sort out how many folks we have and figure out cars and teams.  Hunters who aren't attending the orientation should be on-site by 3:45 pm.  If we have enough experienced hunters and car seats, we'll split up into competitive teams.  If not, we'll travel as one unified blob and track that fox down together.  Competition isn't the main objective here... having fun, making sure everyone can actively participate-- and finding the fox !-- is the mission.

Game format and rules:

• Fox will hide within Muncie city limits at a publicly accessible outdoor location with suitable nearby parking
• Fox will remain stationary in his chosen spot with regular voice transmissions every 5 minutes beginning at 4 pm
• Although the fox must stay put, TX power, antenna type/orientation and dispensing clues is at the fox's discretion
• The hunt frequency will be 146.565 MHz Simplex
• Hunters begin from the same point at the Children's Museum parking lot
• The game begins when the fox starts transmitting at 4 pm
• The game ends when all hunters have found the fox OR 6pm, whichever comes first
• Please... Drive Smart - Be Safe - Remain Aware of Your Environment

Let's have some fun this weekend, see you there !