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Volunteers Needed for Upcoming Community Events!

At the last VBARC Board of Director's Meeting, Al WA4TCJ put forth an urgent call for more volunteers for the upcoming Virginia Beach Special Olympics.  Please note that this event will take place on Saturday, November 1st and Sunday, November 2nd.  This is before the next scheduled VBARC Meeting on Thursday, November 6th.  So if you wait to the meeting to sign up, it will be too late!  To join in on the fun and help coordinate a great event for the community, please shoot Al an email and he will make sure you get on the list.  If you have your Technician Class license and a handheld 2 meter transceiver, you have what it takes to lend a hand!

In addition to the Special Olympics, the Virginia Beach Veteran's Day Parade and The Cape Henry Running Festival & Duathlon are also community service events on the calendar for November.  Please contact Al to participate in any or all of these public service events.

VBARC October Membership Meeting

Almost 50 members and guests turned out to enjoy Allan Coderman WB1EFN give his much anticipated presentation on a Solar Powered Field Day Station.  Unfortunately, John WT4M (yours truly) neglected to nail down the exact location of the club's projector prior to the meeting!  Upon arrival I asked Jim AG4XT and found that he still held it from the last General/Extra class last month.  Fortunately Jim only lives a few minutes from our meeting place at Saint Andrew's United Methodist.

As Jim ran to get the projector, VBARC President Don AI4ME started the meeting with introductions.  As usual, we went around the room and learned who had shown up for this meeting, despite the fact that it conflicted with the Vice Presidential debate.  We actually had an exceptional turnout in light of that fact!  Thank goodness for TiVo and DVR!

Once introductions concluded, Charlie W1WTG gave us the skinny on the weekend's events with regard to the International QCWA Convention at the Cavalier Hotel.  With dozens of events, presentations and forums, the Convention is going to be a three day extravaganza of amateur radio personalities and activities.

Since we still had a little time left before Jim returned, I spoke to the assembled membership about the recent VBARC Fox Hunt at First Landing State Park.  I detailed a little of my trials and tribulations in getting the Fox to work and finding a hiding spot for it in the woods.  Though that doesn't sound that particularly challenging, I can assure you that it was!  You can find some pictures of the event here.  Of the six that registered for the Hunt, four checked in for the hunt on Saturday, September 27th.  Unfortunately no one found the Fox!  I did however, have Certificates of Participation for the four Hunters, three of which were present at the meeting.  Don AI4ME, Jeff KA1DBE and Zack KJ4EZJ were all presented with their certificates.  Buster Stone (non-Ham) was Jeff's Team mate, of the only team that registered (The Dithering SNAFUs) and his certificate was given to Jeff for safe delivery.

After a little technical difficulties with computers and projectors, we finally got set up for Al's presentation.  Al gave an awesome description of his Solar Powered set up, where to get the parts and about how much they would run.  Additionally Al had handouts available for everyone in attendance!  But I think Allan really grabbed everyone's attention when he gave us a teaser of some of the stuff he will have at QCWA.  Al had some fabulous old photographs of his dad's radio stations.  His dad was one of our nations earliest Hams.  He never took a test as he was already a well known radio operator by the time the Fed got around to getting their mitts around the radio spectrum!  Just think, Amateur Extra without ever taking a test!

Following Al's presentation, Don dismissed the membership for a 15 minute break.  Stew K4STW (aka Mr. 50/50) was on spot with some cookies and as always Judy W4JJY brought her refreshing iced tea.  A few of those in attendance took the time to join VBARC.  Bob K4NTO was busy signing up Angus W4IKD, Bill KB9LFT, Mark KJ4GWU and Zack KJ4EZJ.  I had already thought Zack had joined the club, considering his level of activity!  Both Bob and I realized that some of the new Hams thought that they were already enrolled in the club from being a handed an invitation for a first year free from dues.  Just so all are aware, the offer still stands, but you must see Bob and actually fill out a membership request form so he can formally enter your information in VBARC's records.

When we finally got down to club business, Bob K4NTO gave us his treasurer's report.  Al WA4TCJ gave us the low down on the Special Olympics Fall Championship, our next community service event on the weekend of November 1st/2nd.  Also, on Tuesday, November 11th, Virginia Beach will host its annual Veteran's Day Parade; volunteers are needed to help organize and orchestrate this event.  Al also noted that November will be a busy public service month, with volunteers also needed for the Cape Henry Running Festival and Duathlon on Saturday the 15th.

Bob K4NTO, petitioned the membership for nominations for the 2008 Ham of the Year.  Bob, Jim AG4XT and Bill WA4EUL are this years HOTY committee members.  If you have a nomination for Ham of the Year, please submit them to the committee by email.

Finally, our President solicited the membership for two additional Nominating Committee members to facilitate the club elections in January.  Our Secretary, Bernadette KI4VCR is heading up the committee this year and (per the by-laws) needed two members to complete the board.  Both Joe KI4RKB and Judy KI4VCQ volunteered for the task.  If you would like to nominate a club member for office or make suggestions to the Nominating Committee drop them a line via email.

Mr. 50/50 (Stew K4STW) announced the time for our big cash giveaway!  The winner was none other than our illustrious Past President and Training & Licensing Manager Jim Lindsey AG4XT.

The Fox is Still on the Loose!

Saturday the 27th of September rose with a few clouds, but no threats of any torrential downpours like those on the previous Thursday. The Fox was actually hidden on Tuesday evening. I was having a grand old time putting it through its paces, when on Wednesday evening it stopped responding. I suppose that I should explain that this was no ordinary "dumb" Fox, but a handheld transceiver controlled remotely using a Byonics PicCon, built by yours truly. The PicCon is a dandy little kit that listens for DTMF coded controls (allows remote changes to transmit and loop timing, on/off, etc.) and works like a champ! Or so I thought, until it suddenly stopped responding! I figured I must of sent it some key code that it wasn't happy with...

This presented a real dilemma, because now I had to head back out to the hiding spot to find out what happened. This included a mile and a half with my bike and then another mile and a half (give or take) on a foot trail. Fortunately I had Friday off, but I had a friend coming in from Washington State on Thursday. As soon as I got off work on Thursday, I threw my bike into the back of the old Silverado and headed for the park. Hoping that I could retrieve the Fox and figure out what was wrong before my friend arrived, I sped to the location through a downpour. Upon arrival I learned that the PicCon was not the problem, but rather some critter had found my installation and had its way with my Fox!

I had placed the transceiver, PicCon, two 6 volt batteries and two 9 volt batteries in a couple of plastic bags and covered them with an ample heap of leaves and sticks... I failed to think about all of the wildlife in the park! And to think I used to be a Boy Scout! For shame! The bag had been chewed up and rummaged through, but everything except the PicCon seemed intact. The PicCon had become disconnected from the DB-9 connector (apparently the critter is fascinated by kits) and therefore was in no way able to control anything... I gathered up everything, as I definitely needed to provide a more secure housing for my Fox. Also with the deluge still going strong, I wanted get everything dried out! My friend called three times while I was biking back to the truck, but I was too drenched to answer! I finally got back to my truck and arranged to meet my old friend Carl at my house.

Now I had to explain to him that we needed to bike ride and hike into First Landing State Park on the following morning (Friday). Not being a Ham, nor having seen me for 15 years I am quite certain Carl was convinced at that moment that I had gone mad in the interim. He was not objectionable however (probably thinking it best to humor a madman)...

After thoroughly drying all of the parts of the fox (transceiver, PicCon, batteries and the antenna), I thought about how I might keep it safe from critters. Cooler? Too big... My nice Pelican case? Not gonna drill holes in that! Hmmm... Deck boards? Yes, I will make a small box of wood! No critter can get through that, and it will blend in nicely once covered by leaves and whatnot!

On Friday morning, pencil behind my ear, I cut some small pieces from a deck board I had lying about, stuffed all the parts inside and nailed a top on it! There, you little woodland rat, try getting inside that!

Now all we had to do was get it back in the woods. Carl! To the Foxmobile! We loaded up the bikes, drove to the park and upon arrival pedaled and hiked our way back to the hiding spot. The fox was placed up on White Hill along Long Creek Trail (which transects the park lengthwise). From the fox's location there was a great vista of both White Hill Lake (which can only be seen from within the park or from an aircraft) and Broad Bay.

Now that all that was done, Carl and I could catch up on the last 15 years! We had a nice meal and great conversation that evening. Unfortunately Carl had to leave us just as tomorrow's Fox Hunt would be starting.

OK, back to Saturday morning, right, rose with few clouds and all that... Around 9:30 AM I got a call from Jeff KA1DBE, checking in the Team Dithering SNAFUs and indicating that I had better turn my radio on and listen for Zack. Oh, yes I am supposed to be listening to both the 97 and 895 W4KXV repeaters! I tuned them in at once and immediately thereafter, Zack KJ4EZJ was asking me a few questions regarding what frequency the Fox was on... "Zack, didn't you read the rules?", was my response. "Well, a few days ago", was his retort!

After we got a few of the rules straight, Zack was checked in and ready for the hunt. With only two check-ins, three hunters total, at 10 AM sharp I crossed my fingers and and punched in the DTMF codes to bring the Fox to life. And it did not disappoint! The tones started melodiously coming across my 2 meter transceiver, after 20 seconds of tones the Fox ID'd itself as W4UG! To be repeated every 5 minutes.

About an hour into the hunt, it was obvious that our hunters were having some difficulty, and I thought it prudent to increase the frequency of the transmission to every 3 minutes. It was about that time when Don AI4ME rolled up in his truck and asked me if the Fox Hunt was in progress! "Yes, it is, where have you been?", said I. Don replied that he had gotten a late start but was now heading to the park. Very well then, good luck to you sir, you have been officially checked-in!

The hours ticked by. I don't remember what time, but The Dithering SNAFUs, comprised of Jeff KA1DBE and Buster Stone (non-Ham) had to throw in the towel, as Buster needed to get to his son's soccer game (at least that is what I think it was). That was disconcerting, as I really thought that The SNAFUs were in the best position to find the Fox.

Don eventually gave up after wandering the woodlands for several hours. He reported that once inside the park, the signal was bouncing off of all of the hills. He also added that I shouldn't have made the first Fox Hunt so terribly difficult! I told him that if he had found it, he would not have thought it too difficult! I have a penchant for stirring the pot!

If we were giving away a plaque to the most tenacious hunter, that award would have certainly have went to Zack, who searched for the Fox until the end! He didn't give up until after 5 PM (which was the official end of the contest). I didn't know how tenacious Zack was until I went to pick him up, to give him a lift home. He did not even pack a lunch and very little water! Thus I found a parched and famished Zack at the north entrance to the park around 6 PM. I rushed him home so his folks could get some vittles in the young man!

Don, Jeff and I all agree that we need to do more fox hunts. This event will probably be the granddaddy of the them all, but I am entertaining the idea of doing this one biannually. Spring and Fall seem to be a suitable time of year for this event. Perhaps our next hunt will be at Mount Trashmore. It certainly presents much easier terrain for a hunt, and thus should attract more participation. We'll kick it around some more and see what we come up with. All of the hunters from this event indicated that they had learned quite a bit from mistakes made and the things they did that worked. Jeff stated that if he had followed his triangulation taken outside of the park (that put him dead on where the Fox was), he believes he would have found it.

All participants were given Certificates of Participation, but I look forward to giving away a plaque for this event next year (or in Spring)! If you are thinking about participating in the next hunt, please have a look at these links. Also, critical to finding the fox is getting a good fix by triangulation prior to "sniffing" for it. Additionally, it was obvious during this hunt that a good attenuator could make the difference between win or lose... Happy Hunting! Check out all of the pictures here!