LARS Fox Hunt of 22 November 2003

The Fox woke up at 3:42 AM and began charging the batteries that he was too tired to do Friday night. That went well for a while! I picked up an old Icom battery pack off the charger and set another Icom pack on it. THAT’S when I noticed my hand was dripping a very warm, thin blackish liquid! The pack was leaking something… Cupping my hand under it I headed to the kitchen sink to wash the hot alkaline liquid off my hand and the pack. Also the MAHA charger had to be cleaned. The moral of this story is to mark all the packs as Rechargeable or Dry Cells, and don’t charge the dry cells, they blow up!

After lying down and taking a short nap, I was back up and collecting the stuff to take. After taking some stuff out of the car to make room for the hunt stuff, we (the FOX and I (Fox)) headed out. Arriving at North Corbin breakfast was eaten at Dairy Queen and then off to Woodbine we go, La Laa La La La.

The FOX was the Icom IC2AT, Fox Controller, Ramsey 25 Watt Amplifier, 12 Amp power supply, two hanks of rope, 10-foot PVC mast and 4-element beam. These were taken to Woodbine on the Tower Road (named for WCTT radio towers) and I went to Leland’s new (and still unfinished) house and set up the antenna. In true field day fashion, a screwdriver was pushed in the ground behind the house and the PVC mast set on the screwdriver handle and guyed three ways with concrete blocks and rope. The 4-element beam was attached to the mast with particular care taken to align the boom and beam it to point west, toward the Woodbine Fire Station and I-75 exit 25, not toward London, again! By the way, the beam was horizontally polarized, again! Several pieces of wood were set on the dirt and the 12 amp power supply & extension cord, Ramsey 2 meter amp, the FOX radio & the 8 volt batteries, FOX controller & the 9 Volt battery, and the coax run to the radio and the amp was hooked up. At 10:00 AM the conglomeration was fired up and I announced on 147.285+ that the FOX was on the air. In the house the writing pad and two HT’s were set up and his beam in the attic was used to hear 147.285+.

This FOX was at N 36.53.43, W 84.04.16 and 1122 feet amsl.

I sat in a chair listening to the reports coming in while writing it all down, again. It is amazing how much trouble was caused by horizontally polarizing and deliberately pointing its amplified signal somewhere else, again! I thought it might make the hunt a little more interesting but not to the point of some of the hunters giving up after only 1 ½ hours this time…. Next hunt the signal should be heard in London on everyone’s HT, with no beam or amplifier being used. The location is already planned!

The hunters first used the147.285 + London repeater and changed to 146.61 - at 10:39.

10:00 Fox turned on and N4ICU Fox announced on 147.285+ that it was on

10:00 Peter, KJ4ND answered.

10:02 David reported in Keavy the direction was 120 degrees, SSE.

10:05 David said I’m 5 miles SE of where I used to live.

10:06 Peter says he’s at Walmart.

10:07 Rodney KG4LKY asked, Got a direction?

10:07 Peter answers and Stephen should be coming.

10:08 Peter, If it’s down toward Corbin then use 146.61-

10:13 Stanley KD4ERF called Peter, Getting a reading, he’ll go out of state, he’ll go mobile.

10:13 Rodney, don’t give him any ideas.

10:15 Peter and Stanley talking, Stanley’s with KE4PHM at London Shopping Center.

10:17 Rodney to Peter, got several readings of Corbin.

10:18 Rodney is on Hwy 30 going south, will be in Laurel Co. shortly.

10:20 Brian KG4DIO asked Rodney if he had a direction on it.

10:22 Rodney, Definitely toward Corbin, planning on passing this Mercedes, but I can’t.

10:23 Brian said, FOX , he’s a smart one.

10:23 Brian says hello to Stanley

10:24 Rodney, catch you later.

10:32 Rodney ID’ed.

10:38 Rodney, told someone he’s going to Corbin.

10:39 The hunters are switching over to 146.61- Corbin repeater.

10:39 Peter to Brian, we’re going, I think Stephen KG4LLA is leading.

10:40 Brian says, Go this way. Rodney said he’s (Stephen) is swerving.

10:40 Rodney said, Stephen’s straightened out now, must have his radio adjusted now.

10:40 .I think Rodney asked, Jim, you listening? Jim didn’t answer but he’s listening!

10:41 Brian says he’s going put this radio down and drive.

10:41 Peter calls, Rodney says he’ll be quiet for a minute.

10:45 Diana KG4VRU says, What did you say, Brian?.

10:45 Diana, got on top of this bridge, good signal.

10:51 Brian to Stephen,.., southerly?

10:59 Peter to Rodney, again Peter to Rodney, then Rodney calls Stephen.

11:04 Stephen answers Rodney, Rodney asked if anybody has anymore directions.

11:10 Leland KE4FGL calls Rodney, and Rodney replies we are hunting it.

11:12 Rodney observes that we’ve gone through a tunnel. Sees many locomotives!

11:13 Sign warns about Remote Controlled Locomotives. Brian said he saw a No Trespassing Sign. Fox calls them and says FOX is NOT there, on CSX Railroad Property.

11:15 Diana says she’s right behind the Redhounds Stadium! Here’s a one-lane bridge.

11:16 Rodney ID’ed, Brian calls Diana and tells her he sees the Holiday Motel.

11:17 Rodney calls Stephen.

11:24 Diana calls Rodney, have you heard anything yet?.

11:24 Rodney is in front of the Holiday Inn Express. I think we’re by the Interstate.

11:25 Rodney said this is getting too hard to do with just an HT. I’m going to get me some directional equipment?

11:26 Rodney ID’ed.

11:41 KG4BTA (I think call is right) calls Stephen KG4LLA on .285+

11:56 Leland called, Anybody found the FOX yet? Brian said No, this is a hard one.

11:58 Diana ID’ed.

12:00 Peewee KF4ZUX is talking on .285+ with Christy KG4PIJ, ‘bout run outa gas!.

12:04 Leland asked on .285+, if they were still hunting the FOX? Brian, just got gas.

12:05 Stephen (‘LLB) said, just got gas. ‘bound to been close. Good Signals.

12:06 Stephen, Anybody got any clues?

12:08 Diana to Rodney, Where you at?

12:08 Peter, Where is everybody?

12:08 Christy, she is on the way to Woodbine.

12:09 Christy said, we heard it with the antenna off.

12:10 Christy ID’ed.

12:32 Leland asked if they gave up. Stephen is at Woodbine Fire Dept., heard with antenna off, full scale.

12:33 Stephen to Peter, Where you at?

12:35 Brian and Stephen at FD, full scale without antenna, We Close! (1/4 mi. across valley and woods).

12:37 Stephen, think we did a good job on this one?

12:38 Stephen, The signal keeps going down in any direction we go!

12:40 Leland talked with Stephen and Brian, It’s full scale, it’s either in the valley or pointed down the valley ( Now why would they want to keep going back to the fire dept.?) Leland told them, I’ll give you a heading, It AIN’T the metal buildings!

12:45 Leland, A hint. It AIN’T in the Fire Dept. either.

12:47 Stephen ID’ed.

12:49 FOX (Jim), Hey guys, just remember to tune off frequency when it’s real strong. Then you’ll know where it is, or isn’t!

12:50 Leland, Still there? Brian, we still hunting. Leland, just remember, It’s through the field and across the woods to Grandma’s house we go….

NOTE: It (FOX) is pointed toward Woodbine F.D., toward I-75 exit 25 (South Corbin)!

01:03 Stephen, ‘bout ready to give up. Leland, but you are real close.

01:05 Leland, remember, you have to cross the creek. Stephen, Take a big run, like the Dukes of Hazard!

01:07 Leland talking with Brian and them

01:07 Leland turned the FOX beam toward them! Then turned it back where it was.

01:09 Brian and Diana turned into driveway.

01:13 Fox talks with Rodney

01:16 Brian FINDS FOX!!!!! Then Diana finds FOX!!

01:16 Stephen gives up. Peter and Christy is at the Friendly Food Mart, Woodbine.

01:33 Brian and Diana head to Friendly Food Mart to meet others and figure out where to eat.

01:35 Leland talks with Peter, where at? On KY 6. .

01:38 Leland, go top of hill, turn right

01:41 Leland, Peter is heading this way.

01:43 Peter shows up in driveway.

01:45 Peter sees FOX!!

01:48 Fox, Jim, N4ICU, turned FOX off

MOST OF THE HUNTERS GAVE UP AFTER ONLY 3 HOURS and 16 MINUTES!!!

And they were within a little over a 1000 feet as the crow flies (or about 3 ½ miles by road.

Brian KG4DIO and Diana KG4VRU find the Fox!!!!

73 & GOD Bless

Jim, Fox, FOX, Hard to find, N4ICU ………………..