February 27, 1999 t-hunt

Angeles National Forest, California

N6MI (hider)

this report by J. Scott Bovitz, N6MI

On February 27, 1999, I hid four transmitters on 146.565 MHz for the Los Angeles and Orange County end of the month hunt. 

Each transmitter was battery operated and computer controlled.  The first three transmitters were self contained in army surplus ammo boxes.  Transmitter one identified as "N6MI e e e" in Morse Code.  Transmitter two identified as "N6MI i i i."  Transmitter three identified as "N6MI s s s."   Transmitter four identified as "de N6MI T4."  Transmitters one and two were AF6O computer/transmitter boards running about 3 watts.  Transmitter three was a Yaseu 2 meter hand held on high power (4.5 watts) and controlled by an N6MBR controller.  Transmitter four was a KF6GQ mini-transmitter (running 10 milliwatts or so) in a plastic case.  All transmitters used 1/2 wave or similar whip antennas.

At the start point in Palos Verdes, California, the signal from transmitter one was loud enough to cause a little "sniffing" around the parking area.   While the transmitter was many miles away, the path to Palos Verdes was excellent. Transmitter one was on a bluff on the south side of Highway 2, just west of Clear Creek Station.  Transmitter two was next to a helicopter landing pad to the east of Barley Flats. A 1/8 mile hike was required from the gated entrance of the road.  A family of deer guarded the transmitter. Transmitter three (transmitter "s") was at the end of a 1.2 mile unmarked power line road which ran northwest from the intersection of Upper Big Tujunga Road, just east of Alder Creek. (A nice hike up the hill, past a giant power line tower, was required to spot the transmitter and sign in.)  Transmitter four was up the hill at the end of a 1.8 mile power line road, just west of Alder Creek.  The power pole near transmitter three was visible from transmitter four (as was the road to the west leading from Upper Big Tujunga Road to Iron Mountain).

I camped and spent the night at the end of the road by transmitter four.  It was nice to visit with the teams as they arrived.  Saturday was warm (about 78 degrees), but the night was cold (with frost on the ground).

When my photographs have been developed and scanned, they will be posted to this web page.

There were six official and two unofficial teams on the hunt.  The results:

For Further Information Contact:
J. Scott Bovitz, N6MI