This Hunt took place in Civic starting at the Griffin centre carpark adjacent to the skatebowl. The fox was Neil VK1KNP. This Hunt, the first of the summer season, went off successfully with 3 Hounds and 3 Hunts. The weather held back for the first two hunts (almost) but it bucketed down during the third. Luckily there was shelter in the form of the Arts Centre Porch where the successful hounds could wait for the other hounds. Neil transported the Hounds back to their starting point so they did not get too wet.
Report
The first location originally saw the fox buried in the top of a pile of wood chips, however the rain soaked wood chips absorbed too much RF and the hounds could not hear it. Neil went back and moved it to a more open location in a grass tussock near the environment centre. The Hounds Quickly found their way to the area with a choice of which side to be made. John VK1ET chose the wrong side and so after circling the complex ended up last. Kerri VK1TKR & Dimitris VK1KBN arrived first.
The second fox was substantially weaker, again due to wet vegetation, so Neil gave the pedestrian hounds a few clews to get them in range. Even so Kerri never heard this one and proceeded straight to the third fox location. John was first on the scene of the second fox, finding the long antenna wound along the branches of a low bush near a chain mesh fence in Mort Street. Dimitris had a difficult time with this one as he was looking for a box not an antenna, and kept ignoring the higher level readings. He did however find it in the end. Those last couple of meters can be real difficult!
It was at this point the Downpour began, Dimitris decided to continue, and Neil loaned him his GoreTex. Hounds arrived at the final location, a hedge next to the Arts Centre (Old Questacon Building) in the order Kerri, John and Dimitris. Lets hope this is the last hunt to have rain this year!
Next Hunt
Well this week I am scheduling another Hunt for Thursday night. 6:30 PM start again from near the skate bowl in the griffin centre carpark. As usual spar equipment will be available for hounds who don't have a full set of gear. Bring at least a 2M hand held. The first hunt will be on 146.200 MHz commencing at 6:30 PM. Liaison repeater is VK1RAC 146.900 MHz Black Hill.
We might move the December Hunts to another location because Civic these days is a rather RF dirty location.
Any suggestions are welcome.
Cheers
Neil VK1KNP
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