Branch County Amateur Radio Club

I just published the May and June newsletter. You can find it in the usual spot, under Club Newsletter - Current Issue.Hope to see everyone at the Club Meeting!!.

I took some time this evening to get caught up on adding photos to our gallery.

You can now find pictures from the Foxhunt last week, along with Arnie's (NS8T) Past and Present Hams Project.

• All hunters should be present at the 911 Center west of Coldwater on US 12 and be ready to receive their instructions at 6:45 pm on Tuesday, May 19. Hunt timeframe will be a maximum of 1 hour 30 minutes.

• This Fox Hunt is Competitive – Each team is competing with all other teams. This means that the communication between teams is minimal at best and hiding your real direction of travel from other teams is acceptable and even encouraged.

• The Fox will be hidden within a 10-mile radius of the intersection of Marshall and Chicago streets in Coldwater. The Fox will be hidden in a public place that does not require the hunters to neither pay admission nor require any swimming, flying, or contact with any poisonous wildlife. (We hope!).

• No weapons are allowed. We may want to use the same Fox again.

• The hunt will commence from the parking lot of the 911Center with the first Fox transmission at 7:00 PM.

• The Fox will be transmitting on 147.550 MHz.

• The Fox will transmit for one minute followed by 4 minutes of silence. All transmissions will take place at 5-minute intervals beginning at 7:00, followed by 7:05, 7:10, etc.

• The Fox may change power settings during the hunt.

• Remember that in order to successfully complete the hunt, the teams must locate the transmitter. Finding the Fox is not enough.

• Time synchronization will be available from the Hunt Master prior to the start of the hunt.

• The hidden transmitter will have 3 tags attached to or near it that bear numbers 1 through 3.

• When the transmitter is located, the team locating it should not mention anything on the air or otherwise tell others where the transmitter is located in order so that others may complete the hunt.

• As each team finds the Fox, they should discreetly and quietly take the lowest numbered tag and return to the 911 Center and turn the tag over to the Hunt Master.

• The Hunt Master will make note of the time that the tag was received and the identity of the team members.

• If (When!!! -Ed.) a team finds the hidden transmitter and there are no tags present, it means that at least 3 others have found it before them.

• The person or team with the number 1 tag will be the winner of the hunt.

• Runners-up will follow the same procedure and be scored according to the numbered tags that they turn into the Hunt Master.

• Our primary concern during the hunt is for the safety of all participants.

• We will notify the authorities that we are conducting a hunt.

• If you drive slowly or stop your car in or near the roadway, remember to turn on your 4-way flashers. Be careful while walking so you don’t get run over in a parking lot by a little old lady with a shopping cart.

• Be careful when exiting your car near the flow of traffic. Think safety all the time.

At the conclusion of the hunt, we will all meet back at the 911 Center to swap lies and either congratulate the winners on a successful hunt or congratulate the Fox on the skunk job that was put on the
hunters! Either way it will be lots of fun!

Late Breaking News: I understand that Nancy, KD8CYX will have some of her famous Fox chili on hand for us after the hunt.

Questions? Call Larry WB8R at 517-617-4883 or email at wb8r@arrl.net

The April newsletter is now up for grabs. You can find it at the top of the page.

A special thanks goes out to Jim Voss for taking the reins and handling it for me. Thanks Jim!

I finally put the finishing touches on the March Newsletter last night.It's up for grabs, enjoy!

In the past few weeks we have been test driving a new concept for our club: Saturday morning get-togethers for breakfast. We have very much enjoyed the food and atmosphere at Stogie’s Restaurant at the corner of Jefferson St. and Chicago St. in Coldwater. We received a warm welcome and all had a great time.

We have chosen the third Saturday of each month at 8:30 AM as the day for all interested club members and guests to get together over breakfast to enjoy each other’s company. Please mark this on your calendar and plan to join us.

Also, the February Newsletter is up. You can find it in the usual spot.

It's on the way. I hope to have it published by the end of the week. Sorry for the delay, but spare time is not something I have a lot of these days.

Jim, KC8UGV has compiled a Google Maps overlay of all the hams in Branch County.

If you're not on the list, let him know!

Nice work Jim!!

Edit: Fixed typo. 12/16/08 -AG