Looks like there are numerous possibilities, neat.

The integrated automatic attenuator is a neat concept, I wonder though how
the blind user knows what level of attenuation has been set. This would be
important  of course because you have to consider the attenuation level as
part of the relative signal strength.

Let us know which option you decide upon and how it goes Richard.

Tom Fowle WA6IVG

On Thu, Nov 26, 2015 at 12:44:11PM -0800, Richard B. McDonald wrote:
> Oh, WOW, Marvin!  This is awesome!  I am going to totally check this =
> out.  I may want to build something just for fun, but buying this thing =
> you mention below may be better and easier too.  And, who knew that fox =
> hunting was so open to the blind; as you describe below!  I am copying =
> our list in this reply so everyone can see this incredible news!
> 
> 73,
> Richard KK6MRH
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Marvin Johnston  Sent: Thursday, November 26, 2015 10:14 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Cc: Dennis Schwendtner
> Subject: Re: Fox Hunting Directional Antenna for the Blind
> 
> Hi Richard,
> 
> A blind friend of mine (Dennis Schwendtner, WB6OBB) forwarded this to =
> me.
> 
> What you are looking for is a receiver with what is normally called =
> whoopie mode... an audio output where the higher the pitch, the stronger =
> the signal. Dennis uses a blue box made by Bryan Ackerly, VK3YNG in =
> Australia. It has 8 automatically adjustable attenuation levels with an =
> audio output. When the output gets high, it automatically increases the =
> attenuation and the audio output goes low again. A friend of mine used =
> one on a mobile hunt, and didn't have to touch it from about 90 miles =
> away to when he touched the transmitter.
> 
> The cost from Bryan is somewhere around $200.00 (I haven't kept track so =
> it might be higher now), and you can find out more about it by googling =
> "vk3yng foxhunt sniffer mk4".
> 
> As an aside, Dennis is a well known transmitter hunter and also competed =
> in the first US blind ARDF Championships held during Dayton Hamvention, =
> and also competed over in Croatia at the first world Blind ARDF =
> Championships held in conjunction with the World ARDF Championships in =
> 2010. Both events were run on 80 Meters. His run (along with other blind
> competitors) in Croatia is on YouTube.
> 
> One of the devices with a variable audio output is in Joe Moell and Tom =
> Curley's book Transmitter Hunting: Radio Direction Finding Simplified.=20
>  From memory, it has a pot used to increase/decrease the attenuation =
> level.
> 
> Hope this helps!
> 
> Marvin, KE6HTS
> 
> 
> 
> > Date:    Wed, 25 Nov 2015 09:36:41 -0800
> > From:    "Richard B. McDonald" <[log in to unmask]>
> > Subject: Fox Hunting Directional Antenna for the Blind
> >
> > Hi!
> >
> >
> >
> > In a few months, my club is going to do some fox hunting activities. =20
> > My question here relates not so much to making the "antenna" itself=20
> > per say, but rather to making an audible tone direction indicator.  I=20
> > think this thing is called a "V C O?"  Basically, the V C O causes the =
> 
> > pitch of a tone to change as the direction finding antenna is pointed =
> towards the fox.
> >
> >
> >
> > A very techy friend of mine in the club is going to build this=20
> > contraption for me, including the antenna itself.  He has some ideas.  =
> 
> > However, I wonder what others here on our list have done?
> >
> >
> >
> > 73,
> >
> > Richard KK6MRH