Thanks!  Indeed, how the attenuation level will be an interesting thing to
explore.

-----Original Message-----
From: For blind ham radio operators [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Tom Fowle
Sent: Saturday, November 28, 2015 6:35 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Fox Hunting Directional Antenna for the Blind

richard,
I'd bet you made a good choice. Assume you saw that it covers only 2 meters
and the aircraft band emergency freq.

It doesn't appear there is an audible way to determine attenuation level.

Let us know how it goes and happy hunting.
tom Fowle WA6IVG

On Sat, Nov 28, 2015 at 07:57:24AM -0800, Richard B. McDonald wrote:
> Hi Tom!
> 
> Well, I decided to go with the MK4 Sniffer.  Really, it seems just 
> perfect for the blind.  Part of my reasoning is that it's *only* $160 
> if purchased directly; noting that it's $295 if purchased from the US 
> distributer.  About attenuation, I think it has an "automatic" 
> setting.  Exactly how a blind user determines what that level is I will
have to investigate further.
> Below is a link to the MK4's user guide, FYI.  This thing seems pretty 
> accessible and awesome!
> 
> http://www.foxhunt.com.au/2m_sniffer/manual.htm
> 
> I will get it in a couple of weeks and start playing with it.  I will 
> let everyone know how it works.
> 
> 73,
> Richard KK6MRH
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: For blind ham radio operators 
> [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
> On Behalf Of Tom Fowle
> Sent: Friday, November 27, 2015 7:42 PM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Fox Hunting Directional Antenna for the Blind
> 
> 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