I'd aggree or even an old fashioned pot, like a standard RF gain control.
We ain't making precision measurements here! <GRIN>
Tom WA6IVG
On Sun, Nov 29, 2015 at 09:32:57AM -0700, Eric Oyen wrote:
> honestly, I would prefer a switch selectable attenuation control. you =
> can then adjust based on known values. less confusing IMHO.
>
> DE n7zzt Eric
>
> On Nov 28, 2015, at 7:35 PM, Tom Fowle wrote:
>
> > richard,
> > I'd bet you made a good choice. Assume you saw that it covers only 2 =
> meters
> > and the aircraft band emergency freq.
> >=20
> > It doesn't appear there is an audible way to determine attenuation =
> level.
> >=20
> > Let us know how it goes and happy hunting.
> > tom Fowle WA6IVG
> >=20
> > On Sat, Nov 28, 2015 at 07:57:24AM -0800, Richard B. McDonald wrote:
> >> Hi Tom!
> >>=20
> >> 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!
> >>=20
> >> http://www.foxhunt.com.au/2m_sniffer/manual.htm
> >>=20
> >> I will get it in a couple of weeks and start playing with it. I will =
> let
> >> everyone know how it works.
> >>=20
> >> 73,
> >> Richard KK6MRH
> >>=20
> >> -----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
> >>=20
> >> Looks like there are numerous possibilities, neat.
> >>=20
> >> 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.
> >>=20
> >> Let us know which option you decide upon and how it goes Richard.
> >>=20
> >> Tom Fowle WA6IVG
> >>=20
> >> 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 =
> =3D=20
> >>> out. I may want to build something just for fun, but buying this=20
> >>> thing =3D you mention below may be better and easier too. And, who =
> knew=20
> >>> that fox =3D hunting was so open to the blind; as you describe =
> below! I=20
> >>> am copying =3D our list in this reply so everyone can see this =
> incredible
> >> news!
> >>>=20
> >>> 73,
> >>> Richard KK6MRH
> >>>=20
> >>> -----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
> >>>=20
> >>> Hi Richard,
> >>>=20
> >>> A blind friend of mine (Dennis Schwendtner, WB6OBB) forwarded this =
> to=20
> >>> =3D me.
> >>>=20
> >>> What you are looking for is a receiver with what is normally called =
> =3D=20
> >>> whoopie mode... an audio output where the higher the pitch, the=20
> >>> stronger =3D the signal. Dennis uses a blue box made by Bryan =
> Ackerly,=20
> >>> VK3YNG in =3D Australia. It has 8 automatically adjustable =
> attenuation=20
> >>> levels with an =3D audio output. When the output gets high, it=20
> >>> automatically increases the =3D attenuation and the audio output =
> goes=20
> >>> low again. A friend of mine used =3D one on a mobile hunt, and =
> didn't=20
> >>> have to touch it from about 90 miles =3D away to when he touched the
> >> transmitter.
> >>>=20
> >>> The cost from Bryan is somewhere around $200.00 (I haven't kept =
> track=20
> >>> so =3D it might be higher now), and you can find out more about it =
> by=20
> >>> googling =3D "vk3yng foxhunt sniffer mk4".
> >>>=20
> >>> As an aside, Dennis is a well known transmitter hunter and also=20
> >>> competed =3D in the first US blind ARDF Championships held during =
> Dayton=20
> >>> Hamvention, =3D and also competed over in Croatia at the first world=20=
>
> >>> Blind ARDF =3D Championships held in conjunction with the World ARDF=20=
>
> >>> Championships in =3D 2010. Both events were run on 80 Meters. His =
> run=20
> >>> (along with other blind
> >>> competitors) in Croatia is on YouTube.
> >>>=20
> >>> One of the devices with a variable audio output is in Joe Moell and=20=
>
> >>> Tom =3D Curley's book Transmitter Hunting: Radio Direction Finding=20=
>
> >>> Simplified.=3D20 =46rom memory, it has a pot used to =
> increase/decrease=20
> >>> the attenuation =3D level.
> >>>=20
> >>> Hope this helps!
> >>>=20
> >>> Marvin, KE6HTS
> >>>=20
> >>>=20
> >>>=20
> >>>> 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
> >>>>=20
> >>>> Hi!
> >>>>=20
> >>>>=20
> >>>>=20
> >>>> In a few months, my club is going to do some fox hunting =
> activities.=20
> >>>> =3D20 My question here relates not so much to making the "antenna"=20=
>
> >>>> itself=3D20 per say, but rather to making an audible tone direction=20=
>
> >>>> indicator. I=3D20 think this thing is called a "V C O?" =
> Basically,=20
> >>>> the V C O causes the =3D
> >>>=20
> >>>> pitch of a tone to change as the direction finding antenna is=20
> >>>> pointed =3D
> >>> towards the fox.
> >>>>=20
> >>>>=20
> >>>>=20
> >>>> A very techy friend of mine in the club is going to build this=3D20=20=
>
> >>>> contraption for me, including the antenna itself. He has some=20
> >>>> ideas. =3D
> >>>=20
> >>>> However, I wonder what others here on our list have done?
> >>>>=20
> >>>>=20
> >>>>=20
> >>>> 73,
> >>>>=20
> >>>> Richard KK6MRH
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