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.
> 
> 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