Entire GPS track start to finish	3D view showing signal blockage	This was an excellent "Santa Clara" hunt. Its amazing how challenging a simple hunt can get, just by placement of the Fox transmitter. Gary-KD6UIR and Sherri-KE6BLX (originally hunting in Los Angeles), did a great job. Looking at my "Entire GPS track" you can see a few mistakes and detours. My biggest mistake was when I was on Hicks Road, (the correct road) early in the hunt and did not continue driving. I ended up turned around, driving south on Almaden Rd and came in on Hicks Rd. again from the opposite side. The "3D View" shows why. A large mountain shadowed the Fox from where I was at on Hicks Rd. (early-on) and I would not have heard the Fox for another 5-1/4 miles (10-minutes). That's a long time not hearing the Fox signal. In retrospect, I guess 10 minutes is not very long when testing a theory. Time to make a note, IF YOUR EQUIPMENT (DOPPLER) POINTS YOU IN A DIRECTION AND YOU COMMIT TO TAKING THAT DIRECTION, THEN DON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND UNTIL YOU PROVE IT OUT. GIVE IT AT LEAST 10 MINUTES OR 5 MILES. This sort of sounds like my published hunting rules #4 (SOME RULES). Driving around like I did, allowed me to watch my Doppler point towards Hicks Rd. My decision was not to go back the way I came from but, to continue my trip around the mountain and eliminate locations in the area while verifying the Fox was really in the hills along Hicks Rd. I didn't want to get caught in the Hicks Rd. (any mountainous road) tunnel where the Fox signal will always be in front of you. The GPS StreetPilot-III really helped with plotting street level routes in this hunt where I had no knowledge of the territory or area.
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190314.jpg	190330.jpg	Equipment I used. 1) 4-element beam: To obtain my initial bearings and for close-in work. 2) AHHA MicroFinder Doppler. Very helpful. 3) Garmin StreetPilot-III: Street level GPS maps and auto routing short hops (shortest distance) towards the Fox. 4) Icom IC-R3, U-R-Here radio. Tells me in four attenuation steps how close I'm getting to the Fox. 5) Scout-40 frequency counter, connected to my 4-element beam and used as a close-in sniffer. 6) Mobile radio, Standard C5900DA. Listen to the fox frequency, talk-in communications channel and used 446.000 Mhz as a private communications channel with other hunters. CONCLUSION: Follow my original four rules published (here). My initial bearing was 120* and I was only off by 10*. Rule #1) Follow your initial bearing. Rule #2) Get back on, your initial bearing. My Doppler pointed to the Fox until I lost the signal. I was on the correct road, Hicks Rd. but, turned around when I couldn't hear it. Rule #3) Trust your equipment. Rule #4) Check your immediate options before committing to a new direction and Once you commit to any direction, don't change your mind until your prove it incorrect. You don't want to return to the area you just came from. Other than not following my four rules and there are only four rules (I didn't follow any of them), I did okay coming in second place.
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203429.jpg	213452.jpg	See you at the next hunt. I'm putting this one on. "Schedule". Jim Sakane (KD6DX)