18th May DF Hunt rules

By  FRARS

" These are the preliminary rules for the 18th of May DF hunt to be run by FRARS"

Eligibility:
The foxhunts are organised by FRARS but will be open to all radio amateurs and short wave listeners either as individuals or teams.
All participants must endeavour to keep within the following rules:

Foxes Location:
The fox will be at a fixed location on public land, and will be positioned such that he/she can observe traffic on a nearby public road. Access to the fox will be free from undue risk to any normal road vehicle. The fox's signal must be recievable in the grounds of FRARS Clubhouse.

Please note that the foxhunt is a test of one’s radio direction skills and hounds must at all times follow the Highway Code. Beware of using a radio whilst on the move.

Winning Hound:
The overall winning hound or hounds team will be the first to arrive at the fox’s location.

Fox’s Equipment:
The fox will transmit an FM signal on the agreed frequency in the 144 MHz band. The power used for fox transmissions may be changed as the hounds close but will remain constant at all other times. The minimum power for the fox will be 5 watts. The fox’s antenna and polarity will be declared to the hounds during the first transmission and will remain constant throughout the duration of the event. These details maybe requested at any time by the hounds but only transmitted during the next scheduled transmission. The fox must use headphones or keep the volume very low to avoid the "toneburst listening test" used by some hounds during the final close in.

Hound’s Equipment:
Doppler receivers and their displays are NOT permitted. Basic necessary facilities: transport, watch/clock, and 2m FM receiver. Additional desirable but not essential equipment: directional antenna, map, compass/protractor, attenuator (s).

Schedule:
At the agreed start time, the fox will transmit a signal for 120 seconds stating operating conditions etc. The following 4 transmissions will be 60 seconds in length, repeating every 15 minutes to allow the hounds to get some fixes from a distance. Thereafter, the fox will transmit for 30 seconds at five-minute intervals. The first transmission will start at 19:30 local for two minutes.

Start:
All the hounds participating should meet at FRARS clubhouse at a time before the first transmission is due. They should all be ready to take bearings then move to other locations of their choice to take subsequent bearings, from which to gradually establish the fox’s location.

Finish:
The foxhunt finishes when either all the hounds have arrived or conceded, or the agreed duration of the hunt has expired. SWL’s are particularly encouraged to take part, and are requested to make their participation known to the fox through any hounds transmitting capability.

Beer:
The fox may optionally purchase a round of beer for the winning team of hounds, although this is purely at the discretion of the fox.

Clues:
At the discretion of the fox, clues to his/her location may be given as the event progresses.