Last hunt of the season and for once we arrive in plenty of time.
There is a lone motorcyclist in the carpark who seems to know what we are up to.
We thought he was visiting the bike store but it turned out he had come along to see what happens on a transmitter hunt. Great stuff!
So, 6 teams and a keen observer line up for the first transmission on a cold fine evening.
19:30 First transmission and we have a noisy signal to the rear, we exit the car park whilst the others are frantically waving their antennas trying to get a 'fix'.
As we travel towards the lights they turn green and we swing left into Woodthorpe Drive. Eight seconds to go, and as Geoff counts us down we get a perfect bearing directly through Redhill Island.
Well that's good, a decent first bearing, let's see how quickly we can negotiate all those sets of traffic lights through Daybrook!
19:35 and we can't believe our luck, (the signals are poor), but every traffic light has changed to green as we approach it. We are already past the Home Brewery and well towards the A 60/A614 junction. No sign of anyone following, this looks promising!
19:40 And we are just exiting the Island on the A60. Our bearing runs parallel to this road but we are cautiously keeping a watchful eye as to whether we will need to switch to the A614. The signals are really weak now and I am even getting a couple of 'blips' to the rear.
19:45 And passing the B683 on our left (the second turn to Papplewick), signals getting clearer and beginning to reinforce our original bearing. Whew! glad we 'stuck to our guns'.
19:50 Just sailed through the lights at the junction with the A611, it's been a continuous 'wave of green lights' all the way!
Suddenly from 'scratchy' it's overload time, attenuator = 60dB's he's everywhere!
We are in a very wide road with a large pub and carpark to our left, "could be in there"
I exclaim but we are surrounded by traffic with nowhere to turn.
Eventually we turn round and park opposite the pub to wait for the next transmission.
19:55 Yes straight across the road, a 'Bat turn' in the road sees us driving into the car park whilst the fox is still transmitting.
The bearing is straight through the pub, (as best as I can tell) so it's out of the vehicle for a quick scout round.
No one in any of the cars? Lets look round the back of the building.
We hunt round the rubbish bins and then spot some steps leading up to a road. Worth a quick look?
Bingo, blinded by my flashlight the fox succumbs and books us in at 19:59.
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All the teams find the wily fox, and nicely spaced out over the full evenings transmissions, (Tim just getting in at the last moment.)
Thanks go to G4EKW and G8OHC for being fox, all the teams who have taken part this season, and to John G0PSI who has put up with me as navigator all year!
Don't forget, if you fancy some exercise there will be an 'on-foot' 70cms hunt in the Beeston area November 14th.
Starting from the Hop-pole public house on Chilwell High Road at 19:30, pie and peas supper on return!
See you there!
19/4/01 | 17/5/01 | 21/6/01 | 19/7/01 | 16/8/01 | 20/9/01 | 18/10/01
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