Light rain was forecasted and with it being a holiday weekend, we wanted to make it an easy hunt. Also, a pole of the hunters showed a preference for an easy hunt as well. We decided we would call it a repeat hunt. If hunters remembered the previous hunt’s locations, then it would be even easier. However, instead of using the most recent repeat hunt where we hid in Oceanside again and pulled off a Palomar bounce, we decided to hide on Palomar, hoping hunters would think it was a bounce and drive to Oceanside. The repeat part was that we reused most hiding spots from a previous hunt on Halloween where we hid on Palomar.
As I had to work, I went out on Friday and hid most of the transmitters. Conrad placed the last micro and hid the main on Saturday morning. An equipment issue caused us to change the main transmitter at the last minute delaying the starting of the hunt by about 10 minutes. The hiders profusely apologize for this unplanned delay. Local interference was causing desense on our transmitter causing it not to work. Its those ever so wonderful quality baofeng radios. A quick change to a different transmitter fixed that.
Higher than needed power allowed most hunters to correctly guess that it was on Palomar and they were off. Lowering the power made the signal too weak for VCR to hear so we upped the power back to 5W. PHB and SZO went off to Ramona and hung around there. We are still trying to figure out why? N9SCD team with the Kraken was first to Palomar. Congratulations a nice showing of the Krakens capabilities on land. But then decided to go up and down the mountain multiple times before heading back out to sea on the 78. Must be a Kraken thing as a sea creature? Once they verified that the ocean was still in the same spot where they had left it, they started heading east again, this time on the 76.
This was to be an out and back themed hunt. One transmitter at Lilac Bridge was on 6565 with another in Bonsal, one at Nate Harrison Grade Rd, and the main on Palomar. We were hoping the transmitter at Nate Harrison Grade would get those who enjoyed the weather and muddy roads to drive up it. This would provide them with extra fun if the so chose. Once the hunters found the main on Palomar, they were given the alternate frequency of 7585. Then back down to Lilac Bridge for another transmitter. The last three where off of Deer Springs Rd. One by the gas station off of Mesa Rock Road, another up in the hills on Sandhurst Way, and the final one in the same area which was T55 and the only transmitter not found by at least one hunter. It was determined that the antenna had a loose connection so it was very weak and probably being covered up allot. However, on recovery, it was determined that it was heard from T73 so its location will remain off record to be used again in a future hunt.
The out and back did not work so well as hunters chose their own routs. One even via way of Ramona. Must have wanted that good pizza. This caused all hunters to miss Nate Harrison Grade on the way up and the potential fun adventures they could have had if they continued on that rout. Good news is most hunters where able to hear other transmitters from the top of Palomar taking them in the correct direction and at least one team was able to hear Nate Harrison Grade from up top and so they grabbed it on the way back down. One team couldn’t hear anything else from the top. We are not sure why but attached is a recording from Conrads’s radio on a rather small omni listening to the “KG6JEI 73 Transmitter’ on 147.585. This was the one hidden at Sandhurst Way.
At 5 after the fun was over, we headed to Cocina Del Charro on Escondido for some good Mexican food and gave the hunters a chance to harass and heckle the hiders. Thank you to all the teams that came out and hunted. Attached are photos of sign in sheets. SZO and BAF found the most transmitters so they are the winners and get to hide the next County Wide Hunt in March 30th 2024. We hope all had fun and hope to see you on the next hunt.
