Due to seasonal avalanche hazards, rather than our usual hiding area rumored to be in the Cahuilla Valley area in Riverside County, Seth N6PL and I decided to use a different hiding area with fewer hazards, in the Moreno Valley area of Riverside County. For a variety of reasons only two groups, N6MI/AF6O and WA6RJN, were able to hunt. Both teams reported challenging reflections.
3 transmitters were hidden:
T3 - 1 watt into a 4 element beam, located south of Lake Perris at the end of Warren St., 33°49'6.97”N 117° 5'34.24”W (see first image). Both teams found this transmitter late in the evening after having driven past the area much earlier in the day and spending much time around Idyllwild. The spot had a good view of Santiago Peak, which may have contributed to the reflections (see second photo.) N6MI/AF6O picked up the transmitter and didn’t save the sign-in sheet so I don’t have exact times and mileages, but reported that their team had 80 miles more than WA6RJN.
T22 - 20 watts into a 4-element log-periodic antenna. Neither team found this transmitter. Strong signals were heard in the Hemet area, but neither team found it. N6MI/AF6O claimed they were close to finding it south of Hemet when the battery died around 8 pm. In hindsight I should have used a bigger battery, but in my defense both teams had driven through Hemet much earlier in the day.
N6MI - 20 watts into a 4-element beam. Neither team found this transmitter, which was heard in many places but reflections were severe enough that to the best of my knowledge neither team developed a solid theory as to where it was located.
Since only T3 was found, and Doug WA6RJN had the lower mileage of the 2 teams, he is declared the winner and will hide in July.
