Foxes, QRP-L Foxhunt

www.qrpfoxhunt.org

QRP Fox Hunt Photo Archives

Wbmaster's note:

Although there's a "smattering" of photos scattered about our regular QRP Fox Hunt archive pages you'll find the bulk of 'em right here. Time marches on but this little page will help remind folks of who some of the operators were way back when!
Anyway, it was in early 2003 that Roger J. Wendell (WBØJNR) volunteered to take over as webmaster for all of the QRP Fox Hunt web pages. Roger decided, except for minor corrections, to keep all of the Hunt's previous pages pretty much intact, as they were, for historical purposes. This page, and the other Fox Hunt pages still on CQC's servers, where what the club kept intact until Fox Hunt webmaster duties were passed along again in few years later...

Click Here for CQC's regular Photo Gallery page...

QRP-L 40 Meter FOXHUNT

Meet the Foxes

FRENCH LESSON 1

Bonjour. .......... Je suis un renard.

Good Morning. .......... I am a fox.

The QRP-L Winter 40M Foxhunt Foxes were asked to submit a "biography" and photos for this web page. To the extent of
our ability to cut and paste, this is what they sent. Please note that any opinions expressed by the Foxes are their own and not necessarily shared by the Committee, their psychiatrists, or anyone else.

Click on the "thumbnail images" to view in full size.

KV2X
Tom, NY

KE1LA
Joel, ME

Born and raised in Louisiana bayou country. Licenced in 1962 as wn5cvm. Have General Radiotelephone lic. Had 3rd radio telegraph ops lic yrs back Have worked all states qrpp with my old argo 509 Changed call after moving up to Strong Maine in 93 now KE1LA QRPL # 2207 Hold an advanced class licence Age now is 56 and progressing... Joel

K5OI
Tim, NM

Tim Pettibone, K5OI, is a dedicated FOX hunter and was an early FOX. He enjoys QRP CW Mobile
and has done quite a bit of DXing in that mode. Although he builds a lot, he'd rather operate. His favorite rig
is his (almost finished) Elecraft K2. He has DXCC (176) using QRP and wire antennas, WAS on several
bands, WAC on 40m, and WAC on 20m using an inside dipole with 5 watts. Antennas include a GAP Titan
and a 40 meter dipole fed with 300 0hm line.

N0AR
Scott, MN

Last years being the fox was a hoot! I really think everyone should opt for the chance to do it, so this year I am only
interested in helping your effort out in an emergency. I know what a bummer it is to plan ahead to hunt and not have a fox...

NK6A
Don, CA

I was first licensed in 1959 as a 13 year old in Junior High. My rig was a Heathkit DX40 and Hallicrafters SX-99. I used dipole antennas and finally a Hygain ground mounted verticle. I became in Advanced class in 1971 and discovered QRP in 1980. I built a HW-8 and generally had a lot of fun with 5 watts until the DX bug hit and higher power was a must. I upgraded to Extra in 1982 and jumped into high power DX for new ones and low power for everything else. I enjoy building and wanted to get back into QRP and a small rig to take camping and on trips. I built the Sierra a number of years ago and was once again having fun. I followed the thread on the internet with the K2 and decided I had to have that rig. S/N 1217 has been to Hawaii and is ready for my next trip. I am the Quality Assurance Manager for Clarion Corp (Car Audio and Beyond). I am into QRP, chasing DX, contesting, cooking, sports cars ( Miata), Formula 1, motorcycling and canoeing.

N8VAR
Ron, OH

Started out as a No-Code tech in 1992 after many years of dreaming. Started upgrading 1 year later and received my Extra in 1994. Started reading qrp-l soon after and got pumped on CW and brougt my speed up to a espectable level that should be expected from an Extra what's passed a 20wpm code test. I've built a number of kits all from the qrp-l. Several of these kits have won prizes at the Dayton Hamvention. Mostly for being at the right place at the right time than building skills.:) I've also dabbled with antennas and have found that for my location the dipole does about as good as anything else. > I've helped with the Boy Scouts Jamboree On The Air for the past 6 years. I am a Merit Badge Counselor for the Boy Scouts for the Radio Merit Badge and have taught classes at Summer camps and Merit Badge trails. I'm not much of a contestor except for the Fox Hunts. :) As a hunter I usually score in the middle of the pack. I have been a fox 2 years and scored pretty well dead last or very near it. I am convinced that an RF black hole settles over my house on fox nights.:)

KI0II
Ron, CO
A longtime interest in the magic of radio finally led to a Tech licence in 1995. After a year decided to try CW and began the struggle of 5 WPM CW. The more I used CW the better I liked it which lead to a jump to the Advanced ticket for 2 years before getting the Extra. Operating includes home, mobile, portable and some marine mobile at QRP and with CW, SSB and PSK31 modes. So many things to try and do in Ameatur Radio and so little time. Due to home restrictions all antennas are under 32 ft and of the wire variety. Enjoy experimenting with antennas and building as time permits. Should have done this many years ago.

K0EVZ
Doc, ND

I was born in 1942 in Arkansas, but my folks moved to Texas when I was 2 years old. I received my Novice
license in 1960, with the KN0EVZ call. Was a college student in Mason City, Iowa, at the time. My rig was a
single tube transmitter, giving 2 watts out on 80, 40 or 15. Band changing was with crystals and tank coils, which
simply plugged in. Receiver was a Hallicrafters S-38D. So from the very beginning I was a QRPer (but didn't know
it!). Upgraded to a Conditional license within seven months. Remained active for about three or four years, while I
finished college in Texas. Then I took a job with a government agency in the area of security, defense and
communications, and ham radio became a secondary interest. I was QRT from the hobby for some 33 years.
In 1995 I lost the use of my right arm, and regained interest in hamming, needing a hobby. Had to start
over from the very bottom, taking all the tests again. I luckily regained my old call via Gate One, and
have been active for the last four years. Present setup includes a 540' loop horizontal at 33', suspended from four telephone poles. Also have several inverted vees at 48' - 52', and a GAP Titan DX vertical which is ground mounted at 9'. Rigs
include a K2, Corsair II, Omni C, Triton DX, and a Kenwood TS-830. Paddles are a Schurr Profi and
Wabbler, and my external keyer is a CMOS-II [Editor's note: Doc was the Top HOUND (perfect score) in the QRP-L Summer 2000 20M Foxhunt]

K2QO
Mark, NY

Hi, K2QO from the Buffalo QRP Connection here. I have been foxhunting with the QRP-L gang from the very start. Heck, my list number is 314. The first two years of the hunts I used my favorite SW40 at 1W to bag plenty of pelts. Back then there was even time to ragchew with the fox. Imagine that! My Elmer started me out with a TenTec PM-1 so I could get the hang of code by listening to W1AW. From that point on I was hooked on QRP. My favorite aspects of ham radio are QRP DX-ing, QRP contesting, public service and QRP ragchewing, not necessarily in that order. Although I rarely get to put in a
big effort in anything other than a sprint, my rates are usually quite good. This year I finally acquired my dream QRP rig, a TenTec Omni VI+. Combined with my Sierra and 9 band modules for /P use, and my venerable IC-502A for 6m, I am ready for just about any QRP action going.

NW7DX
Ben, WA

While the youngest in the pack, do not under-estimate this sly fox. NW7DX is 15 years old and is pretty much a contest animal! Getting his novice license at age 13 in '98, Ben explored and learned the art of CW. After being a novice for 5 months, he wanted to explore more of the HF spectrum. Ben upgraded just about every month and finally after being
licensed for only 10 months, he had reached the Extra class! As being the only ham in the family, he has taken up all of the responsibilities for rigs/antennas, etc. Currently, Ben's shack consists of a Kenwood TS-570D(G), various QRP rigs that he's built, an 80 meter loop, a 40 meter loop, a cushcraft R-7 vertical and miscellaneous parts, papers and stuff, which clutter up the floor. Because Ben lives in an "antenna-unfriendly" developement, his antennas are hidden in the trees. Luckily, the trees of the Northwest are killers and his loops are up pretty high! Ben (a.k.a. the contest animal) has the teen advantage of showing no fatigue even after operating a 48 hour contests and is known to really set the pace out on the bands!. You will regularly hear him in cw contests either at his home, or guest operating at large contest stations - This man really knows how to work 'em. Come Join Ben, NW7DX and experience the thrill of Winter FoxHunting! 73 and if you need any other info, please email me. Ben - NW7DX

N1FN
ET, CO

"The sleeping Fox catches no poultry. Up! up! "
--Ben Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanac
My nom de reynard, ET, was earned honestly, in a QRP QSO. Long envious of ops with names like "Ed," and also cursed with the somewhat difficult QTH "Aurora," I was seriously thinking of a legal name change. But then I was overheard in a QSO with an elderly op in Florida who sent my then callsign AA0XI as "ET ET 0 NA E E", and I've answered to "ET" ever since. I can repeat "ET" three times, faster than I can send "MARSHALL" once, nevermind the repeats. Mostly known in QRP circles as the owner of Morse Express and Oak Hills Research, I do love to operate and am on the air whenever I have time. I ended up with the second place Fox score in last year's winter hunt-- and first place in the Summer 20M hunt-- despite having access to a mere GAP Titan vertical antenna. That's what I'll be using this winter. It may not be a beam, but you should see how fast I can rotate it!.

KF4AR
Rick, NC
I was first licensed as WN4MSD in March 1963 and upgraded to General, > WA4MSD, in 1964 and Advanced in 1975. I made my first QRP QSO in 1964 with a homebrew 6AG7 3 watt transmitter. I've been QRP full time since 1973 when I bought a used Argonaut 505. I became KF4AR when I renewed my license in 1983. I enjoy building kits and homebrewing. I built my first kit in 1963, an Eico 723 transmitter which I still have during Classic Radio Exchange contests. I've built all the gear I currently use, K2, WM-2, and ZM-2 along with many other rigs and test gear. I've been a Fox for the last 2 years and have been a hunter for the last 3 years. Professionaly, I am the computer support person for the Psychology Dept.
at UNC Charlotte supporting MacOS, Win9X and WinNT. I'd rather play with radios.

W8RU
Ron, MI

Hello Hounds! I'm Ron and I operate W8RU. I live in Milford, Michigan which is a suburb on the far northwest side of Detroit.   I enjoy QRP operating, QRP and QRO contesting, DXing, and hunting grid squares on 6m. I am active on all bands from 160m through 6m.   My job is developing algorithms and systems for digitally processing data from radar systems.
The two little munchkins in the picture with me are my daughters Caroline (age 4, seated) and Julia (age 2, standing).   I typically operate after they go to bed and my wife has collapsed from the fatigue of a busy day. The girls love to play with all the knobs and buttons that adorn my shack. My main radio is an FT-1000D that can be run QRP as low as 2.5 watts. I have built up a switched attenuator for QRP milli-watting down as low as 25 milliwatts. The receiver in the 1000D is quite good,
especially in contesting situations. I have a 60ft crankover aluminum tower that supports a Force-12 C4SXL yagi (2elem on 40m - 10m) and a 5element M2 yagi for 6m. I have been lucky enough to be a winter Fox in two different years. It is a completely exhilarating experience!   One CQ and the band erupts into bedlam with dozens of signals all vying for your attention. Your heart races and your hands shake. You take a deep breath, focus, and try to grab one complete
callsign to get the ball rolling. You spin the RIT knob back and forth in a frantic attempt to find an isolated strong signal. Two hours of operating fly by in the blink of an eye, and it takes hours to calm down. It should be illegal to have that much fun with a radio.   I look forward to doing it again this summer on 20m. 72, and see you in the pile-ups.

KV2X
Tom, NY
I have been an active ham since I received my licence. I was WA9LSV, then WB6MTO, and finally KV2x. I operate mostly CW on hf and for the past 4 years I have been doing mobile cw. I am married for 30 years with 4 kids (all grown). No grandchildren yet. I am a software engineer for ABB. Other hobbies include woodworking and raising pet dog and cats

N7CQR
Dan, OR

I was born and raised (and still reside) in Portland,Or, and I was first licensed in 1964 at age 13 as a novice (WN7EFT).My first rig was a homebrew 75 W tube rig, with an NC-98 as a reciever. I got the building 'bug' from assembling a Heathkit GR-25 reciever, and actually tried to build a one transistor qrp rig, but never got it to work! After school, college,marriage, I
rediscovered ham radio and proceeded to get re-licensed in 1979. My occupation is a professional musician, and ham radio is a nice 'escape' from my other endeavors. I've messed around with qrp since about 1980, owning a series of Ten Tec rigs, and then got into building about '95 when I found Norcal. I've built and used many of the kits that have come down the line and enjoyed them all, culminating in the K2. I also belong to the adventure radio society ( as well as ARRL,ARCI and Norcal) and enjoy hiking and radio 'on the trail' here in the northwest. I've had the pleasure to be a fox for 2 years, as well as a 'bumblebee' in that contest for ARS. CW is my primary mode, and I enjoy playing around with portable antennas.

N6WG
Bob, CA

I enjoy antenna tinkering, fox hunting, building and ragchewing on cw. 40m cw is my primary mode, but I am set up for 160m through 10m. My rig is K2 beta test unit s/n 12. Field Day is my biggest event for the year. I still need DE for 2-way QRP WAS on 40m cw.

K0PC
Pat, MN

Pat Cain, K0PC, has been licensed for over thirty years. Always a CW buff, he became interested in QRP in the early 1970's when he built an HW-7. Recent projects include a K2 and the DSW-40. Other radio interests include contesting and DX. He is working on the DXCC-2000 award using the K2 at 5 watts with 95 countries to date. When the radios are off Pat can be found traveling, biking, and skiing. By profession he is a software engineer in the semiconductor industry.

N0UR
Jim, MN

Jim Lagson, N0UR (ex WA0RPI) I have been an active Fox and hound for the last 5 years. Chasing Fox is a great way to fill these long cold Minnesota nights. First licensed back in 1967 as WN0RPI when I was 14 years old (you do the math). I have been active/QRP for the last ten years. My interests and mainly contesting, and chasing a new DX country. Station uses a FT-920 as main radio, with a handful of QRP kits. Antennas are a 3 element tri-bander, dipoles and an inverted L on 80 and 160.

N5TW
Tom, TX

Tom is a relatively new ham getting his first license in November of 1995. He is grateful to Bob, AF5Z for talking him into ordering a Wilderness Radio Sierra in early 1998 and was infected with the QRP bug big time! QRP operating and the fox hunts really helped his CW skills although he still feels like a deer in the headlights as a fox! Tom is the new daddy of an Elecraft K2 which will be used in the upcoming hunt. Tom enjoys team contesting and spent most of 1999 clearing land for the
creation of his multi-2 "Death Star" tower system which has dedicated towers for 40M, 20M, 15M and 10M... (Proves he had more dollars than sense...) The Fox hunt will use the 40M tower consisting of two 2 element Cushcraft monoband antennas on a 130 foot tower - One to the NE and one to the NW.

AF4PS
Mac, FL

I'm 42, married with two boys 13 and 5, and work as a United Methodist Pastor. I've been a ham since July 1996 and received my Extra call, AF4PS (formally KF4KSM) on Sept. 21,1999. I work CW 99% of the time on
the air, almost always QRP, and enjoy building my own rigs. Amateur Radio is a great, relaxing hobby for me and I've met some of the greatest people in the world doing it. I am a member of the Swamp Rat Fox team, but taking this winter season off, due to time constraints. FISTS #5096, NorCal #1998, QRP-L #704, ARCI #9843, AR QRP, HI QRP #83, WAS QRP, TARC, Elecraft K2 #643, SOC #28, Whiners #5, Flying Pig QRP #-51

WJ1R
Larry, CO

Larry is a relative newcomer to QRP but a genuine OT otherwise. Perhaps better known under his "real" call UA6HZ ("Hot
Ziggety" Larry is a very accomplished DXer, DXpeditioner, Contester, FOC member, and Administrator (former president of
the Soviet Amateur Radio Union and judge at WRTC). Though he's been living in Denver for most of the last ten years, his
English is "mebbe not so good" which is why you will seldom hear him on sideband. But he's been using Morse since his first
license as a teenager and is "fully fluent." Very active in the Colorado QRP Club, he has set a number of club records including event scores and Q-rate at Field Day. He has the ears of a bat, and can copy three or four signals at the same time.

Good hunting, and make FUN your First Priority!

For The QRP-L Foxhunt Committee,
N1TP, K0EVZ, K1MG, N1FN, K7QO

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We continue receiving Email complaints that this web site promotes the hunting and killing of foxes. NO! "QRP Fox Hunt" is simply a name we've given a fun and exciting amateur radio activity that involves radio equipment, low power transmissions, antennas, and lots of skill between radio operators exchanging signals with each other - this activity has nothing to do with animals, guns, hunting or killing - thank you!!

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