Fox Hunting — Radio Direction Finding
Someone hid a hidden transmitter. You've got a radio and a directional antenna. Go find it. Fox hunting is part scavenger hunt, part sport, part emergency training — and a whole lot of fun.
What is Fox Hunting?
Also called "radio orienteering" or T-Hunting (transmitter hunting), fox hunting is a game where participants use radio direction finding (RDF) equipment to locate a hidden transmitter — the "fox." Events can be on foot, in cars, or both. It's popular worldwide and a recognized competitive sport in some countries.
Beyond fun, RDF skills are used in real life: tracking down interference sources, locating emergency beacons (EPIRBs), and finding jammers.
How It Works
- The fox — A small low-power transmitter hidden in a park, building, or vehicle. Transmits periodically on a known frequency (often 2m or 70cm).
- The hunters — Armed with directional antennas (Yagi, loop, or doppler arrays) and receivers that show signal strength and bearing.
- The hunt — Take bearings from multiple locations, triangulate, narrow down, find the fox. First team to find it wins.
Why It's Addictive
Multipath reflections off buildings, signal fading, and clever hiding spots make every hunt different. Vegas's urban canyons and open desert both present unique challenges.
Equipment
Basic
Handheld radio + tape-measure Yagi (cheap DIY) + attenuator. Signal gets stronger as you point toward the fox.
Intermediate
Arrow antenna, offset attenuator, body-fade technique (use your body to block signals and confirm direction).
Advanced
Doppler RDF systems, GPS logging, mobile hunt rigs with roof-mounted beams. Some hunters build custom FPGA-based DF units.
Fox Hunting in Las Vegas
We're not aware of a regularly scheduled fox hunt net in the Vegas valley right now — but that could change! Fox hunting is easy to organize: one person hides a micro-transmitter (PicCon, Byonics fox, or a simple beacon), others hunt. Red Rock Canyon, Sunset Park, or a neighborhood circuit make great courses.
Interested in starting one? LVDX would love to help organize. Reach out on local 2m repeaters or through club channels. ARDF competitions follow international rules if you want to go competitive.