Scott County Amateur Radio Club Hosts a Summer of Weekend T-Hunts
Summer weekends offered a chance to follow a hidden radio signal as the Scott County Amateur Radio Club hosted a series of Come & Go T-Hunts during the summer of 2026.
Coordinated by K1REZ and W5JMJ, the hunts gave participants something especially useful: flexibility. Hunters could choose a time that fit their schedules and enjoy the challenge independently or with a group of their own.
One Hidden Signal, a Weekend of Opportunity
The format was simple. Transmitters started at 6:00 p.m. on Fridays and remained in operation until 6:00 p.m. on Sundays, giving hunters a full 48-hour window to attempt each hunt.
There was no single gathering time that everyone had to make. A hunter could head out Friday evening, plan a Saturday outing, or work a hunt into Sunday’s activities.
For people balancing work, family, and other weekend commitments, that freedom made participating easier.
Hunt Your Way
The Come & Go format also let participants choose how they wanted to hunt.
Those who enjoyed working independently could take their time, evaluate bearings, and make their own decisions. Others could form a group, compare observations, and work together to narrow down the transmitter’s location.
For newcomers, hunting with someone more experienced offered an opportunity to ask questions and see direction-finding techniques in use. For experienced hunters, each search provided another chance to practice and refine their methods.
Whether heading out alone or bringing friends, everyone had the same basic challenge: listen to the signal and figure out where it was coming from.
Practice That Builds Confidence
Transmitter hunting turns radio knowledge into something you can experience firsthand.
Turn an antenna, and the signal changes. Move to another location, and a new bearing may confirm your direction—or give you a reason to reconsider. As you get closer, a strong signal can introduce a different challenge: determining its direction when it seems loud everywhere.
These are skills that improve with practice. A weekend hunt gives participants an opportunity to work through the process at their own pace, learning how their equipment responds and building confidence with each decision.
The reward is more than locating a hidden box. It is understanding how the clues led you there.
A Good Reason to Get Outside
The summer series brought together radio, problem-solving, and outdoor activity in a format that could fit around everyday life.
A hunt could be an individual challenge, an outing with a friend, or an opportunity to introduce someone to Radio Direction Finding. With transmitters available throughout the weekend, participants had room to make the experience their own.
Thank you to K1REZ and W5JMJ for coordinating the summer hunts, and to everyone who took time to follow the signals!
Visit MSRDF.com and explore Hunt Manager to learn about upcoming Radio Direction Finding events and opportunities to join the hunt.