Vulpes Radio Orienteering Controller

Around August 2023, I started reading more about Radio Orienteering, also known as Amateur Radio Direction Finding (ARDF) and events that aren’t 2m fox hunts in cars. I went looking for simple/cheap/easy transmitters to hide and, finding none that fit my criteria, decided to make my own–Vulpes.

This page will bring together the software and hardware sides of the Vulpes controller.

Photo of the Vulpes RO controller. It is a few electronic components soldered to a custom PCB. There is no case. Power for the controller is through the micro-USB on the ESP32 development board, timekeeping is from the RTC breakout board, and radio is keyed through either a 3.5 mm audio cable jack or screw terminal.
Photo of the Vulpes RO controller. It is a few electronic components soldered to a custom PCB. There is no case. Power for the controller is through the micro-USB on the ESP32 development board, timekeeping is from the RTC breakout board, and radio is keyed through either a 3.5 mm audio cable jack or screw terminal.

Updates

Controller software

https://amiok.net/gitea/W1CDN/vulpes

I’ll allow account creation for issues, etc. once I learn how to. Until then, see my About page for contact info.

Controller hardware

Prototype works but needs photos. Custom PCB works but needs photos. Case is designed and can be 3D-printed.

PCB: https://amiok.net/gitea/W1CDN/vulpes_hardware

Box/case/enclosure: https://amiok.net/gitea/W1CDN/vulpes_box

OpenSCAD screenshot showing a simple box that a PCB can be slid into.
OpenSCAD screenshot showing a simple box that a PCB can be slid into.
OpenSCAD screenshot showing a simple box that a PCB can be slid into.
OpenSCAD screenshot showing a simple box that a PCB can be slid into.
OpenSCAD screenshot showing a simple box that a PCB can be slid into.
OpenSCAD screenshot showing a simple box that a PCB can be slid into.

Transmitter

This isn’t a transmitter project. Maybe someday. For now, you can use this controller to easily key something like an NS-80+ or Cricket 80A.

Antenna

See https://openardf.org/ardf-open-equipment-project/open-80m-fox-antenna/ (not my site) for the design I hope to use. I have some PCBs but waiting for other parts to arrive. If anyone knows of a cheap place to get mix 31 ferrite beads the right size, I’m all ears. Built it! See the blog post.

How to Get

If this sounds like your jam, drop me a line and we can work something out. I’m not really in a position to sell kits/finished controllers right now, but would love to see the design tested. If you riff on the design and make something even better, I’d be excited to hear about it!

TODO: Add a list of parts and where I got them.

2 thoughts on “Vulpes Radio Orienteering Controller”

  1. What a cool concept! The hardware and software designs couldn’t be much simpler, yet it offers some truly “high-end” features. One feature I especially like is the absence of unreliable configuration hardware, like DIP switches. The WiFi web server interface is cool and, I assume, works with almost any browser-equipped device.

    Reply

    1. Thanks Charles! You are right that the web interface will work with any wireless device with a browser. There are some quirks around how the RTC works that I don’t think can be coded around, but I *think* they are edge cases.

      Reply

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