My first find

I got my first ever find last weekend, so here comes the standard find post.

Date: 3 February 2008
Time start: 2000 AZT
Time ended: 2200 AZT
Type: UDF
Area: SW Phoenix (Avondale area)
Staging area: Glendale airport
Team: LtCol Wan Wannamaker(Leader), TFO Seth Martin(Comms), C/MSgt Padrick
(L'Per/Nav), C/MSgt Hendricks(Nav/support/log)
Vehicle: LtCol Wannamaker's POV
Cause: ELT heard on satellite 121.5 and 243.0
End result: Find, no distress
Find #: 1
Save #: 0

After GT training at Deer Valley airport, 3 cadets, myself, and another senior member went to Subway to eat and chat. After our mean, the senior member got a phone call from LtCol Wannamaker looking for a UDF team member. The senior member couldn't go because he had work, but suggested myself and two of the cadets could go (the third was also unavailable). We were already in uniform, fed, watered, had our gear, and were all together. What more could you ask for? He agreed, and we drove to Glendale airport to meet him. After a phone conversation with the aircrew that had been DFing for about 2 hours, we had the ELT narrowed down to a two square mile area that included a private, rarely used, dirt airstrip, a semi-rural residential area, and a junkyard. When we arrived in the area, we picked up a weak ELT signal on 121.5. We DFed it, and moved in the direction of the signal. We passed the junkyard on the way to our 2nd DF point, and we heard nothing in there, so we didn't stop to check it out. After 2 more DF stops, we found ourself in the residential area. We switched to the rubber duck, and were picking up the signal with about 45% sensitivity, indicating we were within about 1/4 mile. We pulled down a dirt road, and took the antenna off the unit completley. We picked up the signal in front of three houses at about 90% with no antenna. We exited the vehicle, went to the middle house, and spoke with the owner. We asked him if he had an airplane, he did not, but told us his next door neighbor was refurbishing a plane. Bingo. The man also insisted that his neighbor's ELT was not going off, as if he knew for sure. We departed his house, and walked next door, and rang the doorbell. We asked the owner if he was refurbishing a plane. When he said yes, we told him his ELT was going off. He immediatley denied it, but I turned on the L'per and he decided we should check it out. As soon as we walked in the garage, the L'per went nuts. He found the ELT in a box of spare parts. We deactivated it and left. We returned to Glendale about 2200. This was LtCol Wannamaker's 158th find. For the rest of us, it was our first.

Lessons learned:
1) 25% sensitivity is 0! I expected the L'per to go to zero when we were on top of it, but it apparently doesn't do that.
2) Pick a car with an antenna built in for the L'per. It's great to just drive and listen.
3) Ask people! Locals could be your best resource on the search.
4) Use the sensitivity to close in, not receive or DF. Those are for direction.