15-07-2017, 08:26 AM
From WIA News for 15 July 2017:
On behalf of the West Australian Repeater Group (WARG) Anthony VK6AXB provides an update on the international HF beacon, VK6RBP:
You may know that VK6RBP is part of the International Beacon project, run by the Northern California DX Foundation. There are 18 beacons located around the globe, each transmitting in separate 10-second blocks across five bands, synchronised to repeat every three minutes.
The beacon network was first established in 1995, and is a very useful propagation tool, but it was becoming increasingly unreliable, mainly due to the aging equipment. These problems also affected VK6RBP, with extended time off air in the last year or two.
Now however NCDXF are rolling out Beacon Version 2.0, and WARG are pleased to report the new radio and controller arrived safely in VK6, and were installed at the site on Sunday, July 9th. We would be very grateful for any signal reports.
If you need a reminder, the beacons transmit CW on the following frequencies: 14.100, 18.110, 21,150, 24.930, and 28.200. The CW ident and the first 'dash' are sent at 100W, with three dashes following at 10W, 1W and 100 mW respectively.
More information about the Beacons is at NCDXF.ORG
Please listen out for VK6RBP, and let us know if you hear it!
Signal reports can be emailed to Secretary@WARG.0RG.AU
Those in VK6 can provide a signal report directly by calling in to WARG’s technical and general net, every Sunday, at 02:30 Zulu / 10:30 local on repeater VK6RLM, 146.750; which also has Echolink & AllStar. Or come to WARG’s next meeting, 7:30pm on Monday 7th August at the 1st Pelican Point Sea Scouts clubrooms, 12 Australia II Drive, Crawley.
I’d like to thank those who assisted with the beacon installation and on-air testing: Bob VK6ZGN, Trevor VK6MS, Graham VK6RO and especially Walt, N6XG and all at the NCDXF.
WARG also thanks Graham and the News teams for their efforts in putting this to air.
73 from Anthony VK6AXB
On behalf of the West Australian Repeater Group (WARG) Anthony VK6AXB provides an update on the international HF beacon, VK6RBP:
You may know that VK6RBP is part of the International Beacon project, run by the Northern California DX Foundation. There are 18 beacons located around the globe, each transmitting in separate 10-second blocks across five bands, synchronised to repeat every three minutes.
The beacon network was first established in 1995, and is a very useful propagation tool, but it was becoming increasingly unreliable, mainly due to the aging equipment. These problems also affected VK6RBP, with extended time off air in the last year or two.
Now however NCDXF are rolling out Beacon Version 2.0, and WARG are pleased to report the new radio and controller arrived safely in VK6, and were installed at the site on Sunday, July 9th. We would be very grateful for any signal reports.
If you need a reminder, the beacons transmit CW on the following frequencies: 14.100, 18.110, 21,150, 24.930, and 28.200. The CW ident and the first 'dash' are sent at 100W, with three dashes following at 10W, 1W and 100 mW respectively.
More information about the Beacons is at NCDXF.ORG
Please listen out for VK6RBP, and let us know if you hear it!
Signal reports can be emailed to Secretary@WARG.0RG.AU
Those in VK6 can provide a signal report directly by calling in to WARG’s technical and general net, every Sunday, at 02:30 Zulu / 10:30 local on repeater VK6RLM, 146.750; which also has Echolink & AllStar. Or come to WARG’s next meeting, 7:30pm on Monday 7th August at the 1st Pelican Point Sea Scouts clubrooms, 12 Australia II Drive, Crawley.
I’d like to thank those who assisted with the beacon installation and on-air testing: Bob VK6ZGN, Trevor VK6MS, Graham VK6RO and especially Walt, N6XG and all at the NCDXF.
WARG also thanks Graham and the News teams for their efforts in putting this to air.
73 from Anthony VK6AXB