Haven't heard your beacon yet, but, keep up the good work of experimentation in amateur radio. I've been chasing LF beacons's NDB since I was a kid then found out what they were for when I became a licensed pilot in adult life. #I believe Sir Edmund said when asked why he climbed Mt. Everest "Because it's there". Rather hear your beacon then some of the foul qrm on 80 meters that some amateurs call ragchewing or the intentional qrm on a dx pileup on 20..I agree "Why not".
I'm tuned in to 14.101usb right now (1949UTC). #For the past 10 minutes or so, I've been hearing "chirping" noises of irregular durations at random intervals, much like the sounds I hear from the CHU Canada time station. #If this is your signal, it's 5/8 here in Central Colorado. #I'd love to have a QSL, but I'm still not certain if this is your signal.
Now a low, grumbling tone @ 1952UTC. #[/QUOTE]
CW? #Right! #Now getting an ID at regular intervals. #Mostly strong, with some fading, here in Central Colorado. #Cool!
Hi Rob,
I am in suburban Washington D.C, Grid FM18. I am have a Kenwood TS-440 and an indoor wire antenna. I can listen to the NCDXF beacon on 14.1 MHz. I can hear your beacon even though it is 1 KHz away. I don't know why though. The signal weak, but readable. Thanks for creating a new beacon.
I can hear your beacon even though it is 1 KHz away. #I don't know why though.
Probably because the radio you are using doesn't have a CW filter. Think about it this way - there is a "window" of the band you can hear with the dial in one place. The window is a certain width. With the radio in SSB mode, the imaginary window is about 2.4khz (2400 hertz) wide.
Most radios don't come from the factory with a narrow CW filter installed, the CW filter is usually an option that has to be purchased in addition to the radio. So when you switch your radio to CW mode, if it doesn't have the optional narrow CW filter installed, the window is still 2.4khz wide - which means that if you are on 14.101 with Rob's beacon, you can still hear other signals that are 1.2khz away in either direction (up or down) and the NCDXF beacon system falls into your window at 14.101.
CW filters come in different widths - 250hz to 600hz - but the very narrow ones get "ringy", so most people use CW filters between 400hz and 500hz wide.
If you had a 500hz CW filter in your radio, you wouldn't be able to hear Rob's beacon on the NCDXF beacon frequency and vice versa.....
From one night to the other, I can already tell, propagation is not the same. #Signal is really bad, need 2 preamps on the 756pro to bring it up to S9.
Also, lots of Pactor activity right on the same freq. It is 23:49z
As for all these guys with negative replies why bother to respond at all? Beacons are just another part of this great hobby, I hear a lot of ( rag-chewing ) that some would classify as useless QRM but it is their privilege to do so just as afoh's privilege to set up a beacon. Keep up the good work rob, it is guys like you that have built this hobby.
So when you switch your radio to CW mode, if it doesn't have the optional narrow CW filter installed, the window is still 2.4khz wide - which means that if you are on 14.101 with Rob's beacon, you can still hear other signals that are 1.2khz away in either direction (up or down) and the NCDXF beacon system falls into your window at 14.101.
73, Jim KH2D[/QUOTE]
Thanks for the information Jim. #I wasn't sure how wide the reciever was. #I checked the documentation but I couldn't figure out how wide the CW default filter was. #The mode on the radio is set to CW and the filter is set to automatic. #I thought the filter was a little narrower, but I was wrong. #Thanks for clearning up this topic.
[/QUOTE]
#Now getting an ID at regular intervals. #Mostly strong, with some fading, here in Central Colorado. #Cool!
