Fishing Beacon 1730 kHz

[mapleleaf]

at 0425 UTC on 1730 Khz. repeats "IC514" then a longer dash four or five times then pauses for about 5 minutes.

leaf

[mapleleaf]

I've spotted 2 more beacons:

KW109 at 1761 kHz and IC518 at 1752.

[QRP]

http://www.genesisradio.com.au/VK2DX/fishnet.html

[mapleleaf]

Thanks for posting that link, QRP.

here is a list of what I logged last night. I just kept scanning between 1710 and the 160 meter band.
I will dust off the SDR-IQ and see what else is out there. It would be fun to see what other folks on the east coast can hear.

1730   0415     IC514
1752   0425     IC518
1761   0422     KW109
1839   0526     4BOB
1881   0536     4BNZ
1989   0510     AY7
1942   0500     IC526

[ChrisSmolinski]

Hey, very interesting topic. I decided to do some listening with the SDR this evening.

All heard around 2250 UTC today, October 9:
1730 kHz CF3
1764 kHz 4LJP
1856 kHz DA2
1894 kHz 4OUS
1977 kHz 4CMV
1993 kHz 4OMZ

Heard around 2320 UTC:
1884 kHz CK1
1953 kHz QU7
1988 kHz JE1
1982 kHz HU5E

And at 2134 UTC:
1998 kHz 4DQX

[mapleleaf]

I spent this past long weekend at Kejimkujik National Park. One of the quietest places I've ever listened to radio. IC706 mkIIG, 12 volt gel-cel and a PAR-SWL oriented E-W.
I logged these beacons mostly between 1000 and 1400 UTC on Oct 8 and Oct 9.

1715   CB8
1720   92S115
1753   RZ6
1753   4LJS
1772   4PEC
1787   97W107
1792   SG5
1802   PK1
1812   VH7
1813   EY9
1856   DA2
1883   5AJW
1942   PS3
1970   4PFK
1972   AB8

[ChrisSmolinski]

I see we both logged DA2. That's pretty impressive, given the low power of these beacons, and the distance between us.

[ChrisSmolinski]

And another one, heard around 2156 UTC:
1948 khz 4QJA

Maybe it's worth creating a page on the HFU Wiki, to keep track of these?
http://www.hfunderground.com/wiki/Fishnet_beacon

[mapleleaf]

It would be fun to try to track these things. I wonder if it is possible to get a bearing using a loop antenna of some kind? I have a large ferite loop-stick salvaged from an old MF/LF DF receiver.

[ChrisSmolinski]

Hmm, that's an interesting idea. They're pretty close to the MW band - it might work. Do you think there will be enough signal?

[mapleleaf]

only way to find out is to try it. I will find a capacitor that works and try it

I just logged two on 1962: RZ6 and 4IGW. RZ6 also appeared at 1753.

[ChrisSmolinski]

Some more beacons copied last night (early morning UTC 11 October 2011):
1722 93W113
1753 4PDU
1795 CF9
1894 4LID
1894 4LKO
1912 DS89
1918 IO82
2003 4JSP
2019 4HVX
2020 BM3
2041 4CEF

[jFarley]

I've played around extensively in the past using small air loops and ferrite bar loops to DF at HF.  Both will work very well at these freqs with a couple caveats.  You will get the best results if the loop is outdoors; there's seems to be too much obfuscation of the null bearing when the loop in inside, possibly from re-radiation from metallic house structures and wiring.  If you are using an air loop, it is best that it has a balanced architecture with a balanced amp to get the deepest nulls.

The ferrite bar is the easiest way to go for a quick hack.  Throw 30 to 50 turns on it, find a variable cap that resonates it at the freq of interest.  Throw a second winding on the bar which has maybe 5 - 10 turns, and connect this to your receiver.  It's cheap and quick, and you can always optimize the turns in each coil by testing it against top-end MW stations.

I don't see sig strength as being an issue; you're going to hear it or not.  As I understand it, these beacons are pretty intermittent in nature.  It's probably going to take some patience to find the null.

If you're really serious about DF'ing these freqs, the amplified air loop is the way to go.  It will give generally reliable results up to around 2.5 MHz.  In fact, the only time I logged the Falkland Islands (2380kHz) was with a small air loop.  I had a rotor on it at the time.  I only got about twenty seconds of audio, but I was able to DF it to within about ten degrees.  They QSL'd it!  Not a brag; I just got damn lucky that night.  Rather, I think this is indicative of the enormous potential of small loops.

There are quite a few published articles about amplified air loops around.  Might I suggest looking at some of the impressive work that Mark Connelly has out there.  Most of it is geared towards MW, but should be easily modified to work just above the MW band.

Have fun!

BTW, what are the typical signal strengths you're seeing with your current antennas?

[ChrisSmolinski]

I've been thinking that it might be useful if there was a way to add locations where various beacons have been heard to the list on the wiki:  http://www.hfunderground.com/wiki/Fishnet_beacon

Any suggestions on how to do this?

An alternative would be some sort of online logging app, where folks can enter in what they've heard, and their lon/lat. It would take a little effort to make such an app. I could do it, if there would be enough folks willing to enter in loggings to make it worthwhile.

[weaksigs]

  Listening for fishing buoys would be a neat project, perhaps a top challenge beacon wise. Some of these I understand run 15W or more, and some are flea powered, however at these typical frequencies the radiation efficiency will be no more than a mobile ham station on the 160 meter band. The one factor that will make them decent radiators is the fact of a their salt water environment.

I will be a supporter of the separate fishing beacon site. Even If I cannot hear much from down here in Central Florida I will try. About a year ago I built A small “flag antenna”. It was seven (7) feet high and fourteen (14) feet long and rectangular in configuration. It was just an experiment as I didn’t have a suitable preamp at the time. Even so this small antenna picked up an amazing number of signals while reducing noise off the back. Especially seeing as we are finally heading into the Fall season with reduced static levels down here in Lightning Alley, I think I’ll put the flag back up and pointed generally at an azimuth of 30-35 degrees and listen a bit on the fishing net frequencies.  By the way the first evening I listened on the flag I casually tuned down into the NDB band and easily logged QI, which is Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on 206 Khz., and this was without a preamp! By the way this size flag can easily be transported and set up using a simple pvc or fiberglass tubing structure. Set up next to salt water this would be a real asset.

Also, I highly recommend a preamp in kit form from the W8DIZ website. It is called HF RF Amplifier version 1.1 and for only $8.00 it is well worth the small investment. Mine was built in an Altoids case. I have been listening with this preamp connected to an on ground 15 foot long antenna with a single point ground with next to amazing results. This preamp would make a great companion to the flag and with the possibility of logging fishing net beacons has stimulated me to try.

Keep up the interesting reports and the question concerning relative signal strength and antenna type used during logging would be beneficial.

Looking to the Fall season!