WooHoo! List update! I've been needing to re-verify my list for a while; there are lots of memory slots that I've never heard anything on, and I wasn't sure if they were active or not. My list was originally compiled based on the list on the HF Underground Wiki page, with some changes and revisions over time, based on reports here in the forums.
The master list is great, and I have all of them on my listening checklist, but they still only make up part of what I have on paper and in my radio's memory slots.
I still have a few questions about a handful of them, between the list on the wiki page and this master list, above:
- A - 2097 KHz - Listed on the page, but not in the list. I heard it very weakly in August - is it still there?
- FL - 4011.8 KHz - Not on either list - not sure where I got this one, and can't recall having heard it.
- C - Listed on wiki page as being erratic, and I've never caught it - is it out there?
- WW - 4078.140 KHz on page, 4078.250 KHz on the master list - slight frequency discrepancy.
- TMP - 4079 KHz - Temperature beacon. I haven't heard it myself, but I think others have. Not on the master list, but assume an active beacon?
- . - 4089 KHz - Death Valley Ditter on the page, but not the list
- "4096 Cluster" - 4096 to 4097.2 KHz - Grouping of "six-dots-one-dash", Coxie, Hexie, Kelsie, and the Inyo Whooper - Never heard any of these beacons; are they active?
- W... - 4102.3 KHz - I've heard recent reports of reception from "Windy", so I assume it's still active, though not on the master list
- MX - 4194 KHz - European beacon - only active sometimes(?); never heard this one
- MXC - 4608 KHz - Same as "MX" above?
- WA - 5499.13 KHz - IDed only as "dasher" on the page - not on master list. Active? I might recall having heard this one. Or not.
- "Pike Honker" - 5678.4 KHz - on page, but not on list.
- FL - 6549.3 KHz - listed on page as being in Florida - not on master list
- S - 8001.5 or 8000 KHz - slight frequency discrepancy
- "Pike Jr" - 8003 KHz - page lists as 84 dash/min - not on master list
- W - 8188.7 KHz - page says daylight/7 in Colorado - not on master list
- FOX - 10236.5 KHz - temporary test?
- FL - 10236.7 KHz - Florida dasher on page, but not master list
- "Sputnik" - 10240.5 KHz - Not sure where I got this one; not on either list, but I have a note that it does 50 dash/min operating nights. Defunct and removed?
- T - 12889.7 KHz - Also not on either list; don't know where I got this listing
- D/V - 12888 KHz - Dipole/Vertical antenna test; I think this one was recently discontinued; I just haven't cleared out the memory slot yet.
I've had little to no luck with the Death Valley, Mojave, and many of the beacons west of the rockies - probably a combination of terrain, skip zone, and mountain shadow keeping me from hearing those well, or at all. I've heard that of the Florida beacons, only Blinky is still going, and that it's operating without maintenance, so I guess it's only a matter of time before that one's gone, too.
Regarding those that are listed on the page but not the "master list": are they beacons that people have found but that aren't 'coordinated' through the Society, or are they mostly old listings for now-defunct beacons?
If any of the above are known to be off the air, please let me know, so I can update my own list and not spend so much time hunting around for signals that aren't there. Besides: if some of these "known good" frequencies are no longer being used, then they might be good places for people to put up
new beacons in order to fill some gaps. I mean someone might not want to plant one too close to a frequency that was already occupied, but if they knew that a particular spot on the dial wasn't being used........