Dash Tango Beacon Up on 6998 (W/ 13.997.5 spur)

[krystallo]

Hey All,

Well circumstances fought me all the way, but I FINALLY got SOMETHING up on < 40 M.

Beacon "Dash Tango" is up on around 6998.4 Kc using around 7 mW.

FWIW I have the Icom R-71a and IC 735 spotter rigs set in the CW mode .

An 8 second QRSS "dash" (dah) is sent around 3 times per min.


13.997 Mhz may give longer dx during daylight,6.998 might fade  out after local sunset



TX is a MI Mighty mite, ant is 40 M NVIS dipole 10-15' above a flat rubber membrane over wood deck roof.Wiring in ceiling of top floor interacts w/antenna.,giving an NVIS pattern on 40 M.Best range seems 200 to 300 mi and closer in to FN 42 (E.MA.).

de K/ N1NQC

[ChrisSmolinski]

I am seeing about 6 second long dashes now on 6998.6 kHz at 2148z.

[krystallo]

It seems you've got it. Your state ?

[chucks]

hi all I have to agree with Chris on the pulse length of 6 to 7 seconds.
I have the beacon now at 2206z very audible at this time.

The other night on wunclub it was reported that the Russian buzzer
was on around this frequency. It was rather weak though although
I did hear it but now I'm wondering if this is what we were hearing??

by the way State is Pennsylvania   harrisburg

Chuck


freq measured here 6998.592 khz

[krystallo]

Hey Chuck,

GREAT to get a report ! I will (eventually) be making up  QSL's for this one.

PA is certainly within the "cone of coverage" of this ant , I have worked a LOT of PA stations in the past.

But before the snow flies,  this antenna  HAS to come down.May try a few things in the future but probably 90 % out of the radio  business after Dec.

One last fling !

 I am copying on K2SDR SDR NJ

K

[ChrisSmolinski]

Here is a recording of the beacon from 2018z yesterday (Nov 1, 2015): http://www.radiohobbyist.org/blog/mypics/6998-2018.mp3

[krystallo]

Hey Chris, Thanks  for the sound file.

All,

Astounding results today. In the local area in the  car  using a 10 M loaded 1/4 wave (admittedly the WRONG antenna) near  ZERO in the way  of local direct wave reception. Good tone (but nearly NO signal) just two blocks from the ant. At around 1/2 Mi : V. weak to near nothing.

 Dxpedition to KOWD (Norwood,MA airport) around 14 Mi SW from beacon ( using R-71a  mobile on 33' low  wire) = RST 339 w/ some slow QSB (shallow fades at times). At second Norwood location (Winter St. water tanks at town's highest point) somewhat  quieter conditions  but around the same results.  Also heard bcn at the  tanks    using  only 10 ft wire near and even ON Earth.Tougher but there. Incredible.

If I got REALLY stupid with shortening the ant, I COULD  "eventually" kill it. But I really had to TRY !

Again almost no LOCAL direct wave reception -yet NOT tough at ALL   on a path maybe 200 mi up to and 200 mi down from ionosphere (and 14 mi out from tx ant).

Gotta love NVIS !

FWIW nothing on 13 Mhz ( no surprise there).

Not much I can do to make it weaker other than using  my 30 db inline attenuation unit. But (IF I have the math correct) this would only be around  10 uW of output. Maybe a bit TOO low for practical use, but might give it a whirl if/when "everybody" has a chance to try and copy at the current 7 mW output.Maybe after next weekend.

I will leave it as is for at least a week-on air 24 hrs at 7 mW.

Also worked a few on 10/12 M (Wales, France, Poland). 25 Mhz WWV VERY good.  Finland time on 25 Mhz fair. Freeband was all Euros. Rig = RCI 2950 ant Wilson 1000   w/ 12 M  home brew stinger option.

Overall ,LOTS of good dx,but not strong.

Also since it's peak foliage now, decided to take  a quick climb up to the Blue Hill Weather Observatory (Milton, MA , 635 ASL 360 deg clear) LOTS of history there. Oldest one in the world.I was a volunteer there for 10 years.Did LOTS of radio work from the Observatory. Nice  foliage color ( but  a moderate amount of leaf drop due to recent winds/rains), dry,sunny, 66 deg F.

At 1501 EST nothing copied  on K2SDR.

K

[ChrisSmolinski]

Picking it up again here at 2017z.

[krystallo]

Cool, tnx.

Anybody copying during fair to poor conditions ?

K

[krystallo]

Off Air-  GREAT experiment .

Tnx de N1NQC

[Frank5000]

Cool sound file. Still searching for beacons in my area.

73 de Frank