New HIFER Beacon "RF" is on the air!!

[Ed H]

Skipmuck - can you connect the receiver audio to a computer?

If so, there are some great free programs - I use Spectrum Lab, a spectrum analyser application - that provide a visual of the signal. You can enter the VFO setting from the receiver and determine the signal frequency very accurately. Another benefit is that you can use the program to "see" signals that you can't hear, and run slow traces to visualise the slow modes that some beacons use.

Ed

[Skipmuck]

Thanks for the information Ed H! I've downloaded the Spectrum Lab and will have to study up a bit on the Help section to see if I can get it working properly. Yes, I have a direct patch from the Old analog NRD-515 to my PC. I regularly use Shazam, MMSSTV, and record using Audacity.

[Finman]

Awesome! thank you for the report Skipmuck.

Hearing this now at 1711 UTC 29 NOV 2017 in Springfield MA with signal fading in and out of the noise floor...my first ID'able 22 meter beacon! "RF" 
1725 UTC Now mixing with another beacon "GNK"
Sadly, determining exact frequencies for CW with the NRD-515 is somewhat of a crap shoot! In fact, I have to off tune to hear them 

[Ed H]

Thanks for the information Ed H! I've downloaded the Spectrum Lab and will have to study up a bit on the Help section to see if I can get it working properly. Yes, I have a direct patch from the Old analog NRD-515 to my PC. I regularly use Shazam, MMSSTV, and record using Audacity.

Great! sounds like you are all set. There can be lots of fun stuff to dig out if you have patience for the slower modes .

[ChrisSmolinski]

I have a very good signal from RF at 1849z on 1 Dec 2017 on 13564.34 kHz ! I think my first time hearing RF.

Here is a screenshot. Slightly below RF you can see my beacon CDS, which is actually sitting in the basement now with no antenna connected.

[Finman]

Hey Chris!.. fantastic!.... was it audible? or just visible..

..was that with your new loop?.........

wow... look at all that noise on 13.560!

[ChrisSmolinski]

It was quite audible, with a strong clear signal at times. I checked the ionosondes, and Wallops Island was reporting an foF2 value of 14 MHz, which is amazing. It only lasted half an hour or an hour though.

Yes, this was with the new loop, and the AirSpyHF+

[ChrisSmolinski]

RF fading in at 1938z on 2 Dec 2017.

[Finman]

Great! I hope this is a preview of possible good wintertime conditions!

[Ed H]

RF was coming in to California nicely yesterday afternoon, several IDs plainly audible between fade. Time was around 1900UTC. Nice clean signal, by the way, no hint of roughness as I'd previously thought.

[Finman]

Thank you very much for the report Ed. I shut the beacon off for about an hour yesterday to try and listen for some beacons.... nothing but noise 
I was originally going to switch over to the QRP labs U3S which I just completed (and it's working very well) but my homebrew design is working so well I may just leave it like it is.

RF was coming in to California nicely yesterday afternoon, several IDs plainly audible between fade. Time was around 1900UTC. Nice clean signal, by the way, no hint of roughness as I'd previously thought.

[ChrisSmolinski]

RF coming in here at 1503z on 13564.32. Weak but audible. Clearly visible on the waterfall. Pleasantly surprised to hear some 22m activity this early in the day,

[tesla]

Dec 12   time 1751 utc   RF making the trip out to Colorado.

[ChrisSmolinski]

RF re-appeared here at 1805z, with a really strong signal at times. GNK is in the mix as well.  We had a little bump in the foF2 values around 1500z when I was picking up RF earlier, probably another one now.

[ChrisSmolinski]

RF just faded in with a really nice signal here at 2210z. The little beacon that could!