Messages

196

HF Beacons / Re: 4 MHz Western USA Beacons

« on: August 25, 2018, 0536 UTC »

Any advice or suggestions would be appreciated on what the proper nicknames are for the dasher beacons in the above log reports.

Guessing:

The 2.3 sec stable dasher beacon on 4096.37 kHz was Haystack?

The dasher beacon at mid-day 4096.08 kHz (4.5 sec dash) drifting to 4095.72 kHz (6.0 sec chirpy dash) and eventually cuts off after sunset: was Coxie?

The more stable dasher beacon that varies from 4095.91 to 4095.73 kHz was Viking?

197

HF Beacons / Re: 4 MHz Western USA Beacons

« on: August 24, 2018, 2328 UTC »

Another look at some of the 4 MHz Western USA Beacons.
24 August 2018 report.

A symphonic trio of 3 dasher beacons was heard in the afternoon (western USA) .
Listening closely, it's possible to hear one of beacons drifting or chirping frequency slightly during a dash.

2231UTC 24AUG2018 afternoon local
4095.91 kHz Beacon 3.1 sec duration dashes - weak readable (Viking? )
4096.08 kHz Beacon 4.5 sec duration dashes - very weak (Coxie? )
4096.37 kHz Beacon 2.3 sec duration dashes - weak readable (Haystack 200mW)

2345UTC 24AUG2018 before local sunset
4095.86 kHz Beacon 4.0 sec duration dashes - weak readable (Viking? )
4095.95 kHz Beacon 5.6 sec duration dashes - weak readable (Coxie? )
4096.37 kHz Beacon 2.3 sec duration dashes - readable (Haystack 200mW)

0011UTC 25AUG2018 near local sunset
4095.72 kHz Beacon 6.0 sec duration dashes - CHIRP downward starting at 4096.10 kHz - readable (Coxie? )
4095.73 kHz Beacon 4.7 sec duration dashes - readable (Viking? )
4096.38 kHz Beacon 2.3 sec duration dashes - readable (Haystack 200mW)

Note: The beacon with the longest dash (and chirp) drifted down as sunset approached: from 4096.08 to 4095.95 to 4095.72 kHz.  This drift could be due to temperature and/or battery voltage. Also during this time, the duration of dash increased for both of the two lower frequency beacons.

Audio recordings in Upper Sideband.

The three distinctive beacons are heard as a low tone, a medium tone, and a high tone in this recording:

PLAY AUDIO: "Beacon Trio Symphony In 4096 Kilohertz"
PLAY AUDIO Beacon Trio Symphony In 4096 Kilohertz

Below:
~4096 kHz Dasher Beacons during afternoon in western USA - some slightly drifted frequencies for these beacons than yesterday.
The dash duration of each beacon was measured somewhat more carefully, as shown in this image.



PLAY AUDIO: "Beacon Duo with Chirpy Dasher 4096 Kilohertz"
PLAY AUDIO Beacon Duo with Chirpy Dasher 4096 Kilohertz

Below:
~4096 kHz Dasher Beacons before sunset in western USA - notice the chirpy long dasher has drifted down to about the same frequency as the medium dasher.

198

HF Beacons / 4 MHz Western USA Beacons

« on: August 23, 2018, 0150 UTC »

A thread looking at some of the western USA beacons on 4 MHz.
If you find these detailed reports useful or interesting, please feel free to reply with any comments.

Report:
These beacons logged below were simultaneously audible in a wide IQ DSB passband, about an hour before sunset local time.
Received on the coast of northern California.

0030 UTC 23AUG2018
4095.72 kHz Beacon ~5 sec duration dashes - weak readable (Viking?)
4095.81 kHz Beacon ~4 sec duration dashes (sometimes a little chirpy) - weaker than others but audibly readable (Viking? or Coxie?)
4096.37 kHz Beacon ~3 sec duration dashes - weak readable (Haystack 200mW)
4102.83 kHz Beacon Morse W, wind velocity dits, TMP#, B#. - readable (Windy)
(Windy telemetry before sunset 0030 UTC Temp 100 Battery 13.0 )
(Windy telemetry after sunset 0245 UTC Temp 94 Battery 12.8 )

Below: Here's a waterfall image 0030 UTC 23AUG2018 of the ~4096 kHz dashers and the Windy morse beacon.
(note: the horizontal lines are lightning crash static bursts)



Below: Here's a waterfall zoom image 4 minutes later at 0034 UTC 23AUG2018 of the ~4096 kHz dasher beacons.
(note: the horizontal lines are lightning crash static bursts)



Below: Waterfall image at 2007 UTC 23AUG2018 of the ~4096 kHz dashers and the Windy morse beacon at mid-day.
(Windy morse telemetry: TMP106 = Temp 106F; B134 = Battery 13.4V)