Hexy2K

[Teotwaki]

I can just hear it decently here at home on 6700.45

[DYGradio]

Good signal with mild fading, 6700.54 KHz on my Airspy HF+ Discovery and 60ft SE/NW longwire. 16OCT23 18:16z

Hexy2K is into my receivers most every day during daylight hours.

[DYGradio]

Hexy2K moderate strength with mild QSB, 6700.54 KHz. Icom IC-R8500 60ft E/W longwire. 17OCT23 18:57z

[Teotwaki]

It's barely readable here but that's a a good sign that it's coming in at all.

[HQ180]

Oddly enough I haven't be able to hear this dasher for at least two years.
Maybe it's propagation or did the antenna change?  Any thoughts would be
welcome.

[DYGradio]

Bill I have to believe this is either not the original HexY2K or it has been repaired or copied by someone and changed from its original configuration. You and I are both aware of how long that beacon would have had to have lasted to still be out there operational. If some notes I have are correct that beacon went up Dec 1999, hence Y2K. I hear it now every single day and it is fairly strong with a bit of QSB. Its gone by nightfall but if I am not mistaken the original was daytime only. I would think for you to no longer hear it would indicate some sort of antenna change but that is pure speculation. I was looking back and in 2007 I wrote an article for Monitoring Times that mentions it in the loggings along with several other familiar ones from then (third page of the article: "6700.0   Pirate beacon reported to be in California sending dashes. Weak CW at 1801") And I certainly logged it well before then... so I have to think this one is not the same one as before. But then... maybe the original still lives after 23 years... The article is on my web site if you want to take a look:

http://www.wb5dyg.com/html/GetOuttaTownP1.htm

[DYGradio]

HexY2K as seen and heard this morning on the Airspy HF+ 60ft E/W longwire.

https://youtu.be/DMpjKCccyWA?si=iukfy3CInQAw3Tcf

[Teotwaki]

There are 10 year old recordings of it on YouTube from First Token (Token on this forum). In 2014 I posted about hearing it in the evening so it had a battery back then.

https://youtu.be/Jq9_UqqJMu4?si=RRgaom764V8HJ8ns

[DYGradio]

Thanks Jim, its like an old friend. I used to catch it out camping over years ago. Nice to have one of the old timers still out there for, well, old timers like me 

[Teotwaki]

Good to know more about you!  Here is my 2014 beacon audio recording in frequency order

https://youtu.be/kbu3I75oit4?si=UpPIhdYsTBm5u_T6

[DYGradio]

Good to know more about you!  Here is my 2014 beacon audio recording in frequency order

https://youtu.be/kbu3I75oit4?si=UpPIhdYsTBm5u_T6

Great memories there Jim! I have done a ton of monitoring up in the White Mountains of Arizona and amazing what can be heard away from the urban noise machine. I spent many an evening drifting off to sleep to the chorus of Coxie, Hexie, and Kelsie singing away on 4096 KHz. Moved out to a rural area end of 2018, now I have room for decent antennas and a very quiet noise floor. Not quite as good as out camping but a major difference from the east valley suburbs of metro Phoenix. And I retired on October 5th so now I have time.

[DYGradio]

Nice signal on HexY2K this mid day, solid with minimal fading. 6700.55 KHz 06NOV23 19:10z Airspy HF+ Discovery 60ft SE/NW longwire

[DYGradio]

HexY2K with a nice strong signal, moderate fading. 6700.47 KHz 18NOV23 19:26z Airspy HF+ 60ft SE/NW longwire

[DYGradio]

HexY2K with good strength, mild fading. 6700.43 KHz 20NOV23 20:05z Airspy HF+ 60ft SE/NW longwire

[DYGradio]

HexY2K strong with moderate fading. 6700.45 KHz 30NOV23 18:48z Airspy HF+ 60ft SE/NW longwire