The 'Y' beacon in the Mojave Desert is now on 5644.0 kHz

[MojaveBeaconeer]

The "Y" beacon has changed frequency from around 4096.5 kHz previously, and now will be going most nights (dusk to about 0900 PDT/1600 UT) on 5644.0 kHz (or pretty close to exactly 5644.0 kHz).  Of course do check for harmonics such as the (well-heard) second harmonic when Y was previously on 4096.5 kHz. 

A new 40 ft. sloper antenna wire radiates way-better in comparison the previous too-low (and buried in a Tamarisk tree that greatly absorbed RF energy) 60 ft. end-fed wire that Y was going into when it was on 4096.5 kHz over the past few months. 

So please listen and enjoy the desert's "Y" on 5644.0 kHz.  Seems to be a vastly stronger ground-wave signal at 1 mile distance, to it should get out via skywave better also, hopefully!

73 - MB

[mark-n-nut]

This is tough to hear here.  I think I may have "heard" it rather than see it on Argo early on Monday morning.  Not sure.  But I am getting USB activity on 5643 when I checked the last 2 mornings around 0930 +/- utc.  Will keep listening and hoping for better prop!   Tnx for having this on the air!  For me Fun stuff!

73, Mark

[syfr]

Been trying but nil.

[Token]

Y on 5644 is a good bit better here than when it was on the 4096 freq.

T!

[MojaveBeaconeer]

   Thank you very much Mark and Token for the recent "Y" reports - the freq. around 5644 kHz seems clear here, and the xmtr's antenna is 1/4 wave near resonant, so the  output on the fundamental is about maybe 600 mW output CW mode and maybe a tad below 200 mW (unmod) carrier when I have it playing music in AM-mode (the latter during morning-time desert walks after I have usually switched it off from the "Y" ident CW-beacon mode for the day (not every-day is it playing music around 1700 UT or so, but maybe 3 mornings per week).

I hear Haystack, Coxie, and Viking as usual here (all three fine  in short skip by 1500 UT usually), and they all seem normal.  Haystack is due for a visit and battery-swap when the wx gets cooler in Sept., but for the time being it seems normal as usual (Haystack ~4096.35 is maybe 150 mW output).

The 4096 cluster (at night)  has only two beacons, both are much humbler in output than long ago over the Millenium and for a half-decade after.

73 and tnx agn guys for your fine reports - MB

[mark-n-nut]

Well..  looks like I found it!  +/- sunrise and sunset seems to be the best time for me to catch it!  It was doing real well here this morning!  Y and a 2 sec dash!

73, Mark

[Teotwaki]

5644.034 kHz  Y beacon. Weak with slow fading

[Teotwaki]

been hearing Y over the last hour, weak with fading but readable.

[Teotwaki]

5643.997 kHz  Y beacon. Weak but readable

[mudpuppy]

Heard it finally.  Been trying for weeks.  Maybe the smoke up here helped!

Very weak here into Shasta County CA, 500-600 mi north of the Mohave, fading into nothing for 4 or 5 minutes, then coming back.

0448Z   5644.033

Using a KX3/PX3 combo and a Pixel Loop, also hearing it on a 2 el 40m yagi

[Teotwaki]

5644.029 KHz  Y & Dash beacon. Very weak with fades. The dash is not hard to pick out but the "Y" is in the noise.

[MojaveBeaconeer]

Hey dudes - thanks MUCH Jim etc. for the loggings of "Y." The ant. is a sloping 1/4 wave end-fed wire, but amongst a lot of trees 9Tamarisk) that attenuate the field by 10 dB at HF, so the ERP of Y is maybe 100 mW from an overgrown yard of Salt-Cedar/Tamarisk tree (metal like).  But the groundwave is great for 200 mW AM music broadcasting (carrier 200 mW and modulating at 80% peaks for maybe 500 mW PEP, so it is in AM mode in mornings, etc. when I hike in nearby desert, otherwise, Y is dusk to about 0830 PDT daily thru Summer 2018...    73... ML/MB