The following is a list compiled of known active CW maritime beacons/markers both military and civilian, reception of all are in the A1A mode (CW). The last date when heard is shown in brackets and other notes. Please post any new ones heard with UTC date/time, frequency, call sign and report.
Please note that these are not 24 hour beacons, they do spend time off air.
Stations not heard between 2021 through to 2023 have been deleted, presumed inactive or decommissioned. Should they reappear they can be reinstated later.
These are observations as of Tuesday 03rd of June 2025:
1906z 2.680.0MHz CW "VVV de 4XZ 4XZ" Israeli Navy, Haifa Israel 319 report. (Sometimes sends data) (hrd 03rd May 2025)
1900z 4.209.5MHz CW "TAH" preceded with buzz tones, Turkish Met Radio, Istanbul, Turkey 529 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025) (sending data SITOR-B)
1910z 4.210.5MHz CW "XSQ" preceded with buzz tones. Guangzhou, China 519 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025)
1910z 4.212.0MHz CW "XSQ" preceded with four buzz tones, Guangzhou, China 529 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025)
1910z 4.215.0MHz CW "XSG" preceded with four buzz tones, Shanghai, China 519 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025)
1901z 4.331.0MHz CW "VVV 4XZ 4XZ" Israeli Navy, Haifa, Israel 319 report. (also transmits data) (hrd 02nd June 2025)
1050z 6.316.0MHz CW "XSQ" preceded with buzz tones, Guangzhou, China 419 report. (hrd 04th May 2025)
0950z 6.326.0MHz CW "XSG" preceded with buzz tones, Shanghai, China 559 report. (hrd 03rd Feb 2025))
0950z 6.329.0MHz CW "XSQ" preceded with buzz tones, Guangzhou, China 569 report. (formerly XSV Tianjin & XSG Shanghai) (hrd 03rd Feb 2025)
1955z 6.607.0MHz CW "VVV de 4XZ 4XZ" Israeli Navy, Haifa, Israel 419 report. (Often sends data.) (hrd 04th May 2025)
1911z 8.421.0MHz CW "XSQ" preceded with four buzz tones. Guangzhou, China. 559 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025).
1911z 8.424.0MHz CW "de SVO" Olympia Radio, near Athens, Greece 519 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025)
1911z 8.425.5MHz CW "XSG" preceded with four buzz tones, Shanghai, China 539 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025)
1912z 8.431.0MHz CW "XSQ" preceded with buzz tones, Guangzhou, China 519 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025)
1912z 8.431.0MHz CW "TAH" preceded with buzz tones, Turkish Met Radio, Istanbul, Turkey 319 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025)
1945z 8.433.0MHz CW "XSG" preceded with buzz tones, Shanghai, China 539 report. (hrd 06th August 2024)
1913z 12.613.0MHz CW "XSQ" preceded with four buzz tones, Guangzhou, China 519 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025)
1913z 12.624.0MHz CW "XSQ" preceded with buzz tones, Guangzhou, China. 529 report. (02nd June 2025)
1913z 12.637.5MHz CW "XSG" preceded with four buzz tones, Shanghai, China. 519 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025)
1913z 12.648.5MHz CW "XSQ" preceded with four buzz tones, Guangzhou, China 549 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025)
1914z 12.654.0MHz CW "TAH" preceded with buzz tones, Turkish Met Radio, Turkey 319 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025)
2024z 16.850.3MHz CW "XSQ" preceded with four buzz tones, Guangzhou, China 539 report. (hrd 04th May 2025)
0510z 16.880.0MHz CW "XSQ" preceded with four buzz tones, Guangzhou, China 529 report. (hrd 03rd June 2025)
0510z 16.898.5MHz CW "XSG" preceded with four buzz tones Shanghai, China 419 report. (hrd 02nd June 2025)
Japan Fisheries Radio Network:
The JFR Network covers HF frequencies in CW mode 3-22MHz and usually transmit on the hour and on the half hour with a callsign preamble then a request for traffic, there are also current weather warnings broadcast. If sufficient interest/comment is received I will publish the other frequencies down to 3MHz.
I have noticed over the past three or so years a sharp decline in traffic being worked suggesting that this service and mode will be retired in the near future, so hear them while you can. JFE on Okinawa has not been heard for around four years which suggests that this station has already been decommissioned.
22.681.5MHz JFS Amori, JFT Kamaishi, & JFW Fukushima. (hrd Jan 2025)
22.642.0MHz JFR Nagasaki, JFR2 Nagasaki & JFX Kagoshima. (hrd Jan 2025)
22.606.5MHz JFG Shizouka, JFM Muroto & JFH Mie. (hrd Jan 2025)
17.231.0MHz JHA Ibaraki & JFC Kanagawa.
17.180.0MHz JFE Okinawa
17.140.0MHz JFR2 Nagasaki,
17.132.0MHz JFS Amori, JFT Kamaishi & JFW Fukushima.
17.014.0MHz JFR Nagasaki, JFX Kagoshima.
16.976.8MHz JFG Shizouka, JFM Muroto & JFH Mie.
16.942.8MHz JSB Hokkaido.
13.024.5MHz JSB Hokkaido
12.880.0MHz JFE Okinawa
12.858.0MHz JFT Kamaishi & JFW Fukushima.
12.832.5MHz JFC Kanagawa & JHA Ibaraki.
12.811.5MHz JFM Muroto, JFH Mie
12.704.5MHz JFR2 Nagasaki, JFX Kagoshima
HLF, HLJ, HLO, HLW etc Korea Telecom transmitters are all 3Kw to Log Periodic antennas from an area outside Seoul.
SVO Olympia Radio uses 10Kw transmitters to ND TCI 540-2-04 antenna system at Volakas, west of Athens on the coast.
TAH Istanbul Radio, Turkey runs a 10Kw transmitter, antenna system not known, transmitter near Istanbul.
XSG & XSQ China, transmitter and antenna array not known.
China has made quite a few changes in the past year, mostly call sign changes, however, some new stations appeared from July 2022, four new frequencies have appeared (4.210.5MHz, 8.421.0MHz, 12.624.0MHz and 16.850.3MHz) and three had call sign changes with former "XSQ" stations on 4.212.0MHz, 12.613.0MHz & 16.880.0MHz now signing as "de XSG", however, the "de" portion was dropped later around July & August 2022. It often reverts back to "XSQ" as noted on Mon 06th Dec 2022 at 0530z.
Off particular note is 12.613.0MHz "XSQ" which was noted signing as "de XSG" on Friday 08th of March 2024 at 0740z, however, on Friday 09th of March at 0902z it had reverted back to "XSQ".
Telecom Korea HLO, HLW, HLJ, HLG etc: These HF band CW transmissions ceased on all HF frequencies during late 2022 and all stations have been officially closed. Thus they all have been removed from the listings as of March 2024.
For those who collect QSL cards SVO, TAH and HLF, HLG, HLJ, HLO & HLW have issued QSL cards to DXers in the past, providing you send a report in UTC date/time format. The Chinese stations, as far as I know, do not QSL.
Where time permits I will try an update the list each month.
(updated: Tuesday 03rd June 2025)