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Author Topic: 6 MHz Western USA Beacons  (Read 6154 times)

Offline Exo

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Re: 6 MHz Western USA Beacons
« Reply #15 on: December 09, 2018, 2025 UTC »
Report
2018DEC09 2015UTC

6626.34 kHz CW, "Rainy", ditter beacon, 19 milliseconds dit duration, 307 milliseconds repetition, weak readable, -117 dBm.
6626.55 kHz AM, "Rocky", tone beacon, 16.1 kHz tone modulation, weak readable -120 dBm.
6700.48 kHz CW, "HexY2k", dasher, beacon, readable, -112 dBm

Ionogram image below shows the nearby Pt. Arguello ionosonde data at the time of the log report, 2018DEC09 2015UTC, with foF2=6.507 MHz and fxI=7.15 MHz.

« Last Edit: December 09, 2018, 2300 UTC by Exo »
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Exo
HF aficionado. On the coast of northern California.
Various receivers, transceivers, and broadband antennas.
kiwiSDR receiver on private LAN for multi-freq HF monitoring.

Offline Exo

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Re: 6 MHz Western USA Beacons
« Reply #16 on: December 12, 2018, 2101 UTC »
Highlight of this Report: Rocky, Rainy, and HexY2k beacons with good signals

Report
2018DEC12 2039UTC

6626.34 kHz CW, "Rainy", ditter, good readable, -122 dBm
6626.63 kHz AM, "Rocky", 1.85 kHz tone modulation (USB 6628.48 kHz, LSB 6624.78 kHz), good readable, -121 dBm 
6700.48 kHz CW, "HexY2k", dasher, good readable, -108 dBm

Waterfall spectrum image below clearly shows the Rainy ditter beacon, and the Rocky AM beacon with its 1.85 kHz tone modulation sidebands 2018DEC12 2039UTC:



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Exo
HF aficionado. On the coast of northern California.
Various receivers, transceivers, and broadband antennas.
kiwiSDR receiver on private LAN for multi-freq HF monitoring.

Offline Exo

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Re: 6 MHz Western USA Beacons
« Reply #17 on: December 24, 2018, 2001 UTC »
Highlight of this report: 3 western USA beacons on 6 MHz

Report
2018DEC23 1950UTC

6626.28 kHz CW, "Rainy", ditter, 311 millisecond repetition, 18 millisecond dit duration, good readable, -124 dBm
6626.56 kHz AM, "Rocky", 650 Hz audio tone modulation (USB 6627.21 kHz, LSB 6625.91 kHz), good readable, -118 dBm 
6700.48 kHz CW, "HexY2k", dasher, 893 millisecond repetition, 432 millisecond dash duration, good readable, -108 dBm

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Exo
HF aficionado. On the coast of northern California.
Various receivers, transceivers, and broadband antennas.
kiwiSDR receiver on private LAN for multi-freq HF monitoring.

Offline Exo

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Re: 6 MHz Western USA Beacons
« Reply #18 on: December 28, 2018, 2341 UTC »
Quote from: ChrisSmolinski on November 24, 2018, 1558 UTC
Nice catches and screenshots, Exo. I have been trying for the 6 MHz beacons for years. I will have to live vicariously through your loggings  ;D

I do remember quite a few years ago hearing some of the west coast beacons like OR and S (which I think are gone now). Looking back at the old logs here, I was hearing the 4096 beacons back in 2009, and I think a few years after that, but no more.

Hi Chris,

Probably, HexY2k offers the best chance to catch.
On 6700.46 kHz CW, the HexY2k dasher beacon is by far the stronger signal among the 6 MHz beacons.
Rainy and Rocky are very elusive, even here on the west coast; they look and sound like RFI; and they change their modulation characteristics frequently, perhaps due to temperature or voltage :)
Rocky is especially rare, because one can tune right past it, thinking it is just RFI carrier crud.
They are never logged here at western USA night; perhaps all 3 of them require solar sunlight?
Or maybe it is just due to the nature of propagation.
If they are solar-only, and one is trying to predict a possible opening, remember that many of the western USA sites have sunsets that are shadowed due to the mountains or very high trees.
So, plan to watch at least 1 hour or more before official local sunset at the beacon site.

« Last Edit: December 29, 2018, 0010 UTC by Exo »
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Exo
HF aficionado. On the coast of northern California.
Various receivers, transceivers, and broadband antennas.
kiwiSDR receiver on private LAN for multi-freq HF monitoring.

Offline Exo

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Re: 6 MHz Western USA Beacons
« Reply #19 on: December 30, 2018, 2333 UTC »
Highlight of this report: Rocky AM tone beacon audio harmonics.
If you find these detailed reports useful or interesting, please feel free to reply with any comments.

Report
2018DEC30 2226UTC

6626.48 kHz AM, "Rocky", tone beacon, main carrier, 500 Hz audio tone modulation, good readable, -104 dBm
6626.98 kHz USB, audio tone modulation sideband, -110 dBm
6627.48 kHz USB2, audio tone modulation sideband, 2nd harmonic, -122 dBm
6625.98 kHz LSB, audio tone modulation sideband, -108 dBm
6625.48 kHz LSB2, audio tone modulation sideband, 2nd harmonic, -112 dBm

PLAY AUDIO recording of Rocky AM tone beacon 500 Hz modulation recorded in AM mode with 2 kHz total bandwidth

Image below shows modulation waveform of 6626.48 kHz Rocky AM tone beacon, an asymmetric sine wave with clipped bottom,  2018DEC30 2226UTC.


Waterfall spectrum image below shows the many modulation harmonics of the Rocky AM tone beacon:


Ionogram image below shows the data from the nearby Pt. Arguello Digisonde at the time of the log report, with foF2=5.175MHz, fxI=5.9MHz, 600kmMUF=6.6MHz.

« Last Edit: January 02, 2019, 0528 UTC by Exo »
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Exo
HF aficionado. On the coast of northern California.
Various receivers, transceivers, and broadband antennas.
kiwiSDR receiver on private LAN for multi-freq HF monitoring.

Offline Exo

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Re: 6 MHz Western USA Beacons
« Reply #20 on: January 01, 2019, 0009 UTC »
Highlight of this report: 6626 kHz Rainy ditter beacon clear audio recording

Report
2018DEC31 2055UTC

6626.20 kHz CW, "Rainy", ditter beacon, 18 millisecond dit duration, 328 millisecond repetition, downward chirp, good readable, -108 dBm
6626.73 kHz AM, "Rocky", tone beacon, main carrier, 5.22 kHz audio tone modulation, good readable, -110 dBm
6631.95 kHz, "Rocky", USB, audio tone modulation upper sideband, -114 dBm
6621.51 kHz, "Rocky", LSB, audio tone modulation lower sideband, -113 dBm

PLAY AUDIO recording of Rainy ditter beacon 6626 kHz in USB mode with 300 Hz bandwidth 2018DEC31 2055UTC
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Exo
HF aficionado. On the coast of northern California.
Various receivers, transceivers, and broadband antennas.
kiwiSDR receiver on private LAN for multi-freq HF monitoring.

Offline Exo

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Re: 6 MHz Western USA Beacons
« Reply #21 on: January 20, 2019, 2024 UTC »
Report
2019JAN20 2015UTC

6626.42 kHz CW, "Rainy", ditter beacon, 295 millisecond repetition, 29 millisecond duration, good readable, -122 dBm
6626.46 kHz AM, "Rocky", beacon, audio tone 310 Hz modulation, good readable, -120 dBm
6700.50 kHz CW, "HexY2k", dasher beacon, 907 millisecond repetition, 451 millisecond duration, good readable, -118 dBm
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Exo
HF aficionado. On the coast of northern California.
Various receivers, transceivers, and broadband antennas.
kiwiSDR receiver on private LAN for multi-freq HF monitoring.
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