[CCF] Topband: receiving beacon on 1832.10 kHz

[Juha Rantanen]

Mielenkiintoinen kokeilu K3NA:lla:

Juha OH6XX

----
Here is a little experiment for the next couple of days (at
least until the ARRL contest): a receiving beacon on 160m.

What's a receiving beacon?

Conventional beacons transmit, of course.  On 160m that
concept has a few disadvantages:
    -- It is expensive to maintain a full-time, transmitting
beacon.
    -- To study the more interesting openings, high power is
often needed.
    -- Frequencies are scarce on 160m.  Even with a shared
frequency like the NCDXF beacon network on other bands, only
a handful of locations can provide a signal for study.

So I thought: "Why not have a receiving beacon?"  A
receiving beacon parks on a frequency and just listens.  You
can listen to the K3NA receiving beacon by placing a Skype
call to:
    K3NA160m
The call is automatically answered.  You will be listening
to an Orion receiver on 1832.10 kHz, uCW, 1000 kHz
bandwidth.  The antenna is a 4-square in the "northeast"
position, which favors Europe, North Africa, east and
central Asia.

This receiver is located at:
     41° 37' 31.377"N     70° 51' 57.378"W,
about 100 km south of Boston near New Bedford, Massachusetts
USA.  This is the contesting site owned by Greg W1KM, and
maintained & operated together with Al W1FJ, Paul K1XM,
Dennis NB1B and me.

I chose 1832.10 kHz because:
    -- most countries allow transmission on this frequency.
  (Sorry, Japan!)
    -- it's easy to remember: three two one zero...

You can test propagation from your location.  Place a Skype
call to the beacon.  After being connected, just transmit
your call on 1832.10 kHz ... and listen for your signal on
the beacon's receiver.  You can see how when and how well
the band opens, or compare transmitting antennas, or compare
your signal with someone else.

Please keep your call short.  This is an experiment to
examine "proof of utility", and I used a quick and simple
solution.  The beacon can only accept one call at a time...
so when you are listening, no one else can get in.  (Of
course, since this is the gentlemen's band, this shouldn't
be a problem!)

Of course we can imagine a more capable solution with
multi-casting over the internet, selection of various
antennas, or even stereo reception with a beverage in one
ear and the 4-square in the other.  But let's start with
something simple.

And I encourage anyone else to park an unused receiver on
1832.10 and connect it to Skype.  The frequency can hold an
unlimited number of receivers.

Let me know if this experiment was useful to you.

73,
    -- Eric K3NA

P.S.:  I apologize that the QTH has a bit of local QRN which
I haven't tracked down yet, so reception is not always as
good as it should be.  But, even so, many European signals
can be heard begining 1-2 hours before local sunset.