[CCF] Topband: receiving beacon on 1832.10 kHz

[Jaakko Silanto]

Mielenkiintoiseksi DX äijille nämä tekee se että nyt ei tarvitse yrittää
kuunnella QRP DX:iä esim Karibialta kotona, netti-vastaanottimilla se käy
vaivattomammin, eikä tarvitse rakentaa erikoisia kuunteluantenneja.

Jospa tonne Pacifikkiinkin tulisi muutama VFO:lla varustettu, niin voisi
edes yrittää kutsua YJ0ADX:ää Hi.

Jaska OH1MA

>-----Original Message-----
>From: ccf-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:ccf-bounces at contesting.com] On
>Behalf Of Juha Rantanen
>Sent: 2. maaliskuuta 2006 11:53
>To: CCF Reflector
>Subject: [CCF] Topband: receiving beacon on 1832.10 kHz
>
>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.
>
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