Topband: Strange CW Coded Messages

[W5JR - Mike]

The direction finder is also remarkably sophisticated. 

tnx
Mike

On Jun 12, 2012, at 2:37 AM, "Robin" <wb6tza at socal.rr.com> wrote:

> an experiment to see if a couple of photos will make it through-  I shrunk them to be small enough that they might be tolerated -  but I suspect they will be stripped off
> 
> these are two of the fish beacons we found washed up on shore at VP6DX.  you can read the freq on one of them 2202 KHz.  the smaller one we found actually has a small micro and 3 boards.. in another shot you can read the ID on the PROM-  EK92.  the bigger one with the D cell stack intact shows Z5 for the callsign.  What is amazing is that these two were virtually intact-  and were not the corroded pile of electronics you would have expected
> 
> a pile of D cells for ballast, a buoy with a whip, and a simple CW ID timer, and thousands of miles of sea water and you have QRP heard round the world
> 
> 73
> 
> robin, WA6CDR
> 
> I tried to find a better link, but here is one on a commercial fishing supplies site
> http://www.commercial-fishing.net/index.php?option=com_virtuemart&page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage-ask.tpl&category_id=15&product_id=27&Itemid=179
> 
> if that doesn't make it through try
> http://www.commercial-fishing.net/
> and marine electronics
> Radio Beacon
> 
> 
> I know nothing about these people, its just the first useful example I found for a source for the beacons we hear
> 
> Robin
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "GeorgeWallner" <aa7jv at atlanticbb.net>
> To: <herbs at vitelcom.net>; <topband at contesting.com>
> Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 19:20
> Subject: Re: Topband: Strange CW Coded Messages
> 
> 
>> On Mon, 11 Jun 2012 18:37:26 -0400
>> Herb Schoenbohm <herbs at vitelcom.net> wrote:
>>> These fish beacons are sometimes very strong and
>>> normally out in the Gulf of Mexico.  I just wish I could >replicate the QRP transmitter and antenna....or is it >just the saltwater ground?
>>> 
>> Herb,
>> 
>> It is simple: 2 W output, 10 foot whip wiht loading coil,
>> and a 3000 mile wide perfect ground plane. Easy. :-)
>> 
>> 73,
>> 
>> George
>> _______________________________________________
>> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK
> _______________________________________________
> UR RST IS ... ... ..9 QSB QSB - hw? BK