Topband: Fishing beacons redux

[Merv Schweigert]

They do not change freq out here in KH6,   if they did how in the world
would the boat know where to look for the beacon and DF it to find the
net??

They run on a cycle,  usually giving the ID and a carrier about 3 times, and
then go QRT for some time,  coming on again later to repeat the cycle.
I have dealt with them for 10 plus years here in KH6 and have never ever
had one stop because I transmitted on top of it,  and I have tried.

In fishing season I have them every 5 to 10KHZ across the entire 160 band
from weak to over S9.
Merv K9FD/KH6

> On 2012-10-01, at 8:17 PM, Mike Waters wrote:
>
>    
>> Nearly every time I have ever called CQ on top of a fishing beacon on 160
>> --except the very weakest ones-- it disappeared. I assumed they changed
>> frequency.
>>
>> I don't think it was a coincidence. I've heard others who had the same
>> experience.
>>      
>
>
> Hi Mike,
>
> I've noticed that very same thing here myself, more often than not (certainly not in ALL cases, though): it's like they're somehow programmed to shift to another frequency if there's any interference to the one that they're on.
>
> I don't know if they're that sophisticated, or not. Certainly the fishermen who listen for these things would have to be savvy as to frequency agility...which leads me to ask, are they somehow CW-literate, too...? VERY doubtful on BOTH counts! Most likely the receive technology is somehow automatic,&  a machine does all of the "de-coding" for them...
>
> ~73~ de Eddy VE3CI - VE3XZ
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