[VHFcontesting] WA3TTS 1296 MHz Beacon update

[Michael Sapp]

Hello All: Here's my best guess as to the actual frequency of the WA3TTS 1296 beacon with the winter temperatures set in. After an hour of fooling around with my 10Mhz reference, my frequency counter, my TCXO'd FT-817 and looking at the transverter LO frequency leaking out of my LT-23S receiver port--- I believe the current beacon frequency is within 500 Hz of 1,296.27245 MHz. Here is a sequence of the waterfall captures. However, it may wander a few kHz over time with temperature changes. When I had the beacon at W3KWH several or more years ago, I recall that it would wander up in frequency slowly as the winter temperatures set in...

https://www.dropbox.com/s/cmai1y74zabvdci/cal1tts.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/e666xvn349bn9r0/cal2tts.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/cuosk7rwjf9mu14/cal3.tts.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ii4xe7rcfyny6lr/cal4tts.jpg?dl=0

I can confirm that when the cold weather and wind freezes and dries out the ground clutter, there is an increase in received signal level over the near but non LOS 56 mile path from FN00ke to EN90xn. This afternoon the beacon was showing 20 dB out of the noise in the ARGO QRSS viewer in QRSS3 normal mode, and perhaps 10~12 dB out of the noise at times in the CW slow mode 
So far the antenna and feed line seem to have survived whatever ice has fallen off the nearby towers so far....

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jnwt3p44s43beqn/20161108_123430.jpg?dl=0
https://www.dropbox.com/s/mn0ju5qzfw1qr9a/20161108_123613.jpg?dl=0

Leasing issues keep me off the towers at the beacon site. I am planning to add a mast to the beacon antenna and up the power level as time and other projects allow...
I will try to do another calibration measurement this evening to see how far the combination of my beacon xtal osc and my receive
system are wandering...
Any reception reports would be greatly appreciated...

73. Mike wa3tts...