VK4RC 10m Beacon - Now On Air

[VK4BZ]

After a long absence, the Redcliffe (Brisbane) 10m beacon is ready to go for testing...again. Hopefully it will be operating next week (from 04 Jan 16) from the Redcliffe club house on 28.265 MHz. Fingers are crossed and prayers being muttered...

[VK3MEG]

great stuff thank you John. it is needed

[VK4BZ]

The Redcliffe beacon (VK4RC) is now active for the testing phase!

Frequency: 28.265 MHz (but, no it's not GPS locked...set with a frequency counter, so it's just about dead on the freq, but if you're a purist...)

Currently it is located at the Redcliffe club house, which means it is just above sea level. Eventually it will go up the hill beside the repeater (VK4RRC), but not until we're sure it is going to keep on keeping on. Keying is done using CW from a Byonics PicCon directly into the key socket of a Realistic HTX-100, so it's pure CW, not modulated CW. Antenna is a Station Disaster (ok - "Station Master" tuned for 28 MHz) and it's running 5 watts.

Please direct any reports back to the club via our website - I'm keen to know how far it is getting and what people think of the signal quality.

[VK7HH]

Antenna is a Station Disaster (ok - "Station Master" tuned for 28 MHz) and it's running 5 watts..

Station "Disaster" has allowed VK7RAE 28.267MHz to be heard worldwide

[VK3JUG]

Yep and another Station "Disaster" on VK3RRU 28.263MHz proliferating the airwaves.

[VK4BZ]

Damn - all three station masters within kilohertz of each other...what happens if they all start resonating wildly together? Disaster?

[VK4UH]

Big signal into Brisbane today and just 50Hz low in frequency

Well done John and thanks for your effort

KJ VK4UH

[ADMIN]

At the risk of sounding like a broken record...

A good way to share beacon reports is spot them on VK Logger itself!

Spots on the appropriate Logger automatically flags a beacon as being active.
(This VK Logger functionality first appeared over 9 years ago)

Custodians and all users can then see reports.

It's a good idea if custodians can spend a few minutes manually editing the record, to make sure all the details are current.


Looking at the actual Beacon record, a summary can be seen:

VK4RC Beacon record

(Obviously there are no recent spots, because it was only reactivated.)

Clicking on the "Show reporters on map", and the map will auto-zoom to accommodate all the spotters.
You can instantly, and visually, see where reports are coming from.

In text form, the History page:

This can always be cut & paste into your own record keeping system.

If you have a capable station of known frequency accuracy/stability, then it may be of interest to everybody if you can spot the actual zero-beat frequency to your best capability.
This can assist those who memory-scan for beacons, and want the store the 'best average' frequency that will produce a beat note to their liking.
It can also help custodians identify any trends with drift etc.


The interwebs and community databases - embrace it !

[VK4UH]

Thanks to Admin

VK4RC Beacon switched back on last evening.
Now in testing phase prior to final installation at permanent site.

Info updated on data base

reports to VK4UH (VK4BZ away) Beacon Keeper in training

[VK8VTX]

i can hear it good up here in darwin

and for the admin i spotted it too

06:45 05-Jan VK8VTX > VK4RC in QG62NS on 28.265.000 BCN 559 > PH57NG @ 2797.0km 128

well done guys

[VK4BZ]

i can hear it good up here in darwin

Thanks, Joe.

It's great to get a good report from VK8 considering the output and the location.

Thanks to the ADMIN as well...I should have suggested the forum beacon post myself...my bad!

Cheers!

[VK3JUG]

Working well, have an R8500 running at work on a vertical, and the beacon has been coming and going all day long since you fired it up.

[ADMIN]

Reports (as VK Logger spots) are trickling in, good to see.

[VK4BZ]

Thanks to all. Great to know it's getting out and about.

It will be interesting to see if things change when we get it up high on the hill top.

[VK2HJ]

Great work John..

73
Dom
VK2HJ

[VK3JUG]

Must be just the right distance, it's busy keying away nearly all day every day here!
When is it being moved?