Hamilton TV as Aurora Scatter beacon

[VK2KRR]

I find the Hamilton (west VK3) TV transmitter is a very good beacon for monitoring Aurora Scatter openings.

I monitor Hamilton TV vision on 138.258.5 MHz in USB mode. Beam south in horizontal polarity toward the Aurora.

Tranmitter EIRP is 213 kW.

[VK3SIX]

I am/was the tech that serviced that heap of NEC junk, should have poured water into it.

[VK3SIX]

The way its going it will be on until 2011 they are planning a solid state 10KW upgrade.

[VK3OT]

I find the Hamilton (west VK3) TV transmitter is a very good beacon for monitoring Aurora Scatter openings.

I monitor Hamilton TV vision on 138.258.5 MHz in USB mode. Beam south in horizontal polarity toward the Aurora.

Tranmitter EIRP is 213 kW.

Don't think eirp is that high
Vision is currently set at 9.6 KW which goes to upper and lower stacked arrays of dipoles that are directional (cloverleaf).
2.4 kw vision peak into each bay 6db gain.
10kw erp in each of four directions 25 KW eirp is a collective 100kw as per licence.

I am the BSTO Mt Dundas

[ZL4DK]

I find TV transmitters of little value as aurora beacons. This is beacuase the aurora can spread a clean carrier into a wideband hiss of 10kHz or more. This means it is very difficult to tell the if the signal is actually there until it starts to push up the S meter. Even then it can be mistaken for interference. One option is to check by comparing with the noise level say 20kHz away.
I generally use the Christchurch 6 Meter beacon on 50.040MHz. This runs a power level of around 100W erp and its CW is easily detected even at weak levels.