VK5RSE 1296 beacon

[VK3BA]

Has anyone monitored the VK5RSE 1296 beacon lately? I reckon it's been drifting a bit lately - over the last few weeks. I regularly watch it. I'm using an IC-910H with no TCXO or GPS locking and I know my rig displays about 300Hz high (and as Owen VK1OD has posted previously, some of it is about knowing or learning your rig). So usually I hear it about 1296.5504 but again tonight I have been chasing it upwards and right now I've got it on 1296.5519 and it has really wandered up over the last 2hrs or so.

I don't think it's my rig that's drifting, but as always, I could be wrong...

I think I saw a post by Dave 3HZ recently that he'd observed the same thing and his rig is GPS locked.

If it continues, I might send an email to the SERG guys in case they don't know about it.

Otherwise, it's a great indicator to the west of Geelong to help isolate any coastal ducting that might be happening. I usually compare it with the VK3RWL70cm and VK3RPL70cm repeaters.

Comments & feedback welcome.

Cheers,

[VK3HZ]

Hi Nik,

That's just what it has always done - no new fault in particular. The 2m and 70cm ones also drift to a lesser extent.

You could probably work out a calibration chart for equipment shelter temp vs. beacon frequency

Regards,
Dave

[VK3BA]

Thanks Dave for the info. At least I know it's not my rig

[VK3HZ]

BTW, the VK5RSE beacons are no worse than most other beacons. They all drift around to a greater or lesser extent. They are meant primarily to be propagation indicators rather than frequency references.

While it would be nice to have them all GPS-locked so that we can look for them way down in the noise in milliHz bandwidths, the cost, complexity and logisitics of doing so far outweighs the available budgets (both financial and time) available in most clubs.