Appendix B: Propagation Information; Standard Time And Information Stations; Ncdxf/Iaru Beacon Network; Hf Beacons - Kenwood TS-870S Instruction Manual

Intelligent digital enhanced communications system
Hide thumbs Also See for TS-870S:
Table of Contents

Advertisement

● APPENDICES
APPENDIX B: PROPAGATION
INFORMATION

STANDARD TIME AND INFORMATION STATIONS

Besides providing an extremely accurate time source
and other information, stations WWV and WWVH, in the
continental U.S.A. and Hawaii respectively, deliver
propagation announcements every hour in addition to
acting as powerful beacons themselves. The
announcements include information on geophysical
alerts, solar activity, and more that all affects how well
your signals will propagate to the DX station you're
trying to catch. If you can't hear WWV/WWVH, then
consult references such as the World Radio TV
Handbook for information on some of the other standard
time stations located closer to your area.
Check 2500, 5000, 10000, 15000, and 20000 kHz at 18
minutes after each hour (WWV), and 2500, 5000,
10000, and 15000 kHz at 45 minutes after each hour
(WWVH) to hear the propagation forecasts.

NCDXF/IARU BEACON NETWORK

The Northern California DX Foundation and the
International Amateur Radio Union are cooperating to
support this particularly useful on-the-air tool. The
network is monitored by scientists, students, etc. as well
as Amateur operators.
This group of stations are located in North America, the
Pacific, eastern Asia, the Middle East, Europe, southern
Africa and South America, and more stations continue
to be added to the network. They transmit beacon
signals on 14100 kHz consecutively in sequence at
power levels from 100 watts down to 100 milliwatts.
You can listen to each station transmit with a known
power from a known direction and location.
With minimal effort, in a brief time you can compile a
customized and accurate profile of HF propagation
conditions at your location. This information will help
you decide where to point your antenna to look for DX
or to call CQ. You could even distribute the information
via packetcluster to local friends for their benefit. Or,
because of the very precise timing used for each
transmission, possibly you could develop an automatic
means of monitoring the beacon frequencies, then
assemble the recorded signal levels into a meaningful
database for later consultation.
Beacon Power
Level (W)
100
100
10
1
0.1
80
CW Message
Transmitted
Call sign
(long dash)
(long dash)
(long dash)
(long dash)
The following table shows some of the stations involved
in this program.
Station
4U1UN/B
United Nations, New York
W6WX/B
Stanford University, California
KH6O/B
Kane'ohe, Hawaii
JA2IGY
Mt. Asama, Japan
4X6TU
Tel Aviv University, Israel
OH2B
Helsinki Technical University, Finland
CT3B
Funchal, Madeira Island
ZS6DN/B
Transvaal, South Africa
LU4AA
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Note:
As a courtesy to other Amateurs, avoid transmitting on the
14100 kHz beacon frequency. Also, plans are in progress to expand
the beacon network to include 18110, 21150, 24930, and 28200 kHz.
When operation begins on these new frequencies, avoid transmitting
on them as well.

HF BEACONS

Beacon stations transmit from locations in many
countries. Often they operate 24 hours per day and, if
you can hear a particular beacon, you know there is
some propagation to that area of the world. Consult
reference books such as the ARRL Repeater Directory
for detailed information on active beacons. The table
below lists some beacons that you may hear.
Freq (kHz) Call Sign
14100
See
beacon network
page 80
24192.05
KK6TG
28050
PY2GOB
28175
VE3TEN
28191
5B4ZL
28191
VE6YF
28195
IY4M
28200
GB3SX
St. Petersburg, FL
28200
KF4MS
28200
KG5YB
28200
W6WX
28201
LU8ED
28201.5
EA7PS
28202
KE5GY
28202.5
ZS5VHF
28204
DLØIGI
Mt. Predigtstuhl
28205
DLØIGI
28206
KJ4X
28207.5
KE4NL
28207.5
W8FKL
28208
WA1IOB
28209
NX2O
Location
Location
Emis. ERP
NCDXF/IARU
A1A
100
St. Helena
F1A
0.03
Sao Paulo
Ottawa
Cyprus
Edmonton
Bologna
A1A
Crowborough
F1A
Tyler, TX
A1A
California
100
Argentina
Spain
Arlington, TX
Natal
Germany
100
F1A
100
Pickens, SC
Sarasota, FL
A1A
Venice, FL
Marlboro, MA
Staten Is., NY
A1A
15
10
10
10
20
8
75
3
1
5
5
2
5
10
75
10

Advertisement

Table of Contents
loading

This manual is also suitable for:

Ts-870

Table of Contents