The 6 Meter Beacon Project

    Are you a six meter nut, propagation guru or just plain curious about the propagation possibilities on VHF? We sure are, and that is why we started the 6 Meter Beacon Project. The Project began as a collaboration between the founder of QSL.net Al Waller, K3TKJ, 6 meter DXer & propagation prognosticator Dave Craig, N3DB, and Radio Techie extraordinaire Keith Murray, KB3IWV, to make and install 6 meter beacons in a few select overseas locations in desperate need of propagation indicators. Interest in the project grew almost overnight. With the support of the 6 meter Dxing community at large we have expanded the project and set out to fabricate and install as many beacons as possible in needed areas world-wide. Do you know of any 6 meter DX beacons in need of repair or replacement or have relationships with foreign radio clubs or individual hams capable of supporting new beacons? Let us know at mailto:6mguru@6mbeacon.net

We Need Your Help!

    Be it via financial contribution, technical assistance, labor, donation of gear &/or liasion for site hosting, we could use your help! Our needs in all these areas are covering in detail down the page. As individual projects come online we will provide updates.

V73SIX/b (replacement beacon TX)     Shipped to V73NS December 22, 2004, QRV

ZD7VC/b (COMPLETED)     Hosted by ZD7VC (Thanks Bruce!) QRV Aug 28, 2005 at 2107z

KG4SM/b (Permission Denied at present)     Thanks to N6ZO, N4BAA, W4WV, KB3IWV & K3TKJ for trying

AH8A/b (New beacon, complete)     Hosted by AH8A (Thanks Bill!)       awaiting only connectors

AL7QY/b (New beacon, complete)     Hosted by AL7QY (Thanks Myron!)     QRV

CQ3SIX/b (New beacon, complete)         QRV

PR8ZIX/b (New beacon, complete)     Hosted by PR8ZX (Thanks Pedro!) In transit

V44KAI/b (Replacement TX & Antenna)         In transit

CT1ART/b ( TX )         A Project by EA7KW et al

Z21SIX/b ( TX )         With assistance from K1JT & Z2 ARS

KH6HI/b (Replacement TX)         QRV

C6AFP/b (Replacement TX, Antenna & Power Supply)         QRV

D44DUB/b (New Beacon, Power supply and hosting courtesy DUBUS)         en route

CU8DUB/b (New Beacon, Power supply and hosting courtesy DUBUS)         QRV

CE3SIX/b (New Beacon, complete, hosted courtesy Radio Club de la Chile)         almost QRV

The Beacons & Our Needs

    Currently the project utilizes Motorola Maxar Lowband land mobile radios, and thru the generosity of our donors & the help of W3CMP we now have a large reserve of servicable radios. These now outdated land mobile radios are available cheap or, thanks to John Taylor W3JCT & others, at no cost, and were originally designed with 50 MHz capability & are very easy to convert to beacons. KB3IWV aligned and tuned many rigs for the project, as has N3NO who recently tackled the job of aligning & tuning 48 Maxars recently purchased in bulk by the Project. Thanks Gene!

    Crystals within the 6 meter band are available for these rigs at low cost, and the massive heat-sink designed into them makes it possible to run these radios up to 45 watts in beacon mode with only slight heating. Disabling the RX, removing the speaker & adding a low-cost small programmable keyer gives new life & purpose to the Maxars and provides a relatively rich source of replacement rigs. We have recently begaun adding muffin fans externally mounted on the heatsink to further extend TX life- we have had no failures to date.

    Both logic & practical experience on 6 meters shows beacons equipped with moderate gain omnidirectional antennas are much easier to detect during weaker openings than those utilizing verticals or standard dipoles, and thus the antennas of choice for this project are Loops. We have chosen KB6KQ Loops for both durablility & performance, and are also using M2HO Loops as well. These antennas do not come without cost however, and without antenna donations or financial support equivilent antennas will have to be manufactured by project members (a wonderful homebrew antenna was donated by W3CMP). The beacons & accompanying antennas must be as maintainence free as possible, so quality materials & workmanship is a must.

    A number of power supplies have been donated to the project by Al K3TKJ. They are US Milspec supplies, capable of operation between 40-70Hz & 105-245 Volts. Al's generous donation will last for a number of projects but other supplies will be necessary after a few more beacon shipments. At least one proposed project, a VP6 beacon, will certainly require a complete solar setup, including solar panels and deep cycle batteries. Feedline, standoffs & other necessary hardware is supplied and manufactured on an as-needed, ad hoc basis by Project members. UPDATE: We are trying converted PC switching power supplies for future projects. Thanks to WN3CDW, N3NKC & VE3IKV for donating PC switching supplies, and to K2ZD for a brand new Yaesu supply and 2 serviceable Vertex supplies.

Our Donors

Since we began the project interest from 50 Mhz DXers has been great. It is our belief a project of this scope is by necessity a community effort, and credit should be given to those whose efforts have substantively helped further our understanding of propagation at 50MHz. Below is a list of generous Hams without whose help the project would not have been possible.

W3JCT     Motorola Maxar Lowband rigs

W1JJ     M2 HO Loop for ZD7/b, financial

K8KS     Financial

N8CJK     Financial

N3JPU     Financial

K3TKJ     Financial, Power Supplies, Keying Circuits, Domain, Site-Hosting ...

KB3IWV     Tuning equipment

K7TOP     Financial

K2ZD     Financial, Yaesu FP1023 PS

W5DN     Financial

KC8BQA     Financial

KD5VHZ     Financial

NW5E     Financial

N4VA & K4RZ     Financial

KC0PUN    Financial

K6QXY    Financial and antenna assistance

N0JK     Financial

CT1HZE/DL8HCZ     Financial, Dubus magazine (a must-read!)

K4RX     Financial

N3NO     Standoff Mounting Bracket, bridge diodes, mega work!

KE4WBO     Financial

VE9AA     Financial

SMIRK     Financial (thanks guys!)

N1RAM     Financial

W5OZI     Financial

K7BV     Financial

N8CJK in memory of WA2BPE     Financial

VE3CRU     Financial

N8CJK in memory of W8GIO     Financial

KE7V     Financial

K1AC     Financial

K1MS     Financial

W3CMP     Fans, radios, cords,....

K5AND     Financial

WZ8D in memory of W8MGJ     Financial

K2LZQ     Financial

VE3IKV     Financial, Power Supply

K1SIX     Financial

N4DB     Financial

K4BI     Financial

KA1KOJ     Stacked Loops

The Six Club (via W9FS)     Financial

W4TRH in memory of K2RTH     Financial

K1AST     Financial (and thanks long overdue)

WN3CDW & W3MGC     Power Supplies/rigs

N3NKC     Power Supplies

W4TRH    A special note of thanks to Tim W4TRH- without his site at http://chat.dxers.info it is doubtful this project would have been possible.

Planned Projects

• Pitcairn Island (VP6)
• The Falklands (VP8)
• Fiji (3D2)
• French Polynesia (FO)

We are open to your considered suggestions as well at mailto:6mguru@qsl.net. Please remember that the project goal is not only to provide direct evidence of band openings for operators but also to reveal suspected propagation patterns.

• For the proposed VP6 beacon we are in need of a contact person, site sponsor/host, deep cycle batteries, and an antenna.

• For the proposed VP8 beacon, we are still in need of a sponsor/host site, a contact person to arrange this with, and an antenna.

• Contact information for local sponsors &/or a host site in the latter locations would be appreciated. If you can help please forward any information you'd care to share to us at mailto:6mguru@6mbeacon.net

Treasurer's Report

As of the last update the project has recieved $2485.50 in financial contributions from the DXing community, as well as a donated M2 HO Loop from W1JJ earmarked for St. Helena Island (Thanks Mick!) & a brand new Yaesu FP1023 courtesy of K2ZD (Thanks Mario!). A dozen Motorola Maxar Lowband radios have also been donated or purchased by the originators, as well as 4 power supplies, aluminium stock, surplus tubing & 6 SMD programmable keying circuits. Annual expenses for the project that must be met include power costs for the ZD7 beacon ($.30 per kWH on the Island)- UPDATE: Bruce ZD7VC has graciously agreed to cover the power costs for the St. Helena beacon- Thanks Bruce! As mentioned earlier, we also have a great need for antennas, and in at least one case must procure solar panels and deep cycle batteries. Shipping costs for beacon packages to site locations also must be covered. Expenditures from the project treasury will be reported here with specificity. If you can help please do so! If you wish to contribute towards a specific project we will be sure it is used for that purpose. Our deep thanks go out to those who have already provided assistance- thanks again guys! Special THANKS to K2LZQ & N3NO! de David Craig, N3DB

Email mailto:6mguru@6mbeacon.net.