This is just a hunch Brian @G8ADD, but I’m guessing from your comments that you don’t often operate CW in the 7.030-7.036 segment of 40m?
Irrelevant, Tom. You know dam’ well I don’t do morse code on that or any other band. There is enough sarcasm and bitching on this substandard thread already without you adding to it!
As it happens, Geoffrey has contacted me. With his permission, this is what he has to say:
" What I have created (Propagation Beacon) is from memory of seeing a Beacon working and dates back to the 1900 as an Omnigraph, It is not my wish at 80 and being retired from medical practice after 46yrs to read these nasty comments , Not all…after all I have seen enough adversity and struggle and down on patients faces that this project should create healthy interest rather than throw flak , I have become disillusioned and hurt by the comments to the point I have stopped transmitting the tests (ofcom permitted) before I started it and also took down a very informative qrz.com site of mine…I will re-start the project and instead of cutting the slots in the disc by hand and file I will have it machine done for better CW … That’s all for now."
For reference, an omnigraph in his sense of the word is not graph drawing software or a Lumocolor crayon, but a device for converting morse code on a punched tape into audio signals.
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Good outcome. Well done Brian.
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Actually not so much sarcasm Brian. Just pointing out that if you were a CW activator or chaser on this customary SOTA / QRP segment, you may well be more irritated and less accepting of this unnecessary vanity project.
I accept that in the ‘letter of the law’, there is probably ‘nothing wrong with it’. But there are considerations we adopt as radio amateurs to avoid being antisocial. Another equivalent example would be chatting away on S20.
Tom, I may not activate or chase on CW but I have taken the trouble to learn (actually re-learn) the code and sometimes practice by tuning the CW subbands on 40 and 20 looking for code slow enough for me (its more fun than G4FON!) I may be wrong, but as I remember it 50-odd years ago there would often be several signals at a time in the passband of the crystal filter of my old Eddystone Rx and you had to sort one out and listen to it by its pitch. Today there seems a lot more empty space most of the time (major contests excepted) so I can’t see why a beacon experiment should cause so much ire. After all, experimentation is part of the fun of ham radio, isn’t it? Also, the S20 simile doesn’t work, because after all, how many discrete CW channels are there between 7030 and 7036?
Because a beacon that has such defective keying that a number of competent CW users(*) cannot understand it is of no use to anyone.
(*) I don’t include myself in that group but some of those people earned a living by being CW competent and that makes their opinion rather insightful.
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If that’s all you’re hearing in that subband Brian, I’ll challenge you again to check your coax. These days, I find it is rare I can find a viable run frequency around there and have to widen my search down to include 7.010-7.030.
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First of all please allow me to introduce myself as a new subscriber to Sota Reflector site, I am 80 yrs old and retired from 46 yrs in medical practice…and I am responsible for creating the now controversial subject on site" The Beacon.".
I would on the outset like to say that this project was created from seeing one working 50 yrs ago ,it was at a NDB ground station , a None Directional beacon for aircraft navigation, The subject goes deeper than this and is well published in the RAFARS MAG, FISTS, and the INT SHORTWAVE league MAG…
More important is this It has been criticized by certain contributors of posts regarding the legality, I have to say, this has been cleared before inception by Ofcom and I deplore indirect threats I quote ““before someone reports it to Ofcom…”” made by a certain person , also the fact that only certain freqs can be used which is untrue , It is a self ordained belief that freq belong to me only , No freq belongs to any one person but is shared politly by asking please qsy etc. Ofcom has said this is is another type of keying i/e say another key paddle or straight and although it is a revolving disc it must contain the operators call sign which it does…and does not need a NOV as it is standard CW transmitting under A1A ruling.by a different method .
I hope to take up more space in the future to explain the true historical function and need for such a device I must say I deplore the acidic attacks made against me/ my call sign and condemning someone without obtaining the evidence and facts of the subject in question.
Please allow me to explain I have been a trained telegrephist from 15 yrs of age when I was a telegraph clerk on the railway .After I joined the RAF as a bomb disposal sqn officer I left and went into medical training, I saw a great deal of adversity struggle and down on patients faces during my time.
These acidic comments which are not unlike the pide piper folowing each other are very hurtful and has had a very bad effect on me to the point I have chosen to stop the experimental operation of the Beacon, I realise now it was transmitting bad CW but I was awaiting feedback because the slots had been cut out of no less than 13 discs to sync it with a 3 revolution motor… I did not invite such appalling comments and indirect threats,and I advise people that do please get your facts right…
Finally I would like to say this as a past medical man I feel deeply about peoples health and psychological state of minds during this pan demic and this project was chosen out of boredom and would be beneficial for healthsake to free up ones knowledgeable anxiety awareness,that is deny depression by creating something, It was never intended to invite such acidic attacks and I deplore them… If you wish to contact me personally my email is on qrz.com and I can give anyone interested in the subject of the Beacon project advice, It was a life saver in war at sea and in the air and should be admired…,Before I finish I personally was brought up with good manners and what I have seen so far has been very hurtful and I have stopped the project and took down my qrz history and information, I apologise if this comes across as moralising as it is not intended as we are all different but manners maketh man…
There is a great history to this project but the reason for the post is to say amateur radio is a hobby much to be enjoyed in these sad and not based on point scoring so let us all be friendly and not rise above another operator who is only trying to create diversity , Thank you for reading Geoffrey Powell M1EDF…p.s I would like to thank Brian and Simon for helping me access the site so I was able to put my point across… thank you both…
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Coax? I’m using a 132-foot doublet, and the DSP BPF set to 240 Hz. It will go down to 60 Hz but I find the sound at that bandwidth a little eery! I don’t know what the bandwidth of the crystal filter on the old half-moon dial Eddystone 680 was but it sounds comparable.
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Beacon,
May I go on I have been aware that the inventor of the bouncing bomb was viewed as none viable and out of his mind,and what did it achieve in the end we a now have freeedom of speech, I have read many articles containing character assination namely Wing commander Guy Penrose Gibson,VC,that the Dams raid was insignificant … It was said only the other day by a whiz kid “forgive the pun”…that Bletchley park played only a small part in winning the war , We have a habit of spouting our mouths off before the facts are known… and amateur radio operators , not all think they are holier than thou and purist bordering on the fringe of arrogance, I was told a skilled R/O has never ever known another operator or himself not to make mistakes… if we are truly honest we ALL have and DO but don’t admit it…I am disgusted with some of the comments I have just read… It is a hobby and should be enjoyed.as a family not point scoring… Geoffrey Powell… M1EDF
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Thanks to everyone who replied - My curiosity has been well and truly satisfied. Needless to say I won’t be building or operating a beacon myself. I’m sure this will please some!.
David
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Geoff
Thanks for your clarification on your beacon. I’m sorry you feel in someway upset over my post and subsequent replies.
- My post was simply out of curiosity at what I was hearing. I’ve not heard a beacon on the HF amateur bands before and had no idea whether they were permitted or not, although I’ve read about them in relation to what I, a Foundation qualification holder can/cannot operate.
I’ve heard and used plenty of beacons in my time as a radio operator in the RN to obtain navigational bearings/fixes so the concept wasn’t new to me.
So as this is the only ham forum I post on and I know it is populated by more experienced hams than me, I chose to ask the question here.
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My curiosity was further aroused by the fact that, without except, all the beacons I’ve ever heard had perfect morse - for obvious reasons I hope. And as you acknowledge the beacon you made wasn’t sending morse I could easily identify. The only ‘machine’ made morse I’ve used was the punched Creda (?) paper tape. Which punched out perfect more or none at all. So until someone suggested it might be you , and I read your QRZ page, I discovered you must have been using imperfectly hand cut disks to generate the morse.
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I posted the Video to allow those who may be able to throw any additional light on the matter and to listen to the morse as I am aware that not everyone may have heard it. This was done not to criticise the morse or you, but to see whether anyone else could come up with other callsign possibilities.
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I asked why an amateur should want to make/operate a beacon out of pure innocence. That has now been explained to me.
Finally, all the replies pertained to the questions I asked, and therefore the answers were all acceptable in my view. Non of the replies were directed at you personally (you weren’t identified until later), but related to my question as to, a) why someone (anyone!!) would want to operate a beacon and to try and, b) identify (as required by OFCOM) what callsign, if any, was being sent.
I too have made a one or two very serious mistakes as an RO in the RN, and have made quite a few more as an amateur, and, have had some of these errors pointed out to me. I’ve never chosen to take the criticism I’ve received as a personal attack.
David Perry
M6GYU
Robin Hood’s Bay
I never saw the video Dave… and further to your explanation it was a friendly email , private to you with no critisizm , intended but respect only., However I did not expect it to appear here…I would love to see on this site less back biting and point scoring, I won’t hold my breath, Finally it was an experimental sender and will resume again as it is approved by( Ofcom…) but will be professionally cut Dits and Dahs out of the revolving disc… No argument with you at all Dave… Just respect … that this site lacks … Geoffrey M1EDF…
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Geoffrey, before you decide that this thread is typical of this reflector I would invite you to explore some of the other threads that you can access from the “More Topics” button at the foot of the “Reflector Latest” column. I would also suggest that you read the “Acceptable Use Policy” accessed from the bottom of the “Spots” column. I appreciate that you feel somewhat bruised at present, but in general we contrive to keep this reflector a friendly and informative place with a good sprinkling of humour. People lapse sometimes, we’re only human after all, but as moderator I try and keep people within our guidelines, and there is always the very rarely needed option of a time out. So you will see when you look, it isn’t a free for all, no holds barred permanent squabble-fest like you get on some of the American websites and your experience is not typical.
BEACON PROJECT…I agree Moderator, and I apologise for any offence and to readers of the site, , I must say when one is a subject of discussion and is a little frayed with the disaproval by some posts one sometimes sidesteps the rules and guidelines in one’s haste ,As a new member of the site , I just wanted to mitigate my only good intentions of the project … again My apologies to you all readers … Geoffrey M1EDF…[quote=“M6GYU, post:1, topic:24153, full:true”]
On 7.036khz
For the last few hours I’ve been listening to a continious sort of morse beacon, sending very poor morse which appears to be “M 0 L F U K”, repeatedly at around 10 - 14wpm.
Any thoughts?
David
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@M1EDF Before you reinstate your beacon may I humbly make some suggestions:
- Decide what it is actually for and consider whether others will find it useful in some way. Is a 25 Watt beacon from the UK on 40m CW actually something that the wider amateur community needs? If not, it’s just a vanity project.
- Consider making it a much lower power device that sends some useful information. Interesting beacons often include a QTH locator and power. More complex ones send tones at different power levels. I would suggest that at the 100mW level or below you are at least less likely to annoy other band users.
- Make sure that the information sent is actually readable. If it’s not, it is simply interference and will always be unwelcome.
- Research what the frequency you pick might be used for elsewhere. Even the most basic Google search shows that 7.036 is used elsewhere for emergency purposes. 100mW is unlikely to trouble them but 25 Watts might.
- Consider the IARU recommendations for beacons. They are not mandatory but they do provide a common-sense framework for co-ordination of beacons.
Finally, just because something is not prohibited does not always mean that it’s a good idea.
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I have just received an abusive email from M1EDF. Charming chap.
That’s disappointing to hear Richard. I thought your suggestions and advice were polite, constructive and helpful, offered in a spirit of support and friendship.
As @M1EDF is new to SOTA, he probably isn’t aware of the concentration of 5w QRP portable summit operating that takes place in the 7,031 to 7.036 MHz CW subband, and the difficulty for a QRP portable station to establish a run frequency especially at weekends.
Reading through the thread above, I see little other than genuine remarks of help and advice towards someone who was previously unaware of the level of QRP portable usage of these frequencies. I fear he’s taken the comments negatively, and I can see they weren’t intended that way.
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Sadly while he says that he dislikes what he claims are “acid comments” and suggests that we are part of a “family”, this is not reflected in his own abusive communications.
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