Current status: On the air as of 29 Apr 2022. Transmitter and antenna have been moved a short distance. Updates here.
The NF8M/B six meter beacon (grid EN82il) operates on 50.0763 MHz running 8 watts into a Cushcraft Ringo vertical (new antenna as of 14 June 2019) at 30 feet AGL. (734 feet AMSL). Because it’s not located at my home QTH, it doesn’t need to be shut down when I want to operate on 6. Note: Although the beacon is on the air more or less continuously, it could go off the air for maintenance at any time, so please do not consider its absence as an indicator of lack of propagation. I will post a notice of planned downtime if possible.
TNX: The NF8M/B beacon was mentioned by Jon Jones, N0JK in Tad Cook’s December 18 , 2015 ARRL K7RA Solar Update. TNX for the FB 599 report and glad to be of service to the 6 meter community. Reports are always appreciated.
As of 23 June 2021, the beacon has been received and spotted in the following grid squares: (grids in bold are new reports since the last update on 31 March 2020)
- CM97
- CN84 CN87
- DK79 (Gracias!)
- DM04 DM09 DM58 DM59 DM67 DM79 DM95
- DN70 DN74 DN86
- DO61
- EL09 EL29 EL85 EL86 EL87 EL88 EL89 EL96 EL97 EL98 EL99
- EM00 EM02 EM10 EM11 EM12 EM13 EM14 EM15 EM16 EM17 EM20 EM22 EM26 EM28 EM30 EM31 EM32 EM40 EM41 EM47 EM50 EM54 EM55 EM58 EM60 EM64 EM66 EM70 EM71 EM72 EM73 EM74 EM91 EM92 EM94 EM95
- EN07 EN10 EN11 EN19 EN27 EN32 EN35 EN72 EN73 EN82 EN83
- FM04 FM06 FM07 FM16 FM18
- FN07 FN20 FN25 FN30 FN42 FN43 FN54 FN57 FN58 FN65 FN77 FN85
Spots courtesy of DX Heat.
If you hear the beacon, please post a spot to your favorite DX cluster or website. In the comment field, please indicate grid squares and propagation type as follows:
YOURGRID<PROPTYPE>OTHERGRID
For example, if you are in FN20 and copy the beacon via sporadic-E, you’d enter FN20<ES>EN82 in the comment field. (If you use dxmaps.com to post spots, it will format this automatically.)
There are a couple photos of the beacon transmitter and antenna in the gallery.
I’d like to acknowledge my good friend and fellow beacon operator K8TB for providing me with the ID-O-Matic keyer board that generates the CW. Tom’s beacon is on 50.0650 in EN62wu.