ARLA/CLUSTER: Projecto de beacon experimental suiço em 5 MHz

[João Costa > CT1FBF]

 Swiss 5 MHz Experimental Beacon Project

Although the 60m band has not been released for amateur radio in
Switzerland, the Sursee Amateur Radio Club has obtained the necessary
official authorizations for a Swiss 5 MHz Experimental Beacon project.
Using the callsign HB9AW, the beacon became operational on 5291 kHz at
0000hrs on the 1st of June.

The transmission commences with the call sign HB9AW in CW (100HA1B),
followed by five 2 seconds-long dashes. The dashes are each accurately
attenuated by 10dB in the EIRP power sequence 10W / 5 W / 1Watt /
100mW concluding with 10mW and currently repeats every 5 minutes,
commencing on the hour.

The beacon transmits from Sursee (Locator: JN43BA) on a half-wave
dipole, configured for high-angle radiation as an NVIS ‘fountain’ type
antenna at a height above ground of 0.12 of a wavelength. A reflector
is placed beneath the antenna. The aim of the system is to explore the
propagation conditions on 5 MHz in the hills and valleys of
Switzerland in relation to its possible suitability as an Emergency
Communications band. They have deliberately chosen this type of steep
radiation-angle antenna to study the propagation conditions within
Switzerland itself and at the moment DX is only of secondary interest
to them.

They expect that the beacon will be heard during the day and night
hours across Switzerland including the Alpine valleys. An on-line form
on the Sursee Amateur Radio Club’s website accepts reception reports.
The evaluation of these is done by a technical college. Reception
reports are appreciated and will be entered into a raffle for an
attractive prize !

A detailed description of the installation will appear in due course.

Online HB9AW 5 MHz Beacon Reporting Form
http://www.hb9aw.ch/bake-5000khz/aaa-baken-formular-englisch/

Sursee Amateur Radio Club website 5 MHz Beacon Project
pagehttp://www.hb9aw.ch/bake-5000khz/was-ist-eine-bake/

USKA – Swiss National Amateur Radio Society
http://uska.ch/news/newsdetail/archive/2014/may/article/
das-hb9aw-60m-cw-bakenprojekt/?tx_ttnews[day]=
29&cHash=afca54d22d6b0bf313434e247adaf894

(Tnx: Sursee Amateur Radio Club, USKA)

 Cheers,

Paul Gaskell, G4MWO