Get up-to-the-minute worldwide DX band conditions in
minutes on 14, 18, 21, 24, 28 MHz bands using the International Beacon
Network of 18 beacons throughout the world!
MFJs new DX Beacon Monitor lets you instantly see which beacon youre
hearing on your transceiver -- an LED lights up on its world map to show
you the beacon location and where to point your antenna.
Its fascinating to hear and watch each beacon location light up as they
become active across the world.
The International Beacon Network
The International Beacon Network provides a reliable source of signals
for determining HF propagation 24 hours a day. It consists of 18 beacons
evenly located throughout the world. Each beacon transmits on 14.1,
18.11, 21.150, 24.93, and 28.2 MHz.
The transmit sequence moves westward from New York across North America,
Asia, Pacific to Africa, Europe, and South America. On each frequency,
each beacon transmits for ten seconds -- its call sign at 22 wpm CW and
a one-second dash at 100 Watts and three one-second dashes at 10, 1, and
0.1 Watts.
When each beacon completes a transmission it goes silent on that band
and switches to the next higher band. For more information on the
International Beacon Network, see QST Magazine Issues October 1994,
November 1994, and September 1997.
How are band conditions?
Tune to a beacon frequency. If band conditions are good, youll hear each
beacon identifying in Morse and four dashes each at a lower power level.
The more beacons you hear, the more open the band is to different parts
of the world.
The more dashes you hear per beacon, the better the quality of
propagation and the more robust the band is. If you hear the 100
milliwatt dashes from many beacons, you know the band is wide open!
In just three minutes youll know how band conditions are worldwide. Its
interesting to see how propagation varies from day to day -- what
beacons you can hear and at what power level. You may find that the band
is wide open buy nobody is on.
Which band is best to reach a particular part of the world?
By storing the beacon frequencies in your transceivers memory, you can
quickly check all five bands to see which band has the best propagation
to a particular part of the world.
MFJ DX Beacon Monitor lets you instantly see on world map which beacon
youre hearing
You dont have to copy CW at 22 wpm to identify a beacon. When you hear a
beacon, an LED instantly lights up on a world map to show you its
location. You can positively identify each beacon -- even if the signal
is weak, and the CW is fluttery or distorted. The world map display also
tells you where to point your antenna.
How does the MFJ DX Beacon Monitor work?
The transmit sequence of the beacons are precision timed using GPS
(Global Positioning Satellites). The MFJ DX Beacon Monitor duplicates
this precision timing sequence. A microprocessor and a built-in WWVB
atomic clock receiver maintains ultra precise timing.
The MFJ-890 is a self-contained standalone unit. It requires no
connection to your transceiver or receiver. It measures 6.75 x 5.25 x 3
inches. It uses 12 VDC or 110 VAC with optional MFJ-1312D.
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