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This beacon is no longer in service, the article is left in place for reference only.
This is a 30-watt "sea level" beacon intended for the coastal path between Northern and Southern California. It is located in CM97am, aimed at 140 true. The tower is a small 48ft job located at a relative's home 2 miles across town from me.
This should cover 125-155 true at the 3db beam width of the array, which consists of four 4-foot Yagis stacked vertically, and horizontally polarized. Total ERP is 3kw. Please forward any signal reports to the email address listed in the navigation bar.
Note: as of August 2010, the beacon has been dismantled for upgrades; restart is planned for mid-2011.
The antenna pattern (measured on an
antenna range) and construction details
for the electronics follow below.
| Frequency | 1296.340 MHz Note: To correct for long-term drift, the last alignment was performed on 1/8/2008, and the frequency set to 1296.340 MHz. Measurement accuracy is +- 100 Hz. |
| Power Level | 30 watts |
| Antenna gain / Feedline | 21.9 dbi fed with 90 feet of Andrew LDF5 (7/8) |
| Antenna direction | 140 true |
| Current location | CM97am |
| Message content (repeats) | a 5 second carrier, then "de W6PQL/b CM97am" |
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click any thumbnail below for a larger picture |
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