GB3FNY – 432.445MHz
A few technical notes from the beacon builder, Bernie G4HJW.
A 14.410 MHz crystal is multiplied by 30 to 432.445MHz at 20dBm. This is amplified to 33dBm (mis) using a BGD814 CATV module, and feeds the antenna via an isolator, and low pass filter assembly.
The antenna is a Big Wheel, with 3dBd of gain, 8M over ground, and 1M ASL. It ran QRP with just 2W until September 2017, when the beacon received a 25W PA.
Keying Mode/duration: F1A – key down for 45 seconds, then CW ‘GB3FNY’ x 3
ODX: 30-Dec-2019 @ 1132km, heard by F2CT in IN93GJ.
GB3KEU – 5760.925MHz
The GB3KEU 5.7GHz beacon was brought us at FARS in 2015, looking for a new home we were happy to be able to take on the running of the beacon as Microwave band beacons are not very popular in our area.
The 5.7 Ghz beacon carries the callsign GB3KEU, in memory of Tim G3KEU, who was a keen ‘microwaver’ who sadly passed away in 2002.
External link kindly provided by Peter, G3PHO about the History behind GB3KEU.
Keying Mode: FSK ~ 400Hz shift. GB3KEU (twice), and 25 seconds of key down carrier.
ODX From our QTH: 189KM G4FRE IO82UC
GB3FNY – 10,368.752 MHz
The block diagram shows the layout of the hardware. All of this feeds an outdoor PA unit via TV coax, with the loss controlling the final level to 10Watt ERP. The antenna is a slotted waveguide antenna made from WG16.
Keying Mode/duration: CW ‘GB3FNY’ x 3
ODX: 23-May-2018 @ 625KM, OZ1FF in JO45BO
