[Mich VHF UHF Society] Vhf + beacon modes?

[C. Michael Long]

Hi James,

Can you point to a specific call out in the Part 97 rules?  When I looked
over 47 CFR 97.203 (Beacons) I saw no modulation requirements. What might
be most pertinent is the bandwidth requirement of the modulation technique
and sharing with other beacons in the same allotment so there is no
interference..

(d) A beacon may be automatically controlled while it is transmitting on
the 28.20–28.30 MHz, 50.06–50.08 MHz, 144.275–144.300 MHz, 222.05–222.06
MHz or 432.300–432.400 MHz segments, or on the 33 cm and shorter wavelength
bands.

While Tom did point out we are limited to agreed to CW portions (only the
50.06-50.08 Mhz actually as the rest listed are specifically beacon or
shared with weak signal), some (all?) of the portions listed are at most
gentlemans' agreements on bandplans.  Note the above rule (d) does not make
mention of modulation.  IANAL but I would interpret this as the FCC not
wanting to dictate, or otherwise tie the user's hands, to a specific form
of modulation, only where in the band you can operate the beacon.  Is there
a separate part of Part 97 I might be missing?

Mike
W6RP



On Fri, Apr 28, 2017 at 3:40 PM, Tom <k8tb at bosscher.org> wrote:

> James,
>
> I think there are some beacons that go cw, then psk, then wspr.
>
> The pertinent rules;
>
> §97.203   Beacon station.
>
> (a) Any amateur station licensed to a holder of a Technician, General,
> Advanced or Amateur Extra Class operator license may be a beacon. A holder
> of a Technician, General, Advanced or Amateur Extra Class operator license
> may be the control operator of a beacon, subject to the privileges of the
> class of operator license held.
>
> (b) A beacon must not concurrently transmit on more than 1 channel in the
> same amateur service frequency band, from the same station location.
>
> (c) The transmitter power of a beacon must not exceed 100 W.
>
> (d) A beacon may be automatically controlled while it is transmitting on
> the 28.20-28.30 MHz, 50.06-50.08 MHz, 144.275-144.300 MHz, 222.05-222.06
> MHz or 432.300-432.400 MHz segments, or on the 33 cm and shorter wavelength
> bands.
>
> (e)....
>
> (g) A beacon may transmit one-way communications.
>
> *****************************
>
> So we are limited to agreed to CW portions. I had a friend who was going
> to put a 6 meter FM voice beacon up in the 53 meg range. Until his friend
> told him, um, you can't.
>
> Interesting in that we can legally use the same call for all kinds of
> beacons on the same band, as long as they are not at the same location.
>
> But, my thought from a few years ago. Not necessarily original. With the
> SDR radios the cost they are, add a Rasberry pi, and CW skimmer, one could
> have a receive beacon site, that could monitor 50.060 to 50.100 for
> example, ignore the callsigns of local beacons, and what is now called
> "reverse beacon" them to a web page. Or have it bother you on that
> supposingly smart phone. This would catch the beacons, and any cw activity.
> I used to have a remote base on 6 up on 92nd st hill just south of Grand
> Rapids (tower is still there). I have a 6 meter omni up 50 feet, which is
> about 300 feet HAAT, and I've thought of hooking up a receiver to that.
> It's only time and money.
>
> Tom K8TB
>
>
>
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