Ham Radio Beacons and Why They Are Important

Listening to the continuous tone or call-sign of a ham radio beacon can be one of the most useful if sometimes overlooked facilities in amateur radio when planning where to call CQ and check for signals.

Ham Radio Beacons and Why Are They Important? A beacon is a special ham radio station, which sends out a signal on a fixed frequency 24 hours a day. They are used to check propagation on the amateur radio bands so that operators can assess whether a frequency band is useable at that moment to the part of the world where the beacon is situated.

If there are few ham signals on the frequency band you are checking, then does that means the band is closed? Not necessarily – it could just mean that nobody is calling CQ on a band which is open to some parts of the world. This is where ham radio beacons can be very useful.

What is a Ham Radio Beacon?

Amateur radio beacons are designed to explore propagation on specific frequency bands in real-time and to discover whether you are likely to make a contact to that part of the world at that moment.

A transmitting beacon station will generally send a continuous tone on a spot frequency, along with a call-sign and locator. Each beacon differs slightly but generally follow this pattern.

The receiving station will listen on the spot frequency to see whether the beacon can be heard. This will indicate whether a contact is likely on the ham band between the two regions of the world. With beacons across almost the whole frequency spectrum, they are a valuable resource in studying propagation.

On the higher frequency in the GHz bands, distances are much shorter and the beacon’s signal can be used to adjust receiving equipment and antennas, rather than for propagation purposes.

Beacons can be run and financed by a local amateur radio club, or sometimes an individual. The largest fully co-ordinated single beacon system, is the International Beacon Project (IBP), see below.

On Which Frequency Bands Can I Find Ham Beacons?

Virtually every ham radio frequency band will have beacons transmitting 24 hours a day.

These range from a series of global co-ordinated set of HF beacons from the International Beacon Project (IBP) managed by NCDXF and the IARU, through to local clubs and individually managed beacons as high as the 134GHz band.

There are beacons on the 5MHz (60m) band. Some operators in Europe run beacons on the 1.8MHz (160m), 3.5MHz (75/80m), and 10MHz (30m) bands, but these are generally discouraged by IARU Region 1. A single frequency is used in IARU Region 2 for beacons on 160m, 1.999 MHz.

The HF band with the most beacons is 28MHz (10m) followed by 50MHZ (6m). On higher frequencies, 144MHz and 432MHz are popular bands for ham VHF and UHF beacons.

Temporary test beacons can be found as low as the 136KHz (2,200m) band.

The International Beacon Project (IBP)

The North California DX Foundation (NCDXF) and the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) co-ordinate and operate a series of amateur radio beacons across the world.

These beacons are used by both ham radio operators and commercial bodies to assess the likelihood of being able to make a contact from a home location to a different part of the world.

The project was launched in 1979. At present, there are 18 such stations spread to all corners of the globe, which have been operating as a beacon network since 1995.

What makes this beacon project unique, is that each station takes a turn to transmit on the assigned frequency and then makes way for the next in the chain. This means that, for instance, listening to the full sequence of 18 beacons on 14.100 MHz, will indicate where it may be possible in the word to make a contact at that moment.

As a beacon come to the end of its first ten-second sequence, it moves a band higher. For instance, when ZL6B in South Africa completes ten seconds on 14.100MHz, it moves immediately to 18.110MHz for its next transmission. Then to 21.150MHz, 24.930MHZ and finally to 28.200MHz. At that point, ZL6B stops transmitting. With a ham rig set up to change spot frequencies quickly, and an accurate clock, it is possible to track ZL6B though the five bands and discover which frequencies are open for potential contacts.

An operator at home listening won’t hear all 18 one after the other but may copy several during the sequence.

Each station starts its transmission sequence with the call-sign sent at 22 words a minute. This is followed by four dashes. The first dash is send using 100 watts, the next at 10 watts, then one watt and finally 100 milliwatts. The whole process takes ten seconds, then the next station in the sequence starts transmitting on that frequency and so on around all 18 across the world.

The reduction in transmitter power for the four dashes gives the listener an indication of band conditions. For instance, hearing the 100 watt and 10-watt signals, but not the lower two power tones, could mean that you may not be able to have contacts with stations themselves using low power or have a less efficient antenna system and poorer location that the beacon. If you can hear the final 100 milliwatt signal, that that means the band is wide-open to that region of the world.

The sequence for each individual stations transmits for exactly ten seconds and then it will stop to let the next station to begin.

You may not be able to read morse at 22 words a minute, but there is another way to know which beacon you are hearing. Each beacon is on a set 10-second schedule, so with an accurate clock and a list, you should be able to identify which stations you can hear.

Where are the Ham Radio HF International Beacons (IBP) Located?

What Frequencies are Used by the International Beacon Project?

Individually and Club Operated Beacons

As well as the International Beacon Project, many beacons are run by individuals or local amateur radio clubs. These are generally financed by either the clubs or individual from their own pocket.

Some countries permit any licensed radio ham to run an unattended beacon for a short period for test purposes, without the need for special permission. These tend to come and go and schedules, if they exist, are unreliable.

Where Can I Find a List of Ham Beacons?

Several individuals maintain lists of ham beacons, although there is no single accurate up to the moment worldwide source. Beacons come and go without notice and keepers of the lists sometimes don’t update very often.

Some of the reasonable sources appear to be the Worldwide List of HF Beacons, G3USFs Worldwide List of 50MHz Beacons, and the DL8WX Shortwave Beacon List.

RELATED QUESTIONS

Who Licenses the Ham Radio Beacons? Every ham radio beacon is licensed by the regulator in an individual country. In the United States, this is the FCC and the United Kingdom, Ofcom with coordination by the Radio Society of Great Britain (RSGB).

Who co-ordinates Ham Radio Beacon Frequencies? There are band plans which indicate the range of frequencies for each ham band where beacons may operate. The IARU is responsible for recommending the frequency sections.