[WVDXA] stupid question

[Clark L. Stewart]

Pete,

      WOW, I would have thought a big-time 6-M operator like you knew all 
about "breakable beacons."  But, that's what I get for "assuming."

      A breakable beacon works like this:

The DX station hears nothing on 6-M.  He makes some calls but gets no 
replies.  Instead of sitting always in front of the radio on a dead band or 
just walking away from the radio, the DX station switches on his "beacon" 
which transmits in CW his call (and maybe his grid) and then it takes a 
brief "pause."  This puts out a near constant signal from the DX's 
location.  When the band finally does open, you will begin to hear his beacon.

During the "pause" in the beacon transmission, all you need to do is send 
your call (or anything, even a string of dits) on the beacon 
frequency.  The beacon may continue to call and you may have to send 
something again.  But, what finally happens is that the DX station HEARS 
you coming back to his beacon and he rushes to the radio to work 
you.  Thus, you have successfully "broken" the beacon and worked the DX as 
well.

This allows the DX station to keep a nearly constant signal on the band and 
still get other things done.  He may even lay down for a rest, eat, or do 
anything else but he still can keep an ear to the radio.

Basically, a "beacon" simply transmits and no one at the beacon's location 
is listening.  However a "breakable beacon" is a beacon where someone IS 
listening during the "pauses" in the beacon transmissions.

=====

      KC8UHE helped me put together a 4-L yagi (12-foot boom) in my attic 
yesterday so I now have a better shot at working the DX.  The Inverted-V 
does an "OK" job but nothing beats a beam.

      I did manage to hear TO5E tonight on SSB (and briefly on CW) but it 
was between 9 and 9:30 p.m. so I had no chance to work him.  I'll be 
"locked and loaded" in the morning for sure.


Clark, W8TN


At 08:05 PM 7/3/2008 -0400, you wrote:
>There is a "breakable beacon" on the 5j0m station.
>If I ever hear him and it is the beacon, how exactly do I "break" it?
>I have never heard of such a thing before this.
>
>Pete Stark  K4OM
>EM88si
>Huntington, WV