[Elecraft] cw 'clicking' ??

[Brian Alsop]

This whole discussion begs the question: Aren't there already enough 
beacons?

 From what I see these days (from cluster spots), guys appear to have 
put aside the mike or key to just listen for beacons, rather than 
actually getting on the air and working people.  Wouldn't just operating 
be a better use of bandwidth?  It seems once, a particular beacon is 
spotted, the control op ought to get on the air and start making contacts.

Isn't there some control step in the process which limits the 
number/power of beacon "broadcasters" in a particular area? (like 
repeater site approvals) Or can anybody put a beacon on the air anywhere 
anytime?  It seems like if they must exist some power level in the 1-10 
watt range seems appropriate.

Shouldn't complain, my HC8 contact on 6M was possible due to hearing 
their beacon first.  I perhaps can justify the use of a beacon from rare 
locations like HC8.  Not sure having 15 beacons from Miami is all that 
justifiable.

73 de Brian/K3KO

Tom W8JI wrote:
>> I have a friend who is about 2 miles from me who when on 
>> 2m SSB and CW
>> is running about 250kw ERP from his moon bounce system.  I 
>> don't hear
>> him on either of my K3's until he gets within 5kHz of me 
>> when I'm on
>> SSB, and on CW he has to be within 1 KHz before I can tell 
>> he is
>> there.
> 
> I know we probably all realize this, but the field strength 
> outside of the main lobe from a 250 kW ERP antenna would be 
> a whole less than the field strength from a vertical running 
> 100 watts! I am, of course, NOT saying it is normal to have 
> clicks like he is having.
> 
> He should not have that problem at that frequency separation 
> and distance even if the beacon is running 1000 watts.
> 
> I'd be sure nothing in the receiver ahead of the roofing 
> filters is going non-linear, but it almost certainly (unless 
> someone has a very high gain preamp) going to be a 
> transmitter problem.
> 
> Some of these beacon transmitters are scary, especially when 
> people think they can run CW through a class C amplifier 
> stage. A class C stage, even "unintentional" class C, can 
> make clicks hundreds of kHz wide.
> 
> 73 Tom
>