[NLRS] 10 GHz Beacon for Metro area

[Donn Baker]

At Breakfast yesterday, several of us talked about putting up a 10 GHz
Beacon.  This is something I've been thinking about for some time.
Interestingly, only some of the things _I_ thought necessary were mentioned
by others.  Another instance of "N people, N+3 opinions !"

So, I'm going to start a "design process" for a 10GHz Beacon for the
Minneapolis/St. Paul metro area.  I'm hoping that a number of you will have
ideas and opinions valuable to the eventual construction and installation
of the beacon.

Below is a first cut at a set of requirements for the Beacon.  Review,
think about it, and make comments, please.  I'll collect the comments, and
update the "design" more or less regularly.  After we've had a chance to
think and talk about it, (maybe a month, by mid-November ?) we'll try to
come to a consensus on what we want and need.  When we know WHAT we want to
build, we'll get a design put together and review (mid-December;
mid-January ?) it before we look for donations of equipment and volunteers
to do the construction, testing, and installation.

The Aurora '06 meeting (4th Saturday of April) would be a good time to have
the hardware available for "show and tell," with installation before
Memorial Day weekend.

Comments ?

73 Donn
WA2VOI/0


10GHz Beacon - Mpls/StP Metro area
9 October 2005

OBJECTIVE:
Provide:
	1)	A geographical locator/marker
	2)	signal for tuning/alignment
	3)	frequency standard
	4)	propagation indicator

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:
Antenna
	Horizontal polarization
	Omni-directional
24-7 operation
All-weather operation (i.e., winter/summer)
Remote control 
	On/Off
Transmission
	Modulation
		FSK ? CW ?
	Identification
		Call, 10 min, max
	Beacon
		sub-Grid square
		period of un-interrupted carrier, if CW modulation
		tone/dits
>= 100mW TX output

ENHANCED REQUIREMENTS
Frequency stability of <= x ppm
	where x:
	1ppm 	~ 10.4 kHz
	0.5ppm	~   5.2 kHz
	0.1ppm	~   1.0 kHz
Multiple power levels
Telemetery	
	temperature
	status

????