[NLRS] proper way to put a beacon on the air?

[Doug Reed]

A classic beacon station would be an unattended automatically
controlled station and is limited to just a few specific frequency
ranges. It can be located anywhere as long as you have a way to shut
it off if it causes interference. If the beacon is only operated when
a control operator is in attendance then it can operate on any legal
frequency. But that is not the usual option.

Mark correctly identified the legal 6M beacon frequency range. It has
typically been used with a simple CW ID as a human readable signal.
The European region has started using a combined CW ID and digital
beacon format so there is a computer monitoring capability too. But a
simple CW ID beacon is still the quick and easy option for use with
almost any transmitter.

Another option to consider for propagation monitoring is to leave a
receiver and WSJT-X software running on the 6M FT8 frequency. Let the
software report the signals it hears to the PSKreporter.info web page.
Then everyone can go to the web page and look at an activity map to
see where the openings are. You can do something similar for 2M with
the aprs.mennolink.org web page.

73, Doug Reed, N0NAS.

§97.109 Station control. (d) When a station is being automatically
controlled, the control operator need not be at the control point.
Only stations specifically designated elsewhere in this part may be
automatically controlled. Automatic control must cease upon
notification by a District Director that the station is transmitting
improperly or causing harmful interference to other stations.
Automatic control must not be resumed without prior approval of the
District Director.

§97.203   Beacon station.
(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.

On 1/27/20, Mark Korroch via NLRS <nlrs at mailman.qth.net> wrote:
>  I think the FCC rules only allow 6m beacons between 50.060 and 50.080
> MHz.
>
> Mark,  WB8TGY