[TransAtlantic] Azores beacon

[Mark Casey]

Hello Bob Cooper, and Chris Patterson, and all that have offered assistance 
on this Azores beacon project;

We are proceeding on the project. So far, WA1ZMS will be building the 
beacon, I will be gathering parts and getting them to Brian and begging Weak 
signal groups (NEWS & Packrats & FLWSS) to contribute to the cause. Several 
more folks are helping with the parts needed for the beacon.

We haven't gotten everything ironed out but we are workin' on it every day.

For now, our choice is to build a single beacon for the high site on Serra 
da Santa Barbara. 2 antenna system, one facing to NA and one to Europe, TX 
on in one direction for maybe 30 seconds or aminute, then switch to TX in 
the other direction. Power out, about 200-300w.

A couple of questions:

Does anyone have the contact info for the IARU Region 1 VHF-UHF Beacon 
Coordinator?
I'm thinking we need to be in the 144.420-.440 segment. APRS in USA is on 
144.390 and we want to stay away from that.

Does anyone know what the power limits in the Azores and/or Portugal are? or 
if there are anymore governmental regulations we should be concerned about?

How much room is there at the Serra da Santa Barbara site for 1) equipment 
and 2)antennas.?
Since the equipment will be fairly modest in size, I'm guessing space for 
the equipment would not be a problem, but we may like to have more than 1 
antenna facing each direction. My guess is that we would use the Directive 
Systems DPM144-5lva, 5 element antenna's.  Those are end mount 68" boom,  52 
deg beam width for half power, and the -10db beamwidth is almost 90 deg.. 
Those antennas would pretty much "cover it all", both toward Europe and NA. 
But, if we want more gain there are other choices.

Comments, please

(If anyone is in Florida for Orlando Hamcation , Sat., Feb. 11, I'll be 
pitching the beacon at the FLWSS meeting-please stop by the meeeting or look 
for me near the DEMI/N2CEI tailgate spot)

Thank-You
Mark Casey K1MAP