K3HKR - FN00 - (+40.488178,-079.763606)
AURORA
Real-Time Northern Hemisphere Auroral Oval Activity
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CHANNEL MARKERS and CLUSTER BEACONS: CHANNEL MARKERS were, and many still are operated by the former Soviet Navy/CIS Navy from several different locations. These Single-Letter-Channel Markers (CW) have used many frequencies over the years and several are obsolete now. Channel Markers often are not spot on frequency. CLUSTER BEACONS however have remained on their frequencies. However these Navy beacons sometimes suffer from technical shortcomings, like garbled letters, hum on carrier, etc. (see text below) SINGLE LETTER BEACONS are used as Channel Markers to keep a certain frequency free for traffic. Channel Markers quite often work in parallel. We can't predict their operating schedules. One example is the Channel Marker "P" on the frequencies 3699.5//3837//3291 kHz, which quite frequently is interrupted by BEE 36/50 traffic and Morse routine messages from and to RDL and other callsigns.  CLUSTER
BEACONS are grouped around a centre frequency which always is letter
"C" for the Navy Headquarter in Moscow. The frequency slots are 100 Hz
apart. One or several slots can be active at the same time. It seems,
the Cluster Beacons are on the air at times of increased activities of
the Navy. Schedules are not predictable. The purpose of these beacons is
not really known, nowadays they most probably only serve as
propagation indicators.
To my knowledge no messages have been heard so far on any of the
frequencies.The following centre frequencies are commonly used: 3594, 4558, 5154, 7039, 8495, 10872, 13528, 16332 and 20048 kHz. While there is no set time for these beacons, you can randomly listen and possible predict an opening beaming toward Russian territories. I have heard the 7039 Cluster Beacon. These are interesting, if nothing else, Channel Markers that can be heard on these frequencies: (KHz) 3203.8 (L), 4424.8 (L), 4325.8 (R), 5465.8 (R), 5312.0 (D), 7077.5 (D), 15064.7 (V), 3166.8 (P), 4043.0 (P), 5111.0 (P) --- LETTER KEY: (L) = Tirana ALB - (R) = Izhevsk RUS - (D) = Sevastopol UKR - (V) = Khiva UZB (P) = Kaliningrad RUS You can use these beacons to determine band propagation. A complete Cluster beacon sequence would look like this: 10871.7 = D, 10871.8 = P, 10871.9 = S, 10872.0 = C. 10872,1 = A, 10872.2 = F, 10872.3 = K, 10872.4 = M So there you have it. Next time you are looking for a propagation beacon, remember what you read here. |
GRAY LINE PROPAGATION
The above image will plot day light into night time according to
the solar angle
to the Earth.