A cute gadget for your shack:
Get up-to-the-minute worldwide DX band conditions in minutes on 14, 18, 21, 24, 28 MHz bands using the International Beacon Network of 18 beacons throughout the world!
MFJs new DX Beacon Monitor lets you instantly see which beacon youre hearing on your transceiver -- an LED lights up on its world map to show you the beacon location and where to point your antenna.
Its fascinating to hear and watch each beacon location light up as they become active across the world.
The International Beacon Network provides a reliable source of signals for determining HF propagation 24 hours a day. It consists of 18 beacons evenly located throughout the world. Each beacon transmits on 14.1, 18.11, 21.150, 24.93, and 28.2 MHz.
The transmit sequence moves westward from New York across North America, Asia, Pacific to Africa, Europe, and South America. On each frequency, each beacon transmits for ten seconds - its call sign at 22 wpm CW and a one-second dash at 100 Watts and three one-second dashes at 10, 1, and 0.1 Watts.
When each beacon completes a transmission it goes silent on that band and switches to the next higher band. For more information on the International Beacon Network, see QST Magazine Issues October/November 1994, September 1997, January 1999, September/December 2001, January 2002, and Practical Wireless of U.K.
The more becons you hear, the more open the band is to different parts of the world.
The more dashes you hear per beacon, the better the quality of propagation and the more robust the band is. If you hear the 100 milliwatt dashes from many beacons, you know the band is wide open!
In just three minutes you`ll know how band conditions are worldwide.
You don`t have to copy CW at 22 wpm to identify a beacon. As you hear a beacon, an LED instantly lights on a world map to show you its location. You can positively identify each beacon, even if the signal is weak, fluttery, or distorted.
The MFJ DX Beacon Monitor has a built-in WWVB atomic clock receiver to provide ultra precise synchronization with the GPS-synchronized beacons. You also may manually sync the Monitor (the Monitor is not a receiver).
The MFJ-890 is a self-contained standalone unit. It requires no connection to your transceiver or receiver. It measures 6.75" x 5.25" x 3". It uses 12 VDC or 110 VAC with optional MFJ-1312D.
The MFJ-890UK is the version of the DX Beacon Monitor for the United Kingdom.
