Update
Last Wednesday 26/3/03 the VHF morse beacon VK6RCW 147.375 MHz,
was installed at its temporary home at the Hills AR Group, Lesmurdie.

For a trial period, VK6RCW will transmit only between 8 pm and 10 pm.
The speed schedule will commence at the slowest speed, about 3 wpm,
increasing to about 12 wpm for the final segment of the hour.
Thus two complete segments with different text will be heard each day.

The 80 metre HF beacon, VK6AHR, 3.686 MHz, will transmit for the same time period
in parallel with the VHF beacon but with independent text.

The times can be adjusted, but only if sufficient interest is shown to warrant the change.

Signal strength reports are requested from as many people as possible.
Reports can be made during the Sunday morning WARG Technical and General Net
on VK6RLM repeater, 146.750,
or emailed to VK6SO Phil at   [email protected]
or to VK6CSW Clive at   [email protected]
Inserted on the 1st March 2003

The system's format is based on an hourly cycle,
which is divided into 12 segments, each 5 minutes in duration:

The segments between 00 and 15 minutes past the hour are sent at 3 wpm.
Later segments are sent at faster speeds.
So, for example, at 35 minutes past the hour (when the minute-hand on your
old analogue clock points to the number 7), the 7 wpm segment will begin.
The final segment of the hour is therefore the fastest, being sent at 11 wpm.

Note that the text of each segment is transmitted using a different audio pitch,
which is picked at random by the computer's software.
The latter feature is so that your "ear" will not become attuned to one particular pitch.

Between segments, the system sends its callsign at 18 wpm.
The system's memory contains 65536 characters of text,
and its content is changed every few months.

The current text can be found in the file
C:\TEXT\CW\VK6RCW.TXT on some local Bulletin Board Systems,
and on this site - click here - OLD Probably Changed

The system's callsign is VK6RCW, and its frequency is 147.375 MHz FM.
The Philips TX-814 transmitter puts out 25W to a folded dipole.

June 2000
The MORSE TRAINING BEACON
has been moved to a site at Orange Grove.

Thank you Malcolm for the past 5 years, 1995-2000
Thanks to Malcolm Rogers Managing Director of Air Group Australia
the makers of the Coolbreeze range of evaporatiive air conditioning systems
for giving his permission, in the true spirit of Amateur Radio, to use the site at no cost.

The frequency of 147.375 MHz was chosen for a reason.
It is the output frequency of the highest repeater pair in the 2m band,
the input frequency of which is 147.975 MHz (a positive offset of 600 kHz).

As this frequency is swamped by the 148 MHz pagers,
it is most unlikely that a repeater will ever be operational on channel 15&1/2; within the Perth area,
and so WARG and WesTAC (WIA) agreed that using 147.375 MHz was a good idea.

An HF output in the 80m band is now in operation,
so that coverage is extended beyond the metropolitan area.

The PC/AT computer, which was used in the original system,
was not sufficiently reliable for a continuous real-time application, and has been retired.
The new equipment uses a Motorola 6805 microcontroller,
which generates almost no heat, and has no moving parts.

All being well, the computerised beacon transmits 24 hours per day, 7 days a week,
but please note that there are occasional interruptions to the service
when the system hardware or software is being upgraded.

Your reception reports, comments, and suggestions are always welcome.
Please write to PO Box 48, Beverley WA 6304, or telephone John Morgan VK6NT on (08) 9291 8275,
or send an Email [email protected] or a packet radio message to John VK6NT@VK6ZSE

Thank you John

While deciding how best to display the Morse Code Equivalents on the previous page
I learnt about SK standing for END of Transmission,
and of course that is where Silent Key comes from, Christine VK6ZLZ.

MORSE TRAINING BEACON site at Orange Grove, Pictures

WIA WA - AR Guide - Morse Training Beacon

Page 3 index - Page 14  - Page 15  - Page 16.1

The WIA exists for all Radio Amateurs, Does it speak for you.
Amateurs Unite and Conquer, United we stand, Divided we fall.

Page updated 1st March 2003
Morse Practice Transmissions