The GB3MCB Beacon Cluster
GB3MCB Beacons
Find us at GB3NC.org.uk and GB3MCB.org.uk and of course on:
28.215MHz, 40.050MHz, 50.005/50.443MHz(SBP), 60.300MHz 70.025MHz, 144.469MHz, 432.470MHz, 1296.860MHz and 10368.980MHz
Click here to see the latest Beacon Spots or add to your own.
The Mid Cornwall Beacon and Repeater group host nine beacons at our Hensbarrow Downs transmitter site IO70oj. The VHF, UHF and SHF beacons are all on North East beamheadings from our far SW location. Our 2m beacon is unique in that it has two antennas. One to the North East and the other to the South for French, Spanish and further afield propagation reports. For the HF and low VHF beacons more omnidirectional antenna systems are used to provide better global coverage.
The beacons operate around the clock all year round at a very significant cost to our small group. If you feel able to support us your contribution however small will be very much appreciated.
Three New Beacons
This project, driven by Peter G8BCG is to replace and re-establish the 28MHz, 40MHz and 60MHz propagation beacons formerly sited at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory site at Harwell Oxfordshire.
On Sunday 25th September 2022 the Mid Cornwall Beacon and Repeater Group brought into service 3 new CW/FT8 Beacons at 28.215MHz, 40.050MHz and 60.300MHz, each using the callsign GB3MCB. With 9 co-located beacons GB3MCB is now, de-facto, the UKs premier beacon cluster.
The beacons are each based on the RFzero™ Arduino multi-purpose GPS controlled Si5351A RF unit developed by the RF Team and we are indebt in particular to Bo, OZ2M for his support and technical assistance.
For each band a purpose built high efficiency PA, filter and directional coupler has been used. These were developed and supplied by Sergey EX9T .Sergey has provided a great deal of assistance and help in integration of these PAs into the design.
GB3MCB 28.215MHz
The 28.215MHz beacon operates 24/7 with 10w to a 1/4wave vertical antenna. The Beacon is licenced under a standard Amateur Radio RADIOBEACON Notice of Variation submitted via the RSGB and issued by UK Regulator OFCOM.
The official Beacon Keeper is Nick G7KFQ. Please click to report reception of this beacon.
GB3MCB 40.050MHz and 60.300MHz
The project to replace and re-establish the 40MHz and 60MHz RADIOBEACONs formerly located at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory site at Harwell Oxfordshire was supported by the RSGB. However, although the existing RADIOBEACONs at the GB3MCB site are all licenced under NoVs (Notices of Variation) within the Amateur Radio service, the RSGB did not feel able to support our 40MHz / 60MHz submissions at this time.
The recent Ofcom move towards Innovation & Research licencing for Amateur Radio related propagation studies on 40Mhz prompted this application course for the RADIOBEACONs on 40MHz and 60MHz. We are please that OFCOM were willing to issue our licence by this means.
The 40.050MHz and 60.300MHz beacons operate 24/7 with 5w to omnidirectional "turnstile" antennas. The Beacons are licenced under an Innovation & Research Licence submitted direct by G8BCG and issued by UK Regulator OFCOM.
The licence holder is therefore G8BCG working through the site Beacon Keeper and NoV holder Nick G7KFQ. Please click to report reception of this beacon.
GB3MCB 50.005MHz and 50.442MHz
The GB3MCB 50MHz "Synchronous Beacon Project" (*SBP) beacon, brought into service in 2016, was funded by the UK Six Metre Group and built by Peter G8BCG. The main components of the beacon system were designed and supplied by the OZ7IGY Next Generation Beacon Team
The beacon delivers 12W via a commercial 50MHz BPF. Ident is in the format of the current CW callsign / locator plus a PI4 encoded sequence and repeats every minute.
* The SBP concept is a 50 MHz time multiplexed beacon system. The system consists of three 10 x 1 kHz allocations, i.e. one 10 kHz allocation per IARU Region, and five time slots per frequency. Thus in total there are 150 frequency-time slots.
The Beacon Keeper is Nick G7KFQ.
Please click to report reception of this beacon.
GB3MCB 70.025MHz
The GB3MCB 70MHz feeds a 2element horizontal yagi beaming 045deg
The Beacon Keeper is Nick G7KFQ.
Please click to report reception of this beacon.
GB3MCB 144.469MHz Now with JT65B and CW ident
The GB3MCB 144MHz 2m beacon is unique in that it has two antennas. One to the North East and the other to the South for French, Spanish and further afield contacts.#
On 24th October 2024 a replacement 144MHz beacon was brought into service. Based around an RF-zero exciter the beacon identifies both on JT65B and CW.
The Beacon Keeper is Nick G7KFQ.
Please click to report reception of this beacon.
GB3MCB 1296.860MHz
An old design with a TCXO and simple FSK keyer. Anyone willing to provide or fund a new beacon?
The Beacon Keeper is Nick G7KFQ.
Please click to report reception of this beacon.
GB3MCB 10368.980MHz
The Beacon Keeper is Nick G7KFQ.
Please click to report reception of this beacon.
