NF8M/B was having some issues starting in April 2018 which appear to be resolved at present. Read on for the details.
Note: Scroll to the bottom for the latest update.
The NF8M/B beacon at 50.0763 MHz is experiencing some difficulty with very low power output and substantial chirp. I’ll investigate in the next couple days and post an update. – 4 April 2018
Update: The beacon is off the air. There seems to be a problem with the transverter. I’ll investigate and post another update. – 5 Apr 2018
Update: The beacon is back on temporarily, using a different transmitter running about 1.5 watts output. I’ll be working on troubleshooting the transverter so the beacon may be down again at any time. I’ll try to post updates as needed. – 6 Apr 2018 at 2200z
Update: Repairs to the transverter have been completed and the beacon is back to normal. Power output was measured at 5.5 watts and the signal is up by 1.5 S-units or so. Please send reports via my e-mail address on QRZ, and post your report with grid square via your favorite DX spotting network. – 25 Apr 2018 at 2200z
Update: Down again. Still some issues. Investigating. Expect the beacon to be off for at least a day. – 26 Apr 2018 at 1400z
Update: Back on the air. Problem was apparently a loose RF connector. (Tighten those PL259s!) Also installed a beefier power supply. Power output 5.5 watts, frequency adjusted to 50,076,300 Hz. – 27 Apr 2018 at 1800z
Update: Still having some problems similar to the last iteration. Output is very low but intermittently chirps a higher power burst so it sounds like random dits from a distance. Will investigate tomorrow; if I can’t clear the problem I’ll probably shut it down until after Dayton. – 14 May 2018
Update: I reinstalled the former temporary transmitter and the beacon is on the air running 2 watts. I’ll look into the problem with the main transmitter in the next couple weeks. – 15 May 2018
Update: The beacon will be off and on today for troubleshooting. It’s back on at 5 watts and needs to be put on frequency (it’s about 54 Hz high). Will keep an ear on it over the weekend. – 15 June 2018
Update: The beacon has been stable over the last two weeks at 5 watts output. I’ve had it off and on, experimenting with different power supplies to try to get rid of chirp. Ended up powering the exciter and transverter from separate regulated 12 volt supplies. Also adjusted the frequency using the HP 5347A to 50 076 300 Hz. – 29 June 2018