Presented by Shirow KINOSHITA;JF6DEA/KE1EO
and JA6YBR operating team

***** HISTRICAL STORY ***** * Concept installation of 50MHz Beacon at Miyazaki in 1983 to mid of 1985 At the time, it was not easy to study 50MHz propagation from/to Kyushu (JA6) area, because there was a only 50MHz beacon; JA2IGY (on 50.010MHz), located at central Japan. Therefore, they proposed 50MHz beacon installations in Miyazaki, where was not so high amateur radio activity on 50MHz. * Nov.3, 1985 : Launching operation of JA6YBR Beacon It started the beacon operation of JA6YBR at Miyazaki Univ. in Kirishima, Miyazaki city. (close to downtown) Frequency : 50.020MHz, RF Output Power : 10W, Antenna : Stacked squalo (20/17m A.G.L) as horizontal omni directional & polarization. All equipment was designed and assembled by Take:JH6AVS. The RF final device of the transmission equipment was a 2SC2395. At the time, transmission message was “VVV DE JA6YBR JA6YBR 4501 VVV” * Jul.25, 1986 : Beacon operation was suspended Beacon operation was suspended because of relocation of Miyazaki Univ. from the city to suburb area. * Sep.15, 1986 : Change callsign to JF6DEA/6 and the beacon restarted All equipment was relocated to Hongo-Minami kata, Miyazaki city (PM51ru) and the callsign was changed to JF6DEA/6. Then the beacon was restarted. Transmission message was change to “VVV DE JF6DEA/6 4501 PM51RU”. * Sep.23, 1987 : Change callsign to JE6ZIH * Oct.16, 1987 : Beacon operation was suspended for QSY * Nov.13, 1988 : Change frequency to 50.017MHz The beacon operation was restarted. With upswing of the propagation condition on Cycle 22, operating frequency was changed to 50.017MHz considering QRM with GB3SIX on 50.020MHz. Since this time, with a goal of renewal of the equipment, it started discussion among Take:JH6AVS, Han:JE1BMJ and Shirow:JF6DEA using Packet Radio Network. And it made a start on design and assembles of the new equipment of the beacon to install in May 1989. * May.3, 1989 : Callsign was back to JA6YBR and all equipment replaced The beacon was back to Miyazaki Univ. at Kibana-dai, Miyazaki city, (PM51rt) after completion of the university relocation. Callsign was back to JA6YBR. All equipment was replaced to new intelligent system with Z-80 CPU and a pair of 2SC2290s, which is designed and assembled by Take:JH6AVS and Han:JE1BMJ. Transmission power level was changeable with 50/10/1/0.1W. Antenna system was turn styled dipole, which is 15m above the ground and omni directional & horizontal polarization as before. * May.3, 1990 : Change antenna to turn styled hentenna To reduce wind area, the antenna system was changed to turn styled Hentenna, which was fabricated by Take:JH6AVS. Antenna height was 15m A.G.L as before. (Around Miyazaki area, it has been coming typhoons more than a couple of times in a year.) * Sep.6, 1993 : A major typhoon made the beacon operation suspend The beacon was suspended because a major typhoon destroyed antenna system. * Sep.23, 1993 : Restart operation using temporary dipole antenna * Nov.6, 1993 : Change antenna to new turn styled hentenna The new wind-resistant Hentenna, which was fabricated by Masa: JI6KGZ was installed. And the CPU buck-up battery, produced and donated by Nori:JH6EBR was added to the equipment. * Aug.22-23, 2009 : Exbition at Ham Fair 2009 in Tokyo After 24 years since beginning of operartion, JA6YBR/b was exhibited at the "HAM FAIR 2009" in Tokyo. More than 100 people visited the booth of JA6YBR/b. * Feb.6-7, 2010 : Maintenance of equipment It is the first maintenance since replaced equipment has been installed in 1989. The coaxial cable was changed and the equipment was cleaned out. Due to implication of some trouble at the attenuator for power control, it has not been transmitted the signal of 1W & 0.1W, tentatively. * Mar.9, 2012 : Temporary sign-off for maintenance At 09:45z on Mar.9, 2012, JA6YBR/b was temporarily signing-off, because of equipment maintenance. * Apr.12, 2012 : Back to service after maintenance At 04:50z on Apr.12, 2012, JA6YBR/b has been back to service after installation of new transmission equipment (the third generation).

***** PAST RECORD ***** * Utilization case 　At first, the purpose of the Bcon operation was propagation study for ham radio's 50MHz band. More than 20 years later, the Bcon has been used as verious purpose. Detection of abnormal propagation (Sporadic-E including SSSP, Meteor Scattering, F2 propagation, etc.） Evaluation of propagation condition (Ground wave, Mountain diffraction, etc.） Evaluation of operating site in portable operation Performance evaluation of receiving system including antennas and receivers Observation of meteor (HRO:Ham Radio Observation station) Study of earthquake prediction, etc. * Introduction record "VHF" column on US-CQ (pp.98, August 1988) "The World Above 50MHz" in QST (pp.99, July 1995) Mobile Ham -Magazine in Japanese- (pp.96〜97, December 1989) CQ ham radio -Magazine in Japanese- (pp.183, May 1999) ARRL Antenna Compendium Vol.5 (1996), etc. * Example of receiving record (Snippet by DX Summit, DX SCAPE clusters) Continent Reporter Receiving Site Receiving Date Time (UTC) Remarks Europe OH6WW Finland Jun.28, 1994 23:56 Multi-hop of sporadic-E? IK8DYD Italy Jul.9, 2018 06:43 Multi-hop of sporadic-E North America W7/VE7CDX Nevada Aug.15, 2009 00:06 Multi-hop of sporadic-E K0HA Neblaska Jul.31, 2008 22:31 Multi-hop of sporadic-E NL7Z Alaska Jun.6, 2006 05:19 Multi-hop of sporadic-E KE7NS Utah Jan.2, 2002 23:37 Multi-hop of sporadic-E? South America CE3SAD Chile Oct.9, 2002 02:16 F2 propagation PY2XB Brazil Mar.27, 2002 03:16 F2 propagation LU5FF Argentina Mar.16, 2014 03:25 F2 propagation Africa JH8PHT/CN Morocco Mar.4, 1994 00:30 Long-path of F2 propagation ASIA: Some reports have been coming from China(BY), Taiwan(BV), Hongkong(VR2), Asiatic Russia(UA0), Korea(HL), Cambodia(XU), Myanmar(XY), West Malaysia(9M2) and Vietnam(3W). OCEANIA Some reports have been coming from Hawaii(KH6), Guam(KH2), Philippines(DU), Indonesia(YB), Australia(VK), New Zealand(ZL), East Malaysia(9M6), Cook Islands(E5), Christmas Island(VK9X) and Tonga (A3).