NCDXF/IARU International Beacon Project

Reverse Beacon Network


What Beacons are Being Heard?

There are three ways to determine which beacons are being heard in various parts of the world. You can check for reception reports (spots) made manually by amateurs who have heard the beacons and have posted a spot on a local DX Cluster or directly to DX Summit. Or, you can check with web pages showing automated reception reports of the beacons by Faros software or the Reverse Beacon Network.

IBP-RBN Challenge!

Can you hear all the beacons from your location?

Can you hear them all in one day?

On August 20, 2017 at 1941 UTC, the CS3B beacon from Madeira began transmitting with the new version 2 beacon hardware. For the first time ever, all 18 beacons in the International Beacon Project are operating at the same time on all 5 bands.

The opportunity to hear all 18 beacons in one day has never occurred before. Now is your chance. Before lightning strikes a beacon station, or a hurricane knocks down an antenna, or a component fails, or the rig is stolen, as has happened before every time we were close to 100%. Many of the beacons are in remote locations on mountain tops or subject to the corrosion of salt air by the sea shore. We try to keep them all on the air, but you can never tell when one will go down for some time.

On August 27, OH6BG's skimmer picked up VK6RBP and JA2IGY making him the first RBN-op to report all 18 beacons. Over the 3 day period from August 25 to 27 he heard them all. Congratulations!

Jari tells me that they run a QS1R, a 10dB preamp and a TH7DXX at 40m ASL (by the sea) plus a multiband vertical in an extremely quiet QTH on an island south of Vaasa. They turned the antenna on Sunday to pick up the missing beacons. Jari's propagation tools probably helped.

On November 7, 2017, with few hours of daylight in Finland and despite an active G2 level geomagnetic storm spreading a broad aurora, OH6BG managed to hear all 18 beacons in one UTC day. Solar flux was 68, the estimated A-index was 36 and K was 6. These were not the conditions in which we would expect this to happen.

On April 26, 2018, WZ7I unblocked spots of 4U1UN, and became the second spotter to have reported all 18 beacons. Locals had requested he not spot 4U1UN.

On April 27, 2018, DJ9IE joined the elite club of spotters to report all 18 beacons.

On June 10, 2018, GW8IZR joined the elite club of spotters to report all 18 beacons.

On May 9, 2019, ON5KQ reported hearing KH6RS to reach the 18 beacon total.

On May 13, 2019, CT1BOH reported hearing KH6RS to reach the 18 beacon total.

On May 18, 2020, DL9GTB reported hearing KH6RS to reach the 18 beacon total.

On September 7, 2020, CX6VM reported hearing VK6RBP to reach the 18 beacon total.

On September 12, 2020, EA8/DF4UE heard 10 beacons and reached the 18 beacon total.

On November 12, 2020, KM3T heard 10 beacons and reached the 18 beacon total.

On November 28, 2020, ES5PC included LU4AA in his 120 reports to reach 18 beacons.

On March 16, 2021, DL3DTH spotted VE8AT, finishing the 18 beacon challenge.

On May 5, 2021, VE2WU finally heard JA2IGY, completing the 18 beacon challenge.

On May 19, 2021, DL8LAS heard JA2IGY, completing the 18 beacon challenge.

On May 24, 2021, HA6PX heard W6WX transmitting on the new DBD antenna, completing his 18 beacon challenge.

On September 7, 2021, W1NT heard VK6RBP on 20 meters, the last one he needed.

5Z4B is back after a year off the air. It was the only beacon OE9GHV needed to complete 18 on November 25, 2021.

SK6KU was able to show reception of all 18 beacons in a single day, February 9, 2022, with his FAROS monitoring setup.

February 10, 2022. F4FPR did it! With the return of 4S7B to the air, Benjamin has now reported all 18 beacons.

Propagation from Hawaii to Europe opened on March 10, 2022 and DF2CK finally heard it for the 18 beacon RBN award.

On March 11, 2022, SE5E snagged 4S7B to complete the 18 beacon RBN Challenge.

On March 30, 2022, G4ZFE heard ZL6B on 15m. Finally completing the 18 beacon RBN Challenge.

On April 10, 2022, KP2RUM finally heard VK6RBP on 20m, achieving the 18 beacon RBN Challenge.

On April 20, 2022, DJ9IE spotted all 18 beacons in one UTC day. This is the first time since 2017 that anyone else has accomplished the feat.

On April 24, 2022, DM5GG heard KH6RS on 20 meters, completing the 18 beacon challenge. Propagation is looking up!

Congratulations to Milen, LZ5DB, who spotted 2 more stations on April 26, 2020 to reach 18 beacons.

Peter, EA8BHK, heard KH6RS on 17 meters on May 6, 2022, to complete his 18 beacon target.

Saki, DD5XX heard KH6RS on 20 meters on June 5, 2022, to complete the 18 beacon challenge.

On June 28, 2022, W6YX heard 4S7B for the first time to complete the 18 beacon challenge.

On July 1, 2022, AA4VV heard 4S7B and completed his 18 beacon challenge.

On July 25, 2022, KO7SS reported 4S7B on 17m to complete the 18 beacon challenge.

On October 13, 2022, W3UA finally heard VK6RBP on 17m to complete the 18 beacon challenge.

On December 14, 2022, HB9DCO finally heard VK6RBP on 20m to complete the 18 beacon challenge.

On April 7, 2023, G0KTN heard KH6RS on 20m to complete the 18 beacon challenge using only a Wellbrook 1530LN loop mounted 1m above ground in a small back garden in the middle of an RF noisy housing estate.

On August 19, 2023, K1TTT heard VR2B on 17m, completing his 18 beacon challenge.

2023-10-01
RBN-OpReportsBeacons
DF2CK69912
OH6BG34011
KO7SS42111
CX6VM25711
TI7W10710
KM3T29210
AA4VV26910
WZ7I5079
W6YX2839
W3RGA3659
KM3T-32299
K6FOD1449
W3UA768
W1NT-63068
K1TTT628
DM5GG4008
N6TV3057
KM3T-21277
KH6LC1407
KA7OEI997
DL9GTB2807
3D2AG497
VK2RH936
VE7CC1146
OE9GHV2656
9M2CNC1676
VE6JY685
LZ5DI3335
LZ4UX1865
G4ZFE3245
VE6WZ324
SE5E504
OH0K/6514
N4ZR74
JI1HFJ1024
HB9DCO2134
G0KTN2424
DL0PF274
W6BB1103
TF3Y333
MM0ZBH623
KV4TT73
K7EK63
IK4VET773
CT1EYQ233
3B8CW613
NU6XB152
NH6HI82
LZ4AE402
LA6TPA22
EY8ZE52
DL1HWS152
DF7GB452
DD5XX262
BH4RRG00492
ZL4YL31
ZL3X71
DK9IP61
BH4RRG281
BH4RRG0411
2017-08-20 to 2023-10-01
RBN-OpBeacons
WZ7I18
W6YX18
W3UA18
W1NT-618
W1NT-218
VE2WU18
SE5E18
ON5KQ18
OH6BG-118
OH6BG18
OE9GHV18
LZ5DB18
KP2RUM18
KO7SS18
KM3T-318
KM3T-218
KM3T18
K1TTT18
HB9DCO18
HA6PX18
GW8IZR18
G4ZFE18
G0KTN18
F4FPR18
ES5PC18
EA8BFK18
EA8/DF4UE18
DM5GG18
DL9GTB18
DL8LAS18
DL3DTH18
DJ9IE-518
DJ9IE-418
DJ9IE-318
DJ9IE-218
DJ9IE-118
DJ9IE18
DF2CK18
DD5XX18
CX6VM18
CT1BOH18
AA4VV18
ZL4YL17
W3OA17
VU2PTT17
TI7W17
OE8TED17
LZ5DI17
LZ4UX17
KH6LC17
JI1HFJ17
JF2IWL17
IK4VET17
HS/F8UKP17
HA8TKS17
G0LUJ17
DL1AXX17
DF2CK-317
DF2CK-217
9M2CNC17
3D2AG17
WZ7I-116
WE9V16
W7HR16
W3RGA16
VU3KAZ16
VE7CC16
VE6JY16
TF3Y16
SM7IUN16
SK3W16
NH6V-216
NC7J16
N6TV16
N4ZR16
MM0ZBH16
G3WW16
DO4DXA16
DL0PF16
DF7GB16
DF4UE16
WA7LNW15
VK2RH15
TF4M15
OH8X15
NR4U15
KU7T15
KO7SS-715
KO7SS-215
KD7YZ15
HA5PP15
DR4W15
DL3KR15
9V1RM15
W3RGA-214
W2AXR14
VK3FFB14
VE6WZ14
K9LC14
K6FOD14
K2PO/714
WZ7I-213
W4KCN13
SK3W-113
PA5WT13
NH6HI13
NG7M13
N7TR13
LZ4AE13
KA7OEI13
K5TR13
HA1AG13
F5KEQ13
DL1HWS13
5W1SA13
3B8CW13
ZL3X12
W3RGA-112
N6WIN-712
KV4TT12
KU7T-212
KH6LC-112
K7EK12
K2PO12
JF2IWL/212
HA5PP-212
F8DGY12
DF2CK-112
DF1DN12
CT2IWW12
WC2L11
W4KKN11
VU3ESV11
OE9GHV/911
ND7K11
DM6EE11
AC0C-111
WZ7I/310
W6BB10
SE0X10
RN4WA10
JS1JRZ/210
EY8ZE10
DK9IP10
DC8YZ10
CT1EYQ10
WZ7I-49
VK2GEL9
S53A9
PJ2A9
K9IMM9
K7EG9
K1RA9
JH7CSU-19
JF2IWL19
DQ8Z9
DF4UE/P9
CX7ACH9
BH4RRG09
BD7DT9
WI5V8
VU3KAZ/48
VE7CC-78
UA6SWL8
OE6TZE8
N4ZR/38
K3PA8
JH7CSU18
HB9BXE8
DK0KK8
DF7KF8
DE0QPG8
BH4RRG18
BH4RRG8
AA4VV-18
W3OA-27
VU3KAZ/57
VU2CPL7
NU6XB7
N6WIN7
N5RZ7
K4FX7
K2DB7
IK4VET-17
HB9JCB7
DR5X7
DL8TG7
DL0WX7
DF2CK-47
VU3KAZ/36
SK3GW6
S50ARX6
OH0K/66
LZ3CB6
K7FYI6
IT9GSF6
IK2LFF6
HB9DQM6
G4IRN6
G0ORH6
EA2CW6
EA1DAV6
DJ1AN6
9M2ZAK6
W4EO5
W3RGA-35
PA3AIN5
LA6TPA5
K3PA-15
K2PO-75
JO1YYP5
JF2IWL25
IK7JWY5
GI4DOH5
G1VWC5
EA5WU5
DP6M5
DP5G5
DF4XX5
DE1LON5
DD5XX/P5
DD5XX-25
BH4RRG005
AE4PM5
ZF1A4
WP3R4
W1NT-34
VU3KAZ/74
VE2AED4
SM0FPR4
PA3GRM4
ON5KQ-14
OH6LI4
N7TUG4
JQ1BVI4
JF2IWL34
G3XBI4
G0LUJ/54
DL0LA4
DK3WW4
DF2CK/14
DD5XX-34
CT7AHV4
BD7LLL4
AC0C-34
AA4NP4
8Q7RS4
7X2ARA4
5B/HA5PP4
4S6RYD4
W3RGA-43
SV2/DD5XX3
SM6FMB3
RN0C3
OM8AW3
OH6RE3
NQ6N-93
NN3RP3
N0OI3
K4PP3
K1UO3
JR1BFZ/23
HG8A3
HB9BIN3
HA5YPP3
G4MKP3
G3YPP3
G0TMX3
DU3TW3
DK0VH3
BH4RRG43
BH4RRG23
BH4RRG1813
BH4RRG-03
BA7NQ3
AC0C-23
ZS6BNE2
XQ3OP2
WQ5O2
W7AH2
VE7CC-22
VE6WZ-22
VE6WZ-12
SV8RV2
S50U2
N4BAF2
HA1VHF2
GSWL12
EU1ST2
DK0VH-82
DJ3AK2
BH4XDZ2
BH4RRG812
BH4RRG022
BH4RRG012
BH4RRG-12
BH4PAN2
BG6SNJ2
B4NORTON2
B4NORT22
B4IJJ2
B4IJ2
B4AQQ2
9Z4RG2
3V/KF5EYY2
ZL3LSD1
W7CXX1
W3LPL1
VK2EBN1
VE7CC-01
VA2MVR1
UA4M1
SV1CDN1
RZ3QS1
RK3TD1
RA0SMS1
R2AJA1
PY3OL1
OG73X1
NX5M1
NH6V1
NA0B1
N4SBJ1
N2GZ1
M0BPQ1
LZ5DB-21
K8PK1
K3LR1
K2NNY1
K1DBO1
HB9RB1
G4DPF1
F5MYK/P1
F5HPY1
DM4M1
DL3DTH-21
DL1AMQ1
DK0VH-71
BI4MPH1
BH4RRG81
BH4RRG2-11
BH4RRG1821
BG6TDY1
B4NORT11
AC0C-201

The Reverse Beacon Network involves hundreds of volunteer monitoring stations using CW Skimmer to monitor for CW callsigns and report them via the RBN web site. If you operate a skimmer, please adjust the settings and add the beacons to Watch.lst to optimize reception of IBP Beacons.

The Reverse Beacon Network can be used to show reception reports of the beacons by users who have added the beacon callsigns to their watch list. N4ZR explains how to do that in his NCDXF Beacon Spotting Redux blog post. If you have not changed the KH6 beacon to KH6RS in your Watch.lst file, and downloaded the latest version of Aggregator, please do so now.

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