Credits and Acknowledgment

People

  • Mike Crawford (WA2VUN) - Antenna installation
  • H. Paul Shuch (N6TX) and Allen Katz (K2UYH) - Guidance
  • Barbara Sarubbi - for graciously allowing us to use her Moon

Places

  • Beacon location: the QTH of WA2IKL, Grid Square FN21pa

Things

Transmission

  • Frequency Standards: Efratom Rb module; Trimble Thunderbolt courtesy Art Lange (W6RXQ), Xtal oven oscillator, HP
  • Synthesizer:  Maxim evaluation board for cellphone synthesizer with substitute VCO
  • IPA: Down East Microwave, Steve Kostro (N2CEI)
  • 500 W Amplifier: Kuhne Electronic in Germany
  • Controller/RF Multiplexer: H-P 3488A
  • Amplifier Power Supply: Pair of Sorensen DCS 20-150

Antennage

  • Tower:  40-foot high Rohn
  • Antenna:  Dual quad helices by Dave Clingerman (W6OAL)
  • AZ/EL Rotator:  Yaesu G-5600B
  • Feedline:  Cellwave hardline

Instrumentation

  • Frequency Counter:  H-P 5334B
  • Power Meter:  Rohde and Schwarz NAP, Bird 43
  • Spectrum Analyzer:  HP 8568A with GPIB control for automatic daily check
  • Fluke DVM to monitor power supplies
  • "LabJack" interface to rotator and thermal monitor

Computation

  • Web server computer:  Random PC
  • PC tracking computer:  Random PC

Software

  • Moon tracking software:  Northern Lights Software NOVA, Mike Owen (W9IP)
  • Beacon control software:  by WA2IKL in Visual Basic with National Instruments IEEE-488
  • Web software and web status pages:  by WA2IKL in Rocky Mountain Spotted Basic

Power

  • HP-Compaq R3000-XR 230VAC, 2700Watt UPS for amplifier power supplies
  • APC UPS units for remainder of hardware

Companies & Organizations

  • American Astronomical Society - Research Grant
  • Central States VHF Society - Contribution
  • EBay - For making it possible to get most of the equipment
  • Eventide, Inc. - Miscellaneous equipment and support
  • Hewlett-Packard (now Agilent) - For reliable, precise hardware
  • Elgar-Sorensen - Outstanding support of their serious power supplies
  • Trimble Navigation - Donation of GPS frequency and time standard

Updated 05 September 2006