BEACON INFORMATION for the person planning a 10 meter propagation beacon

........I am the IARU Region 2 HF Beacon Coordinator.......

When a person decides to put a beacon on the air it is
customary to send Me a message indicating the operation of the beacon
(continuous or intermittent), power, antenna and the frequency selected.
wj5o@amsat.org
I no longer recommend the info in regard to FIRST, SECOND & THIRD below (1 January 2013)
.... Frequency selection....... by the future beacon operator...  
First, obtain an up-to-date ten meter beacon listing....
http://www.qsl.net/wj5o/bcn.htm
Second, study the frequencies/locations of the beacons in operation.....

Third, select a frequency using the following  criteria as a guide ....  as
a general rule, East coast beacon frequencies should not conflict with
European/African beacons frequencies......West coast beacons should not conflict with
Japanese or "down under" beacon frequencies.......... and Central USA frequencies should not
conflict with Central/South American beacon frequencies.......An individual's beacon frequency
should avoid the NCDX/IARU 28.200MHz beacon frequency completely. ........ Two beacons of 
about equal power can be discernable as close as 1 KHz in frequency
of each other but low power signals and signals of 10 Watts up should not be
on adjacent frequencies.......... Try to maintain at least a 1KHz spacing
between beacons in the same North American "quarters" like Northeast,
Southeast, Southwest and Northwest......500 Hz spacing OK for beacons located in different North American "Quadrants" or time zones....
Latter 2010 I have started suggesting frequencies ending in .3 or .8 ....Like 28.206.8 or 28.206.3 MHz ....... 433 IARU Region 2 ten meter beacons listed as of July 2011. 510 as of July 2012 534 IARU Region 2 Ten meter Beacons 1 August 2013

If You have difficulty determining a frequency  Disreguard  (see sentence  before Fisrt, Second & Third above)

I will suggest one or two frequencies Except  only one if located in the North East quadrant of North America. (early 2009)

If You select a frequency...Please coordinate with Me BEFORE going "ON THE AIR" .... I often  know of other beacon activities that could effect operation on a given frequency.  I no longer recommend.... see above......

Beacons "popping up" on the air without coordination will be listed as "Un-Coordinated beacons".

I maintain the ten meter beacon listing on a daily basis...I appreciate beacon information from all sources.  Please send a message if you are aware of differences in actual beacon operation and what I have listed.  http://www.qsl.net/wj5o/bcn.htm

... Beacon messages.....As this "sunspot" cycle continues on the "downward slide it is important that the message be concise without extraneous information. With the noise, rapid fading and backscatter flutter it is difficult to "wade" through a bunch of information that is not necessary trying to catch the ID of the beacon signal.   please read:
http://www.explore.force9.co.uk/beacons/idealbeacon.htm

A beacon operator can  help beacon listeners to identify and report beacon signals by having an "ideal" message.

The best way for a beacon operator to know "WHEN & WHERE" the beacon signal is being heard is by subscribing to the HF Beacon Reflector.

http://www.freelists.org/list/hfbeacons 

Alternate Beacon reflector now active (Jan 09) Subscribe  by sending a blank email to
10Mbeacons-subscribe@kc0tks.org or by going to
http://kc0tks.org/mailman/listinfo/10mbeacons_kc0tks.org