The Midwest VHF/UHF Society (MVUS, located in Southwest Ohio --
http://www.mvus.org) is pleased to announce a special event for the
Dayton area ham community and beyond, propagation permitting. In
conjunction with our HF Frequency Measurement Test (FMT), we will also
have a 2M FMT for those who want to participate at VHF, or simply to
check the frequency accuracy of their 2M SSB rig.
The test transmission will be on the air continuously for 48 hours, from
10 AM EST (1300 UTC) on Monday, Dec. 28, through 10 AM EST on Wednesday,
Dec. 30. The signal will be an CW carrier with Morse ID every ten
minutes per FCC regulations. The transmitter will be at W8RKO's QTH in
Centerville, Ohio (grid square EM79wq), with about 30 watts to an
omnidirectional discone antenna at about 60 feet.
The frequency will be near 144.274 MHz. Check
http://www.febo.com/pages/mvus-fmt right before the test for a more
exact frequency that will be within 50 Hertz of the actual.
The test signal will be derived directly from a Cesium Beam atomic
frequency reference with accuracy and stability of better than one
thousandth of a Hertz at 2M -- in shouting distance of NIST, the folks
who bring you WWV.
So, if we have such an accurate source, why only announce the frequency
to 50 Hertz? Well, that is better than the frequency accuracy and
stability of most VHF radios, even those with temperature compensated
oscillators, so it's sufficient to directly check your VFO calibration
(and if you'd like, to measure the drift of your rig).
And it leaves open a challenge for those who are interested: try to
measure the frequency more accurately than that. If you'd like to
compete for fabulous prizes, you may submit your measurment via the web
page at http://www.febo.com/pages/mvus-fmt/entry_form.html. The entry
deadline is January 15, 2010 and we'll publish the full-resolution
frequency right after that.
For additional information, including details about the HF part of the
test, see http://www.febo.com/pages/mvus-fmt. You can also email
fmt@mvus.org.
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