The amateur radio Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) is an innovative system that has revolutionised how ham radio operators monitor and analyse radio propagation. Unlike traditional beacons that transmit signals for others to hear, the RBN uses a network of automated listening stations around the world to detect and report amateur radio transmissions.
These listening stations, often called "skimmers," employ clever software that continuously monitors multiple amateur radio bands. When they detect a CQ call (or other transmission that they recognise), they report the signal's frequency, strength, and other characteristics to a central database. This information is then made available in real-time to radio enthusiasts and researchers worldwide via the internet.
The RBN provides valuable data for understanding radio propagation conditions, helping operators determine which bands are open for communication and where their signals are being heard (in much the same way as PSKReporter does with digital mode transmissions). It is particularly useful for contesting, DXing (long-distance communication), and studying the effects of solar activity on radio transmissions.
Since its inception in 2009, the RBN has become an essential tool in the amateur radio community, enhancing operators' ability to make contacts and contributing to our understanding of radio wave propagation.
Being somewhat late to the RBN party (due in large part to my extended periods of inactivity), my first use of this facility was yesterday (23rd August 2024) when I was setting up an automated CW keying interface between my computer and Xiegu G90 radio.
Having established that my keying interface was working, I tuned up and down the lower end of the 15m band and I heard not a single CW station. Granted I was only using a 1/4 wave vertical antenna and conditions weren't great at that time of day, but I was a bit surprised to hear nothing.
This led to my putting out a succession of CQ calls (5w output, with no responses) to see if (or where) I might be heard by the receiving stations of the reverse beacon network. Within a minute or two I was seeing RBN spots for my signal received as far away as the east coast of America (where I suspect their antennas were doing much of the heavy lifting) and Asiatic Russia, as shown on this screenshot I took at the time.
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| RBN spots for my 5w CQ calls |
Tools like the RBN and PSKReporter are very useful tools when it comes to gauging propagation from your location because they provide real time feedback of exactly where your transmitted signal is being received, and from where you might expect a few replies if you put out a few CQ calls. I will certainly be using the RBN a lot more in the future.
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