SARC Beacons

SARC creates and maintains radio beacons—CW on 6 meters (50 MHz), 10 GHz, and 24 GHz, and WSPR from 80m to 10m—not only to serve the practical needs of the amateur radio community, but also to push the boundaries of what’s possible. Our beacons provide critical propagation references for local and distant operators, enabling real-time assessment of band conditions, especially on rarely-used or technically demanding frequencies. The 6m beacon supports regional communications and weak-signal experimentation, while our microwave beacons at 10 and 24 GHz are among the very few in Western Canada—operating from high-elevation sites to maximize coverage and utility. These beacons are not off-the-shelf systems; they represent advanced engineering efforts by our members, led by Dino Gueorguiev VE7NX and Scott Charles VA7SC, and they demonstrate SARC’s commitment to innovation, experimentation, and leadership in the amateur radio community. By maintaining this infrastructure, we offer unique tools for learning, testing, and long-distance communication that benefit both the local region and the broader radio science community.

With a little encouragement from Hugh VA3TO and Peter VA3ELE—two of Canada’s top microwave hams, record holders, and contest champions—SARC’s own Dino Gueorguiev VE7NX set out to build a 24 GHz beacon for our North Repeater site.

Starting with a portable setup using a Wavelab system from Hugh and a 14-inch dish from Peter, Dino created what’s believed to be the first 24 GHz terrestrial device in BC. No easy task. Working at these frequencies meant investing in a 26 GHz spectrum analyzer and navigating a complete lack of ready-made schematics. Improvisation wasn’t optional—it was the job. But he pulled it off. Thanks to Dino’s expertise and a little creative problem-solving, the VE7SAR/B 24 GHz beacon is now live and on the air.

If you’ve got a 24 GHz radio, give it a listen!  If you don’t, you might want to have a chat with Dino.

Click here to read the story of our 24 GHz beacon.

Long before 24 GHz, SARC’s journey into the microwave bands began with our 10 GHz beacon project. Led by the same spirit of innovation, this beacon was built to give local hams a reliable signal source for testing and experimenting on the 3 cm band.

With support from the microwave community and plenty of hands-on engineering, the 10 GHz beacon was successfully deployed at our North Repeater site. It’s been serving as a valuable tool for propagation studies and antenna alignment ever since.

If you’re equipped for 10 GHz, we invite you to give it a listen and put your gear to the test.

Click here to read the story of our 10 GHz beacon.

Building on the success of our 10 GHz and 24 GHz beacon projects, SARC is proud to announce the launch of our 6m beacon, VE7SAR/B, transmitting on 50.070 MHz.  This beacon is part of our mission to breathe new life into underused bands, giving local and regional hams a reliable signal source for propagation monitoring and experimentation.

Once again, the driving force was Dino Gueorguiev VE7NX, whose leadership, technical know-how, and sheer determination brought the project from concept to reality. With teamwork from Scott Charles VA7SC and John VA7XB, Dino guided the design, construction, and deployment to make sure VE7SAR/B became a rock-solid resource for the community.

If you’re on 6 metres, tune in and put it to work!

Click here to read more.

At SARC, we wanted a way to continuously test the performance of our wire antennas across all 7 HF bands, from 80m to 10m. But instead of settling for off-the-shelf solutions, we aimed higher—designing a custom WSPR beacon that outperforms commercial and kit-built options.

The idea sparked from Dino Gueorguiev VE7NX, who teamed up with Pierre F6IDT in France to bring it to life. The result is a robust, reliable tool that quietly transmits weak signals around the world, helping us (and others) monitor propagation and fine-tune antenna systems with precision.

If you’re into HF and WSPR, this one’s for you.  

Click here to read our WSPR Beacon story.