Post by Anthony~KD3Y on Aug 15, 2022 0:09:20 GMT -5
Reverse Beacon Network Launches Updated Website At 0500 UTC (1 AM EDT) on Thursday, June 16, the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) launched their updated website (www.reversebeacon.net). The intent of the revised website was to replace the original and beta websites and to include a Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) to enhance security for users of the site. The RBN is a network of stations that listen to the bands and report what stations they hear, including when and how well. The website's database of past spots allows operators to instantly find what stations (from any given country or zone) have been heard, at what times, and on what frequencies. Operators can also see when they have been spotted, who spotted them, and how loud the contact was. There is an option to compare your signal with those of friends and competitors, in near real time, or look at historical data of previous transmissions. If you wonder how your signal compared to others' during a previous contest, the website's Signal Comparison Tool will provide real, quantitative data. For an instant report, query what stations you want to compare, based on signals heard by a given reverse beacon on a certain band at a certain time. In 2009, Pete Smith, N4ZR, and Felipe Ceglia, CT7ANO, worked to get the first version of RBN online. The work of Mark Glenn, K7MJG, on the website and Dave Pascoe, KM3T, on connecting the servers, contributed to RBN as a resource for listening and tracking signals. The new version is the first major upgrade for the site. A guide to the website's new features is available on the beta site, as well as on the new site under the 'about' tab. -- Thanks to Pete Smith, N4ZR