If you have speakers connected and your browser plays sounds automatically you should be hearing sounds already.

If not, or you want to replay the sound click the link below BUT then return to this page so you can read while you listen.

Sound here

Note - to save web space the file is highly compressed, some players scramble the recording e.g. the one in Google Chrome - if you are having problems right click on the link above, choose 'Save target as' then try opening the file using Windows Media Player or similar. If that still doesn't work, contact me and I will send you a larger higher quality file.

Tx Identification and Transmission Format

For legal reasons, each Maxi or Mini is identified by the operator’s callsign sent in fast Morse.
Since all the Txs on a site will be operated by the same person, all will use the same callsign, thus it is of no use to competitors.
For identification within the competition each Maxi and Mini sends a single letter several times in each minute. Listen only for the single letter.

All Mini Txs are on the same frequency 1960 KHz therefore it is important that you can recognise them or at least distinguish between them.

Here is what station H sends (In Morse H is di di di di )
First the fast bit
TEST DF H DE G4JAC/P
If you are a beginner just use the fast bit to tell you when a new Tx has come on, no need to read the Morse. Experts may spot the single letter ID sent after TEST DF.
Now comes the slow bit
H      H      then long tone until 30s - The long tone helps you take a bearing.
H      tone until 40s
H      tone until 50s
H      tone until 60s

The sound in each minute is identical apart from the single letter station ID changing.

H     di di di di
I      di di
J      di dah dah dah
K     dah di dah
L     di dah di di
It will also be possible to identify a station by the time it is on within the 5 minute cycle.
An accurate watch is a big help!

After 5 minutes H will start again.

The sound from a Maxi is very similar, it will just have a different letter  A (di dah) but since it is on a different frequency (1930 KHz) it is easy to identify anyway.
At the end of the competition the Maxi transmissions become more frequent and then continuous. The end is marked by the 'machine gun' of dots followed by the letters OT repeated until all competitors are accounted for.  The last minute and end can be heard here.

For information about Micro sounds follow this link.