Reverse Beacon Network
The Reverse Beacon Network (RBN) is a worldwide network of automated receivers that decode CW and digital mode signals and report what they hear. Unlike traditional DX spotting clusters that rely on human spotters, the RBN is fully automated -- making it a powerful tool for checking propagation and verifying that your signal is getting out.
[SCREENSHOT: RBN feed showing automated spots with signal strength, speed, and receiver locations]
How It Works
Dozens of RBN receiver stations (called "skimmers") run around the clock, listening across the HF bands. When a skimmer decodes your CW or digital transmission, it posts a spot that includes:
- Callsign -- The station that was decoded
- Frequency -- The exact frequency
- Mode --
CW,FT8,FT4,RTTY,PSK31,JS8, and many other digital modes - Speed -- For
CW, the sending speed in WPM; for digital modes, speed in bps where applicable - Signal strength -- The SNR (signal-to-noise ratio) in dB as measured by the receiver
- Skimmer callsign -- Which receiver station heard the signal
Viewing RBN Spots
- Open the Activity tab and select Reverse Beacon from the activity mode selector.
- RBN spots appear in a scrollable stacked list, each showing the spotted callsign, band, mode, frequency, SNR, speed, spotter callsign, and timestamp.
- On the map view, spots are displayed as arc lines connecting each skimmer (spotter) to the station it decoded. Arc colors indicate propagation distance -- longer paths appear hotter. Tap any arc or list item for full details.
- The spot details modal shows the spotted station's callsign, country, and continent; a freshness decay bar indicating how recent the spot is; your distance and bearing to the spotted station (calculated from your QTH); frequency, mode, band, SNR, and speed; the spotter's callsign; and the confirmed propagation path distance between spotter and spotted station.
Filtering RBN Data
The RBN generates a large volume of spots. Use the inline filter controls to narrow results:
- Band -- Show only spots on a specific band (e.g.,
20m,40m) - Mode -- Filter by
CW,FT8,FT4,RTTY,PSK31,PSK63,JS8,JT65,JT9,Olivia, or other decoded modes - Callsign -- Search for a specific callsign (matches both spotted and spotter callsigns)
- Minimum SNR -- Set a signal strength floor in dB to hide weak spots
- Time window -- Limit spots to a recency window in minutes (defaults to 60 minutes)
Call CQ on CW or a digital mode, then use the Callsign filter with your own call. Within seconds, you should see spots from skimmers that decoded your signal. This tells you which directions and distances your signal is reaching -- without needing another operator on the other end.
Understanding Signal Reports
RBN signal strength is reported as SNR in dB. Here's a rough guide:
| SNR (dB) | What it means |
|---|---|
| 0 -- 5 | Barely detectable |
| 6 -- 15 | Readable, moderate signal |
| 16 -- 25 | Strong signal |
| 26+ | Very strong |
Higher values from more distant skimmers indicate good propagation on that band.
The RBN only spots stations that are transmitting CW or digital modes. It does not decode SSB voice transmissions.