Beacons
- SafecomLink
- Dec 11, 2025
- 1 min read
Updated: Dec 29, 2025
The Beacons feature in SafecomLink signals a station’s operational presence and availability through periodic transmissions, making it crucial for routine operations and emergency communication (EmComm). This feature is available across all SafecomLink packages.
Operational Mechanism and Reliability
Beacons are essential status signals engineered for maximum reliability and team coordination:
Availability and Tracking: They act as keepalive signals to continuously notify your EmComm network that you are online. The "Last heard beacons" list provides real-time visibility and propagation assessment of team members.
VMail Integration: Receiving a beacon triggers a check for any parked VMails. If mail is pending, the station sends a "relay notification alert" to signal the user that a message is waiting to be collected, marking urgent VMail notifications clearly.
Beacon Types and Speed:
Standard Beacon: Transmitted at the lowest possible speed (SL1 - 18bps), ensuring reliable decoding even at -22 dB SNR.
Advanced Beacon: Sent at SL2 (41bps), reliably decoded down to -18 dB. This type carries crucial data like the Grid locator and indicates if the station operates an Email Gateway.
Frequency Discipline: Beacons transmit only when the frequency is identified as clear (not BUSY) and automatically shut off after 24 hours.
The Beacons feature is foundational for resilient communications, operating reliably down to -22 dB SNR. By continuously signaling presence, Beacons enable real-time tracking of EmComm personnel and path propagation. Crucially, the technology integrates with Vmail, automatically generating relay notifications when messages are parked, ensuring rapid retrieval of critical information. Leverage Beacons to maintain continuous situational awareness and guarantee timely message delivery across your network.
