diff --git a/Configuration.cpp b/Configuration.cpp
index b1cab5b..65a42d0 100644
--- a/Configuration.cpp
+++ b/Configuration.cpp
@@ -560,6 +560,7 @@ private:
   bool miles_;
   bool quick_call_;
   bool disable_TX_on_73_;
+  int beacon_;
   int watchdog_;
   bool TX_messages_;
   bool enable_VHF_features_;
@@ -661,6 +662,7 @@ bool Configuration::clear_DX () const {return m_->clear_DX_;}
 bool Configuration::miles () const {return m_->miles_;}
 bool Configuration::quick_call () const {return m_->quick_call_;}
 bool Configuration::disable_TX_on_73 () const {return m_->disable_TX_on_73_;}
+int Configuration::beacon () const {return m_->beacon_;}
 int Configuration::watchdog () const {return m_->watchdog_;}
 bool Configuration::TX_messages () const {return m_->TX_messages_;}
 bool Configuration::enable_VHF_features () const {return m_->enable_VHF_features_;}
@@ -1149,6 +1151,7 @@ void Configuration::impl::initialize_models ()
   ui_->miles_check_box->setChecked (miles_);
   ui_->quick_call_check_box->setChecked (quick_call_);
   ui_->disable_TX_on_73_check_box->setChecked (disable_TX_on_73_);
+  ui_->beacon_spin_box->setValue (beacon_);
   ui_->tx_watchdog_spin_box->setValue (watchdog_);
   ui_->TX_messages_check_box->setChecked (TX_messages_);
   ui_->enable_VHF_features_check_box->setChecked(enable_VHF_features_);
@@ -1386,6 +1389,7 @@ void Configuration::impl::read_settings ()
   miles_ = settings_->value ("Miles", false).toBool ();
   quick_call_ = settings_->value ("QuickCall", false).toBool ();
   disable_TX_on_73_ = settings_->value ("73TxDisable", false).toBool ();
+  beacon_ = settings_->value ("TxBeacon", 5).toInt ();
   watchdog_ = settings_->value ("TxWatchdog", 6).toInt ();
   TX_messages_ = settings_->value ("Tx2QSO", true).toBool ();
   enable_VHF_features_ = settings_->value("VHFUHF",false).toBool ();
@@ -1484,6 +1488,7 @@ void Configuration::impl::write_settings ()
   settings_->setValue ("Miles", miles_);
   settings_->setValue ("QuickCall", quick_call_);
   settings_->setValue ("73TxDisable", disable_TX_on_73_);
+  settings_->setValue ("TxBeacon", beacon_);
   settings_->setValue ("TxWatchdog", watchdog_);
   settings_->setValue ("Tx2QSO", TX_messages_);
   settings_->setValue ("CATForceDTR", rig_params_.force_dtr);
@@ -1891,6 +1896,7 @@ void Configuration::impl::accept ()
   miles_ = ui_->miles_check_box->isChecked ();
   quick_call_ = ui_->quick_call_check_box->isChecked ();
   disable_TX_on_73_ = ui_->disable_TX_on_73_check_box->isChecked ();
+  beacon_ = ui_->beacon_spin_box->value ();
   watchdog_ = ui_->tx_watchdog_spin_box->value ();
   TX_messages_ = ui_->TX_messages_check_box->isChecked ();
   data_mode_ = static_cast<DataMode> (ui_->TX_mode_button_group->checkedId ());
diff --git a/Configuration.hpp b/Configuration.hpp
index 886bed0..696604c 100644
--- a/Configuration.hpp
+++ b/Configuration.hpp
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ public:
   bool miles () const;
   bool quick_call () const;
   bool disable_TX_on_73 () const;
+  int beacon () const;
   int watchdog () const;
   bool TX_messages () const;
   bool split_mode () const;
diff --git a/Configuration.ui b/Configuration.ui
index 099edae..a9babaf 100644
--- a/Configuration.ui
+++ b/Configuration.ui
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@
    <rect>
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
-    <width>534</width>
-    <height>530</height>
+    <width>785</width>
+    <height>647</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="windowTitle">
@@ -81,18 +81,18 @@
              </layout>
             </item>
             <item>
-            <layout class="QFormLayout" name="formLayout_21">
-             <item row="0" column="0">
-              <widget class="QCheckBox" name="use_dynamic_grid">
-               <property name="toolTip">
-                <string>Check to allow grid changes from external programs</string>
-               </property>
-               <property name="text">
-                <string>AutoGrid</string>
-               </property>
-              </widget>
-             </item>
-            </layout>
+             <layout class="QFormLayout" name="formLayout_21">
+              <item row="0" column="0">
+               <widget class="QCheckBox" name="use_dynamic_grid">
+                <property name="toolTip">
+                 <string>Check to allow grid changes from external programs</string>
+                </property>
+                <property name="text">
+                 <string>AutoGrid</string>
+                </property>
+               </widget>
+              </item>
+             </layout>
             </item>
             <item>
              <layout class="QFormLayout" name="formLayout_2">
@@ -292,14 +292,46 @@
          <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout_8">
           <item row="4" column="1">
            <layout class="QHBoxLayout" name="horizontalLayout_12">
+            <item>
+             <widget class="QLabel" name="beacon_label_10">
+              <property name="text">
+               <string>Beacon every:</string>
+              </property>
+              <property name="buddy">
+               <cstring>beacon_spin_box</cstring>
+              </property>
+             </widget>
+            </item>
+            <item>
+             <widget class="QSpinBox" name="beacon_spin_box">
+              <property name="toolTip">
+               <string>&lt;html&gt;&lt;head/&gt;&lt;body&gt;&lt;p&gt;Number of minutes between unattended beacons&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/body&gt;&lt;/html&gt;</string>
+              </property>
+              <property name="suffix">
+               <string> minutes</string>
+              </property>
+              <property name="prefix">
+               <string/>
+              </property>
+              <property name="minimum">
+               <number>1</number>
+              </property>
+              <property name="value">
+               <number>5</number>
+              </property>
+             </widget>
+            </item>
             <item>
              <spacer name="horizontalSpacer_7">
               <property name="orientation">
                <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>
               </property>
+              <property name="sizeType">
+               <enum>QSizePolicy::Fixed</enum>
+              </property>
               <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
                <size>
-                <width>0</width>
+                <width>40</width>
                 <height>0</height>
                </size>
               </property>
@@ -2768,12 +2800,12 @@ soundcard changes</string>
   </connection>
  </connections>
  <buttongroups>
-  <buttongroup name="CAT_data_bits_button_group"/>
-  <buttongroup name="PTT_method_button_group"/>
-  <buttongroup name="TX_audio_source_button_group"/>
-  <buttongroup name="split_mode_button_group"/>
   <buttongroup name="CAT_stop_bits_button_group"/>
-  <buttongroup name="CAT_handshake_button_group"/>
   <buttongroup name="TX_mode_button_group"/>
+  <buttongroup name="PTT_method_button_group"/>
+  <buttongroup name="CAT_data_bits_button_group"/>
+  <buttongroup name="split_mode_button_group"/>
+  <buttongroup name="CAT_handshake_button_group"/>
+  <buttongroup name="TX_audio_source_button_group"/>
  </buttongroups>
 </ui>
diff --git a/mainwindow.cpp b/mainwindow.cpp
index 49e9f7e..b176bf2 100644
--- a/mainwindow.cpp
+++ b/mainwindow.cpp
@@ -222,6 +222,17 @@ namespace
         widget->removeRow(i);
       }
   }
+
+  int roundUp(int numToRound, int multiple)
+  {
+   if(multiple == 0)
+   {
+    return numToRound;
+   }
+
+   int roundDown = ( (int) (numToRound) / multiple) * multiple;
+   return roundDown + multiple;
+  }
 }
 
 //--------------------------------------------------- MainWindow constructor
@@ -5384,7 +5395,7 @@ void MainWindow::scheduleBeacon(bool first){
     // round to 15 second increment
 
     int secondsSinceEpoch = (timestamp.toMSecsSinceEpoch()/1000);
-    int delta = roundUp(secondsSinceEpoch, 15) + 1 + (first ? m_txFirst ? 15 : 30 : 300) - secondsSinceEpoch;
+    int delta = roundUp(secondsSinceEpoch, 15) + 1 + (first ? m_txFirst ? 15 : 30 : qMax(1, m_config.beacon()) * 60) - secondsSinceEpoch;
     timestamp = timestamp.addSecs(delta);
 
     // set the next beacon timestamp and timer
diff --git a/mainwindow.h b/mainwindow.h
index c97ece0..320cd68 100644
--- a/mainwindow.h
+++ b/mainwindow.h
@@ -797,18 +797,6 @@ protected:
     }
 };
 
-
-static int roundUp(int numToRound, int multiple)
-{
- if(multiple == 0)
- {
-  return numToRound;
- }
-
- int roundDown = ( (int) (numToRound) / multiple) * multiple;
- return roundDown + multiple;
-}
-
 extern int killbyname(const char* progName);
 extern void getDev(int* numDevices,char hostAPI_DeviceName[][50],
                    int minChan[], int maxChan[],