HFGCS General Log

[~SIGINT~]

161418Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
14:18Z REACH 869 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; no response;
14:18Z REACH 869 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; no response.

161419Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
14:19Z REACH 893 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; no response;
14:21Z REACH 893 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; no response.

161601Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
16:01Z RADIO MAINTENANCE calling ANY AIRCRAFT ANY STATION for radio check; no response.

161602Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
16:06Z REACH 149 calling MAINSAIL; no response;
16:06Z REACH 149 calling MAINSAIL; no response;
16:07Z REACH 149 calling MAINSAIL; no response.

161611Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
16:11Z RADIO MAINTENANCE calling ANY AIRCRAFT ANY STATION for radio check; no response;
16:16Z RADIO MAINTENANCE calling ANY AIRCRAFT ANY STATION for radio check; no response.

161657Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
16:57Z VENUS 31 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; no response;
16:57Z VENUS 31 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; no response;
16:57Z VENUS 31 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; no response;
16:58Z VENUS 31 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; no response.

161948Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
19:48Z SKULL ? calling ANY PLAYER for radio check; no response (nothing heard).

162011Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
20:11Z SKULL 02 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; no response;
20:11Z SKULL 02 calling ANY STATION for radio check; no response.

162116Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
21:16Z SKULL 02 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; no response;
21:19Z SKULL 02 calling ANY RADIO for radio check; no response;
21:19Z SKULL 02 calling ANY RADIO for radio check; no response.

[~SIGINT~]

170012Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
00:12Z FINAL 52 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; no response;
00:12Z FINAL 52 calling MAINSAIL for radio check with response from SKULL 02; L/C.

171620Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
16:20Z AIRCRAFT 16364 calling MAINSAIL for radio check;
16:21Z AIRCRAFT 16364 calling MAINSAIL for radio check on HF 2.

172104Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
21:04Z 101 and 170 conducting radio checks; L/C.

172136Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
21:36Z 170 calling 102 for radio check; L/C.

[~SIGINT~]

191723Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
17:23Z MAINSAIL calling MIDAS TOUCH for radio check; no response.

191858Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
18:58Z REACH calling ANY RADIO for radio check; no response;
18:58Z REACH calling MAINSAIL for radio check; no response.

192332Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
23:32Z AIRCRAFT 0166 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; L/C.

[~SIGINT~]

202257Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
22:57Z SOONER 22 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; response from WEST COAST;
22:58Z SOONER 22 calling WEST COAST for additional radio check.

202342Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
23:42Z GROUND MAINTENANCE calling ANY AIRCRAFT ANY STATION for radio op check; no response;
23:44Z GROUND MAINTENANCE calling ANY AIRCRAFT ANY STATION for radio op check; response from WEST COAST; L/C.

[~SIGINT~]

210035Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
00:43 SKULL 14 calling ANY AIRCRAFT ANY RADIO for radio check; response from RED RIVER.

210048Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
00:48Z UNID calling ANY AIRCRAFT ANY STATION for radio op check; no response;
00:50Z UNID calling ANY STATION ANY AIRCRAFT for radio op check; no response.

211510Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
15:10Z SKULL 01 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; L/C.

[~SIGINT~]

271846Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
18:46Z BLUE 11 calling MAINSAIL for radio check; L/C.

[~SIGINT~]

290024Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
00:24Z SKULL 24 calling ANY STATION for radio check; no response;
00:24Z SKULL 24 calling ANY STATION for radio check response from ?; L/C.

[autovon]

29NOV23 11175
2021z SKULLxx requesting radio check.  MAINSAIL answers.  SKULL not able to copy.  They were both S9 here.
2024z xxxTRAIL this is TESTBED?  Check out of net.

I find it fascinating the amount of radio checks that go unanswered.  Also how frequently the stations cannot copy each other.    For a global HF network, the actual operation is pretty poor.  I'm sure the $177M Collins contract will fix it...

[~SIGINT~]

I find it fascinating the amount of radio checks that go unanswered.

I have noticed the same and appears to be on the increase over the past month. We have been going through some deep HF "black outs" periods but based on the number of HFGCS ground stations one would think that these radio checks would not go unanswered.

Another observation which I have recently noticed is that sometimes the HFGCS ground station does not appear to bring all of the transmitters up simultaneously.  Sometimes I will hear, ANDREWS for example, loud and clear and seconds later it is weak unreadable.

This may be due to the ongoing upgrades / maintenance being performed. Along with the radio system, there are currently some major upgrades to the antennae fields. Most are over 30 years old and showing signs of deterioration, not to mention no longer meeting modern day code for RF safety.

If you Google the following you will get a wealth of information:

Rockwell_Collins_hfgcs-hfia-feb-2010-united-states-air-force-program-hfgcs-spo-at-tinker-afb.pdf
837190_47 - Budget Line Item Justification (Feb 2018).pdf
837190_51 - Budget Line Item Justification (Feb 2011).pdf

[~SIGINT~]

301458Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
14:58Z SAM 552 calling MAINSAIL for radio check with response from ANDREWS; L/C.

301911Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
19:11Z SAM 29 calling MAINSAIL for radio check with response from ANDREWS; L/C.

301911Z NOV 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
19:11Z MAVERICK 32 calling TOPCAT 45 for radio check; response from ANDREWS; L/C.

[autovon]

1910z 11175
SAM29 calling for signal check.  ANDREWS answers LC
MAVERICK32 calling TOPCAT45.  These should be RC135s out in the NE/WY area.

[autovon]

11175
1343z FEAR11 calling for r/c x2.  No answer
1404z MAINSAIL with test count
1502z REACH143 r/c.  Andrews answers.  Not sure if they heard each other though.
1613z CHILL11/13 r/c
1625z CHILL11 calling CHILL12.  Come up interplane.

[~SIGINT~]

041343Z DEC 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
13:43Z SPEAR 11 calling ANY STATION for radio check; no response.

041413Z DEC 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
14:13Z CHILL 13 calling RAYMOND 12 for radio check; no response;
14:13Z CHILL 13 calling MAINSAIL for radio check.

041502Z DEC 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
15:02Z REACH 143 calling MAINSAIL for radio check;
15:02Z REACH 143 call ANDREWS for radio check; response from UNID.

041614Z DEC 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
16:14Z CHILL 13 calling any CHILL for radio check; response from WIMBERLEY.

041626Z DEC 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
16:26Z CHILL 11 calling CHILL 12 requesting come up inter-plane;
16:26Z CHILL 11 calling CHILL 12 requesting come up inter-plane 323.75.

[~SIGINT~]

050156Z DEC 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
01:56Z AIRCRAFT 28 calling ALL STATIONS for HF radio check; no response;
01:56Z AIRCRAFT 28 calling MAINSAIL for HF radio check; L/C.

051425Z DEC 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
14:25Z SHAKE 11 calling MAINSAIL and requesting current message traffic;
14:25Z MAINSAIL: No current message traffic.

051952Z DEC 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
19:52Z ? calling ANY RADIO for radio check;
19:52Z Response from ? from the great North how do you read.

[~SIGINT~]

070003Z DEC 2023 11175.0 kHz USB
00:03Z CHILL 33 calling ANY STATION for radio check; no response;
00:03Z CHILL 33 calling ANY STATION for radio check; no response.