The Pesky Report 24-25 April 2017

[ChrisSmolinski]

I went through the SDR recording from last night, looking for peskies. Here is what I found. Since there are so many transmissions, I am just noting the   time I hear something on a given frequency, not each transmission. Otherwise I'd be here all day. I may have accidentally reported a given frequency more than once as there are so many! Or if it was noted late at night when little else was on. I am also not noting the language, as my SS vs PP skills are not up to the task. But it sounded like the majority of the transmissions were in SS vs PP, this suggests most of them are freebanders vs fishermen.

I was amazed at the sheer number of frequencies. And this is just one night. There was certainly a drop off in activity after around 0200z or so. 6900 LSB kept going past 0300z, until about 0350z. I think R4002 noted some west coast locations given on this net, so that might explain the later time. Also noted 6965 LSB starting around 0336z, until around 0430z. There was then an uptick in activity around 0900z. Maybe this gives some hints as to locations.

6883.5 USB 2110z
6850.0 USB 2132z
6935.0 LSB 2142z
6910.0 LSB 2143z
6855.0 USB 2156z
6917.0 LSB 2213z
6930.0 USB 2254z
6985.0 USB 2300z
6838.0 USB 2305z
6925.0 LSB 2321z
6960.5 LSB 2342z
6922.0 LSB 2348z
6898.0 LSB 0007z
6990.0 USB 0013z
6915.0 LSB 0013z
6992.5 USB 0026z
6962.0 USB 0033z
6900.0 USB 0040z
6900.0 LSB 0043z
6868.0 LSB 0038z
6982.0 USB 0052z
6970.0 LSB 0055z - pesky playing music, then into voice/QSOs. We're straddling the line between pesky and pirate, sometimes.
6986.5 USB 0101z - not a pesky, this sounded like a MARS net. But logged for completeness.
6905.5 USB 0104z
6965.5 LSB 0118z
6965.0 USB 0208z
6825.0 USB 0320z
6965.0 LSB 0336z
6862.0 LSB 0430z
6962.0 USB 0435z
6982.0 USB 0503z
6836.0 USB 0543z
6899.0 USB 0608z
6940.0 USB 0609z
6838.5 USB 0636z
6864.0 LSB 0643z
6855.0 LSB 0724z - sounded like music in the background
6858.0 USB 0912z
6930.0 USB 0913z
6935.0 LSB 0917z
6838.0 USB 1007z
6900.0 USB 1012z
6973.0 USB 1013z
6868.0 USB 1018z
6990.0 USB 1039z
6883.0 USB 1045z

[R4002]

Chris,

This is an excellent log.  I like the idea of including the time the frequency was logged.  I think 6900 LSB is used by both west and east coast stations but the other frequencies may just be east coast.  Since both of us are on the east coast this likely makes a difference as well.  At some point I should check out some west coast SDRs for nighttime Spanish and Portuguese language chatter.  Did you notice any other languages besides SS/PP and the MARS net on 6986.5 USB?  I've noticed 6962 USB picks up later on (usually after the other Portuguese frequencies have quieted down).  6900 USB appears to be an alternate frequency for the freebander nets operating on or near 6900 LSB.

After talking to Looking-Glass about his logs (from NSW Australia) - which gives us a unique perspective re: grayline, time zones and of course regions of operations for fishing fleets.  In the thread relating to the (possibly Japanese) Asian Fishery Net on 6707 kHz USB [https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,34361.0.html] he indicates that large numbers of Spanish-speaking (one can presume Latin American) fishing fleet communications have been logged in the 6-10 MHz region operating in the South Pacific/western areas off the US west coast due to the fishing stocks in the Atlantic being depleted.  A comparison of the east coast logs to west coast logs (and Australian logs) would prove very interesting.  His theory about daughter ships using HF-SSB to communicate with mother ships makes a lot of sense to me.

[ChrisSmolinski]

I may have heard some non EE/SS/PP transmissions, but i don't recall the details. I know in the past I have heard both Slavic and Asian sounding languages on 43 meters.

Speaking of fishing fleets, we were watching a TV show the other week, I think What On Earth (which uses satellite based images to investigate various things) and there was a segment on illegal fishing fleets, I think near the Falkland Islands.  I imagine they are all over.

[R4002]

I recall making a post about the TV shows "Deadliest Catch" and "Wicked Tuna" - both about fishing boat crews and likely at least partially-scripted drama among the crews...and several of the fishing boats featured had several HF radios, marine SSB and modified ham radio equipment as well as 11 meter export equipment - which I presume is for "out of band" (meaning not on the VHF marine bands) local ship-to-ship communications - as well as the expected VHF marine, VHF AIS system equipment and satphone gear.  Chances are there's a huge amount of fishing fleet and regular high seas radio communications that's outside the legal marine bands...and isn't done by licensed amateur radio operators on the various 20 meter nets out there devoted to such things.

Then, of course, you have the freebanders, which is another story. I'm sure mixed in with the sheer volume of freebander / outbander and illegal fishing radio chatter there's also drug traffickers...who are probably using the same terminology as fishing boats to avoid standing out.

The "peskies" are actually several different, yet often overlapping, groups of radio users...most of them operating against the law...which, when you think about it...this is HF Underground after all

[ChrisSmolinski]

Yes, even though we derived peskies from pescadores (fishermen) it's quite true that as we apply it, is used to describe pretty much anyone on the 43 meter band other than pirates and the occasional MARS net 

[R4002]

lol very true Chris.  I think its still an appropriate term, especially since the almost nightly radio chatter on 6925 kHz LSB is almost certain Portuguese-speaking fishing fleets (along with most Portuguese language traffic scattered around the band).  While there are Portuguese speaking freebanders, it seems like most of the traffic I've heard that's for sure freebanders (and for sure land-based transmissions) are in the Spanish language. 

[ChrisSmolinski]

While there are Portuguese speaking freebanders, it seems like most of the traffic I've heard that's for sure freebanders (and for sure land-based transmissions) are in the Spanish language. 

Yes, language seems to be the quick and dirty way to separate between fishermen and freebanders.