Spanish QSOs "Alpha Lima" 6895 LSB 6900 LSB 6910 LSB 0100+ UTC 27 April 2017

[R4002]

Our usual friends on 6900 kHz LSB are coming in nicely tonight (started listening at 0100 UTC April 27th, 2017), with several stations QSYed up (and down) to 6910 kHz LSB and 6895 kHz LSB.  The "usual" alternate frequency of 6905 kHz remains quiet for whatever reason.

6900 kHz LSB - several mentions of Alpha Lima - which is an 11 meter freeband DX radio club.  6900 kHz LSB may be the 43 meter Alpha Lima (also stylized as Alfa Lima) frequency for freeband chatter when 11 meters isn't open.  Many DX clubs have "club frequencies" on the 26-27 MHz band I don't see why this wouldn't translate to 43 meters or other bands.  Wouldn't surprise me if there's a 3-4 MHz Alpha Lima  / Alfa Lima frequency and another one between 7-25 MHz in addition to the usual 11 meter 27 MHz stuff and 6900 kHz.

6895 kHz LSB - stations that moved here from 6900 kHz LSB.  No names or callsigns heard, but one station has mentioned Puerto Rico several times.  Previous monitoring of 6900 LSB and related frequencies has shown a connection to Mexico, various parts of the United States including Florida, Virginia, California and Texas so Puerto Rico makes sense.  Puerto Rican stations have a large presence on the 11 meter freebanding scene so that also checks.  At 0150 UTC, a new station appeared on frequency with S9 level signal and loud clear audio.  Chatter about which stations he's talked to previously and signal reports.  Ham radio-like complimentary signal reports and mention of telephone conversations.  Still no names heard...0152, more personal ragchew-like chatter, very freeband SSB CB like.  Very...personal discussion of operator's lady friends' preferences and habits (we'll leave it at that   )...followed by more "PG rated" chatter about taking girls dancing and to the movies, etc.  

6910 kHz LSB - this frequency was coming in very very loud (S9+30db at points) around 0120-0130 UTC but it now appears to be clear.  Likely two operators went here to have a "private" QSO outside of the primary 6900 LSB net frequency

[Unknown Name]

Espanol very loud tonight. S9 Peaks.

[R4002]

On which of these frequencies? Or all of them? 6900 kHz LSB is the primary frequency for this group, with the alternate frequencies being 6895 kHz LSB, 6900 kHz USB, 6905 kHz LSB and 6910 kHz LSB.  Of course, that's for the "usual" crowd heard on 6900 LSB. Alternate frequencies for other groups could be all sorts of things.  Some of these stations are running pretty serious power levels and high gain directional antenna systems.

[MDK2]

I was listening to 6900 LSB for a while, sometime between 0215 and 0230. One op was hitting my meter at S9+10, like a local ham. Heard "Chihuahua" a few times, guessing that they mean the state in northern Mexico, or possibly the city that shares its name.

[R4002]

That would fall in line with my previous logs of the traffic on 6900 LSB.  It seems like stations like to ID using their first name or the location they're in.  Sometimes its a combination of those two things (Juan de Matamoros, etc).  But, if there's only one station from Chihuahua, there's no need to get more specific. 

Some of these guys run some heavy duty power.  I've heard QSOs on 6900 LSB about antenna equipment and several of the stations have mentioned using yagis and other directional antennas, which leads me to believe at least some of them are hams operating out of band (and/or are 11 meter operators using lower frequencies because 26/27 MHz isn't open too often right now).

Did you notice a "net-like" communication procedure on 6900 LSB?  Or was it just two operators chatting away?

[MDK2]

Did you notice a "net-like" communication procedure on 6900 LSB?  Or was it just two operators chatting away?

I'd say it was net-like, without the rapid-fire chatter a lot of these transmissions have.

[R4002]

I'd say it was net-like, without the rapid-fire chatter a lot of these transmissions have.

That sounds exactly like most of the traffic I've monitored.  The Portuguese two-way chatter heard on 6925 LSB, 6919 LSB, 6933 LSB and dozens of other frequencies all has the "rapid-fire" characteristic you're talking about.  Often with stations talking over each other, etc.  The 6900 LSB crowd seems to be a bit more "civil" in their operating habits.  I'm not sure if they're just more professional operators (this would point towards them being licensed hams or having ham-like radio experience and understanding vs. a bunch of Brazilian fishermen with radios) or if there is another reason but I can't really think of another reason. 

I think its interesting how the "peskies" actually seem to be several different groups of operators using the same frequency bands for different reasons.  The parallels between the 6900 LSB ops and the traffic often heard on 27655-27705 (and various other 11m frequencies) indicates that at least some of these stations use both bands.  Next time 11 meters is consistently open, one will have to see if activity on 6900 LSB, etc, goes down any.  I have also heard stations on 6900 LSB talking about conditions on 11 meters (which further backs up this possible connection to 11m operators) as does monitored discussions about ham radio equipment (which most/all of these guys are using, as opposed to the Portuguese traffic, at least some of it I imagine it done using MF/HF SSB marine equipment.