M89 & VC01 Chinese Military logs for May.

[Looking-Glass]

Propagation hasn't been all that kind, especially on frequencies above 11MHz but managed to log the following:

3.642MHz  CW  "v DKG6 DKG6 DKG6 de 3A7D 3A7D"
3.777MHz  CW  "v M8JF M8JF M8JF de RIS9 RIS9"
4.066MHz  CW  "v 6TFU 6TFU 6TFU de GR4W GR4W"
4.532MHz  CW  "v M8JF M8JF M8JF de RIS9 RIS9"
4.847MHz  CW  "v 6TFU 6TFU 6TFU de GR4W GR4W"
5.801MHz  CW  "v DKG6 DKG6 DKG6 de 3A7D 3A7D"
6.793MHz  CW  "v M8JF M8JF M8JF de RIS9 RIS9"
7.602MHz  CW  "v DKG6 DKG6 DKG6 de 3A7D 3A7D"
8.060MHz  CW  "v M8JF M8JF M8JF de RIS9 RIS9"
8.290MHz  CW  "vvv Q2M Q2M Q2M de NYZ NYZ"
10.640MHz  CW  "vvv Q2M Q2M Q2M de NYZ NYZ"

3.936MHz  USB  VC01 Chinese Robot with two female "chanters"

[Token]

3.936MHz  USB  VC01 Chinese Robot with two female "chanters"

What makes you say there are two female chanters?

Yes, there are often two sources, and they can sound slightly different, so I agree two is often correct, I was just wondering what specific queues were telling you two?

You might also check 4818 kHz LSB and 5883 kHz USB.  I have caught 3936 kHz USB and 4818 kHz LSB on at the same time, but typically 5883 kHz USB is not on when either of those are on (or if they are propagation kills them here at the time I can hear 5883).  There is probably a 4th freq in use while 5883 is active, but I have not found it.  Typically it is on at least 2 freqs at once, and changes sets as the day progresses.

All of the freqs will change around the end of the first week or beginning of the second week of June.

T!

[Looking-Glass]

Token: One of the chanters is very high pitched in voice she says "Ziu Ziu Ziu" while the other is of deep pitch, they are often intermingled, maybe same lady but two recordings?

Have heard them on other frequencies prior to May log conclusion. 

I tend to chase CW mystery signals rather than voice, 4 to 10MHz full of them, had one this morning on lower end of 8MHz just sending gibberish, sounded like the op was doing a practice session on a hand key, sloppy and erratic spacing. 

Yes Token, propagation is very up and down here too, distinct lulls and fade outs noted on 8MHz in early mornings, often the lull cancels out the rubbish from Indonesia, Philippines, China and Burma and gives a better path across to Europe.  I use 4XZ, TAH and SVO beacons as indicators as they are high powered and Russian Naval beacons/markers for low power indications, "M" Magadan is a good indicator.

Yes, the M89 frequencies also change, as too the formats, used to get a lot of "FIK3 H4JH" but not heard for some weeks, likewise "TR2Q 5TUH" also absent.

Also VC01 noted 1831z 5.433MHz 13th April, 5.445MHz 1109z 19th February and 4.186MHz 2014z 25th March.

All good fun this way...

[Token]

VC01 changes frequencies about once a month, around the 10th of each month.  Each month there are at least 4 frequencies in use, typically 2 frequencies at any one time, possibly a night time set and a day time set.  This month I have heard VC01 on 3936, 4818, and 5883 kHz.   There is probably a 4th freq active at the same time 5883 kHz is, but I have not found it yet.  Conditions have just not been good enough.

I believe there are generally 2 nodes on any frequency, each in a separate location.  They often alternate, first one node and then the other.  And yes, sometimes they are slightly off freq from each other, that is why you heard one deeper pitched than the other.

T!

[Looking-Glass]

All well and good Token...but what is their purpose, they chant for hours? 

[Token]

All well and good Token...but what is their purpose, they chant for hours?  

As far as I know it has never been confirmed, but the leading theory is it is part of a Chinese Air Defense/Tracking network of some kind.  You can plot the numbers over time and see that the groups are slowly changing, as if they are coordinates of moving targets.  

There is also a Morse version.  I don’t remember its designation off the top of my head, maybe MC01?  You can find more information on both, including formats, at the Numbers and Oddities web site.  Unfortunately I cannot access that web site from this computer right now or I would provide a link.  Later when I can access I will grab the link and edit this post, if you have not already found the data yourself.

(edit)  My mistake, I was thinking of VC03 that has a Morse counterpart.  Some data here  http://www.numbersoddities.nl/Chinese-military-nets.pdf

T!

[MDK2]

You can find more information on both, including formats, at the Numbers and Oddities web site.  Unfortunately I cannot access that web site from this computer right now or I would provide a link.  Later when I can access I will grab the link and edit this post, if you have not already found the data yourself.

I can help there.

http://www.numbersoddities.nl/

[Looking-Glass]

Thanks gentlemen, however, with the lady chanters it's conducted in Mandarin so I would have to learn the Mandarin numbers 1-10.  Will have a look at the link "numbersoddities". 

As Token mentioned they seem to have a group of frequencies they rotate and usually transmit on two of the set at the same time which I have found once or twice in the past.

Might come in handy to learn 1-10 in Mandarin for a start?