USAF Test Counts & EAM at 8992 kHz

[Strange Beacons]

Video of USAF test counts & EAM at 8992 kHz HERE.

Four test counts were sent prior to the transmission of the Emergency Action Message. I missed the first one, caught only a portion of the second one,  but managed to get all of the third and fourth counts. The test counts were sent roughly every ten minutes prior to transmission of the EAM. Time and date are visible in the UTC widget running at the top right of the screen.

W9SPY

[Josh]

In the test counts they're firing up remote tx sites and checking them one by one.

[[tRMZ]]

I copied them a little while ago, and you kno what I'm sry...I forgot to take note of the time. Darn! Anyway, approx 1 hour ago and I believe I have copied 2 msgs... plz lmk if I'm wrong or right or w/e...I arbitrarily present them in groups of 5, just by default. Lmk if you see/kno of diff grouping pattern..
msg 1:

◆(I missed intro)◆
"I say again..."

MKRJO QRC67 WUR23 XDKZ2 TH2SL JAH62
-----------------------------------------------------------
msg 2:

◆MKRTP RDMKR TPP◆
"msg follows:"

MKRTP RKKZD 25JNM DRZAH WJS2N CGUZ

"This is Belfast--OUT."   

Did anyone else pay attention? Did I copy that correctly? I like these guys! Funny names. (Saxophone, etc...) 

[[tRMZ]]

13:41z test counts 8992 USB

ANTHOLOGY talking to DINOTRAUN (←what the heck kinda name is that haha )

•DINOTRAUN: ABC. ABC. (13:41z)

•DINOTRAUN: calling ANTHOLOGY.

•DINOTRAUN: Say again! I did not copy. I did not copy, over........QSY to 8992...QSY to 8992!

•ANTHOLOGY: how's copy? LC

•DINOTRAUN: I read you! LC as well.

•ANTHOLOGY: DINOTRAUN, LC...request to enter the net at this time!

•DINOTRAUN: ANTHOLOGY I request ABC plz authenticate!

•ANTHOLOGY: DINOTRAUN ABC I authenticate with R.

•DINOTRAUN: ABC authenticate
POW..if correct you may enter the net @ 13:47z

•ANTHOLOGY: I authenticate POW with F.

•DINOTRAUN: Enter net @ 13:47z

•ANTHOLOGY: No further assistance needed at this time.
-----------------------
14:10z

205...copy...A out!

•DINOTRAUN: Test count 1234554321

-14:12z
•DINOTRAUN: How's copy? Over!

•YEW TREE: DINOTRAUN copy that, plz stand by, over!

•DINOTRAUN: Authenticate DBG if correct you may enter net @ 14:15z

•YEW TREE: I authenticate DBG with C. How's copy?

•DINOTRAUN: YEW TREE copy, DINOTRAUN out!
--------------------

after this point my notes are not sufficient! I'm sitting here w/pen and paper...I think I'll start recording these on audio cassette. Pretty cool tho! I expect there will be more traffic after I post this.

(Sorry my notes are not completely exact)

[Josh]

I suspect that'd be DYNOTRON or DYNATRON.

[[tRMZ]]

I suspect that'd be DYNOTRON or DYNATRON.

Yeah, fair enough. Since I don't think it's a word

Hahaha

[Josh]

I suspect you will find the national command authority missions (naoc/looking glass/night watch/neacp etc E4 and E6 flights) will have two word callsigns, such as DYNA TRON and YEW TREE and so on. Their corresponding ground stations might also have two word callsigns, however they will really be Offut, McClellan or some other AFB in disguise. I don't think the E4/E6 flights have the ability to key up hf remotes at the various AFB, so when you hear a test count, that's a radioman (or woman) at some AFB.

Here's some further info on (specifically Offut) AFB hf ground stations;
http://www.offutt.af.mil/News/Features/Display/Article/312829/rural-communications-site-has-global-mission/

https://www.facebook.com/Det2Elkhorn/

The Scribner (50 miles nw of Omaha/Offut) comms site mentioned in the first article was a huge air base in ww2, with enough landing strip for the B29s. It's near Scribner Nebraska, way out in the sticks where the local rf noise will be really low.

 I suspect the Elkhorn site is the tx end and Scribner the receiver site due to the fact that I once copied a Spanish Lady bcast that must have originated at Elkhorn due the signal level and stability - I lived only a few miles from the site at the time. Scribner was also used as an emergency landing site for the shuttle program, and is alleged to be a site where potus can land in time of national emergency. I think I recall part of the Scribner strip is now a drag strip on the weekends.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scribner_State_Airport

There's also a old inactivated nike or other air defense missile base north of Omaha around Arlington (I think, not sure) that last time I drove past still had wire hf antennas up, it may be a backup radio site.