30 meter dasher, or ???

[cwguy]

1540Z - Tuesday morning - hearing random dashes on 10136.5 MHz.   Possibly hand sent, but this has been going on for minutes at a time.  At one point it stopped, and I could hear, 200khz away, another series of odd dashes.  Then the initial station came back on, and I could hear both sets of dashes, about 200 khz apart.  At this point I don’t think this is hand sent.

Started around 0840 mtn time (1540 Z) – still hearing this 20 minutes later.  It does not sound at all like someone tuning up or anything like that at all.

Anyone else have a minute to listen in?

<< Colorado Front Range >>

[cwguy]

Still going on, 2 hours later, at 1745 Z (1045 AM Mountain Time)

Not likely hand sent.  There are short dashes, then longer dashes, but no long keydown times, no callsign, nor ID of any sort.  Then they disappear for a minute or two, and then the wierdness resumes...

Very strange, but kinda cool.

[Sealord]

10.135.1 USB SIO 434

Good signal from whoever is transmittng this - recorded ~ 3min. worth from 21:58z~22:01.  There was a CW signal sent during the dashes, but don't know if this is from a seperate entity or not.  Don't know code so not sure of what the CW message is either.

Audio: http://www.archive.org/download/ShortwaveOddsSodsTransmissions/10135_11Usb2158z2201z01-10-12.mp3

[cwguy]

Good recording.  The CW you hear is KK2QQ.  Doesn't seem related to the dashes we hear - it comes in on top of and slightly off freq from the dashes.  Perhaps he doesn't hear them from his QTH in NY.  In the recording, the dashes each seem to have the same signal strength (as they do here in Colo) - makes me think they are from the same source - that, and the dash-only type of transmissions.

I've been on HF for over 30 years - hadn't come across this oddity yet.  Interesting...

[vinoul]

Could this possibly be hams experimenting with the new OPERA digital mode?  I know it uses a pseudo-CW type signal and is designed for weak signal beaconing, similar to WSPR.  Most activity seems to be around 10135-136. 

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/O_P_E_R_A_/

http://www.obriensweb.com/operaguide.html


vinoul

[cwguy]

Vinoul,

I don't know what the OPERA mode sounds like, but from the way this is acting, I would suspect you are correct.  Anyone out there know what OPERA sounds like - and can maybe upload a sound clip?

Regardless, this might now belong in another forum, as these don't seem to be pirate beacons   It did catch my attention though!