Messages

2206

10/11 meters / 27.695 MHz LSB 27695 kHz LSB Busy Spanish Language 0250+ UTC 29 June 2017

« on: June 29, 2017, 0253 UTC »

Spanish speaking 27.695 MHz SS 27.695 LSB 27695 kHz LSB Spanish language

While (at least on my end) 6900 kHz and nearby 43 meter band frequencies are quiet, the 11 meter band versions (that cluster around the 27.6-27.7 MHz region, 5 kHz steps, LSB and USB with 27.695 and 27.665 being the primary frequencies) are busy.  Hearing a station welcoming various other operators to the frequency at 0252 UTC with signal reports.  Lively frequency even though its pretty late. 

2207

10/11 meters / Late Night 11 Meter Net 27.545 MHz LSB 27545 kHz LSB 0245 UTC 29 June 2017

« on: June 29, 2017, 0250 UTC »

Freeband 11 meter CB radio 11m outband net frequency 27.545 LSB 27545.0 kHz LSB Southern USA

Hearing two OMs chatting on 27.545 MHz LSB, possibly more (sounds like a net actually).  Mention of a Kenwood radio and another station "547" and "OK-01",  "167" "Bill" IDs heard...then mention of another station checking in at 0247 UTC.  Stronger station talking about "dragging the antenna on the ground" likely a mention to a station running mobile.  Southern accents.  Now (0248 UTC) talking about propagation conditions.  Professional operating practices, no stations talking over each other, etc.  Talking about other stations that the main station (control operator?) has worked "927" "Roy" and lots of stations in Georgia and Alabama, mentions of "Carolina", "Interstate 40" and other vague locations so sounds like I've stumbled upon a regional 11 meter net frequency. 

2208

10/11 meters / Ohio Remote SDR - 27.255 MHz FSK 27255 kHz Data Link CB Channel 23

« on: June 28, 2017, 1956 UTC »

Checking out one of the web SDRs I enjoy checking in the afternoon and I noticed a weak FSK signal on 27.255 MHz (really close to being right on frequency too, unlike a lot of AM CB transmissions I've watched on various waterfall displays).  No AM traffic on the frequency right now and the band appears to be closed so this could be local.

As I've mentioned a bunch of times before, Part 95 FCC rules allow up to 25 watts carrier power on 27.255 / Channel 23. 

2209

10/11 meters / Re: Outhouse Net 27385 kHz LSB (ch 38) 0302 UTC Jun 28 2017

« on: June 28, 2017, 1953 UTC »

That President McKinley is doing it for you.  And you're using an indoor mag-mount antenna?

2210

North American Shortwave Pirate / Clever Name Radio 6940 kHz USB 2055 UTC 27 June 2017

« on: June 27, 2017, 2056 UTC »

Strong signal just popped up on 6940 USB, rock music.

2211

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 10698 kHz USB 2050+ UTC 27 June 2017

« on: June 27, 2017, 2053 UTC »

10.698 MHz USB 10698 kHz USB Spanish speakers UNID possibly fishing fleets or freebanders, outbanders, pirates bootleggers etc two-way radio traffic HF band

Similar to traffic heard on same frequency band (10 MHz band) 10272 kHz USB at the same time, only weaker and more sporadic.  Possibly an alternate frequency??

2212

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 10272 kHz USB 2045+ UTC 27 June 2017

« on: June 27, 2017, 2050 UTC »

UNID Spanish language traffic 10.272 MHz USB / 10272 kHz USB

Hearing one side of a QSO in Spanish on 10272 USB.  About S2-S3 just barely readable with some fading.  Now hearing a much weaker station (also in Spanish).  Not sure if conditions have changed or if this is the other side of the QSO (or if there's multiple stations in a "roundtable" or net format).  Now (2049 UTC) hearing the usual "hola!" greeting common to 11 meter freebanders and 43 meter freebanders, perhaps this is their "30 meter" band

Informal chatter going at 2050 UTC.  Multiple stations going at once at points, causing severe QRM.  Possibly fishing fleets. 

2213

Peskies / Re: 6.990MHz LSB Indonesian Chanters

« on: June 27, 2017, 2014 UTC »

Maybe not too far off from drunken Portuguese speaking fishermen on 6925 LSB and dozens of other frequencies. 

Then again, if its similar to the Chinese VC01 stations...is somebody spoofing these transmissions and just playing around or have they moved to a different frequency? 

2214

10/11 meters / Re: Does your area still have CB "home channels" or "town channels"?

« on: June 27, 2017, 2006 UTC »

CB is the 'voice of the highway' so that makes perfect sense.  Since most information from trucker chatter on 19 can be gained simply by listening, it wouldn't surprise me if somebody brought a radio and antenna from home just to know what's going on.

Even the Virginia State Police used to have Uniden 520XL radios installed in their cars as part of the standard radio package.  They have since been removed from VSP vehicles, but, as I mentioned before, VDOT and other state agencies keep CB equipment in their vehicles for the same reason that army convoy had a CB in the lead vehicle. 

2215

10/11 meters / Re: Does your area still have CB "home channels" or "town channels"?

« on: June 27, 2017, 0022 UTC »

Tree companies and paving/road construction companies seem to make heavy use of CB around here as well.  There's one that has trucks with two antennas on each, one for CB, and the other for their 43 MHz band business radio service system.  Since they often work with other contractors/sub-contractors, having CB makes sense.  Same with the state department of transportation operating their own 47 MHz system, having radios for the VHF high band state police Project 25 digital trunking system, scanners of various types and a mag-mount CB antenna on some trucks for good measure - so the snow plow guys can talk to the truckers.

The roadside assistance trucks all have VHF low band (45/47 MHz), VHF high band (digital trunking), 700/800 MHz antennas (vehicle repeaters for digital trunking) and a hodgepodge of various CB antennas.  Some of them have dual ball-and-spring antenna mounts (one for a VHF low band antenna, and the other on the opposite side of the truck for a CB antenna).

I've seen 4 foot fiberglass coil antennas, 60-70" base-loaded whips, Wilson 5000 trucker antennas, and 108" stainless steel 1/4 waves opposite the VHF low band antennas.  With all those antennas combined with VHF-high band and scanner antennas...one wonders what the radiation patterns for those types of setups are. 

I even remember seeing a military convoy driving down 95 and the lead humvee had a Wilson 5000 CB antenna slapped on the roof (as well as VHF FM SINCGARS antennas).  Interoperability, yo.

2216

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Clever Name Radio 6940 USB 2255 UTC 26 Jun 2017

« on: June 26, 2017, 2316 UTC »

They went off the air right after I tuned in at 2311 UTC.  

Back on the air with "She Hates Me" at 2319 UTC


2322 UTC - Robot YL ID Clever Name Radio with email address
2322 UTC - Nirvana - Rape Me

2217

Peskies / Hola Hola Hola Radio Testing? 6920.4 kHz LSB 2310 UTC 26 June 2017

« on: June 26, 2017, 2314 UTC »

6.920.4 MHz 6.9204 MHz 6920.4 kHz Portuguese/Spanish speakers (switching languages, as a couple words of English have also been heard) freebanders pescadores etc - Seems like only one station right now. 

Sounds like somebody doing radio checks, OM keeps repeating "Hola hola 1..2...3...Hola! Hola!"

Possibly somebody trying out a new radio, frequency is 6920.4 kHz LSB, but it may be closer to 6920.37 kHz.  Hearing some off-frequency SSB QRM down in the noise underneath the transmissions on 6920.4 LSB

I logged into a remote SDR at 2317 UTC and tuned back in and am still able to hear only the OM saying "hola one two hola one two" and "what?"  Not exactly sure what I'm hearing here...

2218

10/11 meters / Re: Does your area still have CB "home channels" or "town channels"?

« on: June 26, 2017, 1907 UTC »

It's the same here, channel 22 is the "ghetto" channel [it has other names that I'm not going to type out here]...the other channels are generally used outside the city proper. 

2219

10/11 meters / Re: Does your area still have CB "home channels" or "town channels"?

« on: June 26, 2017, 1852 UTC »

One thing's for sure, CB radio is still alive and well, especially in rural areas.  I live in an urban area and CB is still very popular even in the downtown areas, despite the fact that 26-27 MHz doesn't propagate too well in built-up areas.  That may explain why most of the locals are running power.  

In a rural area with a high quality base station antenna, I know 4 watts carrier power will actually get out pretty well.  I take it for granted that most operators are at least running a "peaked and tuned" radio.  

I recently installed a Uniden 520XL bare bones 40 channel AM CB radio and an old Radioshack magnetic mount CB antenna on my roommate's car and he absolutely loves it - I keep telling him about the "town channels" in the areas he drives through, but he just leaves it on 19 the whole time.  Pure utilitarian.  Even with a basic setup like that (4 watt radio, I've measured it at around 4.5 watts carrier to 17 or so watts PEP / "swing") and a base-loaded 1/4 wave mag mount antenna, he's able to talk to truckers on channel 19 (which is almost always congested) 4-5 miles away from him in either direction on the Interstate.  

It's interesting that the channels mentioned are all close to the center of the band (27.185 MHz - channel 19).  21, 17, 14, 22, etc.  The channel 22 guys sometimes move up to channel 23 and 24, even though they think channel 24 is "further away" from 22, its actually closer than 23, since channel 22 is 27.225 MHz, channel 23 is 27.255 MHz and 24 is 27.235 MHz. 

2220

Peskies / UNID Unknown Language 6936.5 kHz LSB 0100+ UTC 26 June 2017

« on: June 26, 2017, 0115 UTC »

Two way traffic 6.9365 MHz 6936.5 kHz LSB, pretty sure it was Spanish but didn't get a decent copy due to other signals on frequency.  6936.5 LSB vs. 6935 USB means a very messy copy.

Causing heavy QRM to Moonlight Radio pirate on 6935 kHz USB before they disappeared, almost right after Moonlight Radio went QSY down to 6925 kHz USB. 

6936.5 kHz is now clear