HFU HF Underground
Loggings => Shortwave Broadcast => Topic started by: Token on April 21, 2013, 1446 UTC
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Hello all,
Over the last couple of days I have noticed that many time slots and frequencies that are normally the Firedrake Jammer have switched audio to CNR 1. For example, at 1340 UTC today (April 21, 2013) the frequencies of 14700, 15115, 16160, and 16920 all had CNR 1 audio on them, but normally they have Firedrake in this time slot.
Not only is the CNR 1 audio being used on these frequencies instead of Firedrake, but the way they came online to cover the stations they were jamming is the same way Firedrake does it.
For those not familiar, Firedrake has 2 basic modes of operation, “on at the top of the hour” and “on later”. In the “on at the top of the hour” mode Firedrake typically comes on like any other SW station at the top of the hour or slightly before. In the “on later” mode Firedrake comes on sometime after the station to be jammed starts, typically Firedrake audio starts anything from 5 to 40 minutes after the hour, with about 10 to 20 minutes after the top of the hour being average.
For the last few days I have seen the CNR 1 audio start displaying the “on later” habits of Firedrake and on frequencies that Firedrake has normally hit. In the last 12 hours I have found NO Firedrakes active, and normally I find them at will.
In the 1400 UTC time slot only two CNR 1 audio jammers appear to be active at this time (1445 UTC), on 12230 and 12370 kHz, both regular Firedrake targets. All other outlets of Sound of Hope and other regular Firedrake targets are in the clear and have been for the entire hour.
Could the Chinese, in response to the recently publicized jamming articles and complaints, have reduced usage of Firedrake? I suppose they could be having technical issues.
T!
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At 0430Z this morning, found 16360 kHz had programming, but was not Firedrake. At first thought it was SOH, but quickly dispensed with that notion as the signal was too strong. Got a recording and wasn't able to ID it as CNR 1, but guessing that it more than likely is.
Glenn Hauser on the dxld mailing list also noted the same change in broadcasts.
Although, not sure why jamming with CNR 1 would be more acceptable than jamming with Firedrake (or any other method).
Would be interesting to know if the satellites that carry the Firedrake for the SW xmtrs are still carrying it or that programming has changed too.
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Glenn Hauser, on his latest WOR, said that a major Chinese SWBC transmitter site was going down for maintenance, so that might have something to do with it?
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Glenn Hauser, on his latest WOR, said that a major Chinese SWBC transmitter site was going down for maintenance, so that might have something to do with it?
Very possible. That would explain the reduced coverage, fewer jammers online at a time. Not sure if that would explain the change from Firedrake to CNR 1 on former Firedrake targets.
Regardless, CNR 1 is a much less effective jammer than Firedrake.
T!
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The Chinese Transmitters that are off air, SARFT Jinhua Youbu (831 units) are off annually at or about this time. I wonder if this Firedrake absence has been noted before?
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Further research seems to indicate that the Jinhua Youbu transmitters are not frequently associated with Firedrake, and that there are too few transmitters at that site to really account for the absences of all of the Firedrakes.
Most reports put the majority of Firedrake jammers on Hainan Island. Personally I believe that since the audio is distributed via satellite almost any transmitter site can be used, but still the Jinhua Yoube transmitters being off the air would not account for CNR 1 audio being used in an obviously Firedrake manor when that has not been the pattern in the past.
T!
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Glenn Hauser on the dxld mailing list also noted the same change in broadcasts.
Got a link to this list? Not sure I am familiar with it, but would like to check it out.
Although, not sure why jamming with CNR 1 would be more acceptable than jamming with Firedrake (or any other method).
Just a guess here, nothing more, but CNR 1 audio might be a little easier to claim as just happenstance that it is on the same frequency. It carries regular programming and so it is just another SW outlet that happens to be poorly frequency coordinated.
Still no Firedrake heard here in over 6 days (last logged April 19, but I think I heard it and did not bother to log it in the very early hours of April 20). While I do not look for Firedrake, I am not listening for it in general I just log it most of the time when I stumble on it, I have not had a gap of more than 3 days of logging Firedrake in over 3 years. I thought I might have had it on April 24, but the signal was weak enough I was never able to confirm it was indeed Firedrake, it just had that general boom and screech feel way down in the noise.
However every day since I first posted about this I have had CNR 1 covering multiple stations, such as Sound of Hope, so it is not that I am not hearing China.
T!
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Glenn Hauser on the dxld mailing list also noted the same change in broadcasts.
Got a link to this list? Not sure I am familiar with it, but would like to check it out.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/dxld/
Although, not sure why jamming with CNR 1 would be more acceptable than jamming with Firedrake (or any other method).
Just a guess here, nothing more, but CNR 1 audio might be a little easier to claim as just happenstance that it is on the same frequency. It carries regular programming and so it is just another SW outlet that happens to be poorly frequency coordinated.
Still no Firedrake heard here in over 6 days (last logged April 19, but I think I heard it and did not bother to log it in the very early hours of April 20). While I do not look for Firedrake, I am not listening for it in general I just log it most of the time when I stumble on it, I have not had a gap of more than 3 days of logging Firedrake in over 3 years. I thought I might have had it on April 24, but the signal was weak enough I was never able to confirm it was indeed Firedrake, it just had that general boom and screech feel way down in the noise.
However every day since I first posted about this I have had CNR 1 covering multiple stations, such as Sound of Hope, so it is not that I am not hearing China.
T!
I've been listening in the mornings on the way to work and haven't heard Firedrake on 13MHz for a while (usually they come in on 13820, 13920, and/or 13970), but did hear CNR1 on 13920.
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For what it's worth, when I was tuning the 41 meter and 31 meter bands daily last Winter and Spring (Dec 2011-June2012), I generally heard CNR1 blasting away on top of a different, often weaker Chinese language broadcast.
I'm assuming it was jamming. I'd hear Firedrake in those bands only rarely.
I'm sure some of the CNR1 I heard was actual CNR1 broadcasts -- but I think a lot of it was jamming, also.
Perhaps Firedrake was used mostly when jamming higher frequencies. I think in the lower bands it's been mainly CNR1. But I haven't done much listening to SW this year, so I could be wrong.
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Firedrake still on 13795 most days at 13:00 check via Twente & also from my qth in MO. Against RFA (Kuwait) I think. Reported by west coast dxer on 7385 (11;00-12:00Z) & 7365 (13:00-14:00z) in dxld #1320
http://www.w4uvh.net/dxld1320.txt
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Tuned in this morning at 1235Z to 13920 kHz and heard CNR1 and no Firedrake. Used to be a good frequency for the Firedrake. Haven't heard that thing in quite a while now.
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Maybe their 8-track wore out :D
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If it did, serves 'em right. They need to focus on quality (or at a minimum, cast a quick glance that way).
Found CNR1 on 13820 this morning around 1230Z. Nothing on 13850, 13920 nor 13970.
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The last firedrake that i've heard in 13795 around 13:00 has been replaced with CNR 1. I think they are all gone now.
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Haven't heard the Firedrake for over a month. Not even once since my last logging on HFU, yet, I still check frequently.
Perhaps a SW pirate can pick up where they left off and broadcast Firedrake on 43m. ???
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Since I started tuning the HF bands again this year (when MW DX started petering out over the past month or so) I have yet to hear Firedrake. If it's been on, it's been when I wasn't tuning the bands. Although, I don't tune the high SW bands -- mainly 60 meters through 21 meters.
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It may be gone from shortwave, but all is not lost. Its still available in studio quality from:
http://www.satdirectory.com/firedrake.html (http://www.satdirectory.com/firedrake.html)
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I saw this on GH's yahoo group
15605, Firedrake music jamming, 0331 and 0347, June 3 with fair reception. Aoki just lists “Firedrake” at this time with no indication of who it is directed at? Not heard at 0402 (Ron Howard, Asilomar State Beach, CA, Etón E1, dxldyg via DX LISTENING DIGEST)
Have to look for this one
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This morning Firedrake was active on 11825 kHz from 1100 to after 1215 UTC (had to leave for work at that time). Also heard on freq was the Echo CNR 1 jammer. I suspec they were jamming VOA in Chinese. No other Fredrakes found here during that time period, and I did look ;)
T!
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Heard Firedrake on my '440 tonight in the 21 meter band -- 13790 khz, 0649 UTC when I tuned in. Was off during recheck at 0703. Signal was SIO 444; was on top of an unreadable, faint signal.
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There has been a definite change in operating habits for the Firedrake, but it does still appear to be in very limited use.
Firedrake does appear to still exist, but at greatly reduced activity. Prior to April 19 it was common to see it on 8 to 18 frequencies at any one time. For the past month I have never seen more than 2 transmissions simultaneously, and often only 1. And even that seems to happen fewer times a day than past Firedrake activities.
Today at 1125 UTC I found Firedrake hitting Radio Taiwan Int. on two frequencies, 9680 and 7385 kHz. On both frequencies not only Firedrake was hitting RTI but also the CNR 1 audio jammer was hitting both of those freqs.
T!
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I have heard on a few frequencies CNR1 & a noise jammer on SOH. I don't remember the frequencies though, I am trying to get back into the habit of keeping a written log. Is it just me or does it seem like the Chicomms are putting in an incredible amount of effort to jam a pretty low power broadcast. They must really, really hate sound of hope. It is a falun gong thing ,isn't it? I guess that explains it.
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Haven't heard the Firedrake for over a month. Not even once since my last logging on HFU, yet, I still check frequently.
Perhaps a SW pirate can pick up where they left off and broadcast Firedrake on 43m. ???
Alright, I shall see what i can do
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I heard Firedrake again last night (6/9 UTC) on 13790 khz, 0655z. Looks like it may have been used to jam Radio Free Asia.
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Looks like I need to get off my duff and start hunting the elusive Firedrake.
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me too,Skeezix. I keep seeing logs of FD in dx listening digest but I haven't looked for it except for the occasional check via Twente. I hang my head in shame.
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Got word from Antonio EA5GTI on june 10: "Now on 16.920 khz Firedrake Jammer with some fadding but readable." not sure of the time tho.
So the Firedrake is still out there...
73 Vince KA1IIC
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Got word from Antonio EA5GTI on june 10: "Now on 16.920 khz Firedrake Jammer with some fadding but readable." not sure of the time tho.
So the Firedrake is still out there...
73 Vince KA1IIC
It is on air every day, but at a greatly reduced rate form before April 20, 2013.
T!
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I heard "the Drake" twice today 13795 at 12:00z on a doggy dx walk & now (at 22:45z) on 15600.
I wonder who they were attempting to jam on 15600 at 21-23 utc. RFA is on that frequency for 2 hours a week in Tibetan. Do the Chicomms jam frequencies like Cuba does, covering possible & former offending frequencies? for most of the time FD was on 15600 there wasn't anything else there. FEBC was on in Burmese for the last 1/2 hour of FD's occupancy of the channel but that was all.
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I heard Firedrake tonight for the first time in a few days. Some Chinese opera music playing alone on 15425 khz., 0211 UTC (7/01). I couldn't make out anything behind it, so if it was jamming anything, the signals of the jammed station weren't making it across the Pacific.
The last two or three times I've tuned into Firedrake, the music has been different.
Last year, any time I tuned in to Firedrake, it would always be that really fast, noisy, rollicking opera music, with no breaks.
The past two times, I tuned in when there was little going on musically at all -- just a woman singing a bit, maybe a couple hits on the gong and a few notes on the stringed instruments -- like a lull in the opera. Then, after a bit, it picks up again. But last year it seemed I'd never hear the soft parts playing.
It might have been I just hadn't tuned in during those times.
I wonder if they're using a different recording?
Back in the late 70's and early 80's, I'd hear the softer parts a lot when tuning into that signal. Back then, I thought it was legit Chinese broadcasts for the Chinese people. After all, it's Chinese opera music. I used to leave it playing while studying.
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BoomboxDX- I heard the same thing you heard last night. I had about an s7 on the grundig 750 I use. It was different then the usual loud music they play, so I think it could just be a new station? But, probably not.
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As I type this, the most weird thing has happened.
I started my TX as normal, and barely seconds in and Firedrake starts jamming me. glimmertwin will back me up if none of you believe me
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Not Firedrake, the NSA! :o ;)
Peace!
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I'm sorry Echo but Glimmertwin doesn't believe you