HFU HF Underground

Loggings => Utility => Topic started by: Boriken on March 06, 2019, 2354 UTC

Title: Any TACAMO Activity on VLF
Post by: Boriken on March 06, 2019, 2354 UTC

I have a couple of VLF receivers (Gyrator II) listening for solar activity (27 & 40kc). Have the parts for another one. Has anyone ever heard any TACAMO activity in the 15-30kc range? I see frequencies in the various online lists. Is it still used?

Title: Re: Any TACAMO Activity on VLF
Post by: Strange Beacons on March 07, 2019, 1702 UTC

I don't have any information for you, but I did have to look up what TACAMO (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TACAMO) is and it got me interested in what you are monitoring.

Please let us know if you ever hear anything.

Title: Re: Any TACAMO Activity on VLF
Post by: Josh on March 07, 2019, 2013 UTC

Yes, still used. The reason they fly tight loops once on station is to keep that miles long vlf antenna as vertical as possible. Think the last logs I saw said around 18KHz. If you find a msk sig down that low and it's the strongest thing on the band, it's either neacp or one of the ground based vlf stas.

Title: Re: Any TACAMO Activity on VLF
Post by: Boriken on March 08, 2019, 0311 UTC

Set up the Palomar VLF converter & TS-520SE to monitor 17.9kc. Lists call it "channel 1". Heard a fairly strong MSK signal show up from 0200 to 0214 UTC 08 March. Similar sounding to NAA, NAU, NRK, etc. Will see what else shows up while I build another Gyrator.

Title: Re: Any TACAMO Activity on VLF
Post by: Josh on March 08, 2019, 2113 UTC

If you look at the uhf mil air posts, some of us are logging neacp catches, if they're up, you might reasonably expect there to be msk traffic waaaay down the band.

:D

Title: Re: Any TACAMO Activity on VLF
Post by: Strange Beacons on March 08, 2019, 2241 UTC

Quote from: Boriken on March 08, 2019, 0311 UTC

Set up the Palomar VLF converter & TS-520SE to monitor 17.9kc. Lists call it "channel 1". Heard a fairly strong MSK signal show up from 0200 to 0214 UTC 08 March. Similar sounding to NAA, NAU, NRK, etc. Will see what else shows up while I build another Gyrator.

What mode (CW, AM, other) are you using to listen to the TACAMO signals?

Title: Re: Any TACAMO Activity on VLF
Post by: Josh on March 09, 2019, 0002 UTC

Here's what a similar mode looks like and how to rx it;
http://i56578-swl.blogspot.com/2018/12/stanag-5030mil-188-140-vlflf.html
http://i56578-swl.blogspot.com/2019/03/stanag-5030mil-188-140-vlflf.html

Title: Re: Any TACAMO Activity on VLF
Post by: Boriken on March 12, 2019, 0105 UTC

MSK signal just appeared on 17.9kc at 0100 UTC. Assumed to be TACAMO.

Title: Re: Any TACAMO Activity on VLF
Post by: Josh on March 12, 2019, 1821 UTC

If you don't already, you might do some mil air listening on UHF in conjunction with your VLF work.

Here's some starter freqs;
http://www.carmachicago.com/profiles/Milair.pdf

In this page you can enter your zip and listening radius (I use 500 miles) and it will display intercepts from your area;
http://www.milradiocomms.com/mil_freq_database.html