HFU HF Underground
Loggings => Other => Topic started by: Token on May 23, 2017, 0402 UTC
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For the last couple of days I have been looking at a signal that has some of the earmarks of HAARP.
Starting about 2130 UTC on May 21 and 22, 2017, what appeared to be a dead carrier came up on 5125 kHz. The carrier transmitted on a 3 minute cycle every 10 minutes.
On May 21 it came up at XXX7:00z and off at XXX0:00z. I mean for example, the carrier started at 2337:00z and stayed on the air until 2340:00z. Then it was off air until 2347:00z, and transmitted until 2350:00z. Then on at 2357:00 and off 2400:00. Etc, etc, 3 minutes every 10 minutes, starting on the XXX7:00 mark. It did this from about 2130 UTC on May 21 until about 0750 UTC on May 22, or roughly 10 hours of operation.
Further, there occasionally appeared to be some very low frequency modulation on the carrier, for example at 0400:00z - 0403:00z tonight it had swept modulation on it, starting at about 15 Hz and going to about 23 Hz, or possibly half those frequencies and I was seeing the harmonics, although most of the time all I could detect was a little 120 Hz hum (which I have seen on HAARP before.
And then on May 22 at about 2130 it started up again. Still on a 3 minute on per 10 minute cycle, but tonight it starts at XXX0:00z and ends at XXX3:00z. I mean it starts on air at 0020:00z and goes of air at 0023:00z, then back on the air at 0030:00z and off at 0033:00z, etc, etc.
Right now (0400 UTC, May 23) the signal is still cycling.
I have seen these kinds of signals for the last few months, off and on, but never really looked at them closely until yesterday. By the way, these signals are heard on remotes across the US and in Europe.
Why do I say this might be, maybe, to be considered, HAARP? The signal strength and characteristics are consistent with past HAARP observations. The bearing of arrival is consistent with past HAARP observations. The low frequency modulation is consistent with past HAARP observations. And finally the 120 Hz hum is consistent with past HAARP observations. Not one of these things, by themselves, is a good indicator, but taken together I think it is worth considering HAARP as a possible source.
Chris, if we had the GPS DF thing going we could tell ;)
T!
(edit) Added screenshot;
The following is a screenshot of about 35 minutes of waterfall looking at signal in detail. 4 transmission cycles, every other transmission has low frequency modulation on it.
(http://m1.i.pbase.com/g10/50/78250/2/165512221.ocwtRQ7M.jpg)
(additional edit) Further information;
At 0600 the transmissions changed. It was still the 3 minutes per 10 minute cycle, however now the 3 minute transmission was broken up into a 3 second on and 1 second off cycle within the 3 minutes.
Also noted that alternating 3 second cycles were stronger and weaker, and the strong ones appeared to have the VLF audio modulation on them. This lead to a closer look yet, and I now believe that every transmission may have the VLF audio on it, however I was not initially able to detect it on the slightly weaker ones. At a guess, HAARP was alternating X mode and O mode operations, as the power delta between the strong / less strong transmissions is about equal to the delta observed between confirmed X and O mode operations.
In past confirmed HAARP operations O mode was about 10-12 dB stronger than X mode, and that tracks with these observations.
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Very interesting. Have you tried contacting them to see if they were on the air?
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Also can't they steer the array and alter the take off angle at will? That could explain some of the differences noted in x and o signal strengths.
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Also can't they steer the array and alter the take off angle at will? That could explain some of the differences noted in x and o signal strengths.
Yes, they can steer the beam. However typically during an experiment they are interested in a specific portion of the sky / ionosphere, and they often point at the same point in the sky for hours at a time.
During the February batch of tests I got some good baseline data with relative signals strengths while pointed at the same part of the sky and confirmed X / O mode changes.
T!
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I have a carrier on 5125 now (1226z) but I assume it is too late now to get propagation from Alaska on 60 meters.
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I got a guy on the inside up there, will ask him if it's them.
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Strong signal here at 0020z on 25 May 2017.
HAARP and the Orbital Mind Control Satellite need to team up ;D
(https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t31.0-8/p720x720/18673078_10154702815408099_8932319884246112413_o.jpg?oh=6571946676d338cca66699839abf54cf&oe=59A3A34E)
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I've been getting it intermittently this evening, a strong carrier coming on and off at seemingly random but probably planned intervals.
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I've been getting it intermittently this evening, a strong carrier coming on and off at seemingly random but probably planned intervals.
It came on air with a steady carrier at 0010z, 25 May, 2017. There may or may not have been low freq modulation on it, it was not strong enough at that time to tell (this was well before sundown). Staid up for 10 minutes until 0020z then off air. Came back up at 0025z, with a 3 sec on, 1 second off cycle. Off at 0030z. Since that time it has continued that cycle, 5 minutes off air, 5 minutes on air with OOK and a 3 sec on, 1 sec off cycle. Stop times are XXX5z, and start times are XXX0z.
T!
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Also up daily on 8175 kHz before shifting to the 5125 kHz freq. I had not noticed it before, but it was pointed out to me today and checking my recordings it is indeed there.
T!
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They may be txing on two or more freqs at the same time, mixing them them down to vlf and even uhf in the gelatinous idunnosphere.
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I have the 8175 transmissions now at 1913z, about 7 seconds on and 3 seconds off, repeating.
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Update: I just got a reply from the HAARP facility, they say they have not been on the air. So it's not them. Someone else suggested it could be Arecibo which has an ionospheric heater that runs on 5100 & 8175 kHz.
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Arecibo has HF tests scheduled for this week. They have crossed-dipoles for 5 & 8 MHz mounted inside the dish.
www.naic.edu/vscience/schedule/scedfra2.htm
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Yep, looks like Arecibo is the answer. Very cool, that is a new one for me in the log, or at least new with this much confirmation.
T!
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Here are some pictures from Arecibo, where the HF cross dipoles can be viewed from a pretty close position.
http://www.yeagley.net/Arecibo%20trip/Arecibo%20.html (http://www.yeagley.net/Arecibo%20trip/Arecibo%20.html)
linkz
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Wonder what the gain is on hf for that thing.
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Wonder what the gain is on hf for that thing.
If we assume 65% efficiency (a good middle of the road number, could be slightly higher or lower, at a bet lower is more likely) it would be about 26.5 dBi on 8175 kHz, and 22.4 dBi on 5125 kHz. If the antenna is very efficient you might add as much as 2 dB to each of those.
(edit) Found this paper here : http://www.naic.edu/~astro/ao50/Arecibo_50th_Paper_Breakall_revised_Oct_23_2013.pdf which calls the gain on 8175 kHz as 25.5 dBi and the gain at 5125 kHz as 22.2 dBi. That comes out to about 52% on 8175 kHz and 62% on 5125 kHz.
(edit 2) Looking at that paper it describes the transmitter as 6x 100 kW transmitters repurposed from a former HF OTHR, and the lower freq of 5100 kHz selected because the OTHR was not designed to go below that freq. I wonder which OTHR that was? The power and frequency limits are correct for the FPS-118 (5 to 28 MHz, 100 kW per transmitter module, either 6 or 12 transmitter modules per site). However I thought the FPS-118's were not scrapped until after the new HF transmitter was added to Arecibo? I guess it could the FPS-112 transmitter, but I did not think that one did CW.
T!
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Lol thanks for the info, I assume they can get a lot more power out of them in burst mode?
"Hang on, gonna turn the dish towards your qth"
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After the Arecibo ID, all I can think is, "Epsilon solar, epsilon solar, thank you for your message..."
If anyone gets that, I know there's more than one fan of reasonably obscure radio drama around here.
Seriously though, that's a sharding cool catch. :)
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I received this sorta verification from Arecibo for the transmission via email:
Hello Chris,
I was forwarded this email from a staff member. My name is Angel WP3R and am
the president of the Arecibo Observatory ARC KP4AO. The transmissions you
heard were not made from an amateur radio station so a QSL cannot be sent,
but I can confirm that we were transmitting those frequencies during and
Ionosphere experiment. Different modes were used and one of them was the
timing sequence you mentioned. It seems you know a good deal of the
observatory and I congratulate your listening skills.. Hope to hear you on
the bands.
GL & 73,
Angel WP3R
President KP4AO
Arecibo Observatory Amateur Radio Club
Angel M. Vazquez
Head of Telescope Operations - Spectrum Manager
Arecibo Observatory - SRI International
National Astronomy and Ionosphere Center
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So only hams can get QSL cards from them? Laaaaaaaaaaame.
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So only hams can get QSL cards from them? Laaaaaaaaaaame.
No, they only QSL ham transmissions from the site.
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Weird. There's still much for me to learn about this QSL business. Thanks for clarifying.