HFU HF Underground

General Category => General Radio Discussion => Topic started by: ChrisSmolinski on August 05, 2018, 1311 UTC

Title: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on August 05, 2018, 1311 UTC
Looks like it is the high frequency traders from Chicago. Don't take this as the exact location, TDoA is not that accurate. But certainly in the right area.

Although a good fit for WH2XWU which is at Wanatah (LA PORTE), IN: 41-27-24;  86-51-37  https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=165013&x= (https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=165013&x=)

(https://i.imgur.com/cqOp3gd.png)
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on August 05, 2018, 1318 UTC
Another run put it in Lake Michigan. Maybe they are using a converted German U Boat.

(https://i.imgur.com/O2LKQIM.png)
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on August 05, 2018, 1321 UTC
And another run...  these were all taken a few minutes apart. Are you folks less afraid of TDoA now?

(https://i.imgur.com/pk2MiAx.jpg)
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: jFarley on August 05, 2018, 1428 UTC
And another run...  these were all taken a few minutes apart. Are you folks less afraid of TDoA now?

(https://i.imgur.com/pk2MiAx.jpg)

That one struck close to home...
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on August 05, 2018, 1445 UTC
That one struck close to home...

I've heard other frequencies have been located to the NYC area. This one is particularly annoying for us 43 meter enthusiasts. I did notice the 6942 Link-11 buried under it earlier. Maybe they'll upset Uncle Sam and be asked to move.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Skipmuck on August 05, 2018, 1459 UTC
I believe these links have already been posted, but if these are high frequency trading experiments, then a refresher course is needed here.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/wireless/wall-street-tries-shortwave-radio-to-make-highfrequency-trades-across-the-atlantic

https://sniperinmahwah.wordpress.com/2018/05/07/shortwave-trading-part-i-the-west-chicago-tower-mystery/
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: MDK2 on August 05, 2018, 1624 UTC
Would running those comms when the markets aren't open make any sense?
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on August 05, 2018, 1649 UTC
Quote
Would running those comms when the markets aren't open make any sense?

Perhaps they are testing?

Another run, same general area, but not exactly the same location:

(https://i.imgur.com/NY1oJ9o.jpg)
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: MDK2 on August 05, 2018, 1654 UTC
Perhaps they are.

What kind of license would the FCC grant for this? Is there anything that can be looked up at the ULS database?
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on August 05, 2018, 1659 UTC
Perhaps they are.

What kind of license would the FCC grant for this? Is there anything that can be looked up at the ULS database?

They have a Part 5 license, here is an example of one: https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=165013&x=

You can search Part 5 licenses here: https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/GenericSearch.cfm

You may recall that guy who was transmitting SSTV on 6951? He had a Part 5 license. Some have speculated that an enterprising person might be able to get one for 43 meters for testing some sort of non profit broadcasting to the public system, maybe with an emphasis on public safety?
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: redhat on August 05, 2018, 1746 UTC
From our friends at Google...
https://www.google.com/maps/place/41%C2%B027'24.0%22N+86%C2%B051'37.0%22W/@41.4573539,-86.8598066,852m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d41.4566667!4d-86.8602778 (https://www.google.com/maps/place/41%C2%B027'24.0%22N+86%C2%B051'37.0%22W/@41.4573539,-86.8598066,852m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d41.4566667!4d-86.8602778)

WH2XWU

+-RH
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: fpeconsultant on August 05, 2018, 1840 UTC
Another run put it in Lake Michigan. Maybe they are using a converted German U Boat.

Would be a good place for them.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: jFarley on August 05, 2018, 1906 UTC
The U505 was on display at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.  Wonder if it's still there?
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Josh on August 05, 2018, 1917 UTC
Would running those comms when the markets aren't open make any sense?

They're still testing far as I know, and when they go live I kinda expect them to bitstream for security, and keeping the stream going will make things tougher on anyone trying to analyse the traffic.

Also, I can't see USN letting anyone interfere with their hf ops, and they have the power to find them and bend them to their will. One or the other will move.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Josh on August 05, 2018, 1918 UTC
The U505 was on display at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.  Wonder if it's still there?

They put it inside a display case the size of a building. Great exhibition if you're into ww2 stuff/subs.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on August 05, 2018, 1943 UTC
Off the air as of 1942z.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: paranoid dxer on August 05, 2018, 2017 UTC
From our friends at Google...
https://www.google.com/maps/place/41%C2%B027'24.0%22N+86%C2%B051'37.0%22W/@41.4573539,-86.8598066,852m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d41.4566667!4d-86.8602778 (https://www.google.com/maps/place/41%C2%B027'24.0%22N+86%C2%B051'37.0%22W/@41.4573539,-86.8598066,852m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x0:0x0!8m2!3d41.4566667!4d-86.8602778)

WH2XWU

+-RH

https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/ham-radio-mentioned-prominently-in-high-frequency-trading-story.617581/

https://apps.fcc.gov/oetcf/els/reports/442_Print.cfm?mode=current&application_seq=66454&license_seq=67065

Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: GC on August 05, 2018, 2156 UTC
I have been noting this signal as well and my feeble attempts at using the KiwiSDR tdoa function has provided a fix just west of Chicago.


I have also found this signal quite regularily on 12185kHz and have noted some reports on 14462, 7674, and 10222 but have never noted this activity on those last three noted frequencies; one of several my have been noted to being the European end of this circuit.


This signal is pretty easy to find using a SDR - it is usually very strong and has a distinct rather wide bandwidth. My attempt at using the KiwiSDR tdoa on the 12185kHz also provided a fix near Chicago.


cheers, Graham near Ottawa Canada




Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Pigmeat on August 06, 2018, 0151 UTC
I've got an old buddy who sits on the Chicago Board of Trade. I'll tell him to cut it out or I'll send the worst of the Fansome clan up to have a talk with him.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on August 07, 2018, 1439 UTC
https://hackaday.com/2018/08/06/feeling-the-heat-of-high-frequency-trading/

Quote
But what in the world does the weather have to do with all this? How can a hot, humid day possibly negatively impact the world of high-frequency trading? As it turns out, those microwave connections are the weak link in the system. During the early July heatwave, the links were experiencing slight delays in transmission times over that 16-mile path and throwing off the timing of the trading algorithms. The delay was minuscule — on the order of 10 microseconds — but in a business where millions are made and lost in seconds, that’s substantial.

The physics underlying this uniquely first-world problem are well known. We tend to think that radio waves travel at the speed of light, and while that’s true in a vacuum, propagation speed varies slightly in different media. Air makes microwaves slower; increased humidity makes them slower still. In addition, microwaves are absorbed and therefore attenuated by water vapor in the atmosphere.

So humidity deals a double whammy to the high-frequency traders’ links, both delaying the microwave signals and reducing their signal strength. Such effects are well-known, having been noticed for years on long distance telco microwave connections and the backhaul links that stitch together the cellular network. Delays and attenuation don’t really impact those services to any great degree, but even over a short path like the link between those two New Jersey data centers, the soupy air that settled into the region was enough to slow the links by a few microseconds, which is an eternity in the HFT business.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: JimIO on August 07, 2018, 1727 UTC
HF trading sounds like an addiction. Tax it and use some of the money for treatment.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Josh on August 07, 2018, 1745 UTC
A guy I was in MARS with coded for banks. When y2k was a thing he made a fortune going around the US fixing y2k bugs in ancient bank code, they lost millions due to the miniscule downtime, I imagine the hft guys are dealing with millions of dollars per transaction and the profit motive is too overwelming.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: MDK2 on August 07, 2018, 1836 UTC
A guy I was in MARS with coded for banks. When y2k was a thing he made a fortune going around the US fixing y2k bugs in ancient bank code, they lost millions due to the miniscule downtime, I imagine the hft guys are dealing with millions of dollars per transaction and the profit motive is too overwelming.

Did he have them do updates during banking hours? I worked for a large bank when that was happening, and all updates happened after midnight.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Josh on August 08, 2018, 1852 UTC
A guy I was in MARS with coded for banks. When y2k was a thing he made a fortune going around the US fixing y2k bugs in ancient bank code, they lost millions due to the miniscule downtime, I imagine the hft guys are dealing with millions of dollars per transaction and the profit motive is too overwelming.

Did he have them do updates during banking hours? I worked for a large bank when that was happening, and all updates happened after midnight.

His company flew him around and he was gone days or weeks at a time, don't recall anything else other than they were down long enough to lose a lot of money. Apparently there wasn't a lot of guys left working asm, fortran, cobol, or whatever antiquity it was the banks and investing houses used who were willing to fly around the US and fix spaghetti code.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Pigmeat on August 08, 2018, 2259 UTC
A buddy hired me to do it for him before and after Y2K. I'd tell the young IT guys when they asked me how to do it, "Well first you need punchcards and a machine to sort them." That usually got rid of them.

One day I'll tell you the guys the tale of, "I Was A Teenage Tape Librarian", the most deadly of all positions in the computer rooms of the pre-pc era. Well, other than getting pneumonia. Those rooms had to be kept at a constant 63 degrees. Going in and out during the hot summer months played Hell on the sinuses and lungs.

A friends wife had a similar gig upgrading ancient hospital computer systems. It was the last of the "Geeks get even plucking the tech fearing bigshots" gold rush.

You should have been there in the 80's when you could charge 150 bucks per machine for "refurbishing" a business's pc's by simply cleaning the fan and turning up the resolution on the old monitors. You could do 10 or more in well under two hours, and they would pay for your travel to boot. It was like selling snake oil, except you didn't have to put on a show. As most of our customers were car dealers, I didn't feel bad about hosing them. Turnabout is fair play.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Josh on August 09, 2018, 0503 UTC
Lol 25 an hour to defrag some windows pcs.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: JimIO on August 09, 2018, 1316 UTC
What's a defrag?
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: MDK2 on August 09, 2018, 1504 UTC
What's a defrag?

Probably easier to link an article than try to explain in my own words.
https://www.laptopmag.com/articles/defragment-hard-drive-windows
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: JimIO on August 09, 2018, 1730 UTC
Thanks for the post MDK2 but I was just jerking around. When I see defrag or registry or malware I think why would anyone put up with that when there is a free alternative.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: MDK2 on August 09, 2018, 1828 UTC
Ha! You got me.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Fansome on August 09, 2018, 1859 UTC
I remember the good ol' days. When someone asked about an annoying radio stations, the answer was always, "Oh wait, that's Radio Pigmeat International".
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Pigmeat on August 09, 2018, 1946 UTC
Now, now, Al. I was doing Radio Al Fansome in those days, too. Those hand made prints you created for the QSL's weren't exactly Louvre quality either.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on August 09, 2018, 2036 UTC
(https://i.imgur.com/lH51xnA.png)
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Fansome on August 09, 2018, 2157 UTC
Wow! That's a fine looking QSL! Wonder who made it...
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: ChrisSmolinski on August 09, 2018, 2219 UTC
Wow! That's a fine looking QSL! Wonder who made it...

It's extra valuable due to the misspelling of my name. Kinda like that stamp with the upside down plane.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: jFarley on August 10, 2018, 0025 UTC
Wow! That's a fine looking QSL! Wonder who made it...

It's extra valuable due to the misspelling of my name. Kinda like that stamp with the upside down plane.

I'm sure the Committee to Preserve Radio Verifications would love to get their hands on that.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Fansome on August 10, 2018, 2316 UTC
Remember: Dig up the past, and all you're going to get is dirty...

Wow! That's a fine looking QSL! Wonder who made it...

It's extra valuable due to the misspelling of my name. Kinda like that stamp with the upside down plane.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Pigmeat on August 10, 2018, 2334 UTC
None with the photo of his trailer and Cap'n Ron's box on them? Those were the collectors editions.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Fansome on August 12, 2018, 0946 UTC
https://www.hfunderground.com/wiki/images/a/af/Radio_Al_Fansome.jpg

None with the photo of his trailer and Cap'n Ron's box on them? Those were the collectors editions.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Pigmeat on August 12, 2018, 1409 UTC
That was quite the palace, Al. What made you move out?
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: KaySeeks on August 13, 2018, 2007 UTC
Not to take this thread back to the original topic  :D  but.....

I used TDoA early this morning and noted "direct hits" on the Chicago area with different sets of receivers. Not that there was any doubt.  :) That transmitter takes up 10+ KHz at a time.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: Josh on August 14, 2018, 1636 UTC
The system should be ready to go online just about the time the great correction takes place.
Title: Re: So you were wondering about that annoying UTE 6920-6950 kHz...
Post by: MDK2 on August 14, 2018, 2152 UTC
Never mess with gay frogs.

https://www.dailydot.com/layer8/infowars-down-under-cyber-attack/