HFU HF Underground
Loggings => HF Mystery Signals => Topic started by: Boriken on November 29, 2018, 0153 UTC
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Hearing ~ 2 pulses/sec on 6500/7000/7500/8000/8500/9000 kc. Strongest being 7500. Buddy across town is hearing it as well so not from inside the house.
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1700 UTC, at work (15 miles from home). Hearing them on 13000 & 14000 kc. Now in groups of 4. Last night, heard the 7000 & 8000 kc signal on the hfunderpants sdr.
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First saw these days ago on some US SDR receivers (via the SDR.HU website). Found it odd/interesting, but only tonight thought I'd see what I can hear on the radio from my CO QTH. Sure enough, I can hear 6.5. 7. 7.5 and 8 MHz 'ticks' locally near Denver. Time now 0520Z, but have been hearing them all evening here.
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I've been tracking these recently. Have appeared nearly daily since at least Tuesday.
I've been able to hear it on:
5500 (night)
7500 (night)
8000 (night)
8500 (night)
9000 (day, night)
9500 (day, night)
10010 (day, night)
13500 (day)
14000 (day)
15010 (day)
18068 (day) - Just found this one, 2030z Dec 2nd
They are typically about S6 or so at my qth.
I was copying them somewhere around 2-4 Hz, then groups of 4 as of Wednesday (I believe).
Looking on SDRs, they were inaudible in Europe and Asia, and noticeably weaker in South America. I had tried to get someone with a beam to try to get a heading, but no cigar yet.
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I do not know when I first noticed this signal, it was a week or so ago. I at first dismissed it as local noise, so I did not log it. However it became apparent, when I found the signal on remotes as well as my local receiver, that it was not local.
Since then I have recorded it and looked at it a few times.
Frequencies seen local are:
5500 kHz
6000 kHz
6500 kHz
7000 kHz
7500 kHz
8000 kHz
8500 kHz
9000 kHz
9500 kHz
10010 khz
11000 kHz
12000 kHz
13000 kHz
14000 kHz
15010 kHz
16000 kHz
The signal looks to be on 24 hours a day, more or less, and what frequencies I can receive is probably determined by propagation. Right this minute, 1030 local time, I can hear all freqs 7500 to 16000 kHz, but nothing below 7500 kHz.
Right now the pulses on each frequency are about 18.4 msec long and occur about every 479.6 msec. However, I have measured slight variations from that, for example a few days ago it seemed to be more around a 476 msec repetition interval.
Unlike the mystery 1 PPS signal and the Pips Network signal, this does not appear to be tied to GPS or UTC time.
Pulse and interval images below:
(https://a4.pbase.com/o10/50/78250/1/168481840.3NCd3u4V.2PPS_timin_30z_02.jpg)
(https://a4.pbase.com/o10/50/78250/1/168481846.UrtQveaZ.2PPS_timin_30z_03.jpg)
The signal seems to be sequencing up in frequency. I mean, it hits 5500, makes a pulse, moves to 6000, makes a pulse, moves to 6500, makes a pulse, etc. The next pulse is made as soon as the previous pulse is complete.
Below is an image that shows this timing. The upper trace is the signal on 16000 kHz, the lower trace is the signal on 15010 kHz.
(https://a4.pbase.com/o10/50/78250/1/168481854.AeHLe7aM.2PPS_timin_30z_04.jpg)
This next image also shows the timing, but now the timing between 14000 kHz and 16000 kHz. Lower trace is 14000 kHz, upper trace is 16000 kHz. Since the 15010 kHz pulse occurs between these two frequencies you can see a gap one pulse width wide between the sampled freqs.
(https://a4.pbase.com/o10/50/78250/1/168482290.O0zG1Jls.2PPS_timin_30z_05.jpg)
T!
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Right now the pulses on each frequency are about 18.4 msec long and occur about every 479.6 msec. However, I have measured slight variations from that, for example a few days ago it seemed to be more around a 476 msec repetition interval.
Good analysis of the signal, T.
Highlight of this report: UNID ditter 18068 kHz.
Report
2018NOV02 2110UTC
13000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, weak, -116 dBm.
12000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, weak, -114 dBm.
13500.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, weak, estimated -114 dBm, with CODAR interference.
15000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, weak readable, -110 dBm.
16000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, good readable, -105 dBm.
18000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, weak, -120 dBm. ?
18068.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, good readable, -105 dBm.
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Highlight of this report: UNID ditter 18068 kHz.
Report
2018NOV02 2110UTC
13000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, weak, -116 dBm.
12000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, weak, -114 dBm.
13500.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, weak, estimated -114 dBm, with CODAR interference.
15000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, weak readable, -110 dBm.
16000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, good readable, -105 dBm.
18000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, weak, -120 dBm.
18068.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, good readable, -105 dBm.
Interestingly, I did not see 18068 or 13500 earlier, yet both are there for me now. Also, I recorded wide chunks of spectrum earlier, and 13000 and 14000 kHz were there and very strong, but nothing on 13500. I would think that since I saw 13000 and 14000 I should have seen 13500 if it was on air. So it is quite possible that neither 13500 or 16068 kHz were on the air earlier.
Also, I see 16500 kHz active right now, a frequency I had not seen before.
T!
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Highlight of this report: UNID ditter 4500 kHz.
Report
2018NOV02 2350UTC
4500.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, weak, -112 dBm, interference from carrier and CODAR.
5500.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, weak readable, -115 dBm.
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Highlight of this report: UNID frequency hopping ditter 3500 and 4000 kHz.
Report
2018NOV03 0100UTC
3500.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, good readable, -100 dBm.
4000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, readable, -107 dBm.
4500.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, present but unreadable, -110 dBm, interference from carrier and CODAR.
5500.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, readable, -110 dBm.
6500.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, good readable, -100 dBm.
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5010 kHz also.
Sure, it is just a guess right now, it could be more than one source, or it might be more than one set of frequencies from the same source.
T!
So all frequencies so far reported:
3500
4000
4500
5010
5500
6000
6500
7000
7500
8000
8500
9000
9500
10010
11000
12000
13000
13500
14000
15010
16000
16500
18000
18068
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5010 kHz also.
Yes, logged the low power frequency hopping ditter on 5010 now, with better signal strength. Checked earlier at 5010 kHz, but a carrier interfering signal masked it.
Report
2018DEC03 0112 UTC
5010.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, readable, -102 dBm, but with interference from a carrier.
2018DEC03 0350 UTC
3000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, weak readable, -116 dBm, but with interference from a carrier.
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0512 UTC - Hearing the 2PPS on 5010, 6500, 7000 and 8000 kHz in WNY. Not very strong but definitely picking it out of the noise.
0516 UTC - On 8000 kHz the signal fades in and out.
0521 UTC - 7000 kHz is the strongest followed by 6500 and 5010 kHz.
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Low power frequency hopping ditter.
Highlight of this report: unusual sequence of 4 dits or pips, when logged around 2045UTC.
Then at 2057UTC: returned to continuous dits as usual.
Some of the usual frequencies in between those logged were conspicuously missing, even though the adjacent frequencies were strong.
Good propagation today on the higher frequencies provided reception at 19500 kHz.
Report
2018DEC03 2045UTC
14000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, 4 dits, 2pps, readable, with 9.7 Second repetition of the 4 dit group.
16000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, 4 dits, 2pps, readable, with 9.7 Second repetition of the 4 dit group.
18068.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, 4 dits, 2pps, weak readable, with 9.7 Second repetition of the 4 dit group.
19500.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, 4 dits, 2pps, weak readable, with 9.7 Second repetition of the 4 dit group.
PLAY AUDIO: The 4 DITS flavor of the 14000 kHz UNID 2pps ditter CW 2018DEC03 2051UTC (http://hfpack.com/members/exo/14000kHz_UNID_2pps_ditter_CW_2018DEC03_2051UTC.mp3)
Report
2018DEC03 2057UTC
14000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, continuous dits, 2pps, readable
16000.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, continuous dits, 2pps, readable
18068.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, continuous dits, 2pps, weak readable
19500.00 kHz CW, UNID, ditter, continuous dits, 2pps, weak readable
Time domain image below shows the 4 DITS flavor of the 14000kHz UNID 2pps ditter CW logged on 2018DEC03 2051UTC, with measurement of the 9.7 second repetition for the 4 dit groups.
(http://hfpack.com/members/exo/14000kHz_UNID_2pps_ditter_CW_2018DEC03_2051UTC.jpg)
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My early morning report circa 1105 UTC 4 Dec 2018:
3000 (this may not have been reported before?)
3500
4000
4500
5500
6500
Nothing higher noted, several of the lower frequencies were blocked by SWBC stations.
1230z:
5010? Difficult to tell as there was still a weak SWBC carrier
5500
6000
6500
7000
1443:
9500
11000
13500
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Listening today Dec 4 at 1250Z from near Denver I can hear it on 2.000 MHz, 3.000, 3.5000, 4.000, 4.500, 5.010 and 5.500 (very faintly). Couldn't hear it at 2.510 as expected from the sequence and skipping WWV.
Has 2.000 been reported before?
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Report
2018DEC04 2030 UTC
The 2pps ditter has not been heard here for the past hour on any of the previously logged frequencies.
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I think I may have caught the same thing last night, 8000 KHZ 0400 UTC 4 Dec 2018. Listening via an SDR in southern Nevada on SDR.HU. Roughly 2 pps. I used a metronome to time it at 125 bpm.
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Dec 06 2018 O145 UTC on 6500 & 7000.
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Highlight of this report: Clear audio recording of the 2pps frequency hopping ditter.
Report
2018DEC06 0203UTC
5500.00 kHz CW, frequency hopping ditter, good readable, -110 dBm.
PLAY AUDIO: clear recording on 5500 kHz of the 2pps CW frequency hopping ditter 2018DEC06 0203UTC (http://hfpack.com/members/exo/5500kHz_2pps_CW_frequency_hopper_2018DEC06_0203UTC.mp3)
Waterfall image below shows the frequency hopping ditter on 5500 kHz at 2018DEC06 0203UTC:
(http://hfpack.com/members/exo/5500kHz_2pps_CW_frequency_hopper_2018DEC06_0203UTC.jpg)
The 26 logged frequency hops so far:
2000 kHz
2510 Not logged
3000
3500
4000
4500
5010
5500
6000
6500
7000
7500
8000
8500
9000
9500
10010
10500 Not logged
11000
11500 Not logged
12000
12500 Not logged
13000
13500
14000
14500 Not logged
15010
15500 Not logged
16000
16500
17000 Not logged
17500 Not logged
18000 Not logged
18068
18500 Not logged
19000 Not logged
19500
Nil Report update:
2018DEC07 0132UTC The 2pps frequency hopper appears to be offline at this moment.
It is not being logged here now on any of previously logged frequencies.
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0230 UTC - 6 Dec 2018, hearing 2PPS tonight on following frequencies in WNY: 4000, 4500, 5010, 6500, 7000, 7500, 8000, 8500, 9000 kHz .
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My report for 1045 UTC 6 Dec 2018:
3000
3500
4000
4500 - maybe, difficult to tell due to CODAR QRM
5010
5500
6000
6500
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The 26 logged frequency hops so far:
2000 kHz
2510 Not logged
3000
3500
4000
4500
5010
5500
6000
6500
7000
7500
8000
8500
9000
9500
10010
10500 Not logged
11000
11500 Not logged
12000
12500 Not logged
13000
13500
14000
14500 Not logged
15010
15500 Not logged
16000
16500
17000 Not logged
17500 Not logged
18000 Not logged
18068
18500 Not logged
19000 Not logged
19500
And 26 would be the right number. If the signal is sequencing through the freqs as it appears to have been when I looked at it, then we should be able to tell the maximum number of possible freqs based on the pulse width and time.
If you look at the numbers I posted (in my post with the audio images), and if they are correct, 479.6 msec period and 18.4 msec pulse (both numbers are rounded to the closest 0.1), this allows for 26 steps / frequencies.
Since all of those "not logged" freqs have been seen at one time or another, that would probably indicate that they do change frequency sets and that if you don't see a specific freq in use at a specific time it might not be conditions, but it might be the freq really is not active.
T!
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I heard it today Dec 6 about 2300 UTC on the frequencies below (checked every 500 kHz from 2.000 to 16.000 MHz). Later when checked at about 2330 it was gone on all of them. I also didn't hear it on 4.500.
3.000 (very weak)
3.500
4.000
5.010
5.500
6.000
6.500
7.000
7.500
8.000
8.500
9.000
9.500
10.010
10.500
11.000
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Taken as a whole, considering the reports on HFU and elsewhere, the 2 PPS has the typical characteristics of someone testing an antenna system for a (low power ~20 Watt) frequency hopping radio system, out in The Southwest.
Is 2PPS the "Son Of Yosemite Sam" ?
It hops in a sequence like Yosemite Sam (https://www.hfunderground.com/wiki/Yosemite_Sam) did, but faster and more frequencies.
It uses some of the original Yosemite Sam hop frequencies (http://www.spynumbers.com/YosemiteSam.html) :)
3700 kHz
4300 kHz
6500 kHz
10500 kHz
And near the Yosemite Sam revised set of additional hop frequencies:
10000 MHz
15000 MHz
Yosemite Sam on SpyNumbers:
http://www.spynumbers.com/YosemiteSam.html
(https://www.hfunderground.com/wiki/images/thumb/8/8c/Yosemite_Sam.png/200px-Yosemite_Sam.png)
(http://www.spynumbers.com/YosemiteSam.html)