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1426

Peskies / UNID 6935 LSB 0045+ UTC 22 March 2017

« on: March 22, 2017, 0051 UTC »

Hearing very faint two-way traffic on 6935 kHz LSB.  Very weak signals, but sounds like Portuguese to me.  Likely multiple stations talking over each other making copy difficult, combined with nearly nonstop static noise crashes.  SIO 111 from 0045 to 0051 UTC

1427

10/11 meters / Telemetry Paging 27255 kHz 27.255 MHz CB Radio Channel 23 1425 UTC 21 Mar 2017

« on: March 21, 2017, 1430 UTC »

Hearing what almost sound like telemetry signals on 27255 kHz this morning.  Data bursts roughly 10 kHz wide...varies from every 2 seconds to a 10-12 second wait between bursts.  Nothing else on frequency this morning, and the 11 meter band is relatively quiet.  Just the usual 27185 (Channel 19) and 27355 (Channel 35) AM voice traffic.

I've heard POCSAG mode paging on 27.255 (CB channel 23) before and I know it is used for various on-site telemetry system in addition to R/C purposes (with 26995, 27045, 27095, 27145 and 27195). I have also logged non-stop tone signals on 27255 (although this very well could have been CBers playing around).

FCC rules permit up to 25 watts carrier power on 27.255 MHz for telemetry, paging, etc...that means 100 watts PEP power in AM mode

Update:

Reference FCC Rules:

47 CFR 95.207 (FCC Rules Part 95 Section 207)
47 CFR 95.210 (FCC Rules Part 95 Section 210)

47 CFR 95.207 § 95.207 (R/C Rule 7) On what channels may I operate?

(1) The following channels may be used to operate any kind of device (any object or apparatus, except an R/C transmitter), including a model aircraft device (any small imitation of an aircraft) or a model surface craft device (any small imitation of a boat, car or vehicle for carrying people or objects, except aircraft): 26.995, 27.045, 27.095, 27.145, 27.195 and 27.255 MHz.

47 CFR 95.207b § 95.207b

(b) You must share the channels with other R/C stations. You must cooperate in the selection and use of the channels. You must share the Channel 27.255 MHz with stations in other radio services. There is no protection from interference on any of these channels.

47 CFR 95.207f § 95.207f

(f) Stations in the 26-27 MHz range are not afforded any protection from interference caused by the operation of industrial, scientific of medical devices. Such stations also operate on a shared basis with other stations in the Personal Radio Services.

47 CFR 95.210 § 95.210 (R/C Rule 10) How much power may I use?

47 CFR 95.210a § 95.210a

(a) Your R/C station transmitter power output must not exceed the following value under any conditions:

Channel: 27.255 MHz  Transmitter power (carrier power) (watts) 25
Channel: 26.995-27.195 MHz Transmitter power (carrier power) (watts) 4
Channel: 72-76 MHz Transmitter power (carrier power) (watts) 0.75

Since the FCC regulations under 95.210 specifically state transmitter carrier power instead of peak envelope power, just like how the CB rules specify 4 watts maximum carrier power for 26.965-27.405 MHz, that means that peak envelope power (PEP) for 27.255 can legally be up 100 watts (just like PEP on the CB channels can legally be up to 16 watts).

This also means that you can transmit up to 4 watts carrier / 16 watts PEP on 26.995 MHz, 27.045 MHz, 27.095 MHz, 27.145 MHz and 27.195 MHz for R/C purposes.  Interestingly enough, 27.255 MHz is included in the R/C services for telecommand and telemetry, which one could infer that the other 5 frequencies could be used for this purpose as well (with less maximum transmitter power than allowed on 27.255 MHz).  27.255 is also the only one out of the six available 26-27 MHz channels that is shared with a legal CB channel.

FWIW, this also translates to a maximum power (PEP) of 3 watts (0.75 watts carrier x4) on the 72.01 MHz to 72.99 MHz and 75.41-75.99 MHz bands.

1428

Peskies / UNID Spanish Speaking QSO 6895 kHz LSB 1400 UTC 21 March 2017

« on: March 21, 2017, 1415 UTC »

OM talking about the "traffico en la frecuencia" and saying hello to other operators on frequency this morning.  Primary (?) station is loudest, station he's talking to are barely readable.  Sounds like an impromptu net of some sort (similar to 6900 kHz LSB and 6905 kHz LSB).  Discussion of radio propagation conditions, how much traffic is on what frequencies, etc.  Sounds like freebanders to me.  Station ID as "43" and other numerical callsigns all reminds me of freeband CB-like communications.  All three of these frequencies (6895 kHz, 6900 kHz and 6905 kHz) are more or less the same amount of activity.  Stronger signals but heavy QRN this morning making listening difficult. 

1429

Peskies / UNID Spanish Speaking QSO 6900 kHz LSB 1400 UTC 21 March 2017

« on: March 21, 2017, 1407 UTC »

Similar to the traffic heard on 6905 kHz LSB this morning.  6900 kHz LSB / 6900 kHz USB seems to be a "calling" frequency of sorts.  Due to heavy static crashes I'm giving this a SIO 211.  Sounds like more than two stations chatting away (the stations on 6905 LSB possibly QSYed from 6900 LSB...this is the behavior I've noticed in the past).

1430

Peskies / UNID Spanish Speaking QSO 6905 kHz LSB 1400 UTC 21 March 2017

« on: March 21, 2017, 1405 UTC »

Two OMs talking, SIO 222 to SIO 333 with static crashes this morning.  Long, information conversations.  Sounds like freebanders but difficult to tell what the background noise is (if any) due to heavy static crashes.  

1431

North American Shortwave Pirate / UNID 6925 AM 1450 UTC 20 March 2017

« on: March 20, 2017, 1458 UTC »

AM signal, around SIO 444.  S5-S6 signal level.  Sounds like an older Dragnet episode....not sure if its one of the radio episodes or TV episodes.

1529 UTC "the narcotics distribution system" "checked the car he owned through DMV"
1530 UTC "the source of the dope"
1534 UTC interviewing the mother of the teenage dope-seller
1544 UTC "a steady supply of obscene literature"
1600 UTC strong carrier het on 6923.8 kHz making listening in AM mode a bit harder.  SIO 433 now
1601 UTC "dead boy report" "body was found in a gutter"
1605 UTC dramatic music
1612 UTC talking about interviewing people at a bar "left the bar at about 1:45am"
1623 UTC "the subject was tried and convicted of manslaughter"
1624 UTC Dragnet theme song "the story you are about to hear is true" "NBC brings you Dragnet"
1625 UTC "a police officer has been shot"
1633 UTC gunfire
1634 UTC "James Vicars, murder suspect, died almost instantly"
1653 UTC audio difficulties, another Dragnet episode starting "for months helpless citizens have been robbed...beaten senseless...kidnapped"
1719 UTC "attention all units suspect is headed east on Wilshire Blvd" siren and tire screeching sound FX
1720 UTC more dramatic music, police radio chatter
1723 UTC Fatima cigarette ad "smoke the best of long cigarettes, smoke Fatima!" then the start of another Dragnet episode
1725 UTC long-distance telephone call to Murphy 761 being placed through several operators (complete with in-band signalling!)
1750 UTC another Dragnet episode starting theme music with Fatima cigarette ad
1817 UTC audio off, carrier dropped off 2-3 seconds later 

1432

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6905 kHz LSB 1500+ UTC 19 March 2017

« on: March 19, 2017, 1510 UTC »

Hearing two-way communications in Spanish on 6905 LSB, sounds like two OMs talking.  One of them in quite long-winded.  Also heard a couple radio tests on this frequency.  SIO 222 at best (just above the noise floor at 1500 UTC).  At 1508 UTC, heard two stations talking over each other.  No callsigns/names/handles/identifiers heard so logging this as a pure UNID.

Conversation seems pretty informal.  Hearing one of the ops laughing at what the other op said.  Kind of early for these sort of logs (usually these guys don't show up until the afternoon/evening East Coast of USA time).

Given the proximity to 6900 kHz LSB and the fact that that seems to be the "standard" frequency for Spanish-speaking stations (as opposed to 6925 kHz LSB for Portuguese-speaking stations), I would venture a guess that these operators simply QSYed from 6900 LSB to 6905 LSB. 

1433

North American Shortwave Pirate / UNID 6950 AM 1700 UTC 18 March 2017

« on: March 18, 2017, 1712 UTC »

YL talking to several OMs.  Sounds like audio from a movie.  S5 signal

About SIO 333 or so

1434

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6895 kHz LSB 2300+ UTC 16 March 2017

« on: March 16, 2017, 2347 UTC »

Two ops chatting away (one considerably stronger than the other) on 6895 kHz LSB.  Some minor QRM from strong signals on 6900 LSB.  Talking about antennas, weather, and other "ham radio like" topics.  Possibly QSYed from the more busier frequencies of 6900 kHz LSB or 6915 kHz LSB.

SIO 444 for the strong station, SIO 333 for the weaker one.  Both entirely readable though.  

1435

Other / UNID 4947 USB 1600 UTC 16 March 2017

« on: March 16, 2017, 1628 UTC »

Re-transmission of Declaration of War against Japan, very faint voice signal heard on remote SDR.  4947 kHz USB.  Appears to be on some sort of a loop... about 4-5 minutes long.

  
Loop restarted at 1630 UTC.  
Loop restarted at 1635 UTC. 

SIO 222 at best.

1436

Peskies / UNID [Spanish] 6790 kHz USB 0315-0323 UTC 16 March 2017

« on: March 16, 2017, 0325 UTC »

Been listening to a Spanish-speaking OM on 6790 kHz USB for the past 5 minutes or so.  It sounds like he's talking to another station, but no other traffic is heard and there was long pauses between transmissions.  Good signal strength but QRM from nearby data signal on 6791.5 kHz or so is making copy difficult.  I heard a mention of "change frequency?" and "I copy that".  No transmissions heard from 0320 to 0323.  Traffic came back at 0324 UTC, but considerably weaker.  Still only hearing one side of the conversation.

SIO 222 at best. 

1437

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 11900 kHz USB 1400 + UTC 15 March 2017

« on: March 16, 2017, 0244 UTC »

Forgot to log this earlier, heard during the day.  11900 kHz is almost right in the middle of the 25 meter shortwave broadcast band (officially 11650 kHz - 11975 kHz, de facto its more like 11600 kHz - 12200 kHz considering the number of legal/licensed broadcasters that operate above and/or below those limits).  However, these guys were operating on an empty frequency (but quite close to the super flamethrower signal from WRMI on 11825 kHz) and using USB mode.  Spanish language, similar conversational topics as I run into in the 6700-7000 kHz and 25615-28000 kHz ranges.  Sounded like two, possibly three operators having a casual conversation.  SIO 333 at the very best.

Very interesting frequency choice.  Seemed like land-based transmissions given the fact that they were mentioning Mexican cities (although that doesn't rule out marine-based transmissions talking about things going on on land).

1438

Peskies / UNID Spanish Freebanders 6965 LSB 2200 UTC++ 15 March 2017

« on: March 16, 2017, 0232 UTC »

Several Spanish-speaking operators talking on 6965 kHz LSB.  This frequency has been active for many hours.  Similar to 6900 LSB and the other common ones.  Heard names/callsigns "Juan", "Raul" and others.  No numerical callsigns heard. OMs whistling into microphones, yelling "HOLA! HOLA! HOLA!" and general chatter off and on all evening. Heard one op address another as "cabron" (rough translation would be "bastard" or "a**hole" in English) so chances are these guys know each other well enough to use such "terms of endearment".   Weak signals, but mostly readable.  SIO 222 or so.  

1439

Peskies / UNID 6973.5 kHz USB 0200++ UTC 16 March 2017

« on: March 16, 2017, 0229 UTC »

Weak voice two-way traffic heard here with very strong OTH Radar buzz burst QRM.  Sounds like Portuguese, but I'm not 100% sure due to the weak signals and heavy QRM.  This is a new frequency for the "peskie logs" too. 

Two stations heard chatting away.  No names, handles or callsigns heard.  SIO 111.

1440

Peskies / UNID 6928 LSB 0220+ UTC 16 March 2017

« on: March 16, 2017, 0223 UTC »

6925 kHz LSB is extremely loud tonight, and is splattering over to the other side band pretty often.  However, I am able to copy a QSO in what sounds like Spanish on 6928 kHz LSB, with heavy QRM from 6925 kHz LSB.  6928 LSB is weaker, but there is certainly a QSO there.  This is an interesting example of the "peskies" using 3 kHz steps instead of their usual 5 kHz steps.

S2-S3 signal levels.  Just above noise floor with very heavy QRM from 6925 LSB and 6930 LSB.