Messages

2641

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6543.2 kHz LSB 0640++ UTC 12 April 2017

« on: April 12, 2017, 0647 UTC »

Strong Spanish language traffic on another interesting frequency.  6 5 4 3 2...now that's easy to remember.  Just like 6777.7 kHz or 6888 kHz, etc.  6543.2 kHz is another case of fishing fleets using HF aircraft bands (in this case, the 6 MHz aeronautical band 6525-6765 kHz), not to mention their use of LSB instead of USB. 

Two OMs talking rapidly with long breaks of silence.  Appears to only be two stations (as opposed to many peskie loggings, where there's 3+ stations, often with several stations transmitting at once. 

I tuned away at 0647 UTC and the frequency was clear when I tuned away.

2642

Peskies / UNID Portuguese Language 5540 kHz USB 0635+ UTC 12 April 2017

« on: April 12, 2017, 0639 UTC »

Yet another 5 MHz aeronautical band pirate/peskie/who knows logging.  This time its 5540 kHz (compare to previous logs for 5510 kHz USB and 5534 kHz USB).  Googled 5540 kHz and 5540 USB and found nothing but information on shortwave broadcasters who use (or have used) 5540 kHz.  Nothing about aircraft or military users of this frequency. 

The 136th edition of the Spooks Newsletter NSNL 136 lists the frequency 5540 kHz as being used by station S30.

Peskie-like chatter in Portuguese with some sort of faint data signal underneath the voice traffic.  Very long winded transmissions (also typical for peskies) with very little to no radio discipline, which leads me to believe that its not aircraft stations using a different language or military/government/diplomatic traffic.

2643

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 5510 kHz USB 0630+ UTC 12 April 2017

« on: April 12, 2017, 0634 UTC »

Two romance language stations (I put Spanish in the title but after listening for a bit I think it may actually be Italian) chatting away.  Another unlisted HF aircraft frequency being pirated by non-aircraft users.  SIO 333 at best with static crashing and very minor fading.  One of the stations has some sort of background chatter, possibility indicating it being a marine-based transmitter. 

Falls within the 5450 kHz - 5730 kHz 5MHz HF aircraft band.  Quite close to the 5505 kHz USB MWARA frequency for New York Radio. 

2644

Peskies / UNID Portuguese Language 5534 kHz USB 0620+ UTC 12 April 2017

« on: April 12, 2017, 0627 UTC »

Doing some late night (er...early morning) band scanning and came across another "pescadore net" on 5534 USB.  5534 kHz lies within the 5450 kHz to 5730 kHz aeronautical band but 5534 does not appear to be an assigned on-route HF aircraft frequency. 

Radio traffic is similar to the standard peskie two-way traffic heard in the 6-7 MHz region and on other frequencies.  Heavy static crashes and relatively weak signals gives these stations a SIO 222. 

2645

Other / HF Marine Nets 6230 kHz USB and 6270 kHz USB 0330+ UTC 11 April 2017

« on: April 12, 2017, 0336 UTC »

Two groups of marine stations chatting away on 6230 kHz USB and 6270 kHz USB.  6230 kHz is one of the few 6 MHz marine band [6200 kHz - 6525 kHz] simplex only channels (according to the ITU channel plan anyway). 

6230 kHz USB - Spanish language
6270 kHz USB - Italian language

Both nets are coming in nice and strong late this evening (US East Coast).  Nice to see marine users actually using legal HF marine frequencies within the legal HF marine bands!   

2646

Other / HF SSB Marine ITU Channel 601 6200 kHz USB 0300+ UTC 12 April 2017

« on: April 12, 2017, 0332 UTC »

Tuning around the 3-8 MHz region this evening, right at the bottom of the 6 MHz marine band and I came across a simplex QSO on 6200 kHz USB.  Per the ITU HF SSB maritime frequency channel plan, 6200 kHz is ITU channel 601 and is a "duplex" channel (split-frequency) paired with 6501 kHz.  6200 kHz USB is the ship transmit frequency and 6501 is the coast transmit frequency.  6200/6501 is listed as one of the "USCG Calling" channels which makes sense given the fact that the US Coast Guard uses 6501 kHz USB for marine weather transmissions.  

The users are speaking Spanish and are operating in single-frequency only (nothing heard on 6501 kHz).  Per ITU channel plan, only 6224 kHz, 6227 kHz and 6230 kHz may be used for simplex operation.  

Maybe I've stumbled upon some fishermen actually using real legit MF/HF marine radio with the pre-programmed ITU channels!  [gasp!]

Still going strong at 0332 UTC.  

2647

10/11 meters / Re: 27495 kHz USB / 27.495 MHz USB Sporadic-E 11 Meter Activity 11 April 2017

« on: April 12, 2017, 0202 UTC »

Likely.  Which frequencies did you notice activity on? 

2648

Peskies / Peskies / Pescadores / Freebanders Loggings 12 April 2017 0130+ UTC

« on: April 12, 2017, 0144 UTC »

6750 kHz USB - Unknown language, likely Spanish...strong QRM from data signal on ~6752 kHz
6763 kHz USB - Spanish, very strong signals with ute QRM
6771 kHz USB - Spanish - with very heavy QRM from Old Time Radio on 6770 kHz AM
6868 kHz LSB - Portuguese
6870 kHz AM/CW - station tuning up
6873 kHz LSB - Portuguese
6873 kHz USB - Spanish, sporadic signal right at noise floor
6895 kHz LSB - Spanish, very strong signals with some static crashes.  At least 3 different stations talking in a "net"
6900 kHz LSB - Spanish - active as usual
6915 kHz LSB - Portuguese
6919 kHz LSB - Portuguese, sporadic signals
6925 kHz LSB - Portuguese, very strong signals some S7-S9 with QRM (stations walking all over each other, etc)
6960 kHz LSB - Spanish
6986 kHz USB - Unknown language, sporadic signal

2649

North American Shortwave Pirate / Old Time Radio OTR 6770 kHz AM 0130 UTC + 12 April 2017

« on: April 12, 2017, 0141 UTC »

Hearing bits and pieces of Old Time Radio pirate on 6770.0 kHz AM.  Pescadore QRM from two-way traffic on 6771 kHz USB making reception difficult.  SIO 333 at best.

2650

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: TCS 6876 AM 0024 UTC April 12, 2017

« on: April 12, 2017, 0114 UTC »

Hearing bits and pieces of audio, with some strong peaks of music.  6876 kHz AM (looks to be exactly 6876.2 kHz AM).

Thanks TCS!

2651

10/11 meters / Re: 27495 kHz USB / 27.495 MHz USB Sporadic-E 11 Meter Activity 11 April 2017

« on: April 11, 2017, 2134 UTC »

I miss listening to UK FM CB and WPAS/CADS church transmissions on 11 meters as well as the pileups on 27555 USB, etc. Seems like today's log on 27495 LSB was a bit of a fluke. Possibily some minor sporadic E propagation. I checked 27515 LSB, 27515 AM, 27025 AM, 26925 AM, 26555 LSB and the 26705-26725 frequencies that are usually blowing up during openings and heard nothing. 26225 USB, 26555 LSB and 26585 AM are all indicative of a band opening to Latin America and they were all quiet.

Fingers crossed for more 11 meter band DX as the spring season rolls on! 

2652

10/11 meters / 27495 kHz USB / 27.495 MHz USB Sporadic-E 11 Meter Activity 11 April 2017

« on: April 11, 2017, 1739 UTC »

Hearing faint Spanish language traffic on 27495 USB (complete with roger beeps!) at 1735 UTC.  Scanning the rest of 11 meters and hearing nothing but local AM CB traffic and occasional station calling CQ DX on 27385 LSB. 

Maybe the sporadic E season is finally upon us! 

2653

10/11 meters / Truckstop Broadcasts on CB Channel 19 27.185 MHz 27185 kHz AM Indiana SDR

« on: April 11, 2017, 1736 UTC »

I was fooling around with one of the KiwiSDRs (remote SDRs) located in Indiana (Edinburgh, Indiana), which happens to be located right next to Interstate 65.  Listening to the 11 meter band on this remote receiver I tuned to 27185.0 kHz (CB CH 19) and heard a very strong signal right on 27185.00 (lots of transmissions on CB, especially truckers' radios, are usually 500-1000 Hz off frequency, some of them I've noticed are 3-4 kHz off-frequency.

Anyway, every 30-40 seconds, a powerful signal comes on [often on top of on-going trucker chatter] with a YL advertising an "all hand truck wash" at exit 76B:

$20 truck wash, $20 trailer, $15 flatbed, etc.  I've heard several different versions of these ads (including ones coming from local truck stops on Interstate 95) and they're not actually truck washes...they're truckstop prostitutes "lot lizards" advertising themselves over CB radio.  Considering the fact that most trucker communications heard on this SDR are in the S2-S4 signal strength range and this automatic recording broadcast is S5 to S7 means they're either running considerable power or are very close to the SDR receiver itself.  

Since the receiver in question is near a truckstop, I've logged several other local communications on nearby 11 meter frequencies:

26985 kHz / 26.985 MHz - CB Channel 3 - truckers chatting to each other while at truck stop
27055 kHz / 27.055 MHz - CB Channel 8 - truckers chatting to each other while driving up (or down) Interstate 65
27125 kHz / 27.125 MHz - CB Channel 14 - two truckers, one with a very overmodulated signal talking about switching trucking companies
27165 kHz / 27.165 MHz - CB Channel 17 - appears to be alternate channel, used when channel 19 is congested
27205 kHz / 27.205 MHz - CB Channel 20 - truckers chatting to each other while at truck stop
27355 kHz / 27.355 MHz - CB Channel 35 - dump trucks on work site talking to each other (very strong signals, possibly construction crews)
27635 kHz / 27.635 MHz - truckers chatting to each other while driving up (or down) Interstate 65

The band was completely closed when I made these logs so I know the traffic heard was local.  Interesting what can be heard on these SDRs since basically all of them cover the 25-30 MHz region.  

2654

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: UNID 5200 AM 1534 UTC 4/11/17

« on: April 11, 2017, 1634 UTC »

Tuned in at 1630 UTC.  Strapping S9 to S9+30 signal!  "Night Moves" at 1633 great audio nice wide signal 5200 kHz AM. 

2655

North American Shortwave Pirate / UNID 6925 AM 1540 UTC 11 April 2017

« on: April 11, 2017, 1541 UTC »

OMs talking, occasional music

Drama involving Sam Spade, sounds like The Maltese Falcon.  Fading up and down, S3-S4 signal but readable except during deep fades.