Topics

556

North American Shortwave Pirate / Relay Station 6880 AM 1638 UTC 25 Oct 2018

« on: October 25, 2018, 1640 UTC »

The Relay Station - Relay Station 6880 kHz 6.880 MHz tuned in via Westminster, MD KiwiSDR - the usual killer 20 kHz wide bandwidth AM broadcast quality wide AM signal SIO 555 S7-S9 with peaks at S9+10db around tune in time. 

Beautiful AM signal on the waterfall, exactly 20 kHz wide with carrier right on 6880.0 kHz - top notch work as usual, Relay Station!

1638 UTC - Cage The Elephant - Come A Little Closer
1641 UTC - Arctic Monkeys - Do I Wanna Know?
1643 UTC - Unfortunately I'm home for lunch and won't be able to listen for much longer
1645 UTC - a few seconds of unmodulated carrier - S9 carrier without any modulation

557

10/11 meters / 26735 AM Spanish Language 2030 UTC 16 Oct 2018

« on: October 16, 2018, 2033 UTC »

Very busy Spanish language chatter, QRM and jamming on 26.735 MHz 26735 kHz AM mode, heard on Chris' KiwiSDR at 2030 UTC, still going at 2033 UTC with very loud (and often distorted) AM audio

2035 UTC - somebody playing a recording of a klaxon siren or air raid siren - S5-S6 signal strength with some QSB
2036 UTC - noticing some weak AM voice on 26715 as well

558

Peskies / Spanish and English 6612 USB 2228 UTC 15 Oct 2018

« on: October 15, 2018, 2229 UTC »

Hearing several OMs chatting on 6612 kHz 6.612 MHz (with some QRM from the Italians on 6610 kHz USB), heard "roger roger" something about buying a camera, and several other things in English...then back to Spanish...

"No, negative..." 2231 UTC
"football, dude" 2231 UTC

clearly not native English speakers...

559

Peskies / Italian Language Net - 6610 kHz USB 2222 UTC 15 Oct 2018

« on: October 15, 2018, 2222 UTC »

UNID Italian speaking OMs 6610 kHz 6610.0 kHz 6.610 MHz USB mode October 15th 2018 - operating within the aircraft band, they sound like the Portuguese guys usually heard on 6925 kHz LSB and similar frequencies, lots laughing, mention of "Francia" and "Espania" several times at 2225 UTC.

The band is quite open and there's lots of weird traffic in the 6 MHz region this evening.  This might be Italian or Portuguese.  Either way, the OMs who are chatting away on 6610 kHz 6.610 MHz are talking really fast.

They're also a nice legit 3 kHz channel step away from the strong aeronautical HF station on 6607 kHz USB.  I distinctly heard "gratzi!" at 2223 UTC.  These guys are Italians and are quite talkative.

560

Peskies / Spanish speakers very busy QRM 6666.6 kHz USB 2210 UTC 15 Oct 2018

« on: October 15, 2018, 2216 UTC »

The 6-7 MHz band is alive with dozens and dozens of QSOs in Spanish, Latin American traffic coming in before the sun even sets. 

I'm hearing a very active freebander or outbander "net" (more like a pileup or ragchew) on 6666.6 kHz USB, 6.666.6 MHz USB...which is, of course, in the 6525-6685 kHz on-route subband of the 6525-6765 kHz 6 MHz aeronautical or aircraft HF SSB band.  Not a good frequency choice, but there are tons of other freebanders popping up in this band, and even more in the 6.7-7.0 MHz area, using both USB and LSB modes.  6666.6 USB is just, well, really easy to remember.  Hearing two OMs talking over each other at the moment (2216 UTC).

561

Peskies / YL and OM QSOs 6900 USB and 6950 USB 2200+ UTC 15 Oct 2018

« on: October 15, 2018, 2209 UTC »

Suddenly the band woke up.  In Latin America, that is.  I'm hearing two QSOs between an OM and a YL both on 6900 USB and 6950 USB.  The couple on 6950 USB are using somewhat proper radio procedure and prowords, including "over" (in Spanish).  Not very good signals as of yet but the sun has not set on the east coast at the time I'm writing this and listening to the mess on 6900 kHz (2209 UTC).

562

Peskies / 6890 kHz USB UNID Peskies/Freebanders 2115 UTC 15 Oct 2018

« on: October 15, 2018, 2119 UTC »

Portuguese (I think) language chatter going on 6890 kHz USB, 6.890 MHz USB, causing some minor QRM to the pirate station Mix Radio International on 6886 kHz USB. Normally this would be more than enough channel spacing but Mix Radio has such a wideband SSB flamethrower signal that even on 6890 USB I can hear the music from 6886 USB stronger than the two-way chatter on frequency.

Multiple OMs still talking on 6890 USB at 2119 UTC

563

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6900 LSB 2040 UTC 15 Oct 2018

« on: October 15, 2018, 2043 UTC »

Weak Spanish voices heard this afternoon (US East Coast time) on 6900 kHz.  Some traffic heard on 6900 USB as well.  Seems to be the beginnings of the usual (almost nightly) freebander net(s) that use 6900 kHz 6.900 MHz as their home channel or "calling frequency"

564

Utility / 6907 kHz USB XFL Calling EWD 6907 USB 2039 UTC 15 Oct 2018

« on: October 15, 2018, 2041 UTC »

6907 kHz USB 6.907 MHz USB (monitored out of Westminster, MD KiwiSDR online receiver)

Heard XFL calling EWD (both callsigns read using NATO alphabet), XFL heard nothing - "this is X-Ray Foxtrot Lima, nothing heard, out." at 2039 UTC.  Very good signal on XFL.  Possible MARS net or other military?  American accented English.

565

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6850 USB 2042 UTC 11 Oct 2018

« on: October 11, 2018, 2043 UTC »

Hearing very faint Spanish language chatter on 6850 kHz USB 6.850 MHz 11 October 2018

566

North American Shortwave Pirate / UNID 6890 USB 2035 UTC 11 Oct 2018

« on: October 11, 2018, 2036 UTC »

Signed on right into music at 2035 UTC, right on the very edge of The Relay Station's wide AM signal on 6880 kHz AM.

2038 UTC - moving around in frequency for a second, then cranked open the audio
2039 UTC - off abruptly
2040 UTC - back on with "Magic Man" by Heart, clearly making adjustments to transmitted audio bandwidth while on the air
2048 UTC - now there's just a carrier on 6890.0 kHz, S9+10db on the Uniontown KiwiSDR
2049 UTC - must have dropped power, went from S9+10 to S5
2050 UTC - Carole King - It's Too Late
2052 UTC - rapidly changing frequency, like the op is slowly moving the VFO from side to side
2052 UTC - back on 6890.0 kHz
2054 UTC - (DON'T FEAR) THE REAPER (adjusting audio bandwidth)
2055 UTC - nice wide SSB audio at this point, 7 kHz or so
2057 UTC - now the lower side has audio (no carrier) so we'll call this 6890 kHz DSB
2058 UTC - back to regular USB (with very wide audio!) - very strong signal S8-S9+10 on peaks

567

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6863 USB 2030 UTC 11 Oct 2018

« on: October 11, 2018, 2035 UTC »

Hearing two OMs chatting, very weak but can make out what I'm pretty sure is Spanish at 2030 - 2035 UTC.  I think I heard "Cuba" at 2035 UTC...

568

Peskies / 6900 kHz LSB Freeband Spanish Speaking Freebander Net 1930 UTC 11 Oct 2018

« on: October 11, 2018, 1937 UTC »

Hearing some Spanish language freebander chatter on the "home channel" of 6900 kHz 6.900 MHz LSB mode this afternoon

569

Peskies / 6-7 MHz Very Busy Freebanders Pescadores 10-11 Oct 2018

« on: October 11, 2018, 1724 UTC »

6200 kHz - 6525 kHz - marine band - maritime HF-SSB 6 MHz band
6525 kHz - 6685 kHz - aeronautical band - routed aircraft HF-SSB 6 MHz band - MWARA frequencies here
6685 kHz - 6765 kHz - aeronautical band - off-route band 6 MHz aircraft band - some military and general ute/data use
6765 kHz - 7000 kHz - fixed/mobile band - 43 meters, heavily used by all sorts of everything (including pirates)

Lots and lots of Spanish and Portuguese language chatter all over the band last night:

not including several QSOs active in the 6200 kHz to 6525 kHz marine band (of which there were many) - but including the 6525-6765 aeronautical HF-SSB band (6525 kHz to 6685 kHz and 6685 kHz to 6765 kHz subbands)

6528 kHz USB - Spanish language chatter
6555 kHz USB - Spanish language, freebanders/outbanders operating in the aeronautical band
6565 kHz USB - Spanish language, OMs talking
6666.6 kHz USB - Spanish language, sounded like two QSOs at once, operator "Juan" heard, somebody whistling into mic
6675 kHz USB - Spanish language, weak
6698.5 kHz USB - Spanish language
6700 kHz USB - Spanish language (about the same signal strength as the traffic on 6698.5 USB, making a real mess)
6705 kHz USB - Portuguese language, sounded like pescadores
6715 kHz USB - Spanish language, possible radiotelephone link
6730 kHz LSB - Spanish language
6755 kHz USB - Spanish language, getting clobbered with QRM from 6754 kHz USB
6771.5 kHz USB - Spanish language, another possible radiotelephone link
6775 kHz LSB - Spanish language, OM and YL chatter, another possible radiotelephone link
6777.5 kHz USB - Spanish language, OM talking to another very weak station
6780 kHz USB - Spanish language, likely radiotelephone link (frequency, mode and users logged previously)
6790 kHz LSB - Portuguese language
6790 kHz USB - Spanish language, another possible radiotelephone link
6800 kHz USB - Spanish language, probably freebanders or pescadores
6818 kHz LSB - Portuguese language
6825 kHz USB - Spanish language, strong at points
6858.5 kHz USB - Spanish language, good signals
6868 kHz LSB - Portuguese language
6880 kHz USB - Spanish language
6888 kHz LSB - Portuguese language
6900 kHz LSB - Spanish language - common freebander frequency
6900 kHz USB - Spanish language (6900 LSB and 6900 USB going at the same time)
6905 kHz LSB - Spanish language with QRM from 6900 kHz USB
6910 kHz LSB - Spanish language
6919 kHz LSB - Portuguese language
6920 kHz USB - Spanish language
6925 kHz LSB - Portuguese language, very busy
6930 kHz USB - Spanish language
6935 kHz LSB - Portuguese language, possibly two QSOs going on at once on this frequency
6950 kHz USB - Spanish language, YL and OMs talking
6961 kHz USB - Spanish language
6975 kHz USB - Spanish language
6980 kHz LSB - Spanish language
6990 kHz LSB - Spanish language
7000 kHz USB - OM and YL talking with ham radio CW traffic on top of them

570

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6832 USB 1227 UTC 8 Oct 2018

« on: October 08, 2018, 1229 UTC »

Two OMs with casual conversation, mentions of family life, etc.  Heard "cambio" (which means "over" or "back to you" in Latin American radio parlance) on 6832 kHz USB.  S4-S5 peaks which makes it one of the stronger two-way QSOs I've heard this morning...the band is nice and busy, either because of the impending tropical storm/hurricane or just good monitoring conditions