Topics

586

10/11 meters / Data Link or Pager Poughquag NY SDR 27255 FM 1735 UTC

« on: August 01, 2018, 1740 UTC »

Various FSK signals heard on 27255 kHz 27.255 MHz on the Poughquag NY KiwiSDR first heard at 1735 UTC, S4 signal, then a weaker signal and then 3 seconds later a much stronger signal, sounds like FSK signals replying to each other, signal is roughly 7.5 kHz wide and almost sounds like POCSAG, duration less than 1 second bursts. 

While 11 meters is open I believe this is local to the SDR.   I will try and investigate further (and get some screen shots of the signal) later on today.

587

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6879 USB 2140 UTC 31 July 2018

« on: July 31, 2018, 2141 UTC »

Hearing some weak Spanish language chatter on 6879 kHz USB this afternoon (evening UTC time).  It's still early, so maybe the activity will pick up later on as the propagation conditions change..

588

North American Shortwave Pirate / Old Time Radio OTR 6770 AM 2345 UTC 30 July 2018

« on: July 30, 2018, 2346 UTC »

Old Time Radio OTR Pirate 6770 kHz 6.770 MHz AM mode

Carrier fading in and out, there's a screaming ute on 6770 LSB, so tuning 6770 kHz in USB mode, can hear bits and pieces of talk at 2345 UTC

589

10/11 meters / 27475 AM Spanish Language Radio Checks 2338 UTC 30 July 2018

« on: July 30, 2018, 2339 UTC »

27475 kHz AM 27.475 MHz freeband 11 meter

OM repeating HOLLLAAAAAA several times over and over with S4-S5 signal heard at 2338 UTC

590

10/11 meters / Over The Horizon Radar OTHR 27470-27550 kHz 2335 UTC 30 July 2018

« on: July 30, 2018, 2337 UTC »

10-15 kHz wide OTH buzzes bouncing around the area above CB channel 40.  Some very weak SSB chatter underneath on 27475 LSB that sounds like its in English language and US based.

591

10/11 meters / Latin American 11 meter activity 26715 AM 27065 AM

« on: July 30, 2018, 2336 UTC »

Both booming in just past 2330 UTC on July 30th.  26715 kHz - 26.715 MHz AM is heavily used in Puerto Rico, apparently in addition to 27065 (CB channel 9, 27.065 MHz).  Both frequencies are very busy with Spanish language.  One of the transmitters on 26715 is heavily overmodulated and is pushing 30db over S9.  Very muffled..

592

Peskies / 6755 kHz USB Spanish vs. 6754 USB Powerhouse 2330 UTC 30 July 2018

« on: July 30, 2018, 2332 UTC »

On the pauses when there isn't a massive signal on 6754 kHz you can hear Spanish language speakers on 6755 kHz USB yakking away.  Sounds like another possible radiotelephone link, similar to what I heard on 6772.5 kHz USB a few minutes ago....unfortunately the extremely strong military aviation weather transmission on 6754 USB makes listening to 6755 USB impossible

EDIT:

I did some Googling, and in addition to my own logs of activity on 6755 kHz in the past, there's posts from RadioReference and other radio forums talking about Spanish language chatter on 6755 kHz and 6755.5 kHz, so apparently "hiding" right beside the loud Trenton military signal is pretty common.

593

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6815 USB 2325 UTC 30 July 2018

« on: July 30, 2018, 2327 UTC »

Weak Spanish language chatter, sounds like freebanders or outbanders like the operators usually heard on 6900 LSB and nearby frequencies.  SIO 222 at best at 2325 UTC

594

Peskies / UNID Spanish QSO 6772.5 USB 2322 UTC 30 July 2018

« on: July 30, 2018, 2325 UTC »

6772.5 kHz USB, Spanish language conversation, two stations talking, one a solid S6 the other barely readable...so this seems like your standard two way chatter and maybe not a radiotelephone link...but its hard to say for certain

595

10/11 meters / 29790 kHz FM 29.79 MHz NFM Van Pool Transportation WQMA652 27 July 2018

« on: July 27, 2018, 1256 UTC »

FM mode, NFM technically - Commuter van dispatcher traffic - fading in and out with readable CTCSS or PL tones 100.0 Hz and 151.4 Hz decoding on the Pro-96 scanner with 26-30 MHz lowband mobile antenna using a Chevrolet ground plane

Van Pool Transportation operates a massive linked repeater system in Massachusetts, see licenses under:

WQMA652 - http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=3206157 (29.790 MHz, 30.680 MHz and 31.060 MHz)

WQPU857 - http://wireless2.fcc.gov/UlsApp/UlsSearch/license.jsp?licKey=3403524 (30.660 MHz, 30.720 MHz, 30.740 MHz, 30.760 MHz, 30.820 MHz, 31.120 MHz and 31.480 MHz)

According to the license, they're transmitting 220 watts ERP on 29790 kHz FM - the system apparently uses both 100.0Hz and 151.4Hz CTCSS tones and the mobiles transmit on various 35 MHz repeater input frequencies.  Who needs digital trunking when you have high power lowband FM? 

596

10/11 meters / Truckers construction traffic on 25835 AM 1030 UTC 10 July 2018

« on: July 10, 2018, 1227 UTC »

Tuning the 11 meter rig on the way to work this morning and I heard two OMs chatting about loads and moving around the "yard" - possibly dump trucks operating around one of the freight terminals or construction sites in my area, or maybe some Sporadic E skip (hard to say - early morning yields some interesting propagation sometimes). 

Both operators had southern accents on 25.835 MHz AM 25835 kHz AM. 

Note that 25835 AM is Channel 19 down three bands (!!) - in other words on a "standard" export radio where the CB band (26965-27405) is Band D, the low band (26515-26955) is Band C, low-low band (26065-26505) is band B the lowest band or "super-low" - 25615-26055 is Band A.  So these guys flipped their band switches from D to A but kept their radios on channel 19. 

I'm sure their antennas are giving them a great VSWR right now...with 25.835 MHz being only 1.35 MHz away from CB band center at 27.185 MHz - yes, I know, most high-end CB antennas are "rated" at 26-28 MHz...but they still have to be tuned for SWR at desired operating frequency, which truckstops will tune for best SWR on channel 19 - 27.185 MHz or channel 20 - 27.205 MHz, even though channel 19 is the center frequency of the legal CB band.

I have heard lots and lots of trucker chatter on 26735 kHz / 26.735 MHz (channel 19 on band C or down one band) and 27635 kHz / 27.635 MHz (channel 19 on band E or up one band) but it's been a long time since I've heard truckers this far down...past 26 MHz and into the 25 MHz channels.  In fact, during band openings, I've heard more truckers chatting on 28085 kHz / 28.085 MHz (channel 19 on band F, or up two bands) than on 25.835 MHz or 26.285 MHz (26285 being channel 19 down two bands). 

Makes sense to me though.  Leave the channel selector on 19...just flip the band switch until you find a clear frequency.

See:

http://www.bellscb.com/cb_radio_hobby/6-band_frequency_chart.htm

597

North American Shortwave Pirate / Old Time Radio OTR 6770 AM 2330 UTC 4 July 2018

« on: July 04, 2018, 2331 UTC »

After noticing the mystery carrier on 6777 kHz, the Spanish language radiotelephone QSO on 6772.5 kHz USB and VOAC on 6780 I noticed a weak carrier on 6770 kHz as well...bits and pieces of audio as well underneath the QRM...

598

Peskies / Rural Radio Telephone Service - Latin American HF Radiotelephone Links

« on: June 21, 2018, 1201 UTC »

Since it seems like a lot of the traffic heard in Spanish is radiotelephone related, I decided to put together a list of all of the logged rural radiotelephone link frequencies:

All frequencies in kHz, mode listed with frequency

6835 USB - Spanish language, possible radiotelephone link (last logged Jan 2018)
6805 USB - Spanish language, possible radiotelephone link (last logged Jan 2018)
6799 USB - English language, YL and OM heard talking
6790 USB - Spanish language, possible radiotelephone link (last logged Jan 2018)
6786 USB - Logged several times, Spanish language
6780 USB - Confirmed rural radiotelephone service frequency
6775 USB - Alternate frequency, lots of offsets in this portion of the band (6777.5 kHz, 6767.6 kHz, etc)
6772.5 USB - Spanish language, OM and YL heard talking (last logged Jan 2018)
6768.5 USB - Spanish language, OM and YL, heard during band opening to South America
6767 USB - Logged several times
6765 USB - Heard during band opening to South America
6760 USB - Another presumed radiotelephone link frequency
6755 USB - Logged several times
6750 USB - Logged several times, Spanish language
6749 LSB - Spanish language, possible radiotelephone link (last logged March 2018)
6721 LSB - Spanish language, presumed radiotelephone link
6713 USB - Presumed radiotelephone link, possibly just freebanders or pescadores
6710 USB - Spanish language, presumed radiotelephone link
6705 USB - OM and YL talking, sounded like a telephone conversation (last logged Jan 2018)
6700 USB - UNID language heard here

599

10/11 meters / 11 meter opening 10 June 2018

« on: June 10, 2018, 2028 UTC »

Lots of in-band activity on the 40 legal channels as well as US stations on the low frequencies above channel 1 (26885, 26905 and 26915 being very active) and several SSB QSOs in progress above channel 40. Channels 36, 37, 38 and 39 are all wall-to-wall with SSB DX in LSB mode. 27415 LSB, 27425 LSB, 27445 LSB and 27525 LSB also very busy.  I have WWV on 25 MHz coming in SIO 222 or so 25000 kHz

More logs from 10 June 2018:

I was testing an HF antenna as well as using a President Texas 1800 mobile whip (7/8 wave) with a ground plane.

26515 AM 26.515 MHz AM - Georgia, Florida, and other deep south states working each other
26565 AM 26.565 MHz AM - Spanish language, probably from Mexico
26585 AM 26.585 MHz AM - Spanish language, lots of fading
26705 AM 26.705 MHz AM - Spanish language, Puerto Rico and Florida heard (lots of overmodulation, etc.)
26715 AM 26.715 MHz AM - Spanish language, similar to 26705 AM
26775 AM 26.775 MHz AM - Two stations talking, very deep rapid fades, southern accents (English language)
26815 AM 26.815 MHz AM - Lots of activity from the deep south, numerical callsigns heard
26835 AM 26.835 MHz AM - similar to 26815 AM
26885 AM 26.885 MHz AM - Heard mention of Indiana
26905 AM 26.905 MHz AM - radio checks, lots of QRM and some splatter from 27025 AM
26915 AM 26.915 MHz AM - low channel AM calling frequency, busy southern and midwestern USA


27415 LSB 27.415 MHz LSB - Southern USA, active QSO
27425 LSB 27.425 MHz LSB - Heard mention of Ohio
27435 LSB 27.435 MHz LSB - weak, Florida?
27445 LSB 27.445 MHz LSB - very strong, thick midwestern or even Canadian accents
27455 USB 27.455 MHz USB - Spanish language, very active
27480 LSB 27.480 MHz LSB - technical radio discussion, good signals, Georgia and Indiana heard
27525 LSB 27.525 MHz LSB - radio checks, at least two stations giving signal reports
27555 LSB 27.555 MHz LSB - on-going QSO
27555 USB 27.555 MHz USB - stations working DX, heard Nova Scotia working US stations
27625 AM 27.625 MHz AM - audio checks, talking about a "kicker" (amplifier)

600

10/11 meters / 11 Meter DX Band Opening Domican Republic SDR Logs 31 May 2018

« on: June 01, 2018, 0011 UTC »

Very busy band tonight, logs start at 2345 UTC (1945 local time)

SS - Spanish language traffic

25000 AM 25.000 MHz AM - WWV, readable ID, S4-S5 signal
26115 AM 26.115 MHz AM - Spanish language, roger beeps and noise toys heard, lots of fading
26305 AM 26.305 MHz AM - US stations, possibly truckers
26375 AM 26.375 MHz AM - Spanish language, similar to 26.585 AM
26405 AM 26.405 MHz AM - Spanish language, very busy with lots of QRM
26500 USB 26.500 MHz USB - Spanish language
26515 AM 26.515 MHz AM - "I found an arch" "that's what they're talking about" Texas accents
26535 AM 26.535 MHz AM - Spanish language, Mexican accents
26540 LSB 26.540 MHz LSB - Spanish language, similar to 26.555 LSB
26555 LSB 26.555 MHz LSB - Spanish language, very busy
26565 AM 26.565 MHz AM - Spanish language, likely from Mexico
26585 AM 26.585 MHz AM - Spanish language, Mexican accents (commonly heard Mexican QSO channel)
26615 AM 26.615 MHz AM - "1985 Shooting Star USA" "Happy Father's Day Puerto Rico! Break Break!"
26665 AM 26.665 MHz AM - Spanish language, possible taxi cab dispatcher (weak)
26685 AM 26.685 MHz AM - "well I can use it" "10-4" with lots of splatter from 26705 AM and 26715 AM
26705 AM 26.705 MHz AM - just as bad as 27025 AM during a band open, but in Spanish
26715 AM 26.715 MHz AM - very messy, full scale high power Spanish language traffic
26735 AM 26.735 MHz AM - US truckers (this is channel 19 "down one band")
26775 AM 26.775 MHz AM - heard mention of Florida (English language)
26785 AM 26.785 MHz AM - US stations, like most of the lower freqs, sound like locals talking to each other
26805 AM 26.805 MHz AM - Southern accents, talking about Teddy Roosevelt, the CIA controlling the liberals minds, etc
26825 AM 26.825 MHz AM - "that sounds good" "not as good as it can" "what were you running? 50 watts?" "I got you S7"
26845 AM 26.845 MHz AM - US stations, weak
26885 AM 26.885 MHz AM - "ain't nobody but a little mud duck" very strong US stations
26905 AM 26.905 MHz AM - "it was really rolling a while ago"
26915 AM 26.915 MHz AM - Southern US stations working DX very busy
26935 AM 26.935 MHz AM - US stations talking about "the dirty Irish" and Italian politicians, seemed local to each other
26955 AM 26.955 MHz AM - US stations, presumed truckers going by what they were talking about
The legal 40 channels were wall to wall, but here's some notes:
26975 AM 26.975 MHz AM - Hi-fi AM audio, doing radio checks, peaking at S9+30
26995 AM 26.995 MHz AM - US based stations working DX in AM mode, not a legal CB channel (channel 3A)
27145 AM 27.145 MHz AM - YL Taxi cab dispatcher in Spanish, not a legal CB channel (channel 15A)
27375 LSB 27.375 MHz LSB - US stations, very busy SSB DXing
27380 LSB 27.380 MHz LSB - US stations, Southern and Midwestern accents heard
27385 LSB 27.385 MHz LSB - CB CH 38 LSB, SSB calling frequency, very busy
Higher bands:
27415 AM 27.415 MHz AM - 2 QSOs heard at once, Texas accented stations and another station underneath
27425 AM  27.425 MHz AM - Taxi dispatch, YL dispatcher talking to OM driver with roger beeps (very active)
27425 LSB  27.425 MHz LSB - QSO in Spanish, heard underneath the taxi driver chatter on 27.425 AM
27435 AM  27.435 MHz AM - OM talking, very weak (Spanish language)
27445 AM  27.440 MHz AM - Spanish language chatter, possibly taxi cab dispatch
27445 LSB 27.445 MHz LSB - English language, US based stations, very strong
27455 USB 27.455 MHz USB - Spanish language calling channel, non stop activity
27465 LSB 27.465 MHz LSB - US stations, QSO in progress, S9 signals
27480 LSB 27.480 MHz LSB - US stations, similar to 27465 LSB, talking about antennas
27480 USB 27.480 MHz USB - Spanish language
27505 AM 27.505 MHz AM - "I'll give you enough time to get moving around" "something like that" "6 to 9" southern accents
27515 AM 27.515 MHz AM - Spanish language, taxi cab dispatch YL with roger beep
27575 AM 27.575 MHz AM - "that little radio is throwing some fire" "10-4" - maybe truckers?
27595 LSB 27.595 MHz LSB - Midwestern US accents
27605 AM 27.605 MHz AM - English language, sounds like truckers
27625 USB 27.625 MHz USB - Spanish language, strong
27635 LSB 27.635 MHz LSB - Spanish language, weak
27665 USB 27.665 MHz USB - Spanish language
27675 AM 27.675 MHz AM - Southern US accents, casual QSO (likely local to each other)
27765 AM 27.765 MHz AM - "I ain't seen him in a while" US stations having a QSO, probably local to each other
27835 AM 27.835 MHz AM - "its showing up on the monitor" "does that still work?" US operators talking about equipment
27855 AM 27.855 MHz AM - "well if you mess it up just go buy her a new one" and complaints about Spanish QRM
27905 USB 27.905 MHz USB - US stations, talking about how "Good Morning America" should be canceled