Topics

916

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 14909 kHz USB 1430 UTC 14 Sept 2017

« on: September 14, 2017, 1439 UTC »

UNID two way voice communications
Date: 14-SEPT-2017
Time: 1430 UTC (log start and tune in time)
Frequency: 14909 kHz 14.909 MHz 14,909 kHz
Mode: USB
Language: Spanish
Presumed Users/Remarks:  Strong (SIO 444) Spanish language traffic heard starting at 1430 UTC (tuned from 14992 kHz at 1430 UTC).  Two OMs talking, both with quality audio and strong signals.  Rate both stations at SIO 444.  Clear frequency, no QRM.  Unfortunately, it looks like I missed the majority of the QSO...that, or it was a very short QSO and I just happened to catch it.


After listening to the Spanish language traffic on 14992 kHz USB, I came across another QSO in Spanish, however both these stations were much stronger than the stations that were on 14992 USB. 

1434 UTC - mentioning a fleet of boats
1435 UTC - counting from 1-25...then from 1-10..."Cali for you" "did you copy that?" "okay I copy clearly"
1438 UTC - nothing heard since 1435 UTC transmissions

917

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 14992 kHz USB 1407 UTC 14 Sept 2017

« on: September 14, 2017, 1417 UTC »

UNID two way voice communications
Date: 14-SEPT-2017
Time: 1407 UTC (log start and tune in time)
Frequency: 14992 kHz 14.992 MHz - one station is on 14992.2 kHz
Mode: USB
Presumed Users/Remarks:  Spanish language traffic, consistent with out-of-band HF SSB maritime communications...or perhaps land mobile communications...lots of numbers transmitted, the two stations seem to be observing at least basic radio operating procedures.  One of the stations seems to be on 14992.2 kHz while the others are on 14992.0 kHz.  Regardless, this net is nicely hidden right outside the lower side band of the powerful WWV transmitter on 15000 kHz AM mode.  WWV's sidebands extended from roughly 14995 kHz to 15005 kHz and this net, being on 14992 kHz USB mode, just barely slides outside the bottom edge of WWV's LSB.  On the XX:XX:00 second tone, the WWV signal goes down to 14993 kHz and up to 15007 kHz with the tone burst.  Even though WWV is pushing 20db over S9 on peaks, this one-a-minute BEEP doesn't seem to bother the users of 14992 kHz.

1407 UTC - Hearing Spanish voices, S5 signal but nice sounding audio  OM talking about "Cubans" and "frequencies"
1408 UTC - radio checks (counting, whistling into microphone)
1409 UTC - mention of "el barco" (the ship or the boat), another OM talking about whats happening tomorrow
1410 UTC - station welcoming another station (or ship, if these are fishing fleet or marine communications) to the net
1411 UTC - "Number 4" possible station ID, then a station showing off to "boss" (either primary communications station in net, or his actual box)
1412 UTC - "340" "280" and other three-digit numbers heard followed by more whistling into mic
1413 UTC - whistling into microphone, mention of "el radio perfecto"
1414 UTC - talking about "the team" and "20 years"
1415 UTC - "La Universidad Del [something] and "El Cubano" (the Cuban) heard - maybe this is a hurricane relief net?
1416 UTC - a different station broke into the "net" with lots of radio checks and whistling into the mic
1417 UTC - mention of "the bank" (probably not talking about an actual bank here...), mention of "Yolanda"
1418 UTC - discussion of antennas and radio equipment (plus even more whistling)
1419 UTC - minor QRM from WWV on 15000 kHz - 15.000 MHz at 14:19:00 UTC second beep
1420 UTC - "20 meters!" "20! 20!" heard several times, then talking about conditions at markets
1421 UTC - another mention of "barco" (boat) - this could be some sort of rescue coordination net Cuba or other parts of the Caribbean
1423 UTC - "23 or 24" "okay" "the 11 meter band"
1424 UTC - more whistling into microphone, then "clearly" or "of course", a tone burst that sounded like SELCALL, then more whistling
1425 UTC - several other groups of numbers said by 3-4 different stations
1430 UTC - nothing heard since 1425 UTC

918

Utility / 4724 USB and others Andrews AFB Radio Testing + Message 14 Sept 2017 1357 UTC

« on: September 14, 2017, 1407 UTC »

HF-GCS High Frequency Global Communications System SIMULCAST on following frequencies:

checked all frequencies during alphanumeric message and original radio check

4724 kHz USB - SIO 333
6739 kHz USB - SIO 344
8992 kHz USB - SIO 444
11175 kHz USB - SIO 444
13200 kHz USB - SIO 555
15016 kHz USB - SIO 555

1357 UTC to 1359 UTC approx. (radio check)
1400 UTC to 1403 UTC approx. (one time pad encrypted message from callsign Bluegill for "Maid" or possibly "Main")

Andrews Air Force Base / Andrews AFB is the primary control station for the USAF

FOR xxxx, FOR xxxx, NKKPHQ STANDBY NKKPHQ STANDBY NKKPHQ STANDBY MESSAGE FOLLOWS
NKKPHQWBWV2NNK2EMYU4MIXBIJA6BM (repeated) THIS IS BLUEGILL, OUT (1403 UTC)

919

Peskies / UNID English Language 6762 kHz USB 0030 UTC 14 Sept 2017

« on: September 14, 2017, 0033 UTC »

After checking several remote SDRs (due to an extremely strong local carrier parked right on 6764 kHz making copy impossible no matter what the bandpass settings are) I found one where I can sort of tune the signals on 6762 kHz.  Tried 6762.2 kHz USB and its still distorted.  I'm beginning to think this has more to do with the language being spoken vs. the frequency and mode.  That, or there's two QSOs going on, one in LSB and the other in USB and that's why I can't seem to tune it in completely. 

At 0032 UTC, I heard a clear transmission on 6762 kHz USB, in broken English (very thick Caribbean-sounding accent) "yeah okay" and "yeah batty boy".  Possibly coming from Jamaica??

920

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6767.7 kHz USB 0019 UTC 14 Sept 2017

« on: September 14, 2017, 0024 UTC »

Frequency: 6767.7 kHz 6.7677 MHz
Language: Spanish
Presumed Source: UNID
Mode: USB

As Old Time Radio / OTR on 6770 kHz AM comes in stronger and stronger, I noticed some SSB QRM that didn't seem to go away.  Turns out there's two QSOs going on at once...both of them near 6770 kHz.  There's a Spanish language QSO going on on frequency 6767.6 kHz or 6767.7 kHz (its possible that one radio is on 6767.7 USB and the other on 6767.6 USB or I really can't tell the difference due to a combination of Spanish accents and extreme QRM from the Old Time Radio pirate now (0022 UTC) coming in nicely on 6770 kHz AM. 

All I can tell is it sounds like the "phone patch" traffic I've heard in the past on similar frequencies.  At 0024 UTC, OTR was coming in even stronger and my attempts to copy the two-way communications traffic on 6767.6 kHz USB or 6767.7 kHz USB were abandoned. 

921

North American Shortwave Pirate / Old Time Radio 6770 AM 0010 UTC 14 Sept 2017

« on: September 14, 2017, 0015 UTC »

I have a carrier on 6770 kHz and bits and pieces of what sounds like a radio drama (concerned sounding YL talking to a fast-talking OM).  Unable to really copy what is being said but the YL is speaking a monologue at 0013 UTC.  OM: "He's in the hospital right now" YL: "he did a wonderful thing alright" at 0014 UTC (sounds best in AM, even though I was using USB to get away from some two-way QRM just off the lower side band - see my log in Peskies for 6767.7 kHz USB 0019 UTC 14 Sept 2017).

0015 UTC - signal up a bit can now hear theme music playing in AM mode
0019 UTC - heavy QRM from Spanish speaking stations on 6767.7 kHz
0033 UTC - "what sort of policy do they have here?" [studio laugh track heard in background]
0034 UTC - "alright alright"
0035 UTC - "why should I help him if he's got five homes already?", then theme music with OM singer

922

Peskies / 6900 kHz LSB Spanish Speaking Freebander Net 0000+ UTC 14 Sept 2017

« on: September 14, 2017, 0010 UTC »

I logged activity on 6900 USB earlier tonight but haven't heard anything on 6900 LSB until just now.  Lots of stations checking into the "North American 43 meter frequency" as self-proclaimed by several stations heard on this frequency on other nights like tonight. 

923

Peskies / 6958.5 kHz USB vs. 6960 kHz LSB Peskies QRM 14 Sept 2017 0000 UTC

« on: September 14, 2017, 0007 UTC »

Two logs in one:

UNID Spanish Language 6958.5 kHz USB 6.9585 MHz USB
UNID Portuguese Language 6960 kHz LSB 6.960 MHz LSB
Time: 0000 UTC (continuing past this time)
Date: 14-SEPT-2017

Portuguese speakers on 6960 kHz LSB vs. Spanish speakers on 6958.5 kHz USB.  Heard "Republica Dominicana" (Dominican Republic) in Spanish on 6958.5 kHz USB mixing with QRM from the Portuguese speakers on 6960 LSB.  Really bad frequency choices for both groups here as they're literally overlapping each other on the waterfall display.  Of course, this could be another case of the skip zone working its magic and while I can hear two QSOs...the people actually having the QSO can't hear the interference or QRM from the other group of stations in each respective radio net. 

The Spanish speaking stations on 6958.5 USB are only slightly stronger than the Portuguese "peskies" on 6960 LSB. 

924

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6995 kHz LSB 0000 UTC 14 Sept 2017

« on: September 14, 2017, 0002 UTC »

Faint UNID two way bootleg pirate communications Spanish language just below 7000 kHz 7.000 MHz lower edge of 40 meter amateur ham radio band.

Frequency:  6995 kHz 6.995 MHz
Mode: LSB
Language: Spanish
Presumed freebanders or outbanders due to language, time of day, frequency step and mode used

Mixing in with the rather strong QSO going on 6990 kHz USB is another Spanish language QSO, much weaker but certainly there, on 6995 kHz LSB.  Man, the band is busy tonight!

925

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6976.6 kHz USB 0000 UTC 14 Sept 2017

« on: September 13, 2017, 2359 UTC »

Another new catch for me, just below the Caribbean pidgin English QSO on 6979 USB, there's a group of Spanish speaking stations chatting away on 6976.6 kHz (yep, another easy-to-remember frequency).  SIO 222 at best due to heavy data QRM and local heterodyne QRM due to a strong carrier on 6976.7 kHz (messing with the passband fixes this problem).  

926

Peskies / UNID English Language 6979 kHz USB 2345 UTC 13 Sept 2017

« on: September 13, 2017, 2352 UTC »

6979 kHz USB 6.979 MHz USB

Hearing folks talking with really thick accents but I'm pretty sure this is English, likely traffic from a Caribbean language native speaker.  Several QSOs similar to this have been noted in the past on similar frequencies.  Several mentions of "Mike" and "Alpha Mike" at 2349 and 2350 UTC.  "Yeah Yeah" replies.  Casual chatter but heavy noise in this part of the band is making copy not as easy as it should be.  Heard mention of "America" at 2351 UTC.  They may be speaking some sort of pidgin language (mixture of English, Spanish and other local or native words) hearing clips and phrases of English language expressions and then a Spanish word every once in a while.  Either way, difficult copy due to VERY heavy accents.  "You need to be careful" at 2352 UTC.  "Give the mic" () may actually be what they're saying, as a procedure word/pro-word for "over" as in "microphone over to you".  

Strong "rushing" QRM at 6980 kHz or so is QRMing these guys pretty badly.  I thought it was just noise at first until I looked at the waterfall.  "Take the mic" heard at 2353 UTC "back the mic" at 2354 UTC again.  Must be how these guys say "over" to each other.  Have heard several "yeah roger that" and "okay roger" replies too. 

927

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6990 kHz USB 2345 UTC 13 Sept 2017

« on: September 13, 2017, 2348 UTC »

6990 kHz 6.99 MHz 6.990 MHz
Spanish voices 6.9 MHz 7.0 MHz freebanders outbanders
2345 UTC + continuing onto past 0000 UTC 14 Sept 2017 as usual

Strong Spanish language speakers heard on 6990 USB, talking about what they're doing tomorrow at work at 2347 UTC.  Two OMs having a casual QSO, likely freebanders or ham radio operators using modified amateur equipment to talk outside of band...in this case, just below 40 meters. 

928

Peskies / UNID Portuguese Language 6919 kHz LSB 2345 UTC 13 Sept 2017

« on: September 13, 2017, 2346 UTC »

6919 kHz 6.919 MHz
LSB mode
Portuguese language
Presumed fisheries radio fishing fleet communications chatter

The peskies are out and about tonight.  Lots of Spanish, Portuguese and hard-to-nail-down African languages heard in the 6700-7000 kHz range tonight. 

6919 kHz LSB is one of the most popular Portuguese speaker frequencies, along with 6925 kHz LSB.  SIO 444 quality SSB voice signals tonight at least one station pushing S9 on the meter.

929

Peskies / UNID Unknown Language 6871 kHz USB 2320 UTC 13 Sept 2017

« on: September 13, 2017, 2322 UTC »

Possibly QSY from another frequency, very strong unknown language chatter on 6871 USB at 2320 UTC September 13th, 2017.  One of the stations has a severely overmodulated or distorted transmitter and seems to be producing a lower side band when he transmits. 

Language is hard to pin down.  Possibly Caribbean or West African in origin. 

930

Peskies / UNID Spanish Language 6880.8 kHz LSB 2315 UTC 13 Sept 2017

« on: September 13, 2017, 2318 UTC »

Another interesting frequency, I have a previous log of frequency 6881 kHz LSB being used by Spanish speakers on September 6th at the 2000 UTC hour time frame.  Active QSO at 2315 UTC tune-in time, however frequency is now (2318 UTC)