Messages

691

North American Shortwave Pirate / Old Time Radio OTR 6770 AM 2125 UTC 26 Feb 2019

« on: February 26, 2019, 2129 UTC »

Old Time Radio OTR coming in on 6770 kHz AM 6.770 MHz AM on the COMMSIGMA KiwiSDR on the CT/MA border.  SIO 222 or so.  Hearing YL talking about "comic background" - then OM singing and laughing heard in background.  Some fading.  OM and YL continue talking at 2129 UTC.  Signal went from S4 at 2125 UTC tune-in time to S9 at 2129 UTC.  Now SIO 333 with nice modulation. 

692

Utility / NMG US Coast Guard Marine Weather 12788 kHz USB 1720 UTC 26 Feb 2019

« on: February 26, 2019, 1724 UTC »

12788 kHz USB 12.788 MHz USB 12MHz marine band weather broadcast from New Orleans, LA station NMG heard via Tecsun PL-660 portable receiver connected to 50 foot random wire antenna.  Very readable signal.  Not as insanely strong as the 6501 kHz USB broadcast. 

693

Other / Re: 6990 LSB chanting, Febrarury 14, 2019 - 2300UTC

« on: February 26, 2019, 1718 UTC »

Closer to peskies than pirates, but certainly blurring the line...regardless of if its Native Americans chanting to each other in rural areas or somebody messing with SWLs 

694

Peskies / Re: Chatters 6650 6660 6665 LSB 1715 UTC 23 Feb 2019

« on: February 26, 2019, 1612 UTC »

45 meters or "45 metros" outbanders/freebanders.  They're found all over the 6.5-6.7 MHz region in North and South America as well.  LSB and USB modes.  6650 kHz, 6660 kHz, 6665 kHz, 6666.6 kHz and many other frequencies.

In Europe, these freebanders are sometimes referred to as Echo Charlie or EC operators:

https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php?topic=18517.0

http://www.freebanding.co.uk/echo_charlie.htm

http://ukspec.tripod.com/rf/cb/ec6670.html

http://www.cqdx.ru/ham/ham_radio/russian-pirate-hf-stations/

6670 kHz is apparently the "official" Echo Charlie frequency for 45 meters...and I can say that it is a very popular one in Latin America.  6666.6 kHz USB is also another popular 45 meter home channel.  6670, 6695, 6697.7, the list goes on.  Likely Echo Charlie freebanders are what you heard.

695

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: OTR 3390 AM 1053 UTC 26 Feb 2019

« on: February 26, 2019, 1509 UTC »

So is 3390 kHz the "winter" or "nighttime" frequency for Old Time Radio?  I wonder if they'll continue switching between 3390 kHz and 6770 kHz. 

696

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Lukewarm Radio Shortwave 6955 USB 2110 UTC 22 FEB 2019

« on: February 22, 2019, 2158 UTC »

Busy band this afternoon, good signal at 2155 UTC tune in time.

Lukewarm Radio Shortwave pirate station
6955 kHz 6.955 MHz USB mode 4.1 or 4.2 kHz wide SSB

2202 UTC - several IDs, jingles, email address with some OTHR QRM - signal is strong enough that the OTHR doesn't really make a difference
2203 UTC - The Eagles - Peaceful Easy Feeling with minor OTHR QRM - SIO 444 S7 to S8 nice audio too
2204 UTC - Lukewarm Radio Shortwave email address over The Eagles
2209 UTC - Tom Petty - American Girl (S9 to S9+10db now)
2210 UTC - faded down to S4-S5 with more OTHR burst QRM (roughly 6956 kHz to 6965 kHz)
2211 UTC - S3 now

697

Peskies / 6744.4 kHz USB - French Language ??? 0106 UTC 22 Feb 2019

« on: February 22, 2019, 0108 UTC »

UNID traffic 6744.4 kHz 6.744.4 MHz USB voice

Originally tuned in at 6744.5 kHz USB, but sounds better on 6744.4 kHz USB.  French language, I believe.  "oh, the blame, okayyyy" heard in English.  Fast-talking OM with good signal on frequency at 0107 UTC.  Received via Westminster, MD KiwiSDR

698

Peskies / 6666.6 kHz USB Spanish vs. 6667 kHz USB English MWARA 0100 UTC 22 Feb 2019

« on: February 22, 2019, 0105 UTC »

Spanish language freebander 45 meters 45 metros on 6666.6 USB vs. English language traffic on 6667 kHz, IDed as Santa Maria at 0103, SELCAL check at 0103 UTC.  0104 UTC Santa Maria (??) continuing, secondary frequency 2962 kHz USB with another SELCAL check. 

The Latin American freebanders have faded away rapidly at this point, 6667 kHz is now clear.  This is the first time I've heard actual legit aeronautical traffic on this frequency.

Received via Westminster, MD KiwiSDR

699

Peskies / 6988 kHz USB Spanish Langauge Chatter 0055 UTC 22 Feb 2019

« on: February 22, 2019, 0056 UTC »

6988 kHz USB 6.988 MHz USB

Two stations having a QSO, one of them has an annoying hum in his signal, possibly a bad power supply?  Lots of short transmissions but readable.  Received via Westminster, MD KiwiSDR. 

700

Peskies / 6900 LSB and 6910 LSB Spanish Language Freebanders 0055 UTC 22 Feb 19

« on: February 22, 2019, 0055 UTC »

6900 kHz LSB and 6910 kHz LSB going strong with Spanish speaking freebanders or outbanders, stations heard checking into the "net" on 6900 LSB at 0054 UTC and similar procedures heard on 6910 kHz LSB 0055 UTC.

Received via the Westminster, MD KiwiSDR. 

701

Peskies / 4935 kHz USB Spanish voices in 60 meter band 0050 UTC 22 Feb 2019

« on: February 22, 2019, 0052 UTC »

4935 kHz 4.935 MHz USB voice, SS Spanish speakers, lots of proper radio pro-words heard.  Possibly pescadores or outbanders.  Hiding within the 60 meter shortwave broadcast band.  Not nearly as busy as the other frequencies logged recently.  Lots of "copyando" heard. 

SIO 222 or so, received via COMMSIGMA KiwiSDR on the CT/MA border.  As of 0052 UTC, the frequency seems to be clear, stations possibly QRT at this time.

702

Peskies / 6203.3 kHz USB Spansih Language Marine Traffic 0045 UTC 22 Feb 2019

« on: February 22, 2019, 0048 UTC »

6203.3 kHz USB 6.203.3 MHz USB SS OMs with lots of chatter on frequency.  6203 kHz is a valid 6 MHz marine frequency, going by the time of night, this is likely coming out of South American or Caribbean waters. 

Receiver is the COMMSIGMA KiwiSDR on the CT/MA border.

703

Utility / Re: Do-Dah Net and Do-Little Net 8152 USB Marine Chatter 2213 UTC 19 Feb 2019

« on: February 21, 2019, 1609 UTC »

The 8 MHz marine band is right up there with 4 MHz and 6 MHz as far as massive amounts of activity.  The Cruiseheimers guys are quite talkative, even with the QRM from 8150 kHz USB they were 100% readable.  I noticed on the waterfall that, at least around the 2200-2230 UTC time frame, 8 MHz was busier than 6 MHz as far as SSB voice activity goes.  The 8 MHz marine band offers a huge amount of channel options, like 4 MHz the bottom edge is shared with fixed/mobile users.  8000-8815 kHz in 3 kHz steps, with 8000 kHz to 8195 kHz shared with fixed/mobile.  Even though its shared that bottom portion seems to be where a lot of activity takes place.

https://www.navcen.uscg.gov/doc/rtchan.txt

704

ID and Translation Requests / Re: unknown station 6215 kHz 5-6 January 2019

« on: February 21, 2019, 1603 UTC »

6215 kHz is an interesting one.  It's also the distress/calling frequency for the 6 MHz HF marine band (6215 kHz USB voice) and is used by several other non-marine stations including spy numbers station "V24"

https://www.hfunderground.com/wiki/index.php/V24

You'll often hear marine stations using it as a "working" channel (for general chit-chat).  Sometimes you'll hear the Coast Guard get on frequency and remind whoever is using it that they're on an emergency frequency and to change to a different frequency as soon as possible.

705

10/11 meters / Re: 27255 kHz 27.255 MHz FSK Data Link ΣSDR COMMSIGMA SDR KiwiSDR 1700 UTC 18 Feb 19

« on: February 21, 2019, 1257 UTC »

They're likely telemetry links using 27.255 MHz with FSK modulation.  Under Part 95 of the FCC rules you can use up to 25 watts on 27.255 MHz...please do update us if you hear anything on these frequencies.  It will largely be dependent on what antenna(s) you use.