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376

Spy Numbers / V24 and M94 observations for Nov and Dec of 2011, and new schedule chart

« on: January 01, 2012, 0528 UTC »

V24 and M94 have once again undergone some fairly substantial changes in frequencies and schedule.

Starting November 6, 2011, I noticed a new frequency in use by V24, 6310 kHz.  Since a couple weeks before that date I have not seen 6730 or 6330 kHz in use.  My assumption is that about November 1, 2011, the frequencies of 6730 kHz and 6330 kHz were discontinued and the new frequency of 6310 kHz was added.

The total number of messages each month have not reduced by any appreciable number, so it appears the activity that was on 6730 and 6330 kHz has shifted to the still active freqs.  For the most part the 6730 kHz activity appears to have shifted to 6310 kHz and the former 6330 kHz activity has shifted to the remaining freqs, for example the 6330 kHz M94 slots have moved to 5715 kHz, but on the same days and at the same times as when on 6330 kHz.

Fewer and fewer 4f format messages are being sent, the vast majority are now 5f.

The latest schedule of V24 and M94 transmissions can be found here:
http://token_radio.home.mchsi.com/V24_M94_latest_sched.JPG

This schedule is still somewhat tentative and in work, but should be fairly accurate.  But notice I am no longer including the version number or date in the URL, the intent is to keep the most current version at that URL from now on.

Note that the schedule contains a time column not seen on previous schedules I made, in this case 1240 UTC.  There have been a couple of transmissions in this time slot so I have included it on the schedule, but I will remove that column if these transmission do not repeat in the future.  In the past V24 has used XX20 and XX40 time slots, but never for very long other than the 1620 time slot, which was used for over a year.  In fact a few times it has used the XX20 and XX40 before the normal 1200 UTC start time.

T!
Mojave Desert, California, USA

Logs:

November receptions of V24:

11/04/2011, 1430 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/04/2011, 1500 UTC, 4900 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/05/2011, 1400 UTC, 5115 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/06/2011, 1400 UTC, 5115 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/06/2011, 1530 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/06/2011, 1630 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/07/2011, 1300 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/09/2011, 1330 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f

11/10/2011, 1430 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/10/2011, 1500 UTC, 6215 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/11/2011, 1430 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/11/2011, 1500 UTC, 6215 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/11/2011, 1530 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/11/2011, 1600 UTC, 6215 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 4f
11/11/2011, 1630 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 4f
11/19/2011, 1500 UTC, 6215 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/19/2011, 1630 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f

11/20/2011, 1430 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/20/2011, 1500 UTC, 5115 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/20/2011, 1630 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/24/2011, 1300 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/24/2011, 1330 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/24/2011, 1530 UTC, 4600 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/25/2011, 1530 UTC, 4600 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/26/2011, 1500 UTC, 6215 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/27/2011, 1500 UTC, 6215 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
11/28/2011, 1300 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f

November receptions of M94

11/10/2011, 1400 UTC, 5715 kHz, MCW, M94, ID 935
11/27/2011, 1400 UTC, 5715 kHz, MCW, M94, ID 935



December receptions of V24

12/02/2011, 1500 UTC, 6215 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/02/2011, 1530 UTC, 5115 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/03/2011, 1430 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/03/2011, 1500 UTC, 6215 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/03/2011, 1530 UTC, 5115 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/04/2011, 1430 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/04/2011, 1500 UTC, 4900 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/09/2011, 1330 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/09/2011, 1530 UTC, 4600 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 4f

12/10/2011, 1330 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/10/2011, 1430 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/10/2011, 1500 UTC, 6215 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/10/2011, 1630 UTC, 5115 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 4f
12/11/2011, 1430 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/11/2011, 1500 UTC, 6215 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/11/2011, 1530 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/11/2011, 1630 UTC, 5115 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 4f
12/15/2011, 1430 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/16/2011, 1430 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/16/2011, 1500 UTC, 4900 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/17/2011, 1500 UTC, 4900 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/17/2011, 1530 UTC, 5115 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/18/2011, 1500 UTC, 6215 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/18/2011, 1530 UTC, 5115 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/19/2011, 1300 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/19/2011, 1330 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 4f

12/23/2011, 1330 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/23/2011, 1630 UTC, 5115 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 4f
12/24/2011, 1330 UTC, 6310 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/24/2011, 1530 UTC, 4600 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 4f
12/25/2011, 1240 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/25/2011, 1300 UTC, 5715 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/25/2011, 1530 UTC, 4600 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 4f
12/31/2011, 1500 UTC, 5115 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f
12/18/2011, 1530 UTC, 4900 kHz, AM, V24, YL KK 5f


December receptions of M94

12/10/2011, 1400 UTC, 5715 kHz, MCW, M94, ID 935
12/11/2011, 1400 UTC, 5715 kHz, MCW, M94, ID 935

377

Spy Numbers / V07 logs Nov and Dec, 2012, and schedule table to date.

« on: January 01, 2012, 0527 UTC »

V07 remains active and well heard on the west coast of the US in its Sunday morning schedule.  It is still in the 0100/0120/0140 time period for the 3rd month in a row, however the frequencies for December are different from the ones used in October and November.  If the pattern holds true the station might continue using 0100/0120/0140 for January, February, and March of 2012, moving to the 0300/0320/0340 slot in April.

The chart of trends, times, and frequencies used for 2011 is here:
http://token_radio.home.mchsi.com/V07_latest_sched.JPG

Note that on November 20 in the 0100 and 0120 time slots a CW station was sent instead of V07.  In this case I believe it is M12.  The same ID was sent, 883, as should have been sent for V07 in that time slot.  This was a null msg so the 0140 time slot was not populated.  Based on this reception I have been assuming there might be an M12 related to this V07 schedule, but looking in the hours before and after the V07 times I have not yet found one.

T!
Mojave Desert, California USA

Logs:

The CW msg for November 20, 2011 was as follows:
883  883  883  T T T  883  883  883  T T T  883  883  883  T T T  883  883  883  T T T
883  883  883  T T T  883  883  883  T T T  883  883  883  T T T  883  883  883  T T T 

November 2011 receptions:

11/06/2011, 0100 UTC, 18074 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 883, ID 522, 67 grps
11/06/2011, 0120 UTC, 15874 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 883, ID 522, 67 grps
11/06/2011, 0140 UTC, 14374 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 883, ID 522, 67 grps
11/13/2011, 0100 UTC, 18074 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 883, null msg
11/13/2011, 0100 UTC, 15874 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 883, null msg
11/20/2011, 0100 UTC, 18074 kHz, CW, M12, Callup 883, null msg
11/20/2011, 0120 UTC, 15874 kHz, CW, M12, Callup 883, null msg
11/27/2011, 0100 UTC, 18074 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 883, ID 957, 93 grps
11/27/2011, 0120 UTC, 15874 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 883, ID 957, 93 grps
11/27/2011, 0140 UTC, 14374 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 883, ID 957, 93 grps


December 2011 receptions:
The first Sunday of the month (Dec 4, 2011) I was not home and only recorded the frequencies that had been in use the last 2 months, no activity recorded as the station had shifted frequencies.

12/11/2011, 0100 UTC, 16037 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 661, ID 567, 79 grps
12/11/2011, 0120 UTC, 14637 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 661, ID 567, 79 grps
12/11/2011, 0140 UTC, 12137 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 661, ID 567, 79 grps
12/18/2011, 0100 UTC, 16037 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 661, null msg
12/18/2011, 0120 UTC, 14637 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 661, null msg
12/25/2011, 0100 UTC, 16037 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 661, ID 676, 65 grps
12/25/2011, 0120 UTC, 14637 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 661, ID 676, 65 grps
12/25/2011, 0140 UTC, 12137 kHz, USB, V07, YL SS 5f, Callup 661, ID 676, 65 grps

378

Spy Numbers / Numbers stations V24 and M94, new schedule up as of end of July, 2011

« on: August 02, 2011, 1352 UTC »

Hello all,

I have a new schedule up for predictions of transmissions of the Korean language numbers stations V24 and M94 at http://home.mchsi.com/~token_radio/Sched_V3_Jul2011.JPG  Keep in mind that these stations make minor changes all the time, so I will not claim the schedule is 100% accurate, but excluding transmission errors (V24 averages about 6 or so "error" transmissions, wrong time or freq and message not repeated, each month) I bet it is 80+%.

M94 has reduced operations to just 4 transmissions per month, I think it is safe to say it is on its way out.  This station did more than 28 transmissions per month in 2009 and each year since has shown reductions.

Some V24 time slots are used every other month instead of every month.  So, if you try a time/frequency combination and nothing is heard there are three possibilities; you have no propagation to the region, the station is going to use that time slot next month, or V24 changed its schedule...again.

I hope you find it helpful,

T!
Mojave Desert, California, USA

379

Spy Numbers / VTN for May, 2011, from the Mojave Desert

« on: June 01, 2011, 0329 UTC »

For those unfamiliar with the VTN (Vietnamese Numbers Station) information can be found at my web page concerning the stations, URL  http://token_radio.home.mchsi.com/VTN.htm

The VTN has been pretty steady this past month, near daily transmissions, as normal 3 identical messages a day starting at about 1600.  At the beginning of the month the message was a 30 group message read by a female voice.  The last of these YL/5f/Vietnamese/30 group messages was noted on May 10, 2011.  No message was received May 11, 2011, and starting May 12, 2011, a new content message was sent, again three identical messages each day starting at about 1600.  The new message was sent by a male voice, in Vietnamese, and consisted of 50 groups, each of 5 figures.

Receptions from my location in the Mojave Desert, California, USA:

-May/01/11, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, YL/5f/30 grps, 1559:33 UTC msg 1, 1606:59 UTC msg 2, 1615:18 msg 3, all msgs strong QRM from suspected Chinese OTHR
-May /02/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, YL/5f/30 grps, 1559:32 UTC msg 1, 1606:58 UTC msg 2, 1615:18 msg 3
-May /03/2011, no recording
-May /04/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, YL/5f/30 grps, 1559:30 UTC msg 1, 1606:56 UTC msg 2, 1615:16 msg 3
-May /05/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, YL/5f/30 grps, 1559:30 UTC msg 1, 1606:57 UTC msg 2, 1615:16 msg 3
-May /06/2011, No messages received
-May /07/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, YL/5f/30 grps, 1559:31 UTC msg 1, 1606:55 UTC msg 2, 1615:16 msg 3
-May /08/2011, no recording
-May /09/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, YL/5f/30 grps, 1559:28 UTC msg 1, 1606:54 UTC msg 2, 1615:14 msg 3
-May /10/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, YL/5f/30 grps, 1559:25 UTC msg 1, 1606:51 UTC msg 2, 1615:11 msg 3
-May /11/2011, No message received
-May /12/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, OM/5f/50 grps, 1559:26 UTC msg 1, 1604:00 UTC msg 2, 1608:35 msg 3
-May /13/2011, No message received
-May /14/2011, No message received
-May /15/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, OM/5f/50 grps, 1559:24 UTC msg 1, 1603:58 UTC msg 2, 1608:33 msg 3
-May /16/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, OM/5f/50 grps, 1559:21 UTC msg 1, 1603:57 UTC msg 2, 1608:31 msg 3
-May /17/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, OM/5f/50 grps, 1559:22 UTC msg 1, 1603:56 UTC msg 2, 1608:31 msg 3

Recordings from May 18, 2011, to May 27, 2011, corrupted.  VTN transmitted most days but exact days and start times lost when recordings damaged.  All transmissions noted in real time were OM/5f/50 grps.

-May /28/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, OM/5f/50 grps, 1559:12 UTC msg 1, 1603:45 UTC msg 2, 1608:22 msg 3
-May /29/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, OM/5f/50 grps, 1559:11 UTC msg 1, 1603:44 UTC msg 2, 1608:21 msg 3
-May /30/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, OM/5f/50 grps, 1559:11 UTC msg 1, 1603:43 UTC msg 2, 1608:20 msg 3
-May /31/2011, 10255 kHz USB, VTN, OM/5f/50 grps, 1559:10 UTC msg 1, 1603:43 UTC msg 2, 1608:20 msg 3

T!
Mojave Desert, California, USA

380

Spy Numbers / V24 and M94 changes, May 01, 2011

« on: May 01, 2011, 1421 UTC »

Hello all,

It has been a while since I submitted an update on Korean numbers stations V24/M94.  Unfortunately, it may be a while longer before I submit a good, full update.  For the past several years, and as near as I can figure for the last decade or more, V24/M94 has been using start times that end in 00 and 30, in other words at the top and bottom of the hours, on the hour and the half hour, with one notable exception, there was an occasional 1620 time slot used.  Around 1 January 2011 V24/M94 stopped using 1620 and went to only 00 and 30 start times.  For the past three months I have been working on a new schedule to predict V24/M94 after this change.  As of last month the schedule was complete and averaging about 95% accuracy.  Last month I was confirming it before putting it out on the web.  And, in the middle of this past month, V24/M94 again changed its habits and schedules.

It appears that V24 and M94 are now using XX00, XX20, and XX40 time slots and several new songs have been added to the lead-in music line-up, XX30 may or may not still be in use, I have not been able to confirm.  At this time the schedule I had built, that was 95% accurate last month, appears to be less than 25% accurate today, indicating that the majority of transmission windows have changed.  As of this writing and after the schedule changes I have not yet heard M94 so I do not know if both V24 and M94 have changed, or if it is only V24.  I also have not heard any XX30 time slots used, but I do not know if that is because the sample set is too small or if XX30 has been abandon.  Similarly, I have not yet heard any M94 since the schedule change, but again it could just be because so few M94 transmissions are sent each month and the sample set is still small.

To make matters worse, this time of year propagation on these frequencies fades badly for me about 1500, so I cannot confirm any of the time slots from 1500 on.

The end result is, for right now and starting sometime in April, 2011, that V24/M94 appears to still be active from 1200 to 1630 UTC on frequencies of 4500, 4600, 4900, 5115, 5715, 6215, 6330 and 6730 kHz.  Lead-in music for some transmissions have changed, new transmissions in new time slots sometimes include new and previously unheard music.  New start times are in use for many transmissions.

T!
Mojave Desert, California, USA

381

HF Beacons / TR on 6926

« on: April 12, 2011, 0054 UTC »

Howdy all,

The transient beacon "TR" that normally shows up around 4060 kHz is currently on 6926.1 kHz.  Been there for the past couple hours and fairly strong.

T!

382

Spy Numbers / Vietnamese numbers station back to normal, 10255 kHz USB

« on: March 20, 2011, 2035 UTC »

Hello all,

It has been a little while since I reported on the Vietnamese numbers station on 10255 kHz, USB.  Mostly this is because the VTN has been sending nothing but an approximate 1kHz tone for a few months.

To recap, the VTN most commonly sends three identical messages per day starting at about 1600 UTC.  Actual start times vary but typically the first message starts between 1557 and 1603, with 1600 being the most common.  The station was first reported in February of 2010 with a Vietnamese language YL and 5f format.  The message is read by human but recorded on a PC (PC error sounds have been noted in the audio).  From March of 2010 to September of 2010 all messages have been OM, although it was probably not all the same OM.   The station typically sent the same message many days in a row, so that in the period from February of 2010 to September of 2010 only 5 unique messages were actually noted, despite there being well over 100 individual transmissions.

The last numbers transmission I heard from this station was on September 14, 2010.  Starting September 26, 2010 an approximate 1 kHz tone was noted on the frequency starting within seconds of the anticipated start time for the numbers station.  This 1 kHz tone lasted about 5 seconds longer than the anticipated numbers transmission.  From September 26, 2010 to March 6, 2011 this activity continued, with the tone occasionally changing duration, as if the message length had changed.  These changes in length were about as frequent as changes in message length when voice was being sent.  It should be noted that the 1 kHz tone did not contain data, it was a simple 1 kHz tone.  My initial assessment the first few days was that a test tone had been accidently sent instead of the numbers audio.  I still believe that is the most likely case for the entire 6 month period, however I am at a loss to explain how such an error could go on so long and remain unnoticed by the operators.  Possibly there are other frequencies in use, and this is a backup, that might explain why they were so slow in fixing it or why it went so long undetected if that was the case.

On March 7, 2011, numbers again were noted on the frequency in a post to the E2K Group.  This time it was again YL in Vietnamese in 5f format.  I have no recordings of March 3 to March 6, 2011, so I am not sure exactly what day the numbers resumed, when the tone transmissions had gone on for so long I started recording only every few days instead of daily.  Interestingly, on March 8, 2011, the day after the report to E2K of voice, the tone again was sent, again a few seconds longer than the message on March 7 and since March 11.

Since March 11, 2011, the station has transmitted three identical messages each day.  The start time for the first message is about 1600 UTC.  All messages sent since then have been the same 30 group message with the same IDs being sent, each message is identical to all of the others and is apparently a single recording played three times a day.  The current 30 group message length is  about 6 minutes and 16 seconds.

03/11/2011, 10255 kHz USB, 1600:29 UTC 30 grp msg 1, 1607:06 UTC msg 2, 1613:44 UTC msg 3
03/12/2011, 10255 kHz USB, 1600:30 UTC 30 grp msg 1, 1607:08 UTC msg 2, 1613:43 UTC msg 3
03/13/2011, 10255 kHz USB, 1600:32 UTC 30 grp msg 1, 1607:08 UTC msg 2, 1613:44 UTC msg 3
03/14/2011, 10255 kHz USB, 1600:29 UTC 30 grp msg 1, 1607:05 UTC msg 2, 1613:42 UTC msg 3
03/15/2011, 10255 kHz USB, 1600:29 UTC 30 grp msg 1, 1607:05 UTC msg 2, 1613:41 UTC msg 3
03/16/2011, 10255 kHz USB, 1600:27 UTC 30 grp msg 1, 1607:03 UTC msg 2, 1613:39 UTC msg 3
03/17/2011, 10255 kHz USB, 1600:24 UTC 30 grp msg 1, 1607:51 UTC msg 2, 1615:17 UTC msg 3
03/18/2011, 10255 kHz USB, 1600:24 UTC 30 grp msg 1, 1607:49 UTC msg 2, 1615:15 UTC msg 3
03/19/2011, 10255 kHz USB, 1600:23 UTC 30 grp msg 1, 1607:50 UTC msg 2, 1615:15 UTC msg 3
03/20/2011, 10255 kHz USB, 1600:21 UTC 30 grp msg 1, 1607:47 UTC msg 2, 1615:13 UTC msg 3

I’ll get around to updating my web site (http://token_radio.home.mchsi.com/VTN.htm ) of this station shortly, but for now I have a pretty nice recording of the first message of the day on March 16, 2011.  http://www.token.hpathome.net/SharedFiles/VTN_2011_03_16_1600_25_10255USB.mp3

T!

383

HF Beacons / WO, 4106.48, Feb 11 2011, 0350

« on: February 11, 2011, 0355 UTC »

WO is still plugging along on 4106.48 tonight.  Still no idea who, what, where on this one?

Note that it has drifted up in freq a little from where I reported it last month.

384

Spy Numbers / V24/M94 new and past operating observations, Jan 30, 2011

« on: January 31, 2011, 0111 UTC »

Hello all,

Earlier this month (Jan 10, 2011) I reported V24 and M94 had made some major changes to transmission schedules and frequencies used.  I reported they had reactivated some older frequencies and possibly had reduced M94 to little or no traffic.

Since that time I have been watching V24/M94 closely, trying to understand exactly what changes have taken place.  I have been watching all frequencies that I am aware of that have ever been used by V24/M94 in the past, so daily from 1200 to 1700 UTC the frequencies on the watch list include 4500, 4600, 4900, 4940, 5115, 5450, 5550, 5715, 5850, 6215, 6330, 6715, and 6730 kHz.

V24/M94 has indeed re-activated at least three frequencies it has not used since December of 2009.

I started to monitor V24/M94 in March, 2009.  At that time an MCW station was known to be associated with V24, but had not yet been given the Enigma designator of M94.  Most reports of V24 were on 5715 and 6215 kHz and most were being made from Japan although V24 was known to have operated on other frequencies in the past.

2009 activities:
In 2009 V24 and/or M94 was using 4500, 4600, 4900, 5115, 5715, 6215 and 6730 kHz.  M94 was not designated as such until June of 2010, prior to that it was generally noted as Unknown MCW and I have included those as “M94” for this discussion.  Some frequencies (4500, 5115, and 5715 kHz) were used by both V24 and M94, other frequencies (4600, 4900, 6215, and 6730 kHz) were used by only V24, no M94 traffic was ever noted on those four.  M94 carried less traffic (as determined by percentage of transmission windows) than V24, but was still very active, with over 40 transmissions in an average month.

2010 activities:
In January 2010 operations on 4500, 4600, 4900, and 5115 kHz ceased and most of that traffic moved into empty time slots in the upper frequencies, 5715, 6215, and 6730 kHz, so that the total traffic remained about the same.  M94 activity greatly reduced overall, to less than one third of what it had been.  In February 2010 a new frequency was noted, 6330 kHz, it is unknown if this was indeed a new frequency or if it had been in use all along and only noticed at this time.  For the first couple of months of 2010 transmission schedules fluctuated somewhat, but eventually became very stable for the remainder of the year.  For the entirety of 2010 V24/M94 used four frequencies, 5715, 6215, 6330, and 6730 kHz.  V24 used all four frequencies, M94 used only 5715 and 6330 kHz.

2011 Activities:
In January 2011 the transmission schedules again changed, with only about 50% of the 2010 schedule still applying.  All M94 scheduled transmissions for the first 10 days of 2011 did not happen, this led me to pose the question of if M94 might have ceased operations.  As luck would have it the day after I posted that update and question M94 resumed normal operational tempo.  At this time V24/M94 appears to have reactivated the frequencies in use in 2009 plus 6330 that was not found until early 2010.  I have recorded transmissions on 4600, 4900, 5115, 5715, 6215, 6330, and 6730 kHz.  It is possible that 4500 kHz is also active, but due to a locally strong digital signal and the fact that China has moved a BC station onto 4500 I have not been able to confirm or eliminate 4500 kHz as a currently valid V24/M94 frequency.  M94 seems to have the same schedule as in 2010, about a total of 12 transmissions a month on the same frequencies and using the same ID’s as last year.  At this time it looks like V24 is active on all 7 frequencies (4600, 4900, 5115, 5715, 6215, 6330, and 6730 kHz), and M94 on the same two as last year (5715 and 6330 kHz).

So far this year there have been no 1620 UTC transmissions as there was in the past, however the number of 1630 UTC time slots is increased.  The overall time window still appears to be 1200 to 1630 UTC daily, but now strictly on the XX00 and XX30 times.  Since there was a note in 2002 that the station might also include a 1700 UTC transmission I have been watching for that time slot, but have not caught a transmission there.  Other time slots have been occasionally reported (generally all before 2005), from 0300 to 2100 UTC, and as a result I have monitored the most commonly used frequencies 24 hours a day, so far with nothing outside the 1200 to 1630 time frame.

The transmission schedule for the last month has been slightly chaotic, as it was for the first month or so of last year.  At times it appears that the “two day” transmission format is not used, and a given transmission will only be a single day or worse yet transmit one day, skip a day, and duplicate the transmission the third day.  I am working on a new printed schedule, but it will probably not be ready until about the first of March, and not confirmed until after the end of March.

T!

385

Utility / USN EWex, FL area, 6834 USB, Jan 29 0200z

« on: January 29, 2011, 0249 UTC »

Multiple units on 6834 USB right now, have been since before 0100z. It is an EW
excersize, with brevity codes, such as Vampire calls, and multiple targets.

Suspect the ex is in the FL area from place names, but naturally that could be
misdirection. At one point they reported a track update from "Corrie", it is
possible this was form Corrie Station, among other things a surface EW training
station in FL.

386

Utility / GHFS, odd callsign and freq combination, Jan 23 2011

« on: January 23, 2011, 1922 UTC »

Howdy all,

Monitoring the GHFS with its EAMs and Skykings is not something I do often, but you can't help but tune across them occasionally.

This morning there has been much activity since about 1200z, including some callsigns I had not heard before.  Except for the volume of traffic and a few new callsigns there was really nothing odd about it though.  From 1200z to 1400z I was hearing five or six messages per hour, mostly from the old standby Andrews.

My assumption is an exercise of some type is on.

At about 1830z I heard a long EAM sounding message on 11175 kHz USB, it was a good bit weaker than I normally hear the system and no "echo" so I figured it was from a single station instead of the entire network.  Checking the other frequncies revealed it was not being simulcast on any of them, but it was being simulcast on 15017 kHz USB, 1 kHz off the regular 15016 kHz.  Both frequencies were very weak, and the callsign sounded something like "Ball Que” but I am not sure exactly what it was.  In the #wunclub IRC it had been reported that a similar callsign was used about an hour earlier on 11175 kHz, but unknown about other frequencies.

10 minutes after the end of the above (starting 1900z) a "regular" message was sent, all frequencies including the normal 15016 kHz and callsign "Andrews".

Anyone have any clarification as to what the real callsign of this “Ball Que” station might be?  Or a location?

As I am typing this (1910z) the station came up again, still on 11175 and 15017.  This time I was able to get it on the beam and it is centered on 075 deg from my Mohave Desert location, so not Europe.

387

HF Beacons / "WO" on 4106.2, 0250 UTC

« on: January 15, 2011, 0300 UTC »

Howdy all,

Not sure if this is a pirate beacon or not.  I have not seen it before.  I have something sending "WO" on 4106.2 kHz.  I tuned to it about half an hour ago (0230 UTC) and it is still going.  Weak but clear here in the Mohave Desert, occasional short fades to nothing.

(edit) also reported on IRC as being heard very weak in FL.

388

Spy Numbers / January 2011 changes for V24 and M94

« on: January 11, 2011, 0303 UTC »

Hello all,

It has been a while since I have reported anything at all, radio has taken a serious back seat in recent months.  However, I have encountered some new habits/activity with V24/M94.

Last year around the first of the year V24 and M94 went through a couple of changes, they dropped all activity on the lower four frequencies, 4500, 4600, 4900 and 5115 kHz, moving most of these into empty time slots on the remaining four frequencies, 5715, 6215, 6330, and 6730 kHz.  They also greatly reduced M94 transmissions, to just a few slots for each month, I commented at the time that it looked like M94 might be on the way out.  Well, this January 1st marked another change.

Starting January 1 of this year V24 appears to have reactivated at least 4600 and 4900 kHz.  The 4500 kHz frequency has a 24 hour a day digital mode on it, that signal has always been there and made reception for me of the V24 transmissions on 4500 problematic, although I did hear a few.  The 5115 kHz frequency is clear for me, but I have not heard anything on it this year, and it was an M94 only frequency when it was used.

So far I have seen no M94 activity on these newly reactivated frequencies.  All of the transmissions I have caught this year on the new frequencies are V24 only.  In fact, since the 1st of the year I have received no M94 transmissions at all and there should have been two different M94 messages in the last week and a half.  On the 1st and 2nd of the month at 1300 UTC on 5715 M94 should have gone with ID 1017, and today (the 10th) M94 should have gone at 1400 UTC on 6330 with ID 935, none of them were received at my location.  Today’s M94 was replaced by a V24 in the same time slot, but on 6730 kHz.

It is naturally too early to tell, but it may be that M94 has been discontinued.

At this time I am hearing regular V24 messages on 4600, 4900, 5715, 6215, 6330 and 6730 kHz.  I have been recording the entire spectrum from 4500 to 6900 kHz but have not seen any new frequencies in use, just reactivation of old frequencies.  The schedule is about 50% in line with what it was at the end of last year.  As soon as I have a feel for the new schedule I will update my web pages and my posted schedule as well as the HFU listings.

T!
Mohave Desert, California, USA

389

North American Shortwave Pirate / WRRR, 6940 USB, 0201

« on: December 13, 2010, 0207 UTC »

WRRR ID up 6940 USB, into music.  Peaked about S7 or so but S5'ish most of the time.

390

North American Shortwave Pirate / Pirate? Or Numbers? 6925 kHz, USB, a few times

« on: December 05, 2010, 1718 UTC »

Howdy all,

Two subjects, Pirates and Numbers, both near and dear to my listening heart, covered in one post

A couple of times now I have heard a transmission on 6925 kHz USB that is intriguing to me.  This is a very popular Pirate freq, in the middle of a range that is also very popular with pirates in the US.  6850 to 6980 is probably the most used freq range by SW Pirate BCs in North America.

On 12/04 at 0100 I heard a numbers transmission on 6925 kHz USB, very weak, only catching parts of it, but definitely there and definitely numbers with lead-in music.  In fact, I could not really hear much of it and did not know the details until another listener provided me with a recording of it.  Now, numbers around this freq are not that terribly uncommon, I hear Pirate ops doing numbers spoofs several times a year on average.  And after the recent Fringe TV show aired I heard no less than half a dozen on 6955 kHz, the freq used on the TV show.  But this one sounds slightly different to me, no laughing, no references to Borris or Natasha, no whispered parts, no mentions of double secret squirrel, no repeated 666 number combinations, etc.

On 12/05 at 0230 there was a similar numbers transmission, following the same basic structure but with some changes.  Again, very much down in the noise for me, I could not hear details until provided a copy of a recording by someone else.

In general it appears that listeners on the east coast are getting these transmissions better than listeners on the west coast.  In the #wunclub and #pirate IRC channels several people were making real time reports.  East was pretty much always better than west.  My 035 deg Rhombic pulled it in the best for me, but still just in the noise floor.

A little research also reveals that on 11/28 a listener reported hearing the station, again on 6925 kHz USB, at 0230.  A recording of that reception sounds identical to the 12/04, 0100 UTC, signal.

So far the signal has only been reported on Pirate forums.  That is understandable as pirate listeners spend the most time watching this chunk of spectrum.

Reports and recordings here:
11/28/2010:  http://www.frn.net/vines/Forum4/HTML/018885.html
12/04/2010:  http://www.frn.net/vines/Forum4/HTML/018911.html
12/05/2010:  http://www.frn.net/vines/Forum4/HTML/018935.html

The general consensus right now is that this is a Pirate and a spoof, but so far no one has claimed it.

A quick look at the Spynumbers Database shows that at least 20 different actual numbers stations have used this frequency range, thousands of times between 6850 and 6990 kHz, and almost 2000 times between 6900 and 6950 kHz.  Stations such as E3, E5, E6, E7, E10, E11, G6, G7, M1, M3, M8, M10, M12, M13, M14, M22, M31, M51, M52, M56, MX, S6, S10, S17, SK01, V2, and V7 have all been reported in the 6900 to 6950 kHz range.

Two things are immediately suspicious about this transmission.  The frequency is number one and immediately brings it all into question.  But, the TX includes a phrase in it that is … unusual.  In the first two transmissions the phrase “the apple is in the tree” was included.  It looks like the latest one changed that to “the apple is on the ground”.  This is the kind of thing spy movies would use, and again causes immediate suspicion.

But, without those two factors I find the TX to be at least somewhat believable as a numbers TX.

So, what say ye, numbers?  Or a Pirate having a go?