Messages

1486

European Pirates and Private Stations / Re: 21460 AM - Cupid Radio - 1500 UTC 15 Dec 2013

« on: December 15, 2013, 1532 UTC »

Cupid is S4 to S5 here.  Seems to be coming up a bit as the Sun comes up.

T!

(edit)  1631 UTC sent another SSTV image

1487

Other / Re: Unknown 100 khz BW signal 5140 khz 1:15 utc 11-28-13

« on: December 12, 2013, 0251 UTC »

Probably any one of many OTHRs.  The US ROTHR would be a front runner in my mind, but that would be hard to prove.

Here is an example of a 100 kHz wide OTHR (sounders can sound exactly like this, but transmit less often).  Does this sound like what you heard?  I show it in USB, LSB, and AM in this video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d_YHeRlDxDY

(edit) Rockpicker, I might add that screen shots and audio recordings are your friend.  From a screen shot I could probably tell you what you had, an audio recording would be even more conclusive.  Screen shots are quick and easy to grab, and can be done after the fact by just sliding up the DDC waterfall.

T!

1488

Other / Re: UNID 6942.6 USB 0041 UTC 11 Dec 2013

« on: December 11, 2013, 0253 UTC »

Actual tuned frequency is 6942.0 kHz, tonight it is USB only, but it can also be LSB or even ISB, different data on LSB and USB.  When properly tuned the Doppler Tone (lowest tone) is at 605 Hz and the Synchronization Tone (highest tone) is at 2915 Hz.  You will note the rhythm changing as different units enter the net and as different data is sent, suffice to say it does not always sound the same.

This pops up in the band often, and might be found on any frequency at all.  Typically it is below 14 MHz when on HF and is also found in UHF.  An older thread with a description of what Link 11 is can be found here:
http://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,12731.0.html

T!

1489

Spy Numbers / Re: HM01 on 9330 kHz 29NOV13 and numbers for 12/08/2013 from 9330

« on: December 10, 2013, 0058 UTC »

Could they be running lower power than 100 or 250 KW (due to the nature of the transmissions)? Just curious....

I am sure they could, but why would they?  And what would make you think they might?

Another thought: since 2⁵ =32, could the data transmission be running on a 32 bit file or a 32 bit operating system (as opposed to Windows 7, which can run on a 64 bit system or files)? Continuing my ramble, "A 32-bit file format is a binary file format for which each elementary information is defined on 32 bits (or 4 Bytes). An example of such a format is the Enhanced Metafile Format." -- from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/32-bit. Since these metafile formats date from the 1990s (and the voice machines are apparently as old if not older), can 32 bit computers represent the "state of the art" Cuban technology at work? If so, my wild idea may mean that we might have to look at these number sequences as pixels of a picture which can be viewed by a Microsoft "Graphics Device Interface" as used in Windows XP-- see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphics_Device_Interface (but only 6 pixels at a time, since each number represents ONE pixel).

In this regard, perhaps China's call for continuing support for Windows XP (see http://www.networkworld.com/news/2013/120313-windows-xp-china-276547.html?hpg1=bn) may ALSO be a proxy for stating that Cuba needs Windows XP to continue in order to presumably continue their HM01 (at least the "M"[orse]  part of their data) transmissions (without actually saying it, since HM01 is an UNOFFICIAL station, after all, Cuba can't just ADMIT TO IT -- can they??)....

Finally, have the Cubans ever used the number 9 ('nueve' in Spanish) in their transmissions? Or does it sound too close to 'nuevo' (the word NEW) which might lead to confusion upon hearing from far away (since the use of 'new' could be thought of as the spy equivalent of an 'audible' -- in other words, DISREGARD the prior stuff and use ONLY what follows -- which may not be their intent)?

Not sure what you are getting at with the 32 bit comments.  The file format really does not need to have anything to do with the OS or CPU depth.

Also not sure what you mean by the Morse portion of their data?  There is no Morse in an HM01 transmission.  Only voice and RDFT data.  The “M” does not stand for Morse.

And yes, the Cubans have used 9 in some transmissions, but not very often.

T!

1490

Spy Numbers / Re: HM01 (?) 11633 KHz AM copied ~0830

« on: December 10, 2013, 0028 UTC »

And if you don't have a digital readout you have to rely on what others have posted to actually BE the frequency (as I do)....

It was not all that long ago no one had digital readouts, and it was still possible to get accurate frequencies.  You can get accurate frequencies using any radio, even one without a frequency dial, it just takes thought, and the application of old school methods.

Look into something like a BC-221 or an LM-24.  Either can be had for $40 or less and can tell you your tuned freq to within a couple hundred Hz, used with any radio.  And besides, they are kind of cool to use, giving it all a “real radio” feel in my opinion.  Even today, when I mostly use SDRs, I like to break out the old tube stuff from time to time, say the SP-600 or the SX-28, and a LM-18 or a BC-221Q almost always gets used with them.

T!

1491

Spy Numbers / Re: HM01 on 9330 kHz 29NOV13

« on: December 07, 2013, 0334 UTC »

ADDITIONAL QUESTION for anyone in this group: Does anyone know (or can compute) the (approximate) transmitter power for this station? My guess is about 20 KW, but I have no real idea....

HM01 uses the Radio Habbana Cuba transmitter facilities, and so runs the same power as R. Habbana.  THis is a good bit more than your guess, it would be 100 kW or more (facilities include 100 and 250 kW transmitters), depending on which facility it is.

T!

1492

Spy Numbers / Re: HM01 (?) 11633 KHz AM copied ~0830

« on: December 07, 2013, 0328 UTC »

The frequency is 11635 kHz.  However, when a person tunes in an AM transmission in a receiver in AM mode it is often very hard to tell the exact frequency.  In fact, often you can end up thinking the frequency is something it is not because the audio can appear to peak up by ear on a slightly off tuned freq.  When listening to an AM signal the best way to confirm you are tuned to the correct frequency is to switch from AM to USB, and then to LSB.  If you are properly tuned there will be little or no change in the pitch of the audio as you switch.  Of course if you do not have seperate USB and LSB switch positions this is not an option.

T!

1493

HF Beacons / "A" Beacon, 6291.93 and 10486.55 kHz, Dec 6, 2013, 1715 UTC

« on: December 06, 2013, 1720 UTC »

Many people are pretty familiar with the "A" pirate beacon on 2097.31 kHz.  As beacons go this one is a power house.  Today I stumbled across the 3rd and 5th harmonics, on 6291.93 kHz and 10486.55 kHz.  They were weak but mostly copiable here at 1715 UTC on Dec 6, 2013.  I looked for other harmonics, but those were the only ones I found for sure.  The 7th harmonic on about 14681.17 kHz may have been in there, I kept seeing repeating noise changes at about the right interval, but never really heard or saw the A.

T!

1494

General Radio Discussion / Re: Plans Announced to Update the Communications Act of 1934

« on: December 06, 2013, 1524 UTC »

The Act of 1934 is still in affect, "as amended".  Take a look at any FCC NOV or NOUO and you will see the 1934 Act is still the one being referenced today, with no mention of 1996.

T!

1495

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: SSTV 6925 USB 1400 UTC 6 Dec 2013

« on: December 06, 2013, 1416 UTC »

Interesting, I got the same image about 12 and a half hours earlier, at 0132z, on Dec 6.



T!

1496

General Radio Discussion / Re: Happy Hanukkah Radio signal strength

« on: December 06, 2013, 0047 UTC »

I have seen a few different ways to do similar stuff, both with SDR's and with conventional radios.  Here, for conventional radios like the Icom R-75 and R8500 I have a very crude Visual Basic program that will take a list of freqs, tune to each in turn, grab the signal level of each, and write the results for each freq to a CSV file.  I can then open that file in Excel and chart the results.  For all of my WinRadio gear I have a similar thing, but using the WinRadio supplied RBASIC environment that is part of the WinRadio GUI.  Again, it looks at a list of freqs, samples each in sequence, and writes the results to a CSV file.  I can tell it how long to wait before it starts scanning and also how long I want it to scan.  I can also control the sample rate, from once per second or less to once every few minutes if I want.

The results look something like this:


In this case I have parsed the 10 frequencies it was checking down to only 3 to show here.  2 are active with V24 transmissions, one is not.

I can do the same thing on recorded SDR files, however the playback and sample has to be one to one time with my technique.  Not quite as fancy as Chris's, but the programs I use were written by someone with no software background...me.

T!

1497

HF Beacons / Dasher, 4069.95 kHz, Dec 5, 2013, 0100 UTC

« on: December 05, 2013, 0113 UTC »

What appears to me to be a new dasher is up on 4096.95 kHz.  This does not appear to be the same one that has been sending M and RR, and turning on and off, over the past week or so.  This one is a simple dasher, with a 2 second dash and a 2 second off time (4 seconds dash to dash).  Power level is not supper strong, but pretty steady, about in line with Kelsie (if that is what it is) on 4069.27 kHz.

T!

1498

HF Beacons / Re: .-. .-.--------- 4098 LSB, 4094 USB 0116 UTC 3 Dec 13

« on: December 04, 2013, 2207 UTC »

2130 UTC Dec 4, at work so not were I can take good measurements, and the signal is very weak on this antenna, but it looks like another dasher is now up on the same frequency.  This one looks like a simple dash, roughly 2.2 seconds long and just under 10 seconds apart.  Frequency is a dead ringer for the M (or double T) last week and the RR earlier this week.

If I get home and can get more detail on this one, tell for sure it is a simple dash, I'll start a new thread on it.

T!

(edit)  And it appears off air at 2215 UTC or so.  I suppose it could be in a deep fade, but it looks gone.

1499

HF Beacons / Re: .-. .-.--------- 4098 LSB, 4094 USB 0116 UTC 3 Dec 13

« on: December 04, 2013, 1540 UTC »

I checked at 1300 UTC Dec 4 and the signal was not present.  Right now is 1530 UTC Dec 4 and still not present, and at this time yesterday it was S6 or better.  So I assume it is back off now, instead of faded away.

The possible on-off nature of this beacon, the use of the same freq as M or TT a week ago, M or TT only being on until reported, and then off after that, might indicate a beacon someone is playing around with, or one only on the air periodically.  Would not be the first time someone put up a beacon just until someone reported/noted it, and then changed or removed the beacon.  Or maybe they are ironing out the bugs on a new beacon that will be more permanent later.  I guess we will see in the future.

Unless the owner steps up and says something it is mostly guess work anyway

Lots people were up in the Ridgecrest area around Thanksgiving, many folks come up to the desert and ride over that weekend and whole cities can spring up overnight.  Were you up visiting or was it to play in the desert?

T!

1500

Spy Numbers / VC01, Chinese Robot, 4165 kHz, Dec 03, 2013, 1500 UTC

« on: December 03, 2013, 1506 UTC »

The Chinese Robot, VC01, is up on 4165 kHz, USB, at 1500 UTC on December 03, 2013.  This station has been aaround this frequency for the last few weeks, including excursions to 4175 and 4156 kHz.  It has also been up on 8715 kHz near daily, for a couple of months now.

T!