Messages

2086

General Radio Discussion / Re: Will HF become totally useless for DX?

« on: June 21, 2010, 1957 UTC »

I like how that article claims that predicitons of Solar Cycle 24 were that it was going to be a "doozy" and possibly the biggest in recorded history.  However, none of the predictions I read seemed to indicate it would be anything of the sort.  Prior to 2009 the predictions were that solar cycle 24 would be average to slightly above average, with several "experts" predicting low activity.

Here is an early 2007 NASA paper looking at predictions for solar cycle 24.  http://www.swpc.noaa.gov/SolarCycle/SC24/May_24_2007_table.pdf

Note the predictions ran from a low of 42 to a high of 185.  The 1959 peak (biggest in recent history) was over 250, the 1947, 1979, and 1990 peaks (largest 3 after 1959) were all in the 200 region.  The lowest peak in the last 100 years was around 1929, peaking at just over 100.

2087

Spy Numbers / Re: High Frequency Global Communications System

« on: June 21, 2010, 1927 UTC »

Evidently, the Echo effect is intentional; for reasons that escape me?

The echo is caused most commonly in this specific system by sending the same signal from multiple transmitters at the same time.  The different distances to each transmitter from you mean different arrival times to your location.  Arrival times differing by as little as 2 milliseconds can be detected by the human ear.  6.18 microseconds is the time it takes RF to travel one mile.  Distances differing to two transmitter sites by 300 miles (one transmitter being 300 miles further form the receiver than the other transmitter) would result in about 2 milliseconds difference in arrival time.  Greater distance deltas equate to larger timing deltas.

Echos can also be caused by differing paths from one transmitter to a given receiver.  RF can take more than one path from point A to point B.

2088

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: WLDJ 6925U

« on: May 15, 2010, 1458 UTC »

Copy was fair here.  I tuned to it about 10 minutes before QRT, heard the full ID very clear.  WLDJ, the Voice of the Last DJ.

2089

Spy Numbers / V13 on 10522 kHz, May 15 2010

« on: May 15, 2010, 1309 UTC »

Howdy all,

V13 is very strong this morning on 10522.  Two time periods, 1200 and 1300z.

2090

HF Beacons / Looks like a new dasher on 4097.8

« on: May 15, 2010, 0442 UTC »

Anyone notice the new dasher at 4097.8?  It is just above the daytime only Inyo Whooper.  I have been watching it for a couple days, to make sure it was really a dahser and not some channel marker or something.  No change in the last two days, same dot pitch, one second on and one second off.

2091

HF Beacons / Re: 4102.8 Dasher

« on: May 15, 2010, 0122 UTC »

The last time I heard the night only "O" beacon was in early April or late March, it was still up then and on 4103.8.  It is an extremely hard one to get for me.  I suspect, but do not know, it is probably still up, just seldom reported.

Edit:  I just checked and as of 0435 UTC May15, 2010 it is still up.  Center freq at this time is 4104.48.

2092

HF Beacons / Re: 4102.8 Dasher

« on: May 08, 2010, 0355 UTC »

My understanding is that this past week the 4102.8 dasher got a much shorter feedline and an antenna actually cut for 4102, vs the 6 MHz antenna that was in use.  The ID portion of the dasher should be coming online in the near future.

I know for sure this beacon is more strong now at my place then it used to be.

2093

General Radio Discussion / Re: I knew it, I knew it, I knew it!!!

« on: April 27, 2010, 1615 UTC »

"sonic laser" ... I don't care who ya are, that's pretty funny right there.

2094

Spy Numbers / Re: Near 13205 kHz Phonetic Letters

« on: April 07, 2010, 1348 UTC »

Most probably what you are hearing is an "EAM" (Emergency Action Message) or some other transmission as part of the "HF-GCS" (High Frequency Global Communications System).  13200 USB is one of their frequencies.  You will also find them on 4724, 6739, 8992, 11175, 13200, 15016 kHz, all USB, and often multiple frequencies at a given time.  Note that a 13200 USB signal would fall pretty much right between 13200 and 13205 for a 5 kHz tuning step AM only RX.

Re your V24 reports:  V24 often has an excellent path into California until its last couple time slots of the day, around 1530 it starts to fade, the 1620 slot is often marginal.  It has been confused for a broadcast station in the past during its lead-in music.  I also heard (well, recorded anyway, I was at work at that time) both of these transmissions and the one on 04/05 is most representative, the one on 04/06 was weaker than average.  The nice thing about that is you can expect conditions like you had on 04/05 much of the time, particularly during the best time slots, from 1330 to 1530.

2095

HF Beacons / Re: another mystery beacon on the air

« on: March 30, 2010, 0243 UTC »

Tonight the dashes went long and quit at 0235 UTC, center freq was 6626.16 kHz.  My own sunset was at 0210 and dusk lasted until 0239.  I am thinking the beacon, if solar powered only, might be slightly west of me, or possibly south, but it is probably fairly close.

I will be checking this freq often when I am out in the 4x4 or even when driving the high desert highways.  With any luck I might get an idea of the general area.

It might be interesting to watch it as clouds or weather fronts move through the area, that might give some indication also.

2096

HF Beacons / Re: another mystery beacon on the air

« on: March 29, 2010, 1547 UTC »

The time of sunset, if that is what is causing the dits to lengthen and eventually drop off the air, should draw a line of possible locations.  Actually watching the change each day, and ploting each line, should eventually result in a single point that should be fairly close to the location of the beacon.  Of course local shading and altitude will cause the point to shift so that it is not necessarily exactly the location, but I bet it could be plotted to within a few 10's of miles.

Late edit.  I also thought of something else.  As the grey/dark line of sundown slants from SW to NE at this time of the year the line of sunup slants SE to NW also.  Plotting both of those on a map, based on the stop/start times of the beacon, should yield a plot of the approximate location.

2097

Spy Numbers / Re: Tail Ending possible? Vietnamese Numbers Station 10255 kHz USB

« on: March 22, 2010, 1349 UTC »

V24  6215 kHz  1600-? (coffee refill)
Fair to good signal  4 number groups  2/2 pattern

If you had stayed for the last half of this transmission you would have heard it transition form 2/2 format to 1/3 format.  The first half and second half of each V24 transmission contains the same numbers groups, just presented in a different way.

Also, after the music there is an announcement to the intended recipient.  A given recipient always has the same music lead-in.

The recipient (and thus music) is time/day/freq specific, and it is tied to days of the month vs days of the week as is common with other numbers stations.  If you hear a specific song on the 17th of the month on 6215 kHz at 1600 then next month you will hear the same song at that time on that freq.  However, on the 24th of the month you may hear a different song on 6215 kHz at 1600.

There do appear to be a few specific slots that alternate months, that is to say that specifc day/time/freq will only be used every other month.  I have not got a firm grasp on these yet, and it might not be so, I am working on that.

Also, the last day of the month can sometimes jumble the first day of the month.  For example, if the month ends on the 28th and there is normally a TX scheduled for the 28th and 29th then you will see the 29th TX on the 1st...if that time slot is normally empty on the 1st.  If there is normally a TX scheduled for that slot on the 1st then the second TX is not sent.

T!
Mohave Desert, California USA

2098

Spy Numbers / Re: Tail Ending possible? Vietnamese Numbers Station 10255 kHz USB

« on: March 22, 2010, 1337 UTC »

Start times on the Vietnamese numbers station has been observed as anything from 1557 to 1622.  It normally consist of more than one message part, up to three have been observed, however they are duplicates of the first.  From one to three have been observed on a specific day.

All message parts have consisted of 5f groups.

The message is repeated for many days in a row, although I have not recorded a message in a few days now (although they have been heard here, just did not bother to record) I believe the message yesterday was the same one that I first recorded on the 9th of March.

Three voices have been heard so far, one female, one male, and one higher pitched male.

There has been some discussion on this station, is it a numbers station or is it maritime?  In my opinion it matters not the source.  It is sending coded messages in a format essentially identical to what have been refered to as "spy numbers stations".  It contains an encoded message, and the intended recipient is unknown.

T!
Mohave Desert, California USA

2099

HF Beacons / Re: TS loud

« on: March 21, 2010, 1516 UTC »

Strong signal into the Mohave Desert this morning, center freq was 8189.71.

As I have not read the board here in a while, work has kept me away, I was unaware of TS.  I ran across it while randomly scanning and thought it sounded beacon'ny.  Came in here to report it and there were a couple of threads about it

T!
Mohave Desert, California USA

2100

HF Beacons / Re: Rouge beacon

« on: March 10, 2010, 1942 UTC »

The slow dasher near 4103 you are talking about might be one I reported a couple months back, and I have an email from someone claiming to be the owner.  This is the same person who tried a few other freqs, including 5711.8, 8000.8, and a couple more I do not remember off the top of my head, I think there was something around 6700 and something around 12000.

If this is the 4103 you are talking about the actual freq is 4102.8, or it has been every time I have checked it.  One second dash and one second pause, it is supposedly going to have more later on.  Power is less than 100 mW into a wire dipole facing NE/SW.  Location is supposed to be just outside the western edge of Death Valley.

This beacon is between the "W" wind beacon on 4102.3 and the nightime only "O" beacon on 4104.18.  Here is a shot of all three coming in at my location at once;


T!