Messages

76

Utility / Re: 8992 anomaly

« on: March 06, 2022, 1210 UTC »

As for the location, the speculations currently favour Dakar but I am not so certain about this. I have now run over 30 TDoA each having different results. I cannot get a consistent fix on the signal. Earlier today I did get a few hits around Dakar but right now I am getting fixes around Brest ... in the middle of the water.

My TDOA results have also been inconclusive, at best.  I would say that Dakar is a possibility, but far from certain.  In fact, I have never gotten a plot that said, on the money, Dakar, but I respect the work of mco and linkz (they both are extremely experienced), and I believe they both have gotten Dakar plots.

Failing transmitter, no, probably not. I have an 18+ minute continuous recording of this from 00:40 UTC 2022-03-05. An "angry" modem, perhaps. For now we are calling it the "Buzz Saw".

It may not be a failing transmitter, but it is almost certainly something that is functioning in an undesired way.  The transmission is not data in any normal format, and I have strong doubts that it is data at all.

The evolution of the signal has been interesting.  4+ months ago it was a short transmission of a few pulses happening at just under 3 minute intervals, starting at a rate that allowed you to clearly see the individual pulses.  Over time it has slowly sped up and lengthened, so that it now starts at a rate near where it used to end, and sometimes goes on for minutes at a time.  I grabbed a continuous 10 minute recording of it the other night, and I stopped the recording before the signal ended.

T!

77

Utility / Re: HFGCS Force Directional Message (FDM) and Emergency Action Message (EAM) Log

« on: March 06, 2022, 0159 UTC »

272335Z FEB 2022
TO: ALL STATIONS
FROM: ALPHABET
ANZJXH // SEZDK CTJNN 6KV2M SAVQU YNFA

This is a recycled callsign, this callsign was also used for all messages on Dec 13, 2018.

I have seen a few callsigns get recycled, but it appears to be uncommon to do so.

T!

78

Utility / Re: 8992 anomaly

« on: March 06, 2022, 0156 UTC »

This thing has been present on 8992 in one form or another (it changes over time) since at least Dec 2021.  There is a pretty extensive thread concerning it on UDXF.

No one knows what it is, but the general consensus right now is that it is probably not a site in the HF-GCS network.  It is not data.  It is probably a failing transmitter.  It has been possibly geolocated (via TDOA) to Dakar.

Oh, and it is annoying.

T!

79

HF Mystery Signals / MOVED: 7.075 on & on & on... 0415GMT

« on: March 05, 2022, 1454 UTC »

This topic has been moved to Other.

https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php?topic=93845.0

80

Utility / Re: "Evolution" 4724khz USB 3/4/22 0230z

« on: March 04, 2022, 1503 UTC »

unit-e,

As @tING said, this station is not generally considered a numbers station.  Yes, it is a coded message, and yes, it does contain numbers, but military traffic is not, generally, considered a "numbers" station.  There are exceptions, of course, but this is not one of them.

This station / schedule / transmission is not in the database because it is not a numbers station

This is a coded message, assumed by hobbyist to be called either an FDM (Force Direction Message) or an EAM (Emergency Action Message), transmitted as part of the US military HF-GCS (High Frequency Global Communications System) network.  These messages have no specific schedule of transmission, although repeats often occur at 30 minute intervals.

This voice is live, not robotic.  The voice may be male or female, and often changes during a shift.  The voices heard for these messages are most typically US Air Force personnel, and typically enlisted ranks.  The callsign, in this case "Evolution", changes daily at 0000 UTC.  The callsign is generally 2 or 3 syllables, and may be one word or two.  The callsign is randomly selected from a pre-approved list of callsigns and may be reused.  Re-use of a callsign is uncommon, and it may be years between uses of the same callsign.

These messages are simulcast on 4724 // 8992 // 11175 // 15016 kHz.  All 4 frequencies are generally transmitted at the same time, and it is done from up to 13 different transmitter locations around the world.

You will also hear other traffic on this network, some of them will have fixed callsigns, and some will have the 24 hour rotating callsigns.

T!

81

Spy Numbers / MOVED: "Evolution" 4724khz USB 3/4/22 0230z

« on: March 04, 2022, 1435 UTC »

This topic has been moved to Utility.

https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php?topic=93801.0

82

Spy Numbers / Re: V07 "Spanish Lady" 14774 USB 0120 UTC 06 FEB 2022

« on: March 02, 2022, 2250 UTC »

Thanks very much for the info!
Also, how do I access your main page @ tokenradio.net ?  Do I need to sign up an account?

There is no public main page on that domain, I don't use it as a traditional web page.  I use it as an online storage point that I can access from anyplace.  I did not (generally) set it up for others to access, but that does also allow me to share specific pages as needed.  Pages in that domain fall into two categories, things I share readily and things I don't.  There is nothing sensitive there, unless you consider things like my DVD / Blue Ray inventory, or the pdf manuals to my vehicles, sensitive.  But there are things I just don't share...like my DVD / Blue Ray inventory or the manuals to my vehicles   The things on that domain I do share require a direct link, and typically don't link to any other pages.

T!

83

Spy Numbers / Re: V07 "Spanish Lady" 14774 USB 0120 UTC 06 FEB 2022

« on: March 02, 2022, 0207 UTC »

Im not familiar with V7 - can you post a link to a schedule if known?
Thank you,
FPE

Schedule here:
http://www.tokenradio.net/Radio/SharedFiles/NumbersTfer/V07_latest_sched.JPG

Also here:
https://priyom.org/number-stations/other/v07/sunday

This V07 schedule originates in far eastern Russia, specifically the source has been tied with high probability to Khabarovsk, Russia.  I have been watching and recording it since 2011.

This schedule is received with good regularity in North America, pretty much anyplace west of the Rockies, and sometimes east of there.

T!

84

HF Mystery Signals / Re: UNID 4649.5 USB 1530 UTC 26 FEB 2022

« on: February 26, 2022, 1600 UTC »

Yes, this "sonar like" ping has been active for at least a few days.  I have looked at it, and I have no idea what it is.  It is possibly a channel marker, but if so I don't know why they need it.  It continues over the Russian traffic that is sometimes present on that frequency.

It really does sound like a movie representation of an active sonar ping.  "One ping only Vasily..."

When not heard on 4649.5 kHz USB, the ping can sometimes be heard on 4397 kHz USB, not sure what other freqs it has been on.  Since both of these freqs also have Russian voice traffic, I am not sure if there is any connection there or not.

T!

85

HF Mystery Signals / Re: UNID 7.228 KHz 0625 UTC Feb, 26, 2022 tone sequence

« on: February 26, 2022, 1555 UTC »

Without something more to go on, a screen shot of a waterfall, an audio recording, or something like that, the number of possible signals you are describing is quite large.

You are not going to get an answer without more information.

T!

86

HF Mystery Signals / Re: Another Version of the Hump near the WBCQ 4790, 0050 UTC 24 Feb. 2022

« on: February 25, 2022, 1957 UTC »

To me this looks like Chinese radar.  Would need an audio recording to confirm.  The radar and the HFT PSK data can look similar on a waterfall, but they sound different.  The radar has more of a buzz while the HFT data has something of a hiss.

T!

87

HF Mystery Signals / Re: Unid 9060 DIGI

« on: February 15, 2022, 2235 UTC »

This signal is what I call the Multi-FSK Oddity in my logs.  It has been discussed a few times on this forum, and it has a few different modes.  The mode you have posted is the most common I have seen in recent months.  I have seen it in everything form 2 kHz width to 10 kHz width, and rates from 10 Hz to over 100 Hz.  Various frequencies from below 7000 kHz to above 20000 kHz.

This signal has been attributed to HFT (High Frequency Trading) sources, and that is a very good probability, but to the best of my knowledge that has yet to be confirmed.

The primary sources I see are in the US, a few different locations.  There are also some HFT signals observed and sourced in Europe, but I don't think I have seen this specific signal from a source there.

T!

88

HF Mystery Signals / MOVED: UNID 10138 2355-0010 AM 1 Feb 2022

« on: February 05, 2022, 1700 UTC »

This topic has been moved to Other.

https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php?topic=92417.0

89

HF Mystery Signals / Re: White Noise Hump 6890 K 2/5/2022 0017UTC

« on: February 05, 2022, 1607 UTC »

This appears to be a wideband PSK data source, probably associated with the same HFT sources that are the MFSK Oddity.  I often see it (this and similar signals) on the same or similar (freq / time / conditions) frequencies used by the MFSK signal, and TDOA geolocation resolves them to about the same locations.  While typing this (1600 UTC) I see the same signal active on 3 frequencies, 16302 kHz, 18600 kHz, and 18655 kHz.

If you look into the licensing data for the HFT sources you will find they have many modes authorized, including several wideband PSK modes.

T!

90

HF Mystery Signals / Re: "RFID Devices" 13560 (?) 1559 UTC 3 FEB 2022

« on: February 04, 2022, 1711 UTC »

13560 kHz (+/- 7 kHz) is one of several ISM (Industrial, Scientific, and Medical) bands.  These are pieces of RF spectrum specifically set aside for intentional radiators that may not fall in the more traditional telecommunications or measurements realms, but still require RF emissions to do their tasking.  Not telcom, not radar, not point to point data, but still devices that must radiate energy to do their jobs.  If, for whatever reason, you cannot keep the RF levels low enough to qualify as Part 15 devices, to make them work right you need higher levels than that kind of regulation allows, then you typically design the item so that the RF falls in one of the ISM bands.

An example of an ISM device would be a microwave oven.  It must radiate energy to cook food, but it is not a more traditional RF source.  Most microwaves use a frequency of 2450 MHz (+/- 50 MHz), but there have been other frequencies used by Microwave ovens, such as 915 MHz.  Both of these frequencies fall in ISM bands.  Another example of an ISM device would be a key fob for a vehicle.  Another might be a high power laser power supply.  And yes, some RFID systems also use ISM bands.

Still another use would be the security monitoring system operated by some companies / entities with fiber or copper communications lines.  Some off these systems send pulses of RF down the cable or a shield on the fiber, unrelated to the cables / fibers primary task, to monitor for breaks or changes in the cable.  13560 kHz is a common frequency for these systems, and it can often be heard as a periodic (sometimes slow, sometimes fast) beep on that frequency.  This signal is pretty commonly heard, and while most ISM signals are shorter ranged, this one can often be heard for many miles, as the cable / fiber system associated can cover large areas.

The upshot of this is that there are thousands of possible signals that might be heard on 13560 kHz and other ISM bands.  It is often impossible to nail what is heard down to a specific type of signal, as so many of them are near identical and often highly variable.

So, not everything heard on 13560 kHz is an RFID system, in fact, while some do use that frequency, that is a minority of the type of signals heard there.  Your recoriding will not play for me, so I cannot ID the specific signal in your recording (and might not be able to even if it did play), but I doubt, just based on the shear number of other signals it might be, it is RFID.

T!