VC01 3105usb 20:25 utc 4-3-2013

[glimmer twin]

I heard this on a remote receiver located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. I normally wouldn't post something that I heard in such a manner but this seemed like such a cool catch...what the hell. I do want to be clear , I did not hear this from my QTH in Missouri. It sounded exactly like this:

http://www.priyom.org/number-stations/other-languages/vc01.aspx

I've heard this & other recordings of "the Chinese robot" before but I never actually found it myself. It is really weird sounding stuff. I first tuned it in at 20:25 utc & it was still going when the remote perseus timed out for the second time at 20:56. I was able to get back on the same receiver after a few minutes & could hear it weakly a few minutes later. The sun had come up in Aichi Prefecture since I first tuned it & it was fading fast but still there at 21:01 utc. I'm on the last day of my third 60 day trial demo deal ,each one on a different computer. I really can't afford to buy a perseus of my own but I might have to because it is such a cool radio. I'm not aware of any other way to access the  worldwide perseus network.

btw, Token your perseus rocks...thanks for making it available. I use it often in around 13:00-14:00 utc to hear the Asian stations that are not audible from here.

[desmoface]

Very cool..would love to catch this one.

Steve

[Token]

This station shifts through 2 to 4 frequencies over a 24 hour period of time.  It generally hits a low freq one, in the 2 to 4 MHz range, later it shifts to a medium freq, in the 4 to 6 MHz range, and later yet it shifts to a higher freq, in the 6 to 8 MHz range.  I have heard it also has a time period when it goes above 8 MHz, but I have not caught it then.

In general, around 1200 to 1600, it is often in the 4 to 6 MHz range, for the last few weeks it has been on 5442 kHz, LSB.  Later it shifts up, and for the last few weeks has been on 7904.3 kHz, USB.

I have not detected any specific cycle to the exact frequencies it selects, or when it changes frequency.  Most often it uses a given frequency for a few weeks and then shifts.  It does seem to transmit 24/7, although it is often hard to find.

If you pay very close attention to the signal you might catch it in an interesting approximate 6 minute cycle.  This is not always detectable, and it may not always do it, but I have seen it for long enough and often enough that it appears to be intentional.  For 2 minutes and 8 seconds it will be at one power level (level A), then it will change levels and be at another for 3 minutes and 52 seconds (level B).  It will alternate A and B levels for hours on end at times.  The transition can (most often does) occur in mid word, it does not wait for a pause in the audio.

What is causing this A/B level change?  I am not sure, but I suspect it might be changing antennas to change coverage.  I say this because using remotes I have detected that sometimes when this A/B change happens receivers in Europe see an increase in signal strength while I see, locally, a decrease.  But, this "antenna change" theory is only a guess and only one possible reason for what I am seeing.

T!