Marine Net 8.076MHz USB??

[Looking-Glass]

Heard a lady processing check-ins and handling radio traffic this morning 2110z on 8.076MHz, think she gave her callsign as "C-568" not 100% sure.  

American style accent in English, not pirate as all the vessels she was working used a callsign.  Maybe in the Pacific or Asia, any one know this group?

On closer reflection I think this may be a Mormon or SDA church net in the Pacific, American accented net controller and a lot of mention of "God Bless" etc.

Some of the church groups have yachts to visit isolated outer islands where little or no air services exist, and thus spread the word...

[Looking-Glass]

The mystery of 8.076MHz USB has been solved.

It's a missionary radio network in Papua New Guinea that commences at 2100z daily, usually a lady base station operator (location unknown) who asks for priority check ins first ("please state your call sign") and then "general check ins (again with "please state your call sign").  They also have a yacht running to the isolated outer islands.

Transmission commences with "The reading for today" which is a quote from the bible. The base operator often reverts to "Tok Pidgin" language, the common linking language of PNG.

Had schedule list for 1100hrs today for Morobe, Madang, Goroka and Ishivara.

Denomination of the church remains unknown, probably Catholic as that's the predominant religion in PNG with many outposts.

[R4002]

Nice work on solving this one, Looking-Glass.  I remember discussing it with you in another thread (the one about the mystery Japanese traffic on 6707 kHz USB, I think).

At least they're operating outside the ham bands.  I know the missionaries in that part of the world tend to use whatever they can get their hands on.  Sounds like the network operating on 8076 kHz USB is pretty extensive though, especially if they're using net control procedures and terms like "call sign" 

[Looking-Glass]

Just to wind this subject up, some further details:

Base Station is: A-338 always the same lady on each morning, location unknown, maybe Port Moresby but not certain.

Check In stations to date: A-458, A-494, A-532, A-575, A-581, A-582, A-584, D-676 & H-2694.

Language used: Predominantly English but often revert to "Tok Pidgin" which is the common linking language of Papua New Guinea and Solomon islands.

Schedule : Starts 2100z Mon-Sat and 2130z on Sunday, before requesting check-ins/traffic a "Reading for today" a quote from the bible is announced.

Traffic usually concerns "church style" business and ordering stationary for schools and travel movements of staff. Very official and business like with no gossiping or idle banter.

Denomination unknown, would most likely be Catholic.

R-4002, you are correct in saying there might be two frequencies, the other morning she had trouble receiving A-575 and requested a call on 2.840MHz USB.

[R4002]

Looking-Glass, I continue to be impressed by your monitoring and logging efforts, especially the focus you make on aircraft, utility, marine and unidentified / UNID transmissions.  Of course, that focus is the focus of HF Underground.  Your location in Australia provides a unique perspective on activity that a lot of listeners can't hear.  I recently added a Japanese remote WebSDR (technically a KiwiSDR) to my "International SDRs" bookmark folder, with the plan that I can use it to listen to the frequencies you've posted if I'm up in the middle of the night/early morning.

You mention that the callsigns/stations you've heard are alphanumeric references (A-338, D-676, etc).  Are they identifying using a phonetic alphabet?

So now we know they're using 8076 kHz / 8.076 MHz USB as their primary frequency (daytime frequency?) and 2840 kHz / 2.840 MHz USB as their alternate frequency (maybe nighttime frequency?)  - seems like most of these HF nets have at least two frequencies, at least in my experience and research but there's always exceptions.  Thanks again for continuing to monitor this interesting net.

[Looking-Glass]

Yes, the lady controller comes on at 2100z sharp and opens with:

"Good morning this is Alpha-338"  

When she calls someone she will say:

"Alpha-338 to Alpha-532 over..."

She uses both frequencies every morning, this morning she asked:

 "any further traffic before I close? There is someone very weak on 2.840, can anyone relay?"  

After no response she said

"the weak station on 2.840 could you please call me on 8.076MHz now?"

OK on monitoring via KiwiSDR in Japan, I tend to be old fashioned and will stick with my radio's and 310 feet of wire, also the internet drops out frequently here as I am in an isolated area and use wireless for the net.  

Not to mention the net often runs very slow here and not at all when it snows.  Those mystery stations were back on 8.439MHz too this morning, see posting update, only the big strong base signal on, calling but no replies, have a look at that page.  

Had a good morning on the NDB's too, nearly reached 4,000kms, best time for NDB here is 0130-0500 in the morning local time.

It's a pity we don't have a logger to post as we hear, I post on dxworld.com if you want to see my other observations on SWL board.

Update on Sunday morning...this radio network belongs to the Catholic Schools Education Unit, there was a lot of talk about ordering stationary, text books and printing of students scripture work also two staff changes at the "Port Moresby campus". 

So R4002, I think we can close this case as solved?

[Looking-Glass]

The operator of this net is the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Papua New Guinea from the headquarters at Ukurumpa, in the PNG highlands.

Base station callsign is P2-A338, licensed by the PNG authorities.

[prldx]

Hi !

I found a manual from 1999 for radio operations of Pioneer Bible Translators Association in PNG:
www.pbtpng.org/wp-content/uploads/polpro/radio51.pdf

Maybe you can check down-under if some of the info there (times/frequencies) is still usable ?

P2-A338 is mentioned there as a non-PBT station. So there seem to be (or a least has been) more of thse religious nets there.

73,
Patrick

[Pigmeat]

You used to hear missionaries in S. America running similar nets, but I haven't heard one in years.

I always had mixed feelings about the P.B.T.A. They give the locals radios that generally only tune to their frequency. That being said they've inadvertently done tremendous work in documenting and recording little known languages that are quickly disappearing.

[Looking-Glass]

prldx: Thanks for that manual via PDF, have saved it and will read it later, although its 17 years old there may be some frequencies still in use.

A lot of the missionary groups have abandoned HF, especially the Catholic and Protestant churchs in the Pacific, the Catholics used to have an extensive HF network, but nothing heard on them for past six or so years.

When I lived in Western Kiribati I used to listen in to the Catholic church net on 10MHz, kicking off at 0800z sharp, just outside the amateur 10MHz allocation, they used to work Nauru, Funafuti (Tuvalu) and Suva (Fiji) using USB mode from the headquarters on South Tarawa.  Just general church related banter and travel and staff movements etc.

I remember a huge satellite dish being erected at the Catholic compound on South Tarawa in the later part of November 2000.  Also in 2000 the internet was becoming more reliable on Tarawa too with continuous, rather than interrupted, connections. 

Very few people had mobile phones on Tarawa in 2000 too, now everyone seems to have one!

[prldx]

Hi !

Another interesting information found here:
http://crmf.org/about-crmf/goals/

CRMF uses 12 HF SSB frequencies to provide two-way radio communications to more than 900 Churches and Mission Stations across Papua New Guinea and on many of the surrounding islands. Our staff at Goroka Base monitors 24 hours a day for urgent radio calls for assistance of any kind. We are able to obtain:
•    speedy medical advice
•    contact the police for their assistance
•    contact Civil Aviation
•    or simply pass a message.

73,
Patrick

[Looking-Glass]

Thanks Patrick, had a quick look but couldn't find mention of any established HF frequencies, just mention of 12 frequencies in general.  Will have a closer look later...