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Author Topic: UNID 3118.7 USB 0741 UTC 18-May-2017  (Read 1903 times)

Offline RST111

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UNID 3118.7 USB 0741 UTC 18-May-2017
« on: May 18, 2017, 0746 UTC »
RS 55

2 OM having a conversation.  Not sure about the language.  To my untrained American-centric ear it sounds close to Spanish, but could be Portuguese.

At 0745 UTC it seems like the conversation is over; haven't heard anything for about a minute now.
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Offline R4002

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Re: UNID 3118.7 USB 0741 UTC 18-May-2017
« Reply #1 on: May 18, 2017, 2016 UTC »
First time I've seen a log for the 3 MHz band.

Nice catch, RST111.  I'm glad posters are finding peskie / pesky / pescadore / fishing fleet / freebanders / outbanders on other bands besides the 6-7 MHz region. 

For what its worth, 3118.7 kHz USB is within the 2850 kHz - 3150 kHz aeronautical aircraft MF-SSB and HF-SSB (usually called MF/HF or just HF, even though it crosses the 3000 kHz or 3 MHz boundary area from medium frequency to high frequency) band.

I have logged several peskie transmissions in the 6525 kHz - 6765 kHz aeronautical aircraft HF band (in addition, it is also home the 6.6 MHz band or 45 meter band "Echo Charlie" pirate stations commonly heard in Europe using LSB mode around 6600 kHz / 6.6 MHz.  Doing some Googling shows several radio listeners in Europe have logged two-way pirate traffic similar to other freeband chatter on 6670 kHz LSB / 6.670 MHz LSB and other nearby frequencies, often with 3 kHz steps or 5 kHz steps like our Spanish speaking friends that hang out on 6895 kHz, 6900 kHz, 6905 kHz, etc.

I found the old "RF Man" site (based out of the UK) and freebanding.co.uk that contains information about various legal and illegal radio services, and a page exists for Echo Charlie and similar freeband "services" in different HF bands. They seem to follow the amateur radio practice of using LSB below 10 MHz and using USB above 10 MHz.

These include:

86 meters or 85 meters: 3000 - 3500 kHz - calling frequency 3470 kHz LSB (the 3000 kHz to 3400 kHz portion is often called 90 meters)
45 meters: 6530 - 6700 kHz - calling frequency 6670 kHz LSB (some sources say 6500 to 6700 kHz)
29 meters: 10400 kHz USB (only one frequency listed for this "band")
21 meters: 13500 - 14000 kHz - calling frequency 13970 kHz USB, South American calling frequency is 13555 kHz USB
16 meters or 15 meters: 18000 kHz - 18050 kHz - calling frequency 18030 kHz USB
14 meters: 20900 - 20980 kHz - calling frequency 20930 kHz USB

With this information in mind, it could be possible that you were hearing freeband activity.  Of course, by the very nature of freebanding...operators tend to make up things as they go along.  I've heard of the 6670 kHz frequency and nearby frequencies being used, in addition to the usual 6765-7000 kHz range for freebanders, fishing fleet communications, and of course pirates and military voice and data traffic. 

With this log being for a frequency so close to the 3000 kHz / 3 MHz MF/HF border, I begin to wonder if there are peskies operating in the 2000-3000 kHz range as well.
U.S. East Coast, various HF/VHF/UHF radios/transceivers/scanners/receivers - land mobile system operator - focus on VHF/UHF and 11m

 

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