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Author Topic: UVB-76 "The Buzzer" mixed with odd digital signal  (Read 2627 times)

Offline Strange Beacons

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UVB-76 "The Buzzer" mixed with odd digital signal
« on: December 14, 2018, 2237 UTC »
I tuned into 4625 kHz this morning to listen to The Buzzer and noticed what appears and sounds like a strange digital signal mixed in between the intervals of the normal buzzing sounds. I have no idea what this is, but it is certainly odd behavior for this signal, as it typically just generates a continuous buzz every second, with nothing transmitted in between.

Video recording of the anomaly signal.

Anybody have any ideas what this might be?

It started a few days ago and yesterday, a person on Reddit posted recordings of voice transmissions on the signal that can be heard here and here.

Offline Token

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Re: UVB-76 "The Buzzer" mixed with odd digital signal
« Reply #1 on: December 15, 2018, 0055 UTC »
I would say pretty close to definitely co-channel signal.  You can see that the PSK signal is suffering different propagation than the Buzzer signal.  So just another signal on the same freq.  The 4chan folks have also been all in a twitter because of the unrelated co-channel Russian Navy Morse that has been on the freq recently.

T!
T!
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Offline Strange Beacons

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Re: UVB-76 "The Buzzer" mixed with odd digital signal
« Reply #2 on: December 15, 2018, 1450 UTC »
I would say pretty close to definitely co-channel signal.  You can see that the PSK signal is suffering different propagation than the Buzzer signal.  So just another signal on the same freq.  The 4chan folks have also been all in a twitter because of the unrelated co-channel Russian Navy Morse that has been on the freq recently.

T!

Token: Your answer seems to be the consensus opinion among all of the pros that I've asked about this. Thanks.

Offline The Wrigley Guerrilla

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Re: UVB-76 "The Buzzer" mixed with odd digital signal
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2018, 1800 UTC »
UVB-76 recently had some strange activity. I did hear what sounded like a Morse-transmitter in the background, which roughly translated into "Mikhail" in Morse. Recorded 12/13/18. Anyone know why?


Offline Token

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Re: UVB-76 "The Buzzer" mixed with odd digital signal
« Reply #4 on: December 16, 2018, 1638 UTC »
I would say pretty close to definitely co-channel signal.  You can see that the PSK signal is suffering different propagation than the Buzzer signal.  So just another signal on the same freq.  The 4chan folks have also been all in a twitter because of the unrelated co-channel Russian Navy Morse that has been on the freq recently.

T!

Token: Your answer seems to be the consensus opinion among all of the pros that I've asked about this. Thanks.

SB, don't get me wrong, there is also a noise source that appears to be part of the Buzzer transmission, and has been there for quite a while now.  It can look like a digital signal between the buzzes and for all I know is cross talk from an actual digital signal.  However, I saw the signal you recorded also, and it looked like a different source to me.

T!
« Last Edit: December 16, 2018, 1643 UTC by Token »
T!
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Offline Token

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Re: UVB-76 "The Buzzer" mixed with odd digital signal
« Reply #5 on: December 16, 2018, 1642 UTC »
UVB-76 recently had some strange activity. I did hear what sounded like a Morse-transmitter in the background, which roughly translated into "Mikhail" in Morse. Recorded 12/13/18. Anyone know why?

I have noticed no particularly strange activity from the Buzzer / UVB-76 recently.  Nothing that has not been seen at times in the past.  For example, Morse has periodically, for many years, been noted on / near the same frequency as the Buzzer, in all cases I know of the Morse was a separate signal and unrelated to the Buzzer.

The Morse that people have been talking about recently is, at least in every case I have seen, an unrelated signal.  Specifically it is Russian Navy on 4625.5 kHz.  The formats transmitted and the callsigns used often match known Russian Navy sources.

T!
T!
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Offline Strange Beacons

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Re: UVB-76 "The Buzzer" mixed with odd digital signal
« Reply #6 on: December 16, 2018, 1737 UTC »
I would say pretty close to definitely co-channel signal.  You can see that the PSK signal is suffering different propagation than the Buzzer signal.  So just another signal on the same freq.  The 4chan folks have also been all in a twitter because of the unrelated co-channel Russian Navy Morse that has been on the freq recently.

T!

Token: Your answer seems to be the consensus opinion among all of the pros that I've asked about this. Thanks.

SB, don't get me wrong, there is also a noise source that appears to be part of the Buzzer transmission, and has been there for quite a while now.  It can look like a digital signal between the buzzes and for all I know is cross talk from an actual digital signal.  However, I saw the signal you recorded also, and it looked like a different source to me.

T!

Understood, and again thanks. I checked 4625 kHz via an SDR located in Sweden this morning and the "normal" Buzzer signal is back to what it almost always is.

I think that there is a lot of myth and general mild-hysteria attached to UVB-76 among certain sectors of the general population and often any changes seen or heard on that frequency are bantered about on social media with the most dire predictions.

Offline ultravista

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Re: UVB-76 "The Buzzer" mixed with odd digital signal
« Reply #7 on: December 31, 2018, 1821 UTC »
Token, are you able to receive the buzzer @ your location? We're pretty close (CA - NV) but I am unable to find the buzzer using an active mini-whip @ approximately 20ft.

I am on your SDR now and hear CODAR @ 4625. I too pickup several CODAR 'stations' here in Las Vegas, in the AM and PM. I suspect the stronger CODAR signal competes for the weaker buzzer.
« Last Edit: December 31, 2018, 1824 UTC by ultravista »

 

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