Increased Beacon Activity Around 4.095 MHz??

[zeak]

Either I’m seeing a lot of activity around or I’m nuts?

I’m seeing four distinct signals around 4.095-4.0965MHz;
1)   4095.71 the Whooper,
2)    The chirpy slow dashes at 4095.88. Both #2 and #3 have been around for some time.
3)    New to me is another slow dash at 4095.95.
4)   Finally, yet another slow dash at 4096.30. I’m seeing all four of these signals from both my location and from Token’s SDR: http://tokenradio.proxy.kiwisdr.com:8073/  at 2243Z, so #3 and #4 aren’t just some form of local noise.

At this location I hear the Whooper of course, signal #1 24 hrs/day and night from S2 to S9 in the evenings. Signal #2 usually heard after local sunset, but today it seemed to rise out of the noise at 2200Z and signals  #3 and # 4 became apparent today at 2120Z with #4 rising to S7 by 2320.

Is #4, the slow dash at 4096.30, new?

Zeak,

Receiver KiwiSDR
Ant (s): 80m dipole at 15m and 1m Loop
Location:  DM12

[stendec]

Yes, I think you a right -- activity around 4095 +/- has increased. 

This past week I have noted 2 new (not in the list) slow dashers on 4093.12 and 4114.5 kHz. In fact logged them both on the KPH SDR today around 0100Z.
Around S1- to S3.

And now just in the past hour, there is a new very strong signal on 4095.99 - sending "TCO" in very slow CW. S9+ on the KFS and KPH SDRs. Just checked Token's SDR (at 0240Z) where its also S7-8. Big signal.

STENDEC

[zeak]

Well, maybe I'm not nuts after all STENDEC?

"new very strong signal on 4095.99 - sending "TCO" in very slow CW"

Interesting you mention the slow CW, early while monitoring this signal around 2200Z, I believe I was watching the early attempts at the slow CW, seeing dashes at varying lengths, but not then the full TCO. As an afterthought, I should have recorded that session.

At any rate, nice signal and glad to see experimenters at work, that's what it's all about. And/or Santa must have delivered some 4.096 MHz Xtals or Oscillators as stocking stuffers?

Zeak,

[zeak]

So, now there is progress on 4095.99 (previously reported as signal#3) one of the long dash signals reported yesterday has turned into beacon "W", nice signal too a this location 589!

Zeak,

Receiver KiwiSDR
Ant (s): 80m dipole at 15m and 1m Loop
Location:  DM12

[Token]

Yes, I think you a right -- activity around 4095 +/- has increased. 

This past week I have noted 2 new (not in the list) slow dashers on 4093.12 and 4114.5 kHz. In fact logged them both on the KPH SDR today around 0100Z.
Around S1- to S3.

And now just in the past hour, there is a new very strong signal on 4095.99 - sending "TCO" in very slow CW. S9+ on the KFS and KPH SDRs. Just checked Token's SDR (at 0240Z) where its also S7-8. Big signal.

STENDEC

TCO sends more than just TCO, it occasionally sends something else also.  I have recordings of it over a couple of days, but I have not yet played them back to look in detail.  Just not had time to look in detail at anything this week, real life getting in the way.

One thing it sent was "TE2=", another was "TPZL".  I have no idea what TE2= might be for, but could TPZL be for Puzzle?

T!

[Teotwaki]

I too just ran across the big signal from TCO here at home on the KX3. I will try to catch any other CW letter groups while I can.

[zeak]

Yes, TOC has a right proper signal (S-9 no QSB) into this location at 0309Z.

The "W" beacon I reported earlier either is very close to me based on it's signal strength at 0000Z, possibly I'm getting it ground wave or there is some very funny propagation. W has been gone now for almost an hour or more, probably due to the changing and lengthening of the skip.

Nice to see the activity!!!!

Zeak,

Receiver KiwiSDR
Ant (s): 80m dipole at 15m and 1m Loop
Location:  DM12

[Teotwaki]

TCO broke already?

[zeak]

TCO went off the air at 0523Z (+/-2min) this date whether by Murphy hand or choice. This happened as I was recording, A very nice signal at the time 599 at this location.

At the time I thought TCO went into a deep fade, but that was it.

Zeak,

Receiver KiwiSDR
Ant(s): 80m dipole at 15m and 1m Loop
Location:  DM12

[Teotwaki]

I'm rooting for it to come back. We've had far too many new beacons get caught up in infant mortality issues. Wish I could help them all recover and stay on the air.

[Token]

TCO sends more than just TCO, it occasionally sends something else also.  I have recordings of it over a couple of days, but I have not yet played them back to look in detail.  Just not had time to look in detail at anything this week, real life getting in the way.

One thing it sent was "TE2=", another was "TPZL".  I have no idea what TE2= might be for, but could TPZL be for Puzzle?

T!

And for anyone that did not make the connection I was suggesting in the above post.  There is a Morse code pirate station that shows up periodically on frequencies such as 6933 kHz that is known as KPZL.  It shows up, transmits for a few days, and disappears, and it has done so for years now.

It is possible that this station, periodically sending TPZL, might be connected with KPZL.  The propagation and signal strength were similar to what was displayed by KPZL this year on New Years day.

T!

[Teotwaki]

I copied KPZL on New Years and that was interesting but ultimately it was a flash in the pan. TCO's CW seemed far slower than KPZL's but I've already erased my recording of KPZL so I don't have any proof.