ENIGMA 2000 Newsletter - Issue 2

January 2001
Articles, newsreports and Items of interest : e2k_news@hotmail.com

Oddities

We have received a valid report of an open carrier that manifests itself between the frequencies of 1900 and 3200kHz. Has anyone else heard this? Please state your area and the exact frequencies heard between.

Alarm

The frequency of the 'Alarm' station, 9364.2kHz, has its frequency marked as the 'Fixed' classification, marked only as 'fixed' in the US frequency tables but also as 'Government' in the UK tabulation. [See mention in 'Slot Machine'].

ENIGMA 2000 would be grateful to receive further details of the 'Alarm' or readers thoughts.

Faders (XF)

Faders are so called because of the way in which the pulsing signal literally fades to a lower strength after each 7.5second burst after a short break/glitch.

When the signal is not being sent a single 7.5s burst is sent every 15 minutes on the quiet frequency. The glitch has also been heard being transmitted alone on 6990kHz.

Recent frequencies where XF has been active are 3214, 3291, 5330, 5788 and 6990

FSK Bursts

This particular station may have a perfectly innocent explanation, however I have never seen any references to its operation. It seems to have been around for many years and I am sure ENIGMA 2000 readers will have heard it many times even if they never really paid it any attention. One of its frequencies is shared with the E10 station ART which operates on 5435 kHz (approx).

The signal we are interested in consists of a 7.5 second multi-channel burst of FSK - however this particular station likes to frequency hop and appears to have a 24 hour a day operation. Interestingly I was told that even in Greece the interference to 5435 and ART's transmission is quite strong and the E10 station comes from nearby Israel. The station follows the clock minute sending 8 x 7.5 bursts across a wide frequency range.

At first glance the sequence looks very simple but this belies a more complex operation, at first I thought there may be two networks but it would be a very big coincidence if two separate set-ups used the same frequencies at different times within the same window.

Simple Guide-

Time	0-7.5	7.5-15	15-22.5	22.5-30	30-37.5	37.5-45	45.52.5	52.5-0	SECONDS
Freq	?	?	16095	12725	8460	6351	5435	3295	kHz

Complex Guide-

Time	0-7.5	7.5-15	15-22.5	22.5-30	30-37.5	37.5-45	45.52.5	52.5-0	SECONDS
Freq	12725	8460	6351	12725	8460	6351	5435	3295	kHz
Freq			16095	5435				12725	kHz

The 5435 kHz transmissions at 22.5 seconds and 45 seconds are of different signal strengths which may suggest different locations or directional beams. It is also impossible to say if we have all the frequencies in use listed, however, I was given another frequency on which I have never heard anything (?) but this is not to say that given the right conditions this may be possible. The frequency in question is 24430 kHz.

The frequencies used do not really offer up much of a clue.

24430, 5435,	Fixed Services Bands
12725, 8460, 6351,	Maritime CW Bands
3295,	Shared Fixed Services & Maritime Band

It would be very interesting to know just what information this station is sending, why it needs to send it over such a large frequency range and why it needs to operate 24 hours per day. It is interesting that it uses 7.5 second block - exactly the same as those used by 'Faders' -.

If you know anything about this station, its purpose and transmitter location(s) or can decode its messages, please contact ENIGMA 2000.

Pip (S30)

Still going strong on 3757kHz, CW

Slot machine

Following the discovery of the 'Slot Machine' on two frequencies, 8588 and 8703.5 kHz as notified by JM in the US, an observation was carried out in the UK. On tuning up on those frequencies at 1400Z until 1700Z on 5th November it was noticed that 8588 was reasonably quiet, except for repetitive musical tones. A peculiar rattling noise was heard [reminiscent of coins going into the pay-out tray of a slot machine] but was discovered to be side band splatter from a transmission on 8583 kHz.

8703.5 was occupied by the 'Jet Noise' previously heard on the lower freqs and reported in ENIGMA newsletters. Nothing of note was heard until 1513Z. A repetitive tone, sounding similar to the recently heard 'alarm', was noted until 1523Z when it suddenly ceased. A recording was made and a spectrogram produced from a generated .wav file.

On perusal of the spectrogram it was seen that each pulse consisted of five different frequencies, 472,1120, 1637, 2239 and 2795 kHz. These multi-tone pulses had 384mS duration with a lapse time of 216mS.

All the tones seem similar in duration, although each particular pulse appears to be modified in the duration of those at 2239 and 2795kHz. The 'Alarm' spectrogram is somewhat different.

The frequencies mentioned in reports as carrying the 'slot machines' are stated in the UK allocations as being, " An Internationally allocated band for the maritime service or two and single frequency SSB operation." The US allocations show it as being for, "Coast stations - wide band and A1A Morse Telegraphy, facsimile, special and data transmission systems and direct printing telegraphy system."

Monitoring the frequencies in the UK on Sunday, 19^thNovember, between 1500 and 1700Z again resulted in 'nil required heard'. A Spy Numbers Robot listing indicates that JM [US] heard the station at 1530Z.

Slot Machine has been heard on Mondays at 1600Z, Wednesdays at 2200Z and Thursdays at 1600Z. The frequencies remain the same with the addition of 4292, 6417 and 6445.1.[Listed as stated above].

To date these signals have not been heard by ENIGMA 2000, other than by MP3 sample. Our resultant spectrogram looked very similar to that posted on the www.ominous-valve.com/mystery.html site

Further observations will be made on this oddity and ENIGMA 2000 would be grateful to receive further .wav files of the Slot Machine and would like to hear from anyone, Stateside or Europe, willing/able to make observations, or offer constructive thought on this interesting unknown.

Squeaky wheel

Last reported on 5641.5 at 0400. A similar signal was recently noted on 3650 with some interference from a near facsimile transmission. Last obs 3815kHz 2218Z 02/12. MP3 file available on Ary's N&O site.

Sweepers

A theory has been offered suggesting that the sweepers heard around 4500, 5300, 12145 and 13nnn in the past are produced by an S3A sonar transponder. The correspondent stated that he was trying to acquire software to decode or perhaps use a drum printer to reproduce imagery.

Teleprinter 4710 kHz

In Issue 1 of ENIGMA 2000 information was requested about the Teleprinter on 4710 kHz. Certainly this has operated for a good many years. I can confirm categorically that the 4710 kHz outlet has at least one transmitter at the USAF/CIA site at Barford St John, Oxfordshire. This FSK transmission can be heard around the clock, when absent the carrier remains on. The same signal is also sent out on 6702 kHz and 9000 kHz in parallel, although not all three frequencies are always active at the same time, although both do idle with a carrier. At the time of my visit to Oxfordshire 6702 & 9000 kHz were not coming from this site, which suggests they are located elsewhere in Britain or Western Europe.

It would be interesting to know what they are sending, but I guess it will not be anything other than heavily encrypted, whatever it is they are very busy, comments welcome.

Teleprinter 4710 has been reported as being active [and heard by e2k]: 4710//6702//9000kHz at 1918Z.

Whales (XM Backwards Music Station)

An interesting explanation of the whale-like sounds has been posted in N&O issue 30, and penned by a Paul Vincent.

For Europe try these historical frequencies: 5094, 6422, 6695, 8460, 10225 and 10513kHz. For the US: 9285, 10225 and 11209kHz

Workshop (XW)

Previous frequency reported for this was 4330kHz.

This peculiar station was heard again on 11/11/00 at 1744Z on 5430kHz. At S7 in South London.

The transmission lasted for around 20 mins.

Zebedee

This interesting noise, sounding like a bedspring [like the character Zebedee in the Magic Roundabout] last heard on 2951 and 4575 kHz.

We would be grateful to receive reports of these or any other 'oddities' via the usual e-mail addresses or pager number.

More Info on 'oddities' can be found on Brian of Sussex excellent web pages:

http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/brogers/page2.html

Thanks to C for his most valid input.