ENIGMA 2000 Newsletter - Issue 5

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

Oddities

On Sunday 29/04 from 1740 to 1800Z on 6818kHz a strange signal, not unlike the ring of a bell being struck repeatedly, was heard. At 1800Z the signal ceased abruptly. The mode was AM. I made measured the bandwidth as being 16kHz. John of Derby has been in touch to say that he too heard this most peculiar signal at 1900Z on 14066.5kHz and presented a mpeg file. Like my signal a burst of FSK can be heard after the 'bell' has ceased.

Would any reader who has heard this or knows what it is please contact E2k. The signal was monitored in South London.

Buzzsaw

This signal is still very active (possibly 24 hours per day) in the region of 5.1 to 5.8 MHz. It is pretty dreadful and is at least 40 kHz wide (!), at its worst 50 kHz, periodically it stops for just a few seconds and jumps about 20 kHz up or down the band. Most interestingly it is a steady S7 in strength at 12.00 noon in the UK, this would suggest that it is not too far away. At one point it looked like it was heading for the 49 Metre broadcast band, but corrected its progress and started moving back down the band. It shows no regard for other users and happily crashes about - crackling over everything in its path, including RAF Volmet, Shannon Volmet and air traffic. Very uninteresting listening but would welcome more detail analysis/information on this.

Faders (XF)

Have Faders closed? None heard since mid-May, we have mentioned these many times (full frequency list available on request). Identified (one of many sites) as coming from USAF base at Mildenhall Suffolk - little progress as ever been made. I think I mentioned before that the 'mode' never appears on lists or is mentioned outside of ENIGMA.

A friend recently wrote to me and I quote from his letter - "There is still very little news about your favourite signal, "The Faders", although I came across a web-site with samples of various Multi-Frequency data signals, and "The Fader" was there listed as a "US Military 4 - Frequency Modem" which more or less confirms our suspicions but takes us no further forward. This site was a hobby site incidentally."My thanks to 'B' for that information. This is broadly in line with information I was given some years ago that "Faders" were NATO Interactive Modem's, I did suspect that they were used by USAF Europe - so NATO may be correct.

I would be most interested to know if this 'mode' is known to be used also in the United States, I have never had any reports of such.

FSK bursts

Previously discussed in Issue 2, this particular station operates on 5435 kHz (approx) and can be heard along with E10's transmission.

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

Jet

An interesting report was received from John of Aylesbury who states:

"Freq's. previously received now appear to be absent 1930 -0000Z 02/05 [Wed] 2170 2193 2417 2580 2593 2660 3688 3693 4237 4266". John further reported that four of the missing ten freqs had returned.

He monitored these returning freqs between 1950 - 2000Z 03/05 2193 2580 2593 2660.

Further freqs noted by John on 09/05 between 2140 and 2211Z are: 8114, 8171, 8622, 8636, 8479, and 8460kHz.

John reported that the freq of 8460kHz suffered breaks as radioteletype of unknown mode cut out the 'jet' completely. These breaks occurred at 2150, 2151, 2152 and 2153Z on 09/05.

2170kHz was heard to be active with 'Jet' at 2045Z 21/05 in South London.

There seems to be some extra activity to be heard from this station, which may be worth monitoring to see what occurs next!

Link 11

Still quite active, easy to find. Recent frequencies noted are - 4020 4316 4701 4780 5072 5105 5398 5820 6750 7434 8028 8323 9199 9280 9287 10451 11217.

The recently 'captured' EP3 was known to use this mode. LINK 11 is known to have caused reception problems to V07 at 0610Z on 17/05.

This mode has been heard by Takashi of Nagasaki on 6696kHz 1045Z 16/04

Pip(S30)

Still pipping away on 3757kHz and heard by Takashi of Nagasaki at1014Z 09/04

Rapid pip

7505kHz

2013Z

29/03

prev 3935kHz 1900Z and 3838kHz 1930Z 15/01

Slot machine (XSL)

XSL is heard on 4233, 4292, 6419, 6466, 8589 and 8703.5kHz.

Still being heard in US, Oceania and like areas.

For XSL general transmission times [freqs of 8588.0//8703.5], see page 13, Issue 4.

Six notes (X06)

On Monday 21/05 from 2030 to 2039Z on 13505kHz a signal consisting of a cycle of 6 tones, one to five going high, the sixth somewhat lower, was heard.

Rising Tone
Progress --					5
				4		6
			3
		2
	1

							< t >

The cycle, t, taking approximately 2.23 seconds, the signal having a bandwidth of 9kHz.

Other past observations on this peculiar signal:

5235kHz	2100Z	07/02			[6 tones]
5770kHz	2135Z	26/02			Interrupted E06 transmission.
5780kHz	1859Z	05/01
7583kHz	2100Z	02/04
7680kHz	1926Z	31/05
8081kHz	1800Z	13/03	06/04	1740Z

John of Derby sent an interesting reception report of the X06 station. This time it was heard at 0737Z 02/06 on 14330kHz. The six tones were followed by 14 pips with the usual S9 signal. John sent some mpegs via the e2k_news site and reported that the signals changed at 0831Z. From 0810Z the signal strength had diminished to a point where there was no indication on his S-meter although still audible.

John also mentions a fast data, FSK, signal being heard as well. That coincides with some other reports we have received, as well as my own findings on 21/05.

9102kHz	2000Z	21/05	[Gert of Holland]
13505kHz	2030Z	21/05	[P of London]
14330kHz	0737Z	02/06	[John of Derby]

A lot of interest has been shown in the X06 station and we would be grateful for further input..

Teleprinter

This station is still active on 4710//6702//9000kHz.

Whales (XM Backwards Music Station)

We would be glad to receive details of any new frequencies where the 'whales' can be heard

More Info on 'oddities' can be found on Brian of Sussex excellent web pages:
http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/brogers/page2.html

Thanks to AK, Ary, 'C', 'D', D of Kent, GD, Eddy of Australia, Gert of Holland, HFD, IB, J of Aylesbury, JM, Ben Mesander, JMM, John of Derby, K of Kent, LP, MG, ML, Mark Slaten, Peter of Saffron Walden, R anon, Rob of Essex, Spy Numbers Robot, Takashi of Nagasaki and all others for their contributions to the Morse, Voice and Oddities columns.