ENIGMA 2000 Newsletter - Issue 13

November 2002
Articles, newsreports and Items of interest : e2k_news@hotmail.com

Oddities

6700kHz hosted a regular pip and heard by ugopetrus who timed the interval as 15.11s. Observations turned up a strong data signal at 0612z 17/09. The origin was thought to be Military following the interception of traffic between KIN470 and M[?]L - either MQL or MKL whilst perusal of records showed the frequency of 6697kHz as being correct for MKL.

Another freq that came to scrutiny under they eyes of DoKent was 5020kHz [home of M10E] 0835z 24/09 when he heard 'Charlie 22 [weak], Bravo.' [LSB] DoKent asks if this was an exercise. Records at E2k suggest that the freq was one used by Canadian Military in the past.

JoA's 1T2B is now designated XTB.

AnonUK alerted e2k to 14896kHz, 1220z, 12/10 where there were some very strange very low tones.

Backwards music station (XM)

There seems to be some confusion concerning the Control List ident for this oddity. It is XM, not BMS or as lately stated, XW.

5435kHz	0253z	09/09
	0448z	27/09
	0200z	29/09	[AM (on for hours and hours)]
8086kHz	2308z	12/10	via 'E'
8983kHz	1951z	07/09
9010kHz	0441z	03/09

Carriers [Blank ]

'E' Great Britain, has heard open carriers up in the afternoons of September on freqs of 6171.5, 10299, 10827, 15055.6kHz .

Like 'E' 'ugopetrus' reported the 15055kHz carrier as being heard on 15055kHz 16/09 to 17/09. He reported it via group. Various listeners have reported it as very strong. It was still audible 0725z 29/09.

E2k, E and ugopetrus would be grateful to receive any input, via these pages, as to their origin and purpose. 'E' noted that they were just left open and that 'no rtty etc heard.'

On 19th October PoSW wrote:

At 1514z on 9219kHz an S9+ carrier with typical E05 background noise on a known E05 frequency. A check on other frequencies known to be used by Cynthia currently and in the recent past found similar carriers on 6891, 6950, 6970, 7585, 8085, 8110, 8125, 10527, 13450, 13996 and 16090kHz. Twelve frequencies in total. 6891 & 8110kHz were suffering from severe XJT, jet QRM but there was none on 13450kHz which normally has this type of interference when used for the Monday to Friday 1200z transmission. Around 1530z an audio tone came up on all frequencies - except 6970 which remained a plain carrier with background noise. This situation prevailed for a long time - I kept a receiver on 9219kHz and checked all the other frequencies occasionally. At 1622z, over an hour after first noticed, 9219 went off and a quick tune around found all the others had gone QRT too.

Crackle(XC)

Look around 5495//5505kHz as the crackle and Shanwick Air Radio battle for the frequency. [See p25 Issue 11]. Reported by AnonNI 2020z 12/09

Jammers

These can be heard with some regularity on: 5320, 5600, 6420, 6880, 7040, 7050, 7070, 8320, 8340, 8515, 9360,10280,10470 and 13410, 16176kHz.

Mazielka (X06)

From E:

14419kHz	1002z	15/06
16227kHz	1716z	25/09
17463kHz	1617z	14/10

From RN UK

11413kHz

1800z

04/10

From Gert:

16025kHz

1400z

16/09

From PoSW:

6-Sept-02	Friday	1813z	9,080 kHz	strong signal, tones stopped and carrier went off just after 1824z; listened for a couple of minutes, nothing further heard.
7-Sept-02	Saturday	1843z	14,430 kHz	close to a strong "Jet", tones stopped 1854z, carrier went off approx. 25 seconds later. Listened until 1857z, nothing further heard.
7-Sept-02		1933z	9,067 kHz	X06 again, tones stopped in mid flow and carrier went off - as though someone had pulled the mains plug out! - just before 1939z; listened for two or three minutes, nothing further heard.
23-Sept-02	Monday	2133z	8,081 kHz	strong signal, tones stopped 2140z; carrier stayed on and after about a minute went into FSK mode. I quickly fired up my old RTTY decoder and the printer started printing columns of 5 letters, as noticed with some other X06 transmissions in the past.
8-Oct-02	Tuesday	2116z	8,102 kHz	severe QRM from CW "VVV DE 4XZ 4XZ = =" Israeli Navy?; tones stopped about a minute after being tuned in, nothing further heard.

8105kHz

2000z

02/10

via Jochen, Marburg

In writing up his notes for his analysis of S10D DoKent encountered X06 on 09/10 as follows:

1618z	12226kHz
1623z		6-note musical tones [Checking all current frequencies] - confirmed X06

On 16/10 DoKent again encountered X06 on 7745z and noted:

7745kHz

16/10

M10 [MCW], carrier on 1615z, message a repeat of Sat/Suns sending.

1618z Same musical tones as per X06, off at 1624z with carrier down at 1625:30z

Having encountered X06 on two frequencies involved with the S10D M10 series of transmissions DoKent raises the valid question, 'Is X06 really Russian or is it more involved with the Czech?'

S28 [formerly XB]

It buzzes away on 4625kHz.

www.geocities.com/uvb76 has been updated

S30 [The Pip]

Continues to dominate 3757kHz in the 80M band.

Slot-machine (XSL)

XSL is heard on 4152.5, 4231, 4290.5, 6249.5, 6416.5, 6444.5, 8312.5, 8587.5 and 8703.5kHz. USB mode

Still being heard in US, Oceania and like areas. E2k would like to receive details of any observations made in Great Britain, Eire and Europe please.

XSL general transmission times [freqs of 8588.0//8703.5]

Sun	1500z	1600z	1900z
Mon	0900z	1700z	2215z
Tue	1510z	1530z	1600z
Wed	1400z	1500z	1545z
Thu	1600z
Fri	1450z	1600z	2140z
Sat	1400z	1600z	1700z

The text via <http://www.geocities.com/hfasia/files/Japanese-PSK.html> describes the Slot Machine as Japanese PSK with a Vertical bandwidth of 3kHz. It states frequencies in use as:
4152.5, 4231, 4290.5, 6249.5, 6416.5, 6444.5, 8312.5, 8587.5, 8703.5kHz

8313.5kHz	1455z	10/09	USB faint; new freq?
	1530z	11/09	USB
	1432z	05/10	USB
8588.0kHz	1457z	10/09	USB
	1530z	11/09	USB
	1434z	05/10	USB
	1507z	08/10	USB
	1415z	12/10	USB
	1330z	19/10	USB
	0620z	30/10	USB
8703.5kHz	1519z	08/09	USB
	1510z	08/10	USB
	1415z	12/10	USB

Squeaky wheel(XSW)

Can be heard strutting its stuff on 3828kHz

Teleprinter 4710

Can be heard on the usual frequencies of 4710, 6702, 9000kHz, 11122kHz [daytimes] and 15020kHz [evenings].

4710kHz	0640z	16/10
9000kHz	0642z	16/10
11222kHz	0643z	16/10

6702kHz and 15020kHz were NRH at 0643z 16/10

XTB [One tone, two buzzes]

JoA's 1T2B has been heard again by JoA on 27/09 who writes:

1T2B 11116kHz USB: 1 long tone followed by 2 buzzes timed as previously: 0805:04-0805:14 (TONE), 0805:20-0805:26 (2 BUZZES) = Total 22 seconds. 0808:04-0808:26 0811:04-0811:26 0814:04-0814:26 Fairly good signal.
1T2B 11116kHz USB: Still transmitting. F.27/09 2017:04 & 2023:04 also heard this evening. Usual timing and length.
1T2B F.11/10 11116kHz USB: 0802:04-0802:14 Tone, 0802:20-0802:26 2 Buzzes. QRM-E11. 0805:04-0805:14 Tone, 0805:20-0805:26 2 Buzzes. QRM-E11. 0808:04-0808:14 Tone, 0808:20-0808:26 2 Buzzes. Good signal.

Suggestions as to the purpose of this oddity would be well received!

Wopwop (XWP)

The original XWP seems to have disappeared from its scheduled disturbance of the ionosphere but there are echoes to be heard:

From JoA:

9255kHz

2030z

26/09

[poss XWP ended 2040z]

JoA who writes:

Frequency checked now : 9258kHz 2020-2040z F.27/09. This wopwop was interfering with reception of E03 on 9251kHz.

From E:

16172kHz

1516z

28/07

Loud sigs

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

Frequency information and trends can be downloaded from:
http://www.cvni.net/radio/

Thanks to AB, AF, AK, ANUER, Anon UK, AnonNI, Anon Scandinavia, AR, BMDartford, CD, D of Kent, 'E', GallusGallus, Gert of Holland, HFD, IB, J of Aylesbury ,J Derby, JM, JMM, K of Kent, LP, Ben Mesander, Mike of Kent, Mark Slaten, MLF, PLondon, Peter of Saffron Walden, R anon, Rob of Essex, RN UK, selco, US', Spy Numbers Robot, and all others for their contributions to the Morse, Voice and Oddities columns. As ever we acknowledge information from the Spooks site.