ENIGMA 2000 Newsletter - Issue 13

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

Morse stations | Voice stations | Numbers predictions
Oddities | Michael John Smith, Codename Borg
Book Review :England needs you | Numbers on holiday | News Items
Web sites | Requests | Stop press | Contribution deadlines
Index | E2K NL Home

Selected voice stations

ENIGMA 2000 are always pleased to receive the unknowns and oddities from the 'ether' but we are particularly pleased to notify the readership of an addition to AF's family log [and no doubt a very strong vocal emitter] as:

Interesting amateur activity most evenings on several spot frequencies in the 5MHz band, around 5,270 - 5,420 kHz, USB mode; apparently these are stations which have been given special permission by means of a "Notice of variation" of their class A licence to use these frequencies; however, it is said that this is not going to be another band for the hams to use but has to do with the most serious purposes of the State. The stations exchange reports in the "SINPO" format often used by short wave listeners rather than the "Readability and Strength" method usually employed by amateur stations. I have heard the view expressed that all this is to test out the suitability of this part of the spectrum for use as an emergency inter - U.K. Civil Defence communications network in the event of a terrorist attack knocking out the more usual modes of communication and that the whole exercise is being monitored and controlled by the Ministry of Defence. Certainly one or two of the amateur operators seem to have a military bearing about them and of course the Cadet Force stations use similar frequencies and could no doubt integrate with this set - up if required to do so. [See also 'British Radio System Rubbish !' in the News and Items of Interest section]. Tnx PoSW.

[The frequencies referred to are 'spot' freqs and are shown on p44 of September's 'Radcom' as 5260, 5280, 5290, 5400 and 5405kHz. They are available as 3kHz wide channels and can only be used on USB, meaning that the transmitter should be tuned 1.5kHz lower].

E05 activity has been at an all time low for several weeks now and I thought that perhaps the network was being run down and maybe some other form of communication was being phased in, such as a system based on secure satellite phones to enable the guys at Langley Virginia to send messages to their agents. However, on Monday 2 - September two new schedules were noted, 1900z on 8,085 // 9,219 kHz and again at 2100z on 6,950 // 7,585 kHz. These are frequencies much used by Cynthia in the past and were all good signals. The call/count was the same on both transmissions, 221/133. Both transmissions were also heard on the following day so there might be a daily schedule starting up here, a bit like the 210/100 transmissions which ran for such a long time earlier this year. Perhaps there are other sendings earlier in the day. It is reasonable to suppose that E05 might become more active over the next few weeks in connection with the forthcoming events in the Middle East.

PoSW continues in October, noting, E05, a.k.a. Cynthia, is firmly established with schedules at 1900z on 8,085 // 9,219 kHz and again at 2100z on 6,950 // 7,585 kHz with the same message. This schedule is on daily including Saturday and Sunday. The same message has also been noted at 0800z on 10,527 // 13,996 kHz and at 1200z on 13,450 // 16,090 kHz but have only been heard Mondays to Fridays, not at weekends. This is exactly as observed earlier in the year when the same schedules ran and the message was always 210/100. Currently the message changes weekly, usually on a Tuesday. The 0800z and 1200z schedules have become very poor signals in the last few weeks and even the 1900z and 2100z transmissions have been very variable in strength; the contrast between 8,085 kHz, usually strong, and 9,219 kHz, frequently just as weak, is often a feature of the 1900z sending. Otherwise, E05 continues much as before One other bit of excitement concerning Cynthia;- the Saturday 1400z transmission on 18,617 // 19,622 kHz - the schedule which vanishes for weeks at a time - showed up on 12 - Oct, the first time for a couple of months at least.

Also noted;- E05 related data transmissions. Noted on weekdays, not Saturdays or Sundays, data transmissions of the fast FSK variety at 0740z on 12,197 // 15,822 kHz, as with E05 the carriers often on at least half an hour beforehand. This data transmission schedule was also noted earlier in the year at the same time as the 210/100 E05 transmissions were running and ended in May when the 210/100 finished. Also noted, the other type of E05 data transmission, a different mode, i.e. a pulse type noise - difficult to describe but unmistakable when heard - noted at 2000z on 9,090 kHz on Sundays in September with an S9+ signal, still on in October but when heard on the 13th was a much weaker signal.

Something noted on Saturday 14 - September at 1203z;- a strong carrier with audio tone on 7,585 kHz - a receiver had been left on this frequency from the 2100z E05 the previous evening; a quick check of past known E05 frequencies found similar signals on 11,564 and 6,891 kHz so perhaps transmitters were being tested with a view to further transmissions in the near future - although so far I have not heard anything on 6,891 or 11,564. [Tnx PoSW]. E05 section to illustrates the increase in signals.

Two interesting items via 'C':

'C' tells us about a net on 5863 kHz - USB BRITISH/American accents

Sample - Oscar 2 Zero to Sierra 12 Bravo - Sierra 11 Alpha. Message : QMZJIBFNEAAHVYO Foxtrot X-ray 6 on way to location 6 India, Tasking Sierra 32 Charlie.

Also, weak VVV often in background and occasional ALE transmission. Oscar 4 zero has America accent. All sound as if in UK Control station is Zero. Heard as early as 1700z and continues to at least 2000z. Long gaps sometimes.

This is a mil station and listed as such, by freq, in Ferrell's 'Confidential Frequency Listing' . There was probably an exercise on as MKL was also reported to us on 6700kHz. A check revealed that the station is indeed mil in origin and actually sent on 6697kHz. Signal strengths at all times, from various locations GB exceeded S9+. [R5, Good readable].

'C' also mentions that he had just heard another very strong Czech YL station:

and asks if it was: S29?

This takes us onto the discovery of a potential UNID:

On 17/09 "Tom" <swler007@yahoo.com> was tuning across 6MHz and heard a strong carrier on 6945kHz around 0151z. "All of a sudden this female voice came on reading off blocks of numbers. It was not Spanish, I couldn't identify the language.

After this was repeated again and again the "message" begun. Of interest after the message ended there was a long carrier up for about an hour. On 6944kHz there must of been a band opening because there was some sort of Spanish broadcast station fading in and with it came V02, it faded back out quickly and it was gone. "[Tnx Tom].

The answer is provided in DoKent's excellent analysis of this recently heard station, 'S10D or S17C?. The definitive article. Includes M08a and M10 too!' can be found at the start of the Slavic stations section.

Clock changes

November is a difficult time for knowing what will happen as the clocks change back to UTC [GMT/z]. Gert has kindly sent in a very useful short list predicting the habits of certain stations at the change.

• Stations observing UTC [GMT/z]
  E06 utc, E11 stays utc, E15 utc, G06 utc, S10E utc, S17c utc
• Stations observing CET [Central European Time]
  E07 CET [winter 21.00, summer 20.00], E18 CET, G04 CET, G22 CET?, S04 CET?

[Tnx Gert]

Now onto the listings:

Frequencies preceded by 'c' have been taken from an analogue receiver.

E03/E03a

Apart from the regulations concerning the reception of wireless stations within Great Britain advice on reporting intelligence matters also exists in the form of DA notices.

Whoever the messages, from E03/E03a, are aimed at ENIGMA 2000 has no wish to 'advertise' the existence of these stations to those who may not support the best interests of Great Britain, or its representatives abroad. Although we are unable to stop discussion of E03/E03a, ENIGMA 2000 will remain aloof from any such discussion and will not be including reports or analysis on E03/E03a.

E05

Comparing the early reports of this station with those in the last newsletter it is apparent that there is much more activity with E05 than we have been seeing. Exactly what the reason is for this increase is not forthcoming although some interested monitors have mentioned that the sabre rattling against Iraq by Mr Bush may have some bearing. PoSW's notes from his September log reflects this sudden change in message volume, 'The American accent station has been at an all time low level of activity during the late summer.

AnonUK sends his general log for E05 to illustrate the increase in traffic from this station:

E05 Logs September 2002

M: Sked Missed N: Not heard

PoSW's E05 log reads:

• On Saturday 19th October, the 1400z E05 on 18617//19622kHz turned up, noted last Saturday [12/10] for the first time for many weeks. 18617kHz was a good signal, strength 8; 19622kHz was weaker, strength S5 to S6 with television timebase QRM. Call/count was 410/129, same as last Saturday.

• Sunday 20th October, the 1200z E05 on 13906//15732kHz turned up as always, the message today 499/172, but there was another E05 on at 1200z, 15833//18036kHz. This schedule used to run in the first half of 2001 but vanished in July of that year and did not appear in subsequent weeks. Anyway, it was back today, call/count 808/215; the 18306kHz carrier was noted while tuning around at 1120z, quite strong at S8 or so, and a quick check found the parallel frequency 15833kHz somewhat weaker.

[Regarding events on Saturday 19^th October E05's see also CARRIERS [Blank ] section]

AnonUK's impressive general log for E05 illustrates exactly how active Cynthia has been:

E05 Logs October 2002

M: Sked Missed N: Not Heard

Others as follows:

As October came to an end so did E05's apparent activity as this log from AnonUK illustrates

E05 Logs October 2002
illustrating reduction in activity [AnonUK]

M: Sked Missed N: Not Heard

[TnxAnonUK]

E06

August logs from Gert:

PLondon contacted us to report his observation of an early morning E06 using the original voice [reverted back to in 2001]. The signal was a good S9+ at his South London QTH on his first interception 05/09 but the transmission 06/09 was marred by a heterodyne that called for the insertion of the upper sideband at 0610z. The freq was set up on a guard receiver and it was noticed that the carrier was raised at 0515z. A steady S9 signal was maintained with tones heard at 0542z 06/09.

PoSW informs us that these August freqs remain unchanged:

Gert infomed us that the message details on the 15MHz sending were

• Msg1: 540-781/26=29865
• Msg2: 540-292/57=92878

AnonUK informed us that the September Saturday sendings were on these two freqs :

whilst freqs for the 1400 and 1500z sendings were yet to be found.

September logs:

AnonUK wrote in to inform us that October's E06 on Saturday and Sunday at 1230z and 1330z are on 13420kHz and 11090kHz; reminding us that it is only on Saturday if a null message.

AnonUK also sent these observations in:

mentioning that he was unable to find any trace of the expected 1400 and 1500z transmission.[Tnx]

PoSW's read similarly and he wrote:

E06 was busy in September but activity seems to be down in October; I couldn't find either of the two schedules expected on the second Saturday in the month on 12 - October, but they may have been around somewhere!

Since this was the second Saturday in the month I expected to find E06 schedules at 1120z + 1220z and another one at 1400z + 1500z but found nothing!

E07

Gert's August log for the English Man:

Thanks to Gert's prediction list we have received these observations:

For October AnonUK and Gert heard [in freq order]:

And this most interesting snippet from PoSW: Noted on Sunday 20th October an E07 English Man transmission found in progress at 1742z on 10814kHz, strong signal. There are known long standing E07 schedules on Monday and Wednesdays but I don't recall finding one on a Sunday before. At 1746z the 5fs stopped but instead of ending started calling "283 283 283 2" - so a two message E07 - followed by dk/gc "522 101" x2 and more 5fs. Ended 1758z with "000 000". This must have been the second sending; the third was on 9346kHz starting at 1803z with "283 283 283 2", first dk/gc "2648 121" then proceeded as with the sending on 10814kHz. It will be interesting to see if E07 shows up on subsequent Sundays, or perhaps this was a special 'One off'. [Tnx PoSW]

Gert heard the E07 slot too, remarking, 'This might well be a new slot [or never found before] 1700z frequency not found yet. Probably 1800 / 20 / 40z next month [November].'

PoSW wrote in to add:

"The new E07 English Man schedule noted on Sunday 20 - Oct also showed up on Wednesday 23 - Oct. Noted with the first sending in progress at 1713z on 12,215 kHz, then at 1720z, 6.20 PM BST on 10,814 and third sending at 1740z on 9,346. Call was "283 283 283 1", DK/GC "2648 121" x 2 which was the same as the first DK/GC of Sunday's two - message transmission. Showed up again on Sunday 27 - Oct at 1700z on 12,215 and 1720z on 10,814 with two minutes of "283 283 283 000". So it stayed on UTC and therefore appeared one hour earlier clock time on this first day of being off British Summer Time - I thought this family of stations always moved by an hour so as to appear at the same local time." [Tnx PoSW].

E10

From our E10 desk : For Sept 02 By Frequency

E10 General Observations

A poor first week for reception, a number of frequencies seemed to be well jammed by noise likened to steam hissing out of a pipe, mainly during the evenings. 6.498 very heavy and long term (PCD Freq) 6.428 (ABC freq) being the latest to suffer. After a constant ABC over the last two months, its nothing heard of ABC since 1st Sept , either the jamming is successful, they have stopped transmitting or have changed freq.

Top 5 Heard

• CIO2
• KPA2
• MIW2
• SYN2
• VLB2

Special Headers/Callsign Variations

• FDU 4
• HNCS

Longest/Shortest group Message

• ART G140
• YHF G9

©BMDartford [28 September 2002]

E10 For Oct 02 By Frequency