ENIGMA 2000 Newsletter - Issue 14

January 2003
Articles, newsreports and Items of interest : e2k_news@hotmail.com

Oddities

There has been a minority of 'Oddity' reports this time, the majority being sent in by 'E' who has noted the variety of 'odd' sounds as he has trawled the SW section of the spectrum.

On 01/11 'E' reports hearing a series of 3 to 4 electronic tones, re-occurring every Friday.

20910kHz

1028z

01/11

[Electronic tones every 15 to 20 secs].

Another interesting find for 'E' was the strange signal on 12190kHz that 'E' describes as an 'Electronic Baaarp' occurring every four seconds.

12190kHz

1621z

25/10

Continuing with beeps and Baaarps also reported is a seconds beep on 6658kHz:

6658kHz

0947z

09/11

[Electronic beep repeated every second].

Notwithstanding the beeps, 'E' also mentions a rapid tapping that he has never heard before on :

4042kHz

2020z

22/10

Backward music station (XM)

5400.0kHz	0424z	09/12
5435.0kHz	0230z	21/12
5436.0kHz	2226z	19/12
8728.5kHz	1406z	30/11
9004.5kHz	1100z	17/11
	1430z	17/11	[still going strong from original].

Buzzsaw

14785kHz

1713z

25/10

Carriers [Blank ].

6700kHz was a particularly strong carrier heard 0n 03/12 between 2045 and 2200z. At 0612z 17/09 [see Oddities NL13, page 31] we reported a regular pip being heard by Ugopetrus. The resultant occupancy of the channel was thought to be mil - the users being KIN470 and M[?]L. Records shopwed 6697kHz being correct for MKL.

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)

PoSW sent his X06 log:

19-Oct-02	Saturday	1335z	11,537kHz	inside 25 metre BC band with resultant QRM. Tones stopped just before 1338z, carrier went off then came back with badly sent CW - the Morse is always of very poor quality with X06, as though sent on a worn - out hand key by someone who hasn't a clue how to use it! I read part of it as "WKZ NW", which was followed by FSK data.
		1832z	9,197kHz	, very strong X06 with a distinct background buzz. Transmission went off suddenly at 1839z. Listened until 1842z, nothing further heard.
21-Oct-02	Monday	2030z		strong X06, stopped 2038z, sent CW which was over before I could attempt to copy it, followed by FSK data.
22-Oct-02	Tuesday	1938z	8,081kHz	strong signal, close to an E05 transmission on 8,085. Went off suddenly just before 1942z; listened until 1945z, nothing further heard.
25-Oct-02	Friday	2057z	6,814kHz	tones stopped about one minute after being tuned in; usual badly sent Morse - I read it as "USSIU", but the characters were so badly formed it was, as always, difficult to read. Followed by FSK, but not for long; was gone by 2102z.
		2207z	8,055kHz	strong signal, tones stopped and carrier went off just after 2218z. Listened for a couple of minutes afterwards, nothing further heard.
26-Oct-02,	Saturday	1103z,	19,234kHz	must be about the highest frequency ever on which I have heard an X06; Very strong signal, tones stopped a few seconds after being tuned in. No Morse or FSK afterwards, carrier stayed on with a few chirping noises - something like "Crowd" and went QRT after 1105z.
30-Oct-02	Wednesday	1931z	8,081kHz	Strong signal, tones stopped 1938z, carrier stayed on for a further 20 seconds or so then badly formed CW "SLL RZL SD RZL" - and nothing else. Listened until 1945z.
6-Nov-02	Wednesday	0804z	10,193kHz	just to prove that X06 shows up in the mornings, UK time, as well as the evenings. Strong signal, tones stopped suddenly and carrier went off just after 0810z. Listened until 0814z, nothing further heard.
16-Nov-02	Saturday	1609z	12,224kHz	good signal, tones stopped after 1612z, carrier stayed on for 30 seconds, went off and came back several times - then stayed off. Nothing further heard.
6-Dec-02	Friday	1902z	8,097kHz	tones stopped 1905z, followed by badly sent Morse which I read as "URO URO URO URO URO QLF5 QLF5 RNU" followed by FSK RTTY. Signal strength S7 at best.
7-Dec-02	Saturday	1745z	9,080kHz	strong signal, went off suddenly - carrier and all - 1801z. A few minutes of weak pulsed carrier heard which might have been something else and nothing to do with X06; nothing further heard.
		1811z,	9,197kHz	another X06, strong signal with a background buzz. Tones stopped just before 1815z, carrier went QRT a few seconds later; listened until 1819z, nothing further heard.

In addition to the above:

From 'E'

6850kHz	2323z	05/11
6872kHz	1901z	11/12
9144kHz	1406z	30/11	[Open carrier obviates accurate frequency measurement]
9197kHz	1806z	07/12
16025kHz	1417z	30/11	[Open carrier obviates accurate frequency measurement]
16117kHz	1427z	30/11
16221kHz	1420z	30/11
16227kHz	1035z	30/11

From Jochen:

13987kHz

1600z

16/11

S28 [formerly XB]

It buzzes away on 4625kHz.

www.geocities.com/uvb76 has been updated

Pips

S30 Continues to dominate 3757kHz in the 80M band. The daytime freq, according to Ary, for the Pip is 5448kHz between 0530 to 1400z . This switches to the more well known freq of 3757kHz from 1400 to 0530z.

3757kHz	2310z	29/12
5448kHz	0545z	31/12

Ary wrote via Spooks that 'Takashi reported another 2-second PIP station. It can be heard on 5488kHz with heavy QRM. This one is different from PIP on 5455//14425//14378kHz sending characters corrupt every minute and a very rapid morse rarely.' "Good reception can be obtained in the East Asian morning.", says Takashi.

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

4153.0kHz	1445z			01/12
4231.0kHz	0729z			29/12
4290.0kHz	1445z			01/12

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

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	0818z	24/12	+10dB
6702kHz	0820z	24/12	NRH
9000kHz	0821z	24/12	NRH	[ USN tty tx 8998.5 NAVCOMSTA San Juan PR, 850/100N heard adjacent].
11122kHz	0825z	24/12	NRH
15020kHz	0827z	24/12	NRH

XTB [One tone, two buzzes]

On 6th November Mike of Kent writes,' XTB, not always 1t2b, early this morning, from about 0430z, it has been:-1t2b, 2t2b, 0t3b data, 0t4b data, 2t2b data. There would appear to be lots of variations - usually before 0700z'.

JoA continues to monitor and writes this:

11116kHz USB Sa.07/12 0735-0755z: 0749:35 2 buzzes (lower Hz than XTB) 0751:22 - 0751:33 Tones vL S S S S L. There then followed indecipherable voice ending in another L tone. And remarks that this is probably not associated with XTB.

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

WOPWOP (XWP)

Nil reports

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, 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.