Twentieth edition of the N&O column / Spooks newsletter

(Date: Fri, 3 Dec 1999 19:44:29 +0100)

Voice stations | Morse stations | FAPSI update
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Voice stations

Guangzhou [V09]

Igor Buhtiyarov sent us an interesting note about the Chinese station "Guangzhou" [V09]. He logged the following message on 27 October at 1700 UTC on 7750 kHz. Igor analysed the message and came up with a surprising result.

- the message as copied by Igor

- arrange the groups in five columns

- subtract the groups on the second line from the groups on the first line

- subtract the groups on the third line from the groups on second line.

- subtract the groups on the fourth line from the groups on third line.

- subtract the groups on the fifth line from the groups on fourth line.

What we see here is that after subtraction the results in each column is about the same: 927x, 2659, 6771 and 2564.

Errors by the transmitting party or while jotting down the numbers may have caused the differences. The question remains however whether this is a coincidence or not. If this is the normal procedure, what is the purpose of these messages? Are these training texts, or real messages with check groups?

Anyway, we need a lot more messages to see if the theory holds. It would be interesting to check out 'Beijing' and the CW stations as well. They all originate from the same source and you may expect the same check groups in their messages as well. So, please send me all the messages that you can copy folks!

Thanks for your input, Igor. Most interesting!

Czech station 2136

The Czech weekend station on 2136 kHz has now been logged on Monday and Tuesday at 1100 UTC. I don't know if this is a regular new sked or not. Reports please, ladies and gents!

Edna sednitzer [G22]

G22 was copied on 21/10/99 at 2200 UTC on 4589 ID 886. I haven't seen a log in a very long time, but apparently the station is still alive and kicking. Logs and skeds are most welcome!

Oblique [E11]

Guy reports another E11 transmission on Tuesday at 1300 on 8033 kHz. ID is 183/00.

3-note oddity [G04]

Hans-Friedrich's monthly analyses

Message :

51817 70208 50801 45221 26272 10358 04707 80188 35713 56074 52546 35826 68122 78455 00125 82580 80606 61776 64233 78800 48444 36043 16347 12851 08638 81447
= 26 groups

Analysis:

Frequent groups :

Remarks :

Very strange transmission:

• no double or triple groups
• only two groups with the same two figures
• no groups with the same last three figures
• no figure "9" in the whole message
• groups with "0" as first figure

History :

See older N&O's for pre-1999 freqs

Counting station [E05]

Several people reported 'strange behaviour' of E05. Don't worry guys, there is nothing wrong, you just copied a couple of test messages. Igor sent me one of the test messages that he copied.

Count 215

Text: 12345 23456 34567 45678 56789 67890 09876 98765 87654 76543 65432 54321 etc.

215 groups in total. Ends with slow dots.

Nancy Adam Susan [E15]

On request E15's schedule

English man [E07]

Historic skeds analysis and new skeds by Hans-Friedrich

What can we see?

• In winter E07 uses more the 2000-2300Z slot, in summer 1900-2200Z.
• Most SNs last only for one month. Sometimes they come back one year later on the same frequency (cf. 785 on Wednesday)
• The behaviour with two reparts +20 and +40min after the first broadcast resp. one repeat +10min after for null messages can be observed already in June 94 (cf 342 on Tuesday)
• First SN - Frequency relationsship (SNF): December 98 with 915 on 5107 and 4558 (2nd and 3rd transmission) on Wednesday.
• 174 existed in August 96 on Wednesday. It popped up again in August 99 as part of SNF. Pure coincidence?
• Many SNs have also a repeat on the following day (or the following days)

Presently (End of October 99) we have the following schedule:

Can someone fill the blank frequencies?

Only in June 99 I heard a second E07:

Voice stations | Morse stations | FAPSI update
Intelligence news | Agency profile: North and South Koreas | Logs
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