Seventy-first edition of the N&O column / Spooks newsletter

(Date: Sun, 04 Apr 2004 13:09:51 +0200)

Voice stations | Morse stations | Various modes
Unid stations | Military stations | Logs
Index | NS NL Home

Morse stations

Contributors: Deka, Tomonori, Takashi, Fritz, Jim, Nirvana, Franta, Jim, Guy and Igor.

MX

Channel markers reported in March:

• L:
  3336,2 and 4091.2 kHz.
  I received a note from one of my correspondents that "L" was heard on two harmonic frequencies 6672.44 kHz and 10008.66 kHz at 0500 UTC on 24 March. Thanks for your report, OM!
• P:
  4043, 4828 kHz.
• R:
  4325.8, 5465.8kHz.
• V:
  3658 kHz and also on 7038.8
  but I am not sure if this was MX.

Cluster beacons:

• C: 4558, 5154, 7039, 7078
  (not sure if this was MX)
• S:
  7038.9
• F:
  7039.2
• K:
  7039.3
• M:
  3595.4, 4558.4, 7039.4 and on faulty freq 7038.9 kHz

M08a

We learn from Chriss Acuff that M08a has changed its frequencies for its 1200 and 1300 UTC skeds. "It has changed them back to the old sked" Chris said.

M18

M18 is a daily guest on 4073 kHz. The station transmits a time string, UTC + 3 hours, which is Moscow time.

M21

Remark: Very few messages heard apart from time strings.

M21 variants

M22

2680, 2800, 4241, 4331, 5159, 6379, 8103, 10046, 12984 kHz were used in March.

M23

Two new (?) frequencies for M23 were reported by Jim. He heard the station at 1708 UTC on 18250 kHz and at 1630 UTC on 20208 kHz. Both times repeating "555". There were no messages.

M39

Unid #3 in last month's N&O is M39. Thanks Guy!

• 5230 kHz, 17-02, 1325 UTC: ....

91859 91859 (rptd) (dashes for about 30 sec)
79579(x3) 12907(x3) 79579(x3) 12709(x3)
79579(x3) uses short zero, hand sent

M40

Our Japanese correspondents reported the following transmissions from North Korea:

• 8260 kHz at 1000 UTC and 10620 kHz at 1030 UTC: VVV CQ 747.520 etc.
• 4580 kHz at 1505 UTC: VVV CQ 615.273 etc.
• Finally CQ 615.244 on 4580 kHz at 1500 UTC, Count 189.

M51

It has been a while, but...... I am glad that we have an extended M51 item again. Fritz Nusser observed the station during the past month and this is what he has found.

Fritz added this final remark: "M51 has two distinctive features; pauses between elements are too short. None of my CW decoders can decode it properly. In many transmissions there is a loud hum between the characters. At parallel transmissions, only one frequency is affected."

M62

no messages heard 1732 (parallel frequency), QSA NIL

M87

Our M87 specialist, Igor, sent us two messages this month:

• 9846 kHz, 0130 UTC, 18 March. 2

249 249 249 000 000
249 249 249 000 000
249 249 249 000 000
249 249 249 000 000
249 249 249 000 000
249 249 249 000 000
249 249 249 000 000
249 249 249 000 000
249 249 249 000 000
249 249 249 000 000
t t t

• 11250 kHz, 0630 UTC, 19 March.

... 945 945 333
945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 333
945 945 945 945 333
945 945 945 945 945 945 333
945 945 945 945 333
945 945 945 945 333
945 945 945 333
= 03 03 50 50 =
=
nt5a7 tna76 d47ta 75d4u 5t6ud un3t5 d364t ud465 d3n47 ad5n6
nt643 643ut dun4a n57au a7un3 63t57 ua3nt d4tua 4d5tu 76d43
76d4u nt6u5 3nt6a 4d5tu 75d43 5a6u7 a6unt 5n6a3 d6n54 a74d5
73nt4 673at 3at7u 4u5a3 u7nt5 6u3nt 73nd4 nt6a7 5dau3 7a635
d5n6a ud643 7u43n 637d4 d45ua 6u74n tn4ad n465a ud5t3 6u73d =
= 04 04 50 50 =
d4ta5 7d4ua u5n6t 3n475 adut6 ua3nt nt647 t3a7n d4u5a 4tda7
d5t6a 5u673 a7354 7ud6n d6t54 6u3da 3nt65 73d4u 5u7d4 7645a
734d5 ad36u tun3a 4n5t6 a5u7n 436ua ntua7 da3tn 4t5ad 6u4da
7d364 t6du5 3nt64 7u53n 5a6u7 t576u 6u374 5t64n d4n56 7uant
7tdd7 t5a6n 3u75n t653a 67343 4u6n6 73ua5 6t375 63nt4 3tndt =
333 333
= 03 03 50 50 =
=
nt5a7 tna76 d47ta 75d4u 5t6ud un3t5 d364t ud465 d3n47 ad5n6
nt643 643ut dun4a n57au a7un3 63t57 ua3nt d4tua 4d5tu 76d43
76d4u nt6u5 3nt6a 4d5tu 75d43 5a6u7 a6unt 5n6a3 d6n54 a74d5
73nt4 673at 3at7u 4u5a3 u7nt5 6u3nt 73nd4 nt6a7 5dau3 7a635
d5n6a ud643 7u43n 637d4 d45ua 6u74n tn4ad n465a ud5t3 6u73d =
=
333
= 04 04 50 50 =
=
d4ta5 7d4ua u5n6t 3n475 adut6 ua3nt nt647 t3a7n d4u5a 4tda7
d5t6a 5u673 a7354 7ud6n d6t54 6u3da 3nt65 73d4u 5u7d4 7645a
734d5 ad36u tun3a 4n5t6 a5u7n 436ua ntua7 da3tn 4t5ad 6u4da
7d364 t6du5 3nt64 7u53n 5a6u7 t576u 6u374 5t64n d4n56 7uant
7tdd7 t5a6n 3u75n t653a 67343 4u6n6 73ua5 6t375 63nt4 3tndt =
= 000

• 10518 kHz, 2300 UTC, 31 March.

651 651 651 651 651 651 651 651 651 651 000
651 651 651 651 651 651 651 651 651 651 000
651 651 651 651 651 651 651 000
651 651 651 651 651 000

• 13000 kHz, 0700 UTC, 1 April.

792 792 792 792 792 792 792 792 792 792 792 792 792 792 792 000
792 792 792 792 792 792 792 792 000
792 792 792 792 792 792 000

M89

The Chinese military stations were widely heard and reported.

• 16664 kHz, 0105 UTC, 24 March (logged by Igor)

v bjcc bjcc bjcc de 3sa 3sa msg nr 8773/o35
v bjcc bjcc bjcc de 3sa 3sa msg nr 8773/o35
v bjcc bjcc bjcc de 3sa 3sa msg nr 8773/o35
ck 21 o324 o355
= t6du 777t 5t73 5n33 5u66 7u6a a464 tu7a 3a6a 5dau
3uau 47n3 a5ua ntd3 7au4 ad44 ndt3 45u4 a6d4 na4d
4a4d

d773 t35 ua t3u4 t355
t6du 777t 5t73 5n33 5u66 7u6a a464 tu7a 3a6a 5dau
3uau 47n3 a5ua ntd3 7au4 ad44 ndt3 45u4 a6d4 na4d
4a4d

An interesting note was submitted by Tom who writes: "This looks like a PR China Naval shore station (3SA) and a PR vessel. Both are regular ITU-conform callsigns. Looks interesting! I think 3SA also spotted on longwave before, as I found "20.5 kHz, 3SA/3SB Datong Naval base, Peoples Republic of China" in an old database."

Thanks for the note, Tom. I too found the 3SA callsign in a 1989 ITU callsign book but the vessel is not listed in the latest ITU shipping list. As the call-up corresponds with the others that we already know, I wonder if the callsign is genuine. All the others are tactical calls.

M91

Parallel frequencies heard again on March 3/14 Sample messages:

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