Ninety-seventh edition of the N&O column / Spooks newsletter

(Date:Thu, 04 Aug 2005 23:16:43 +0200)

Morse stations

M13

Mark Slaten writes on 2 July:

"I just found an M13 on 5917m at 0300z:

//Sked Begins                  //0300z

378 (R5) BT 285 21 BT
50029 00379 11387 08281 55884
21801 19910 50682 16768 13354
63348 28081 35383 44075 29153
51504 57941 45114 20986 62994
49008 BT                       //0310z
378 (R1) BT 285 21 BT
50029 00379 11387 08281 55884
21801 19910 50682 16768 13354
63348 28081 35383 44075 29153
51504 57941 45114 20986 62994
49008 BT
0 0 0                          //0316z

//End of Sked

Note:
Voice QRM was heavy on this freq, but was just able to skirt around the edge by narrowing the bandwidth to get a good readable signal."

Mark also found M13d at 0230z-0246z on 6715 kHz:

//Sked Begins                  //0230z

767 (R5)BT 206 21 BT
21823 45481 09775 45140 12523
21176 60687 19453 54606 14529
04072 62416 60627 10189 26000
01681 17936 36412 10128 17298
58531 BT                       //0241z
767 (R1)BT 206 21 BT
21823 45481 09775 45140 12523
21176 60687 19453 54606 14529
04072 62416 60627 10189 26000
01681 17936 36412 10128 17298
58531 BT
0 0 0                          //0246z

//End of Sked

Note:
QRN very heavy, QRM (Voice and TTY was minimal). M13d signal fairly strong. Did not hear last night at same time and freq.

M18

M18 now uses 4503 kHz. It sent the time as UTC+5 on 13-7 at 1906 UTC:
"0006 0006 0006 0007 0007 etc."

See also Newsletter 98.

M21

PVO used 3246.5, 4595, 5221.5, 5873, 7095, 9222 and 10858 kHz in June and July. Id "0" was used on all frequencies.

=99t4t3??t?????
=99t4t4??t?????
=99t4t5??t?????

M21 variant: 5476 kHz with strings like "126126126 2275822758".

See also Newsletter 98.

M22

Israeli Navy in Haifa was heard on 11096 kHz in June by Paolo who also supplied a message from this station. I also copied the station on 4331, 6379 and 8437 in July while Fritz intercepted 4XZ in June on 2800, 4241, 5159, 8103, 10046, 12984 kHz until 6-6. Then from 6-6 to 2-7 on 2800, 4241, 5159, 8103 kHz and from 2-27 July on 2680, 4331, 6379 kHz. From 13 to 16 July the station also transmitted on 5147 kHz.

Fritz further comments:

"There were no txm on 12-7. 2800 was in use since 1994, 4241 since 1987, 5159 since 2001, 8103 since 2000, 10046 since 1994 and 12984 since 1996."

VVV DE 4XZ 4XZ = =
VVV DE 4XZ 4XZ = = VVV DE 4XZ 4XZ = = CQ7Z NR 221 ZZ GR Z1 ==
HA6I NR 121 MI GR 11 == CQ7Z NR 221 ZZ GR 71 == HA6I NR 121 MI
GR 11 == CQ7Z NR 221 ZZ GR 71 == HA6I NR 121 MI GR 11 == CQ7Z
NR 221 ZZ GR 71 == HA6I NR 121 MI GR 11 == CQ7Z NR 221 ZZ GR
71 == HA6I NR 121 MI GR 11 == CQ7Z NR 221 ZZ GR 71 == HA6I NR
1 J1 MI GR 11 == CQ7Z NR 221 ZZ GR 71 == HA6I NR 121 MI GR 11
== CQ7Z NR 221 ZZ GR 71 == HA6I NR 121 MI GR 11 == CQ7Z NR 221
ZZ GR 71 == HA6I NR 121 MI GR 11 == CQ7Z NR 221 ZZ GR 71 == HA6I
NR 121 MI GR 11 =VVV DE 4XZ HXZ = = AR AR NW QTC 1 NR 221 = =
NR 221 ZZ V HA9S 522201 CQ7Z GR 71 == CZCZC YTCXT MUITN AOWQY
YTYMZ ZLHCM ZSJIC IFFMM YYIPL NAHHI NHSTQ RPFKD CCHAS OUNWZ ICYRJ
HNYFR YTCXT == NR 221 ZZ V HA9S 522201 CQ7Z GR 71 == CZCZC YTCXT
MUITN AOWQY YTYMZ ZLHCM ZSJIC IFFMM YYIREL NAHHI NHSTQ RPFKD
CCHAS OUNWZ ICYRJ HNYFR YTCXT == NR 221 ZZ V HA9S 522201 CQ7Z
GR 71 == AR AR VVV DE 4XZ 4XZ = = VVV DE 4XZ 4XZ = = AR AR NW
QTC 1 NR 121 = = NR 121 MI V LK8G 012201 HA6I GR 11 == HIHIH
UCPFE IUAPM SBKGA OKJET LTOHI ERZZQ GNQIR HCGPM LJZEN UCPFE ==
NR 121 MI V LK8G 012201 HA6I GR 11 == HIHIH UCPFE IUAPM SBKGA
OKJET LTOHI ERZZQ GNQIR HCGPM LJZEN UCPFE == NR 121 MI V LK8G
012201 HA6I GR 11 == AR AR

See also Newsletter 98.

Former M31

I usually do not mention these stations here but since I received this report from Fritz, I have included them one more time.

"Channel Markers of the French Air Force.

The format is always the same: "vvv vvv vvv de FDG FDG +". The usual mode is CW, very rarely Baudot 50 with a "ryryry" roundslip. These stations have been on the air for many years. A number of them have disappeared during the past few years. Stations like FDC (Metz), FDE14 (Contrexville) and FDY (Orleans).

From January 1st until mid July 2005 I heard 322 transmissions. The logs are accidental, as I did not search the bands for the stations.

QTH		Bordeaux		Narbonne		Nice	Tours
QRA		FDG		FDI22		FDI8	FDE2

	txm	from/to	Txm	from/to	txm	from/to	txm	UTC
MON	23	0720/2030	13	0950/1910	19	0810/1945	0
TUE	25	0737/2120	11	0800/1920	19	1210/1950	0
WED	21	0725/2010	10	0950/1958	26	0629/1958	0
THU	17	0648/1950	14	0845/2020	9	0930/1945	0
FRI	18	0915/2140	11	0835/1915	13	0810/1940	0
SAT	17	0645/2000	8	1235/1815	7	1030/1940	1	1430
SUN	19	0628/2010	10	1500/1936	10	0638/1935	1	1445

txm = number of transmissions copied.

Total transmissions of FDG	:	140
Total transmissions of FDI22	:	77
Total transmissions of FDI8	:	103
Total transmissions of FDE2	:	2

Highest QRG

FDG

13945.

FDI22

10991.5.

FDI8

7787.

FDE2

7002 kHz

Lowest QRG

FDG

2816.

FDI22

4753.

FDI8

4450.

FDE2

7002 kHz

QRGs used

Most used

FDG

5351, 7949 (14x).

FDI22

7739 (16x).

FDI8

4558.5 (15x)

Common QRGs

7 (FDI8)

1 (FDG)

7 (FDG)

1 (FDI22)

The operation times of course do correspond to a great degree with my observation times. FDI22 might well operate at SAT and SUN mornings too. The number of transmissions is reasonably spread over the European day. From time to time there are periods of several days without any traffic, the last gap was from July 21st until July 25th. I did not find increased traffic during (officially announced) exercises of French Forces. Apart from the round slips I never heard any anomality or even messages.

All stations change their frequencies around h+25 and h+55. There are exceptions. The same frequency may be used daily for a week at the same time or several times the same day or only once in 6 months. The times of operation however are not random, apart from some exceptions a certain frequency only show up in certain time slots.

All stations often operate on a parallel frequency, they are not in phase. Several stations may operate at the same times. The round slips always start with a garbled character, which however is different for each station."

Thanks for your report, Fritz.

M51

M51 restarted its transmissions on Monday, 4th July. It used the same frequencies until the end of the month: 9363, 5190, 7994, 6980, 5838 and 5127 kHz.

The format is: nr 15 j 19 11:38:00 1983 = 5LG x100 (NO mistake, it uses 1983!)

(Source: Fritz)

See also Newsletter 98.

M87

Igor supplied a nice M87 message that he has copied on 11249 kHz at 0630 UTC on 24 June. Thanks Igor, you are still our single reporter of this station!

945 945 945 945 945 945 945 333
945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 333
945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 333
945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 333
945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 945 333
= = 36 36 50 50 = =
73a4t 3a4tn a7354 6a4ud 3nt7a 6d735 4td7u 3nt65 75d4u 5a7nd
a6ud4 nt6a7 u3nt6 dn657 ud4a5 t6a7u 6u73d u4t5a 6d34t n5ud6
3a4td a7354 354t7 d6n5u 4u5a7 d5unt 4nt67 a6u74 5anud t6ud3
7d364 6u73d ud3n5 n4t53 7ad36 d46ta 5un3n a74d6 5da4u t73an
ad5n6 d6n54 u53nn 576un ua3nt 3dn64 7u63n a76d4 d5na3 73a4t
= =
= = 37 37 50 50 = =
t6a7u 6u73d u4t5a 6d34t n5ud6 73a4t 3a4tn a7354 6a4ud 3nt7a
6d735 4td7u 3nt65 75d4u 5a7nd a6ud4 nt6a7 u3nt6 dn657 ud4a5
ad5n6 d6n54 u53nt 576un ua3nt 3nt64 7u53n a76d4 d5na3 73a4t
3a4tn a7354 354t7 d6n5u 4u5u7 d5unt 4nt67 a6u74 5anud t6ut3
7d364 6u73d ud3n5 n4t63 7ad36 d46ta 5ud3n a74d6 5da4u t73at
= =
333 333
= = 36 36 50 50 = =
73a4t 3a4tn a7354 6a4ud 3nt7a 6d735 4td7u 3nt65 75d4u 5a7nd
a6ud4 nt6a7 u3nt6 dn657 ud4a5 t6a7u 6u73d u4t5a 6d34t n5ud6
3a4td a7354 354t7 d6n5u 4u5a7 d5unt 4nt67 a6u74 5anud t6ud3
7d364 6u73d ud3n5 n4t53 7ad36 d46ta 5un3n a74d6 5da4u t73an
ad5n6 d6n54 u53nn 576un ua3nt 3dn64 7u63n a76d4 d5na3 73a4t
= =
= = 37 37 50 50 = =
t6a7u 6u73d u4t5a 6d34t n5ud6 73a4t 3a4tn a7354 6a4ud 3nt7a
6d735 4td7u 3nt65 75d4u 5a7nd a6ud4 nt6a7 u3nt6 dn657 ud4a5
ad5n6 d6n54 u53nt 576un ua3nt 3nt64 7u53n a76d4 d5na3 73a4t
3a4tn a7354 354t7 d6n5u 4u5u7 d5unt 4nt67 a6u74 5anud t6ut3
7d364 6u73d ud3n5 n4t63 7ad36 d46ta 5ud3n a74d6 5da4u t73at
= =
000 ttt

Other M87 logs from Igor:

8554 kHz	:	0100 UTC	21-6	M87 variant
				zxs zxs zxs de rdq rdq rdq qruu va
9553 kHz	:	0900 UTC	21-6	345 345 345 333 333 (rptd) = = 070 070 23 23 = = 5fg (cut) 000 000 ttt
9821 kHz	:	0130 UTC	21-6	249 249 249 249 000
12150 kHz	:	1300 UTC	21-6	698 698 698 698 698 000
16419 kHz	:	0330 UTC	21-6	154 154 154 154 000

M89

The Chinese military network was not often reported in July. As usual L9CC was the most active one.

"V T3AP T3AP T3AP de QF3K QF3K"
on 8437 kHz
"V CP17 CP17 CP17 DE L9CC L9CC"
on 7026, 7042, 7043.7, 7044.4, 7049.1, 7054, 7057.2, 7067.8, 7080.2 kHz

M89 variant:

"VVV Q2M Q2M Q2M DE NYZ NYZ"
on 4860//6840 kHz. Interesting choice of frequencies :-)

See also Newsletter 98.

MX

Channel markers

F
3798.5 kHz, possibly Polish navy Gdynia. Slow morse; 5 seconds gap between the F's. Logged on 9 + 10 June
L
3203.6 kHz
P
3772, 3837, 4031, 4476, 4605, 5111, 5213, 5862 kHz
R
4325.8, 5465.8 kHz
V
10420 kHz

A "K" beacon was heard by Bill in New Jersey on a strange frequency (4476 kHz). I don't know how good the signal was, Bill, but this frequency is being used by Kaliningrad for morse messages and channel marker "P".

Cluster beacons

C
4558, 5154, 7039, 8495, 10872, 13528, 16332 kHz
D
5153.7, 7038.7, 8494.7, 10871.7, 13527.7, 16331.7 kHz
P
3594.8, 4557.8, 5153.8, 7038.8, 8494.8, 10871.8, 13527.8 kHz
S
4557.9, 5153.9, 7038.9, 8494.9, 10871.9, 13527.9, 16331.9 kHz
F
7039.2, 8495.2, 10872.2 kHz
K
8495.3, 10872.3 kHz
M
8495.4, 10872.4 kHz

An odd one was reported by Tomonori. He copied "77 mtt" on 10872, 16332 and 20048 kHz on 29-6. A defect or ......?

Fritz reports a strange string sent on 3 July by Kaliningrad on 4557.8 for quite a while. The signal was loud and clear. It sent the following string which is not a Russian word according to Igor: LCHGCHDW LCHGCHDW ... etc (CH = ----)

See also Newsletter 98.