Hundred twenty-third edition of the N&O column / Spooks newsletter

(Date: November 2007)

Voice stations | Morse stations | Various modes
Military stations | Utility round-up | Logs
Index | NS NL Home

Morse stations

MX

Cluster beacons

• D
  4557.7, 5153.7, 7038.7, 8493.7, 10871.7, 13527.7, 16331.7
• P
  3593.8, 4557.8, 5153.8, 7038.8, 8494.8, 10871.8, 13527.8, 16331.8, 20047.8
• S
  4557.9, 5153.9, 7038.9, 8494.9, 10871.9, 13527.9, 16331.9, 20047.9
• C
  4558.0, 5154.0, 7039.0, 8495.0, 10872.0, 13528.0, 16332.0, 20048.0
• A
  not reported
• F
  7039.2
• K
  not reported
• M
  not reported

Channel markers

• P
  420 (!), 583 (!), 3167, 3291, 3327, 3699.5, 3837, 4043  kHz
• R
  4325.9, 5465.9  kHz
• V
  6430  kHz. New frequency, ex 7002 kHz.

M21

Russian Air Defense stations were active on various frequencies.

M22

4XZ, Israeli Navy was found on a couple of unusual frequencies lately: 5200, 5500, 7000 and 20956 kHz with its well known VVV marker and messages.

Sample messages:

VVV de 4XZ 4XZ
= = NR 051 YM V GH7M 436001 ZW3O GR 71 =
= AR AR VVV DE 4XZ 4XZ = =...

= = VVV DE 4XZ 4XZ
= = QC5C NR 943 HM GR 02
= = DB4W NR 843 EC GR 81
= = QC4W NR 743 ME GH 52
= = XA6M NR 643 UW GR 12
= = DB1E NR 543 HM GR 91
= = VVV DE 4XZ 4XZ

M41

Russian Morse Radar Tracking Network related to M21.

Messages and callsigns heard by Fritz on:

M51

Morse reading lessons

The morse reading lessons are amongst the oldest services of the REF (RÉSEAU DES ÉMETTEURS FRANÇAIS). The Union started these services in 1934 and guess what.... We still listen to them in 2007! This article gives some background info.

FAV22 Many French radio amateurs were former radio operators of the 8th Regiment of the Engineering Corps. One of the officers was general Gustave Ferrié. He gave France a first class military radio-electrical organisation in 1914. In December 1927 the REF became a Société Agréé Guerre -War Approved Society- (SAG N°12 744). This was the result of the permanent training program that REF organised for its members and also for military personnel. The training transmissions were sent by FLE on 4436 kHz before 1939. After that, transmissions were shared between FLE (Eiffel Tower), FYD (Pontoise) and FLJ (Issy-les-Moulineaux). The transmissions were interrupted in 1939 and resumed in 1947 with two more stations (Paris 6830 kHz, Lyon la Doua 6285 kHz).

Transmissions are then sent from the transmitter site of Vernon and controlled from Mont Valérien until May 1st, 1982. After 1 May the transmissions are controlled from the Bicêtre Fort. In July 2005, CSTEI takes over. (Centre Spécialisé des Télécommunications et de l'Informatique -Specialised Centre for Telecommunications and Computer Science-)

The service started to use a unique callsign in the 1970’s: "FAV22". The FAV22 transmissions used to take place from Monday to Friday at 2100 hrs on 3881 kHz and at 0900 and 1010 hrs on 6825 kHz. Both frequencies are still being used.

FAV22 schedules

Twice a day, except on Saturday. On week days, from 0930 to 1000 and from 1230 to 1400. On Sunday, from 0800 to 0830 and from 0920 to 0955.

Réseaux F9TM (F9TM network)

In the early days radio-amateurs could contact FLE, FYD or FLJ after the courses were broadcasted. After the war, in 1948, the courses resumed using the F9TM call-sign. The frequencies are different from those of FAV22.

F9TM schedules in 2007 in local time (= UTC+1):

• Thursday from 1830 to 1915 on 3536 kHz.
• Sunday from 0830 to 0920 on 7025//3536 kHz (sked not confirmed).

(info partly derived from the RÉSEAU DES ÉMETTEURS FRANÇAIS website)

"M51"

Then our mystery "M51" station. Even though it is on the air since 1996, we still do not know for sure what the purpose is and who actually transmits this stuff. I get no answer from the REF when I ask this question. Everything points however to the French military. The station often uses the same frequency as FAV22 and always stops before FAV22 starts. On 6825 kHz you can sometimes copy the last characters of a M51 transmission before the FAV22 lessons start. Both stations/services are probably controlled from the same control centre. I think that M51 is just another training service but now operated solely by the military.

Both FAV22 and M51 have been reported this month. M51 used 2345.5, 2597.5, 2601,5, 2817, 2569.5, 3720, 3838, 3846, 3882, 4018.5, 4039, 4527, 5407, 5471.5, 6430, 6940 kHz while FAV22 could be found on 3881 and 6825 kHz.

Lufloda70 copied the following lessons on 6825 kHz.

VVV VVV VVV DE FAV22 FAV22 FAV22 QLH 3881/6825 kHz

= Le çon 03-2/1 Vitesse 720 codé =

GDFSQ BWCXV SDARF STYUI QLOMA YTGDF RTGSR ZCWVS QNHNB VCGFT
PMAIK NCVXG QJKIH KAUER SQFZR ATGDT 45273 KQLAP MOAUJ BCNGY
YHTGF DJSUY RTZWX QCAVB 20197 HNDVX RYEGH DKJBD CNBVX WJQUW
YHDGE ZUSHQ WNBXV ZUJAI KQLAP MQNHJ WKJIU YDHGF ETSFZ WMAPL
YHUGF XBWHZ QJAHU WKQLM 37265 WVSDA BWNJK QLAPM OLQJH NWJIO
TGETS WVXCQ AMPJU WNLQI KQLHJ 46276 WCXVD QGBNH AZUJK QLAMP
PMLKJ NWBVF CHERZ AYHSU WNBJU YHSDQ WGBDV 34269 WNBDG QJAKI
IKJHB CVXFE ZRSFQ AWNHJ QKALI NWBCG RTFSV 18056 XCDVF 25472
YHDGX WNBQJ AUJGD WJNKL QMAPO LUJKD XCWVS ZRFAT WHQJY BUHFS

= Le çon 03-2/2 Vitesse 720 clair =

Valéry était là, et son regard me fait encore songer à la présence bleue,
à la circulation émouvante du courant électrique dans le petit hublot des
compteurs. Quelque question était dans l'air: la musique. La fraternité des
peuples. La restriction des moyens de destruction. Un bouquin de Keyserling.
La valeur des théories en matière littéraire. Le rôle des femmes . Que
sais-je? L'assemblée donnait son opinion de plus audacieux cerveaux
proposaient, des amendements.

= Le çon 03-2/3 Vitesse 720 codé =

YUTGD SGQHA ZBWHP QMAOL KQIAH DVXCW GERSF HQJUK XNWHR 37628
PMLAY DGCVX WNHYE XYCJV DHSRZ AYHSF QUJWC XLOKQ WVDFT UJXVE
AOLCG WUJFO QLKAY 45201 XBWHR SYHFU AJLQO WBCVF DOLSM TGCVX
WNQJA 28927 CVDJR TYDIO QLKAG CBVXH QXWRF ZJQKL APMWN OLHYT
XBVXH SHNWJ QKALP MQJNH BCVFR STGZU QJNAI QKALP QMAYN UYTFG
CVXGR CWOLA 37287 XBWNG SHQUJ ZUJSK WXSCG CLPMA ZNJKU YHNBG
XBCFR SJKAY LCGDO WPMJH NXCDT ZUJSF AWJKL QPMAU JKQCV YHMLO
VCGRT SDZJK AHNBX 36829 WNBGD RTSGZ 25617 XVCHD WJKQI UJHTG
BCNDR SFZCW QHJKA LWOKY NCGRF XFLFL DFERS MFMFM

= Leçon 03-2/4 Vitesse 720 clair =

Un cavalier seul faisait entendre une voix d'or, la belle Anna, de ses
mystérieuses grottes, retirait les gerbes d'une trouvaille à l'aigrette de
diamants. Valéry hochait la tête, attendait une nappe de silence et plaçait
son merveilleux grain de sel avec politesse aux coudées franches qui était
presque tout son charme. Ce qu'il disait alors était parfois d'une simplicité
désarmante et il se trouvait toujours quelqu'un pour protester soit contre la
nudité du paradoxe.

M89

Sample of QF3K traffic:

V T3AP T3AP T3AP de QF3K QF3K " .... = COMM/0804/LZ186/9708/9707+ AGN COMM/0804/LZ186/9708/9707+ HR NR 16 NIL SK" V T3AP T3AP T3AP de QF3K QF3

Voice stations | Morse stations | Various modes
Military stations | Utility round-up | Logs
Index | NS NL Home