Notes on E10 habits

Mode:

LSB-deprived AM

Profile:

Edition #2 of Spooks Newsletter

Nicknames:

Mossad (guess why... :-))

Notes:

A whole network of stations with sophisticated characteristics that can be divided into four groups

• Group 1
  Starts at H+00 and H+30
  Call signs : ART, EZI, FTJ, JSR, PCD, ULX, YHF
  3 minute preamble.
  If call sign is not followed by a number, at H+03 (H+33) one or two messages will be sent. Transmissions with three messages are very seldom.
  Lowest reported group count :3
  Highest reported group count : 167
  Most often, transmission will be abruptly cut off at H+25 (H+55) even if not completed.
  Steady frequency sets assigned for each call sign.
  Up to three parallel frequencies for a given call-sign.

• Group 2
  Starts at H+15 and H+45
  Call signs : CIO, KPA, MIW, SYN, VLB
  If call sign is followed by '2' then transmission will stop at H+20 (H+50), otherwise some message strings (i.e. SYN72AZ29) might follow, or even messages similar to those of group 1 as for their formats.
  Frequencies sets change several times a year.
  It seems that three parallel frequencies are always used for a given call-sign.

• Group 3
  Starts randomly
  Call signs : BAY, GBZ, HNC, ROV, TMS, ZWL

• Group 4
  Test broadcast
  Call sign : ABC
  (only reported once on the 3^rd of May, 2000, lasted for at least 7 hours)

As they are random, transmissions of groups 3 and 4, and transmissions with message strings of group 2 are discarded from the schedules computations.

Few, but not exceptional, mistakes.

Transmissions of group 3 and 4, transmissions with actual messages or messages strings of group 2 and transmissions without messages from group 1 but the call sign of which was not followed by a '2' form the E10a variant.

Hints :

Active frequencies do not seem to vary for group 1. A missing frequency on a particular day is most probably due to the fact that no one ever attempted to tune it at that time on this particular day of the week.

Not all frequencies may be audible due to the wide range used (from the low 2 MHz up to the 23 MHz band).

FTJ and PCD seems to be much weaker than ART, EZI, JSR, ULX or YHF

Apparent signal power on a given call sign may present huge variations when (and if) it resumes on the same frequency at the beginning of the next half hour. This may induce different transmitter locations, variation in transmitter powers, or a change of signal beaming.