Date: Monday morning (late Sunday night), Oct. 29, 2007. Time: 4 – 5 a.m. Eastern Time, 0800 – 0900 UTC. 5,000 watts using non-directional antenna pattern. Programming will consist of special voice announcements, march and other special music, Morse code and sweep tones. Reception reports may be sent to Mr. Allan H. Weiner. WCXH Radio, 274 Britton Rd., Monticello, ME 04760-3110. No eQSL service is being offered for this test. Recordings on disk in .mp3 or .wav format will be accepted as proof of reception. NOTE: All requests for verifications must be accompanied by return postage in order to receive a reply. Our sincere thanks to the legendary Allan Weiner for agreeing to conduct this test.
Jim Pogue – KH2AR@comcast.net
IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator
www.dxtests.info
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
What is brewing in Israel?
AlphaE10 on the Enigma 2000 numbers newsgroup posted an interest observation regarding an increase in Enigma E10 numbers traffic yesterday 9/25/2007. These numbers stations are beleived to be transmitted by the Israeli Mossad.Some specific intercepts noted below:
ULX 1000z 7760 kHz. In the repeat slot at 1630z ULX1 was sent!!
But 1630z/2030z: EZI 9130/6840 kHz
The EZI pair 0330z/1800z 6840 kHz with the heavy 13/11/11/11/13g messages after idling some days with a 49 group message.
NEW: PCD 1930z! Since 14092007 a 19g msg was sent, now a new 14g one is being transmitted.
The YHF pair at 2000z and 0200z 5820 kHz back to a regular message. YHF 1900z 3840 kHz yesterday with 3 messages at 119 groups.
Given the reported recent Israeli military activity over Syria, one has to wonder what the Mossad is up to now with this new round of interesting message traffic on the Enigma E10 stations.
Saturday, September 22, 2007
MW DX Test Scheduled - KWWN and KCKN
From Jim Pogue – KH2AR@comcast.net
IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator
www.dxtests.info
KWWN 1100 kHz Las Vegas, NV
Bill Croghan, WBØKSW, Chief Engineer for Lotus Broadcasting of Las Vegas tells us the new KWWN has been on the air now for about three days as of Sept. 21, running unmodulated carrier (except for ID’s) often at less than 1 KW for tuning and testing.
“It has been many short tests mostly at the lower power levels, but we have run the day pattern at the full 20 KW,” he relates. “As you might imagine, a 20 KW two tower day pattern wasn’t to difficult, but the 2 KW night pattern with four towers, on the next property over from two diplexed 1 KW stations located near in frequency, has been a challenge. We expect to start running longer tests, still primarily unmodulated, next week and the week after and hopefully will ask the FCC for Program test authority in the next two weeks. After receiving that, we will probably start sending the Deportes, Hispanic ESPN programming with ID's at the top of the hour for KWWN. It’s a long drawn out process that must proceed at the FCC required rate and through the hoops they mandate. I'll let you know when we start doing more.”
Once they are through the testing phase, Bill has promised a full fledged DX Test over KWWN. If you hear them testing before then, you can send your reception reports to: Lotus Broadcasting, c/o Bill Croghan, 8755 W. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89147.
KCKN 1020 kHz Roswell, NM
Jerry Kiefer has promised us a DX Test (maybe 2) from his station. Right now it looks like early November.
“I’ll have an exact date shortly, sometime the first week or two of November on a Sunday night to get some good winter skywave,” Jerry said in a recent e-mail.
Our thanks go to retired BTC Coordinator Les Rayburn for getting the wheels turning on these two tests. We’ll provide more information when the details are nailed down.
IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator
www.dxtests.info
KWWN 1100 kHz Las Vegas, NV
Bill Croghan, WBØKSW, Chief Engineer for Lotus Broadcasting of Las Vegas tells us the new KWWN has been on the air now for about three days as of Sept. 21, running unmodulated carrier (except for ID’s) often at less than 1 KW for tuning and testing.
“It has been many short tests mostly at the lower power levels, but we have run the day pattern at the full 20 KW,” he relates. “As you might imagine, a 20 KW two tower day pattern wasn’t to difficult, but the 2 KW night pattern with four towers, on the next property over from two diplexed 1 KW stations located near in frequency, has been a challenge. We expect to start running longer tests, still primarily unmodulated, next week and the week after and hopefully will ask the FCC for Program test authority in the next two weeks. After receiving that, we will probably start sending the Deportes, Hispanic ESPN programming with ID's at the top of the hour for KWWN. It’s a long drawn out process that must proceed at the FCC required rate and through the hoops they mandate. I'll let you know when we start doing more.”
Once they are through the testing phase, Bill has promised a full fledged DX Test over KWWN. If you hear them testing before then, you can send your reception reports to: Lotus Broadcasting, c/o Bill Croghan, 8755 W. Flamingo Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89147.
KCKN 1020 kHz Roswell, NM
Jerry Kiefer has promised us a DX Test (maybe 2) from his station. Right now it looks like early November.
“I’ll have an exact date shortly, sometime the first week or two of November on a Sunday night to get some good winter skywave,” Jerry said in a recent e-mail.
Our thanks go to retired BTC Coordinator Les Rayburn for getting the wheels turning on these two tests. We’ll provide more information when the details are nailed down.
W4JE Prop Beacon OTA for Shakedown
Courtesy of Andy Clegg and the Scan-DC newsgroup:
After a hiatus, my 10 meter amateur radio propagation beacon is getting back on the air, just in time for the beginning of the new solar cycle (Cycle 24). It is running now and through the weekend for a shakedown cruise, in which I will do some tests and track down and attempt to reconcile any RFI or equipment problems.
The beacon antenna is located on the roof of a high rise building (21 stories) in the Ballston section of Arlington, grid square FM18kv. It is a 3 dB gain (theoretical) quarter-wave vertical antenna, fed by a RadioShack HTX-100 10-meter radio operating with 25 W output. However, there is about 100 ft of RG-8 type coax in between, so the power into the antenna is significantly less than 25 W (this is one of the parameters I will be measuring).
Take a listen in CW (or SSB) mode on 28.210 MHz. Initial reception reports are welcome (w4jecom @ w4je.com)! Reports of non-reception are also welcome. If your radio doesn't do CW or SSB mode, listen in AM or FM mode for the CW carrier going on and off.
I plan to do a lot more beacon development, including possibly adding a simultaneous 2m beacon at the same location, and adding a dedicated web site for information, reception reports, statistics, and maps of confirmed reports. I hope to keep this going throughout the entire Cycle 24.
After a hiatus, my 10 meter amateur radio propagation beacon is getting back on the air, just in time for the beginning of the new solar cycle (Cycle 24). It is running now and through the weekend for a shakedown cruise, in which I will do some tests and track down and attempt to reconcile any RFI or equipment problems.
The beacon antenna is located on the roof of a high rise building (21 stories) in the Ballston section of Arlington, grid square FM18kv. It is a 3 dB gain (theoretical) quarter-wave vertical antenna, fed by a RadioShack HTX-100 10-meter radio operating with 25 W output. However, there is about 100 ft of RG-8 type coax in between, so the power into the antenna is significantly less than 25 W (this is one of the parameters I will be measuring).
Take a listen in CW (or SSB) mode on 28.210 MHz. Initial reception reports are welcome (w4jecom @ w4je.com)! Reports of non-reception are also welcome. If your radio doesn't do CW or SSB mode, listen in AM or FM mode for the CW carrier going on and off.
I plan to do a lot more beacon development, including possibly adding a simultaneous 2m beacon at the same location, and adding a dedicated web site for information, reception reports, statistics, and maps of confirmed reports. I hope to keep this going throughout the entire Cycle 24.
Team V launches heritage Delta II rocket, image satellite
by Senior Airman Stephen Cadette
30th Space Wing Public Affairs
A Delta II bearing the WorldView-1 spacecraft launches from Space Launch Complex-2 West at 11:35 a.m. on Sept. 18. The DigitalGloble WorldView-1 spacecraft is a weather mapping satellite launched on the Air Force's 60th anniversary. (U.S. Air Force photo/Joe Davila)
The launch of a Boeing Delta II rocket carrying the DigitalGlobe WorldView-1 satellite at 11:35 a.m., Sept. 18 from Space Launch Complex-2 on north Vandenberg confirmed a milestone success for Team Vandenberg and the Air Force.
The 4th Space Launch Squadron and 2nd Range Operations Squadron were on console supporting the launch by Boeing Launch Services with associated support services from United Launch Alliance.
Col. Steve Tanous, 30th Space Wing commander, was the spacelift commander for this launch.
"What better way to celebrate our 60 years of service to this nation than to have the opportunity to launch a payload into space," Colonel Tanous said. "The Air Force has been involved in exploring the high frontier since the beginning of the 'space age' and we will continue to turn today's science fiction into reality.
"Vandenberg has had a major role in the space and missile fields and will continue to do so for years to come," he said.
The successful launch took place on the Air Force's 60th Anniversary and made the 60-year Anniversary more special for the men and women of the 30th Space Wing.
This launch also marks the 75th consecutive successful Delta II launch from both coasts dating back to May 5, 1997, and it is the Air Force 52nd consecutive succesful operational launch.
The Delta II had nine motors strapped to its main stage, increasing its lift capability. It was expected to deploy the WorldView-1 spacecraft approximately 1 hour, 13 minutes after liftoff.
The WorldView-1 satellite will provide high-resolution images of Earth. It's capable of collecting, storing and down-linking more frequently updated imagery than any other commercial imaging satellite in orbit, according to a Boeing press release.
30th Space Wing Public Affairs
A Delta II bearing the WorldView-1 spacecraft launches from Space Launch Complex-2 West at 11:35 a.m. on Sept. 18. The DigitalGloble WorldView-1 spacecraft is a weather mapping satellite launched on the Air Force's 60th anniversary. (U.S. Air Force photo/Joe Davila) The launch of a Boeing Delta II rocket carrying the DigitalGlobe WorldView-1 satellite at 11:35 a.m., Sept. 18 from Space Launch Complex-2 on north Vandenberg confirmed a milestone success for Team Vandenberg and the Air Force.
The 4th Space Launch Squadron and 2nd Range Operations Squadron were on console supporting the launch by Boeing Launch Services with associated support services from United Launch Alliance.
Col. Steve Tanous, 30th Space Wing commander, was the spacelift commander for this launch.
"What better way to celebrate our 60 years of service to this nation than to have the opportunity to launch a payload into space," Colonel Tanous said. "The Air Force has been involved in exploring the high frontier since the beginning of the 'space age' and we will continue to turn today's science fiction into reality.
"Vandenberg has had a major role in the space and missile fields and will continue to do so for years to come," he said.
The successful launch took place on the Air Force's 60th Anniversary and made the 60-year Anniversary more special for the men and women of the 30th Space Wing.
This launch also marks the 75th consecutive successful Delta II launch from both coasts dating back to May 5, 1997, and it is the Air Force 52nd consecutive succesful operational launch.
The Delta II had nine motors strapped to its main stage, increasing its lift capability. It was expected to deploy the WorldView-1 spacecraft approximately 1 hour, 13 minutes after liftoff.
The WorldView-1 satellite will provide high-resolution images of Earth. It's capable of collecting, storing and down-linking more frequently updated imagery than any other commercial imaging satellite in orbit, according to a Boeing press release.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
KQMS NewsTalk 1400 to Conduct a DX Test
Jim Pogue (KH2AR@comcast.net) the IRCA/NRC Joint BCB DX Test Coordinator has negotiated another MW DX test.
Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night), Dec. 16, 2007. Time: Midnight – 1 a.m. Pacific Time, 0800 – 0900 UTC. 1,000 watts using non-directional antenna pattern. Programming will consist of special voice announcements, Morse code and/or 1,000 Hz tones. Reception reports may be sent to Ms. Erin Myers, News Director, KQMS Radio, 3360 Alta Mesa Dr., Redding, CA 96002. No eQSL service is being offered for this test. Recordings on disk in .mp3 or .wav format will be accepted as proof of reception. NOTE: All requests for verifications must be accompanied by return postage in order to receive a reply. Our sincere thanks to Ms. Myers and to Chief Engineer Steven Mena for agreeing to conduct this test.
Jim Pogue – KH2AR@comcast.net
www.dxtests.info
IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator
Saturday, September 15, 2007
AOPA Says Loran May Take On New Life In Age Of GPS
Notes Satellite-Based Nav Still Has Its Problems
Courtesy of Aero-News.net
GPS isn't perfect... and during outages pilots need a suitable backup. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association says while most pilots use VORs, the FAA plans to decommission them in the next 15 to 20 years.
Enter loran... or should we say, reenter loran.
Last year, the Coast Guard, which operates and maintains loran transmitting stations, proposed to pull the plug on this technology. AOPA pointed out that it still may need to play an important role in the nation's navigation and airspace surveillance system. The Coast Guard then decided to take a more studied approach.
But recently, the Coast Guard asked users to weigh in on its future. If it's retained, the Coast Guard listed options on how to manage it. Loran was more popular until GPS came along. GPS has proven to be easier to use and more affordable for primary navigation.
"It's premature to talk about management options until the FAA and Coast Guard decide if loran is suitable for aviation use as a backup to GPS," said Randy Kenagy, AOPA senior director of advanced technology. "We can discuss how to manage it later."
Over the next two decades, the FAA plans to decommission VORs and radar systems and make the transition to ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) as the primary surveillance system for air traffic control. Because ADS-B requires GPS to report an aircraft's position to ATC, a GPS failure could leave pilots without electronic navigation and air traffic controllers blind unless an alternative positioning system were available.
In its recent comments to the Coast Guard, AOPA laid out various performance parameters for a backup system such as being available for instrument operations throughout North America and the Caribbean; providing uninterrupted service for 30 minutes after a GPS outage; and adding no more than 10 percent to the cost of a navigation or dependent surveillance system.
"While loran appears to be a viable option—among other options—many questions and policy issues remain," Kenagy said. "Those would have to be resolved before the FAA, Coast Guard, and the aviation industry can develop an implementation strategy."
Courtesy of Aero-News.net
GPS isn't perfect... and during outages pilots need a suitable backup. The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association says while most pilots use VORs, the FAA plans to decommission them in the next 15 to 20 years.
Enter loran... or should we say, reenter loran.
Last year, the Coast Guard, which operates and maintains loran transmitting stations, proposed to pull the plug on this technology. AOPA pointed out that it still may need to play an important role in the nation's navigation and airspace surveillance system. The Coast Guard then decided to take a more studied approach.
But recently, the Coast Guard asked users to weigh in on its future. If it's retained, the Coast Guard listed options on how to manage it. Loran was more popular until GPS came along. GPS has proven to be easier to use and more affordable for primary navigation.
"It's premature to talk about management options until the FAA and Coast Guard decide if loran is suitable for aviation use as a backup to GPS," said Randy Kenagy, AOPA senior director of advanced technology. "We can discuss how to manage it later."
Over the next two decades, the FAA plans to decommission VORs and radar systems and make the transition to ADS-B (automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast) as the primary surveillance system for air traffic control. Because ADS-B requires GPS to report an aircraft's position to ATC, a GPS failure could leave pilots without electronic navigation and air traffic controllers blind unless an alternative positioning system were available.
In its recent comments to the Coast Guard, AOPA laid out various performance parameters for a backup system such as being available for instrument operations throughout North America and the Caribbean; providing uninterrupted service for 30 minutes after a GPS outage; and adding no more than 10 percent to the cost of a navigation or dependent surveillance system.
"While loran appears to be a viable option—among other options—many questions and policy issues remain," Kenagy said. "Those would have to be resolved before the FAA, Coast Guard, and the aviation industry can develop an implementation strategy."
USCG Tells Mariners To Identify Themselves
The US Coast Guard has warned mariners to make sure they enter their 9-digit Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) number into marine radios equipped with Digital Selective Calling (DSC) and Automatic Identification Systems (AIS).
The Coast Guard says: “Statistics show that many mariners in distress do not properly identify themselves nor provide a precise location when radioing for help which delays rescue services in arriving at the scene quickly and providing the assistance needed.” It adds that many marine communication devices require the MMSI to identify the user of the device.
The USCG and the National Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Task Force is concerned that many users of these devices are not obtaining, registering and/or properly entering their assigned MMSI into these devices. Lack of an MMSI will make some of these devices inoperable, such as AIS, or incapable of operating advanced features or distress alerting capabilities of the device. The Coast Guard cautions: “Leaving the MMSI unprogrammed, entering a false identity or not updating a previously-programmed device with your own identity may delay a rescue and under certain situations is unlawful.”
The Coast Guard says: “Statistics show that many mariners in distress do not properly identify themselves nor provide a precise location when radioing for help which delays rescue services in arriving at the scene quickly and providing the assistance needed.” It adds that many marine communication devices require the MMSI to identify the user of the device.
The USCG and the National Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) Task Force is concerned that many users of these devices are not obtaining, registering and/or properly entering their assigned MMSI into these devices. Lack of an MMSI will make some of these devices inoperable, such as AIS, or incapable of operating advanced features or distress alerting capabilities of the device. The Coast Guard cautions: “Leaving the MMSI unprogrammed, entering a false identity or not updating a previously-programmed device with your own identity may delay a rescue and under certain situations is unlawful.”
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
WMRO-AM DX Test QSL Update
Update on verifications for WMRO 1560 kHz Gallatin, TN DX Test
Due to a continuing heavy work load, Scott Bailey at WMRO has agreed to allow the IRCA/NRC Joint Broadcast Test Committee to validate and verify reception reports from his DX Test conducted Jan. 15, 2007. If you heard and reported the test but have as of yet not received a verification, please send a duplicate report to the BTC. A choice of standard postal QSL cards or eQSL cards will be offered for correct reception reports.
For a standard postal QSL card, please submit your report via postal service mail along with return postage in the form of U.S. stamps or an SASE. Recordings on disk in .mp3 of .wav format will be accepted as proof of reception. Please, no cassette recordings. Address for postal reports is: Joint IRCA/NRC BTC, WMRO DX Test, P.O. Box 3777, Memphis, TN 38173-0777. Recordings cannot be returned unless accompanied by a CD mailer and sufficient postage.
For an eQSL, you may submit your report and/or .mp3 or .wav file via e-mail to KH2AR@comcast.net
Scott added that he will be happy to conduct another DX Test over WMRO with 1,000 watts and a non-directional antenna pattern later this DX season. Details will be announced when a date and time are worked out. Please address any questions to me at the same e-mail address shown above.
Jim Pogue – KH2AR@comcast.net
www.dxtests.info
IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator
Due to a continuing heavy work load, Scott Bailey at WMRO has agreed to allow the IRCA/NRC Joint Broadcast Test Committee to validate and verify reception reports from his DX Test conducted Jan. 15, 2007. If you heard and reported the test but have as of yet not received a verification, please send a duplicate report to the BTC. A choice of standard postal QSL cards or eQSL cards will be offered for correct reception reports.
For a standard postal QSL card, please submit your report via postal service mail along with return postage in the form of U.S. stamps or an SASE. Recordings on disk in .mp3 of .wav format will be accepted as proof of reception. Please, no cassette recordings. Address for postal reports is: Joint IRCA/NRC BTC, WMRO DX Test, P.O. Box 3777, Memphis, TN 38173-0777. Recordings cannot be returned unless accompanied by a CD mailer and sufficient postage.
For an eQSL, you may submit your report and/or .mp3 or .wav file via e-mail to KH2AR@comcast.net
Scott added that he will be happy to conduct another DX Test over WMRO with 1,000 watts and a non-directional antenna pattern later this DX season. Details will be announced when a date and time are worked out. Please address any questions to me at the same e-mail address shown above.
Jim Pogue – KH2AR@comcast.net
www.dxtests.info
IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator
Wiggins MS AM Station to test in November
Jim Pogue (KH2AR@comcast.net) the IRCA/NRC Joint BCB DX Test Coordinator has strunk again.
WIGG 1420 kHz Wiggins, MS DX Test.
Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night), Nov. 4, 2007. Time: 4:00 – 4:30 a.m. Central STANDARD Time, 1000 – 1030 UTC (please note, this will be the morning we change from DST to standard time in most of North America). 5,000 watts using non-directional antenna pattern. Programming will consist of special voice announcements, Morse code, tones and classic country music. Reception reports may be sent to Mr. Paul A. Turner, WB5TJH, WIGG Radio, 959 N. Magnolia Dr., Wiggins, MS 39577. No eQSL service is being offered for this test. Recordings on disk in .mp3 or .wav format will be accepted as proof of reception. NOTE: All requests for verifications must be accompanied by return postage in order to receive a reply. Our sincere thanks to Chief Engineer Paul Turner for agreeing to conduct this test.
Jim Pogue – KH2AR@comcast.net
www.dxtests.info
IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator
WIGG 1420 kHz Wiggins, MS DX Test.
Date: Sunday morning (late Saturday night), Nov. 4, 2007. Time: 4:00 – 4:30 a.m. Central STANDARD Time, 1000 – 1030 UTC (please note, this will be the morning we change from DST to standard time in most of North America). 5,000 watts using non-directional antenna pattern. Programming will consist of special voice announcements, Morse code, tones and classic country music. Reception reports may be sent to Mr. Paul A. Turner, WB5TJH, WIGG Radio, 959 N. Magnolia Dr., Wiggins, MS 39577. No eQSL service is being offered for this test. Recordings on disk in .mp3 or .wav format will be accepted as proof of reception. NOTE: All requests for verifications must be accompanied by return postage in order to receive a reply. Our sincere thanks to Chief Engineer Paul Turner for agreeing to conduct this test.
Jim Pogue – KH2AR@comcast.net
www.dxtests.info
IRCA/NRC Joint BTC Coordinator
Monday, September 10, 2007
Special Event Pentagon Ham Station to Operate on 9/11
Pentagon ARC to Host Special Event Station Commemorating 9/11: On Tuesday, September 11, the Pentagon Amateur Radio Club (PARC) will operate a Special Event station commemorating the 6th anniversary of the attacks that occurred on the Pentagon, the World Trade Center and over Pennsylvania in 2001. They will be operating on 10, 15, 20, 40 and 80 meters, both phone and CW where and when possible. There will be a special QSL card available for stations that work K4AF. For more information, please
contact Claude Hennessey, KG4TVN. QSL via PARC, PO Box 2322, Arlington, VA 22202.
contact Claude Hennessey, KG4TVN. QSL via PARC, PO Box 2322, Arlington, VA 22202.
NATO Group Releases Report on BPL
Courtesy of the ARRL Newsletter:
The Information Systems Technology group, part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Research and Technology Organization (RTO), released their report, "HF Interference, Procedures and Tools" (RTO-TR-IST-050), in June. This report "address[es] the concerns raised by the potential for unintentional radio interference to be caused by the widespread operation of broadband wire-line telecommunications systems."
BPL, also called Power Line Telecommunications (PLT) in Europe, uses existing power lines for telecommunications with data rates higher than 1 MBit per second. NATO said that since existing power lines were not designed for such transmissions, "they will cause unintentional RF emissions which may adversely affect the established radio noise floor directly, or by cumulative propagation from many such sources. The
existing HF background noise possibly may be increased via ground wave and/or sky wave propagation."
Not only could this be a problem for Amateur Radio operators, but NATO said that military users would be affected as well: "Increase of the existing HF noise floor by widespread use of PLT...will bring up problems for Military Radio Users as well as for HF Communication Intelligence (COMINT) in all NATO countries. The signal-to-noise ratio thus may be reduced for tactical and strategic HF radio as well as for
fixed sensitive COMINT sites."
Saying that "PLT will produce the most problems regarding HF interference,"the report makes the assertion that ambient noise levels in Europe have not increased in the last 30 years. This was proved using measurements made by the ITU in the 1970s compared with noise levels today, with the report saying that the "ITU Recommendations for natural and man-made noise in the HF-range are still valid in Europe."
The NATO report said "[r]ecent measurements carried out in Germany and Great Britain indicated that there is no remarkable difference between these measurements, specifically no increase of the ambient noise in quiet rural zones within the last 30 years. Based on these measurement results, the cumulative interference field strengths far away from telecommunication networks should not be higher than -15 dBuV/m (9 kHz bandwidth) across the entire HF range, if no measurable increase in
minimum noise levels are to be tolerated."
Conversely, some European PLT proponents "in presentations and discussions have argued (without being able to prove it) that ITU recommendations based on measurements carried out in the 1970s are no longer valid, as the man-made and the ambient noise levels have increased since that time to considerable higher values (by up to 30 dB)."
The NATO report also indicated the following: A high probability that PLT would cause increased noise levels at sensitive receiver sites given the projected market penetration; and the percentages are highly influenced by assumptions on transmitter EIRP (equivalent, or effective, isotropic radiated power), PLT market penetration and duty cycle.
ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, was pleased to see the report. "The findings described in this paper are based on good science. NATO has concluded that protection levels well below 0 dBuV/m are needed to prevent interference to sensitive HF operation. They studied distance extrapolation and concluded that 40 dB/decade is not the correct factor to use to make measurements at one distance, and related the measured values to other distances. They also have advanced the state of the art and determined that the aggregate noise from large scale deployment of
BPL will increase worldwide noise levels by skywave propagation."
Hare points out that NATO's report "pretty much echoes the ARRL's pleadings during the BPL rulemaking." The ARRL has constantly argued against the 40 dB/decade extrapolation factor that, while recommended by the FCC, the report found, "was not confirmed by measurements carried out by other organizations."
The report acknowledges that there are no commonly accepted regulatory emission limits from PLT and recommends that countries work together to limit these emissions. "While it is highly desirable that the regulatory limits on PLT emissions be harmonized throughout the NATO countries, the RTG recognizes that NATO, by itself, has no regulatory authority over the emission limits. Therefore, it is recommended that NATO seek the implementation of this goal by working together with the national and international regulatory authorities."
The full report, "HF Interference, Procedures and Tools," can be downloaded in pdf format at http://ftp.rta.nato.int/public/PubFullText/RTO/TR/RTO-TR-IST-050/$$TR-IST-050-ALL.pdf.
The Information Systems Technology group, part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's (NATO) Research and Technology Organization (RTO), released their report, "HF Interference, Procedures and Tools" (RTO-TR-IST-050), in June. This report "address[es] the concerns raised by the potential for unintentional radio interference to be caused by the widespread operation of broadband wire-line telecommunications systems."
BPL, also called Power Line Telecommunications (PLT) in Europe, uses existing power lines for telecommunications with data rates higher than 1 MBit per second. NATO said that since existing power lines were not designed for such transmissions, "they will cause unintentional RF emissions which may adversely affect the established radio noise floor directly, or by cumulative propagation from many such sources. The
existing HF background noise possibly may be increased via ground wave and/or sky wave propagation."
Not only could this be a problem for Amateur Radio operators, but NATO said that military users would be affected as well: "Increase of the existing HF noise floor by widespread use of PLT...will bring up problems for Military Radio Users as well as for HF Communication Intelligence (COMINT) in all NATO countries. The signal-to-noise ratio thus may be reduced for tactical and strategic HF radio as well as for
fixed sensitive COMINT sites."
Saying that "PLT will produce the most problems regarding HF interference,"the report makes the assertion that ambient noise levels in Europe have not increased in the last 30 years. This was proved using measurements made by the ITU in the 1970s compared with noise levels today, with the report saying that the "ITU Recommendations for natural and man-made noise in the HF-range are still valid in Europe."
The NATO report said "[r]ecent measurements carried out in Germany and Great Britain indicated that there is no remarkable difference between these measurements, specifically no increase of the ambient noise in quiet rural zones within the last 30 years. Based on these measurement results, the cumulative interference field strengths far away from telecommunication networks should not be higher than -15 dBuV/m (9 kHz bandwidth) across the entire HF range, if no measurable increase in
minimum noise levels are to be tolerated."
Conversely, some European PLT proponents "in presentations and discussions have argued (without being able to prove it) that ITU recommendations based on measurements carried out in the 1970s are no longer valid, as the man-made and the ambient noise levels have increased since that time to considerable higher values (by up to 30 dB)."
The NATO report also indicated the following: A high probability that PLT would cause increased noise levels at sensitive receiver sites given the projected market penetration; and the percentages are highly influenced by assumptions on transmitter EIRP (equivalent, or effective, isotropic radiated power), PLT market penetration and duty cycle.
ARRL Laboratory Manager Ed Hare, W1RFI, was pleased to see the report. "The findings described in this paper are based on good science. NATO has concluded that protection levels well below 0 dBuV/m are needed to prevent interference to sensitive HF operation. They studied distance extrapolation and concluded that 40 dB/decade is not the correct factor to use to make measurements at one distance, and related the measured values to other distances. They also have advanced the state of the art and determined that the aggregate noise from large scale deployment of
BPL will increase worldwide noise levels by skywave propagation."
Hare points out that NATO's report "pretty much echoes the ARRL's pleadings during the BPL rulemaking." The ARRL has constantly argued against the 40 dB/decade extrapolation factor that, while recommended by the FCC, the report found, "was not confirmed by measurements carried out by other organizations."
The report acknowledges that there are no commonly accepted regulatory emission limits from PLT and recommends that countries work together to limit these emissions. "While it is highly desirable that the regulatory limits on PLT emissions be harmonized throughout the NATO countries, the RTG recognizes that NATO, by itself, has no regulatory authority over the emission limits. Therefore, it is recommended that NATO seek the implementation of this goal by working together with the national and international regulatory authorities."
The full report, "HF Interference, Procedures and Tools," can be downloaded in pdf format at http://ftp.rta.nato.int/public/PubFullText/RTO/TR/RTO-TR-IST-050/$$TR-IST-050-ALL.pdf.
Thursday, September 06, 2007
VOACAP Now Available in a New Format
The popular VOACAP propagation program is now available for the Linux platform.
Go to http://homepage.mac.com/jimwatson/voacapl/
Thanks to Alpha for the heads up.
Go to http://homepage.mac.com/jimwatson/voacapl/
Thanks to Alpha for the heads up.
The Sputnik Legacy - 50 Years in Retrospect
By Lt Col John E. Shaw, USAF
Courtesy of the US Air Force Air and Space Power Journal
Blog Editor Note: And the frequencies that Sputnik 1 used: 20.005 and 40.002 MHz. In the October issue of Monitoring Times magazine there is a great first hand account on monitoring Sputnik 1 by the dean of the radio hobby -- Tom Kneitel. Don't miss this piece.
For its small size, the metal sphere that hurtled into Earth orbit 50 years ago on 4 October 1957 has had an extraordinarily large influence on human events. Sputnik produced the immediate effect of great pride for the Soviet Union and great embarrassment for the United States. The communist nation supposedly so far behind the Western allies had shown the world the formidable nature of its technology and, therefore (by the logic of the day), its ideology. Neither could anyone escape the reality that, now, no part of the United States lay beyond the reach of Soviet missiles.
As the immediate shockwave of Sputnik dissipated, however, the longer-term effects, ironically, began to run counter to Soviet expectations and interests. First, in the tradition of the USS Maine, the RMS Lusitania, and the USS Arizona (and, of course, the broader attack on Pearl Harbor), the iconic “vessel” named Sputnik galvanized American will and enhanced determination—political, technological, and cultural—to settle for nothing short of victory in space. The first “victory” campaign there came to be defined—through implicit agreement between the superpowers by their resource commitments and focused efforts—by the race for the moon, ultimately won by the United States in 1969 but contested up to the very last by the Soviet Union.
Second, Sputnik resolved the simmering issue of satellite overflight. Could satellites pass over nations unopposed whereas aircraft could not? The Soviets’ haste to beat the Americans into space with Sputnik settled the issue before it could even become a matter of significant dispute. Having boasted of Sputnik, which passed over the United States several times a day and even became visible at twilight to the American public, the Soviets could hardly object to later overflights of their own territory by US satellites. This de facto resolution of the overflight problem worked to American advantage as time wore on since spaceborne assets became the most reliable and effective capability for collecting intelligence on the increasingly hermetic Soviet Union.
But today, from our vantage point of 50 years, perhaps the most significant effect of Sputnik involved not what it led the superpowers to do but what it distracted them from—specifically, direct conventional or even nuclear confrontation. The Soviet satellite kicked off what we might call the “Great Space War.” With the race for the moon, the subsequent dueling of spy satellites and space stations, and the culmination in confrontations over the Strategic Defense Initiative, this became a form of surrogate warfare in the Cold War era—a stage on which the superpowers could pit resources, ideologies, and wills against each other in a manner far less deadly than open warfare.
As we look back at Sputnik’s legacy, we can reasonably ask what will take the form of the next “Sputnik” in the medium of space. What event will produce a similar galvanizing of will and focusing of effort on the part of US national-security space efforts? Will an announced Chinese lunar (or possibly Martian) mission or even a “Space Pearl Harbor” that devastates US space capabilities become the next catalyst for a discontinuous leap in effort, focus, and capabilities? The lessons of Sputnik—the first salvo fired in the human attempt to exploit the space medium—remain relevant as we seek to chart the proper course for the control and exploitation of the ultimate high ground.
Courtesy of the US Air Force Air and Space Power Journal
Blog Editor Note: And the frequencies that Sputnik 1 used: 20.005 and 40.002 MHz. In the October issue of Monitoring Times magazine there is a great first hand account on monitoring Sputnik 1 by the dean of the radio hobby -- Tom Kneitel. Don't miss this piece.
For its small size, the metal sphere that hurtled into Earth orbit 50 years ago on 4 October 1957 has had an extraordinarily large influence on human events. Sputnik produced the immediate effect of great pride for the Soviet Union and great embarrassment for the United States. The communist nation supposedly so far behind the Western allies had shown the world the formidable nature of its technology and, therefore (by the logic of the day), its ideology. Neither could anyone escape the reality that, now, no part of the United States lay beyond the reach of Soviet missiles.
As the immediate shockwave of Sputnik dissipated, however, the longer-term effects, ironically, began to run counter to Soviet expectations and interests. First, in the tradition of the USS Maine, the RMS Lusitania, and the USS Arizona (and, of course, the broader attack on Pearl Harbor), the iconic “vessel” named Sputnik galvanized American will and enhanced determination—political, technological, and cultural—to settle for nothing short of victory in space. The first “victory” campaign there came to be defined—through implicit agreement between the superpowers by their resource commitments and focused efforts—by the race for the moon, ultimately won by the United States in 1969 but contested up to the very last by the Soviet Union.
Second, Sputnik resolved the simmering issue of satellite overflight. Could satellites pass over nations unopposed whereas aircraft could not? The Soviets’ haste to beat the Americans into space with Sputnik settled the issue before it could even become a matter of significant dispute. Having boasted of Sputnik, which passed over the United States several times a day and even became visible at twilight to the American public, the Soviets could hardly object to later overflights of their own territory by US satellites. This de facto resolution of the overflight problem worked to American advantage as time wore on since spaceborne assets became the most reliable and effective capability for collecting intelligence on the increasingly hermetic Soviet Union.
But today, from our vantage point of 50 years, perhaps the most significant effect of Sputnik involved not what it led the superpowers to do but what it distracted them from—specifically, direct conventional or even nuclear confrontation. The Soviet satellite kicked off what we might call the “Great Space War.” With the race for the moon, the subsequent dueling of spy satellites and space stations, and the culmination in confrontations over the Strategic Defense Initiative, this became a form of surrogate warfare in the Cold War era—a stage on which the superpowers could pit resources, ideologies, and wills against each other in a manner far less deadly than open warfare.
As we look back at Sputnik’s legacy, we can reasonably ask what will take the form of the next “Sputnik” in the medium of space. What event will produce a similar galvanizing of will and focusing of effort on the part of US national-security space efforts? Will an announced Chinese lunar (or possibly Martian) mission or even a “Space Pearl Harbor” that devastates US space capabilities become the next catalyst for a discontinuous leap in effort, focus, and capabilities? The lessons of Sputnik—the first salvo fired in the human attempt to exploit the space medium—remain relevant as we seek to chart the proper course for the control and exploitation of the ultimate high ground.
Tuesday, September 04, 2007
Mystery HF ALE Net -- 055 Net
Last week Sam in the UK posted to the UDXF newsgroup information on a mystery HF ALE net known as the "055 Net" due to the station ALE Address seen sounding on the net.
Frequencies monitored 2007 (ALE/USB)
5782.0 9070.0 10618.0 10627.0 11475.0 12297.0 13348.0 13442.0 14422.0 14731.0 17198.0 18336.0 19043.0 19309.0 19554.0 20107.0 20438.0 20759.0 22277.0 23428.0 kHz
Additional frequencies monitored 2006 (ALE/USB)
12626.0 13378.0 14913.0 18194.0 25571.0 kHz
One theory I have seen proposed is that this may be an Indonesian HF net. That is pretty much the book on this mystery. Anyone that has any additional information can contact me at the email address in the masthead.
Frequencies monitored 2007 (ALE/USB)
5782.0 9070.0 10618.0 10627.0 11475.0 12297.0 13348.0 13442.0 14422.0 14731.0 17198.0 18336.0 19043.0 19309.0 19554.0 20107.0 20438.0 20759.0 22277.0 23428.0 kHz
Additional frequencies monitored 2006 (ALE/USB)
12626.0 13378.0 14913.0 18194.0 25571.0 kHz
One theory I have seen proposed is that this may be an Indonesian HF net. That is pretty much the book on this mystery. Anyone that has any additional information can contact me at the email address in the masthead.
Monday, September 03, 2007
Hurricane Felix has reached Cat 5 status!
The perfect storm. Hurricane Felix has reached the top status on the Safir-Simpson scale -- Cat 5.
Here is the 5AM EDT Advisory:-
000
WTNT31 KNHC 030851
TCPAT1
BULLETIN
HURRICANE FELIX ADVISORY NUMBER 12
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL062007
500 AM EDT MON SEP 03 2007
...POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE FELIX MOVING QUICKLY WESTWARD...
...NEW HURRICANE WATCHES AND WARNINGS ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF HONDURAS...
AT 5 AM EDT...0900 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF HONDURAS HAS ISSUED A HURRICANE WARNING FROM LIMON HONDURAS EASTWARD TO THE HONDURAS/NICARAGUA BORDER...AND A HURRICANE WATCH FROM WEST OF LIMON WESTWARD TO THE HONDURAS/GUATEMALA BORDER. A HURRICANE
WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE OVER EXTREME NORTHEASTERN NICARAGUA.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR JAMAICA AND FOR GRAND CAYMAN. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...IN THIS CASE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
AT 500 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FELIX WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 75.9 WEST OR ABOUT 275 MILES...445 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF KINGSTON JAMAICA AND ABOUT 490 MILES...790 KM...EAST OF CABO GRACIAS A DIOS ON THE NICARAGUA/HONDURAS BORDER.
FELIX IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 21 MPH...33 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF FELIX WILL BE NEAR THE COASTS OF EXTREME NORTHEASTERN NICARAGUA AND NORTHEASTERN HONDURAS EARLY ON TUESDAY MORNING.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 165 MPH...270 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. FELIX IS A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE COMMON IN MAJOR HURRICANES AND ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO...BUT FELIX IS EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN CATEGORY FOUR OR FIVE STATUS DURING THIS PERIOD.
ALTHOUGH FELIX IS AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL HURRICANE IT HAS A VERY SMALL WIND FIELD. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES...45 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE BASED ON DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 929 MB...27.43 INCHES.
REPEATING THE 500 AM EDT POSITION...14.1 N...75.9 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 21 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...165 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...929 MB.
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 800 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1100 AM EDT.
$$
FORECASTER KNABB
Here is the 5AM EDT Advisory:-000
WTNT31 KNHC 030851
TCPAT1
BULLETIN
HURRICANE FELIX ADVISORY NUMBER 12
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL AL062007
500 AM EDT MON SEP 03 2007
...POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE FELIX MOVING QUICKLY WESTWARD...
...NEW HURRICANE WATCHES AND WARNINGS ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF HONDURAS...
AT 5 AM EDT...0900 UTC...THE GOVERNMENT OF HONDURAS HAS ISSUED A HURRICANE WARNING FROM LIMON HONDURAS EASTWARD TO THE HONDURAS/NICARAGUA BORDER...AND A HURRICANE WATCH FROM WEST OF LIMON WESTWARD TO THE HONDURAS/GUATEMALA BORDER. A HURRICANE
WARNING MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED WITHIN THE WARNING AREA WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS. PREPARATIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY SHOULD BE RUSHED TO COMPLETION. A HURRICANE WATCH MEANS THAT HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...GENERALLY WITHIN 36 HOURS. HURRICANE CONDITIONS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE OVER EXTREME NORTHEASTERN NICARAGUA.
A TROPICAL STORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR JAMAICA AND FOR GRAND CAYMAN. A TROPICAL STORM WATCH MEANS THAT TROPICAL STORM CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE WITHIN THE WATCH AREA...IN THIS CASE WITHIN THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
INTERESTS ELSEWHERE IN THE WESTERN CARIBBEAN SEA SHOULD CLOSELY MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC HURRICANE.
FOR STORM INFORMATION SPECIFIC TO YOUR AREA...INCLUDING POSSIBLE INLAND WATCHES AND WARNINGS...PLEASE MONITOR PRODUCTS ISSUED BY YOUR LOCAL WEATHER OFFICE.
AT 500 AM EDT...0900Z...THE CENTER OF HURRICANE FELIX WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 14.1 NORTH...LONGITUDE 75.9 WEST OR ABOUT 275 MILES...445 KM...SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF KINGSTON JAMAICA AND ABOUT 490 MILES...790 KM...EAST OF CABO GRACIAS A DIOS ON THE NICARAGUA/HONDURAS BORDER.
FELIX IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 21 MPH...33 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...THE CENTER OF FELIX WILL BE NEAR THE COASTS OF EXTREME NORTHEASTERN NICARAGUA AND NORTHEASTERN HONDURAS EARLY ON TUESDAY MORNING.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 165 MPH...270 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. FELIX IS A POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CATEGORY FIVE HURRICANE ON THE SAFFIR-SIMPSON SCALE. FLUCTUATIONS IN INTENSITY ARE COMMON IN MAJOR HURRICANES AND ARE POSSIBLE DURING THE NEXT DAY OR SO...BUT FELIX IS EXPECTED TO MAINTAIN CATEGORY FOUR OR FIVE STATUS DURING THIS PERIOD.
ALTHOUGH FELIX IS AN EXTREMELY POWERFUL HURRICANE IT HAS A VERY SMALL WIND FIELD. HURRICANE FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 30 MILES...45 KM...FROM THE CENTER...AND TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 115 MILES...185 KM.
ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE BASED ON DATA FROM AN AIR FORCE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS 929 MB...27.43 INCHES.
REPEATING THE 500 AM EDT POSITION...14.1 N...75.9 W. MOVEMENT TOWARD...WEST NEAR 21 MPH. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS...165 MPH. MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE...929 MB.
AN INTERMEDIATE ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER AT 800 AM EDT FOLLOWED BY THE NEXT COMPLETE ADVISORY AT 1100 AM EDT.
$$
FORECASTER KNABB
N5FPW HurComm Monitoring List 2007 Update 11
Update: 3 September 2007 at 0750 EDTThere are a lot of hurricane frequency list out there, but most of them have old material, never updated or frequencies that are basically useless for keeping track of the big winds. I will be posting to this list with frequencies I regularly monitor before, during, and after an event. All frequencies are kHz and all times are UTC.
The Echolink VoIP Hurricane Net is on node 7203, the WX_Talk conference, that is used for Skywarn and NHC Nets. This conference is for "stations in the affected areas only." Others wishing to monitor the net can do so on the Echolink VK Emergency Communications Conference on node 270177 or the Echolink N5API Conference on node 77433.Hurricane Hunter Plan of the Day (Today):
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIAREPRPD_last.shtml?
Hurricane Hunter Plan of the Day (Tomorrow):
http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/text/MIAREPRPD.shtml?
Frequencies:
518.0 NAVTEX Broadcast SITOR-B
2326.0 Operation Secure SEM Net ALE/USB
2411.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2414.0 Operation Secure SEM Net ALE/USB
2419.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2422.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2439.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2463.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2466.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2471.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2474.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2487.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2511.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2535.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2569.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2587.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2670.0 US Coast Guard Marine Information Broadcast (USB)
2801.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2804.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
2812.0 Operation Secure SEM Net ALE/USB
3202.0 Operation Secure SEM Net ALE/USB
3388.0 FEMA Operating Frequency
3815.0 Caribbean Weather Net (2230 UTC) and Antilles Emergency and Weather Net LSB
3907.0 Coastal Carolina Emergency Net LSB
3925.0 Gulf Coast Hurricane Net LSB
3930.0 Puerto Rico / Virgin Island Weather Net LSB (2310 UTC)
3940.0 Florida Phone Traffic Net LSB
Salvation Army Team Emergency Net LSB
South Florida ARES Net LSB
Tropical Phone Traffic Net LSB
3960.0 Northeast Coast Hurricane Net LSB
3968.0 Sonrisa Net LSB
3975.0 Georgia SSB Net LSB
4045.0 Marine Vessel Net with weather information USB
4110.0 Mexican Army Mineral-Jewels Net ALE/USB
4125.0 US Coast Guard USB Voice Radio Guard Simplex
4235.0 US Coast Guard NMF-Boston FAX Broadcasts
4316.0 US Coast Guard HF Voice Broadcasts
NMG New Orleans: 0330/0515/0930/1115/1530/1715/2130/2315
4317.9 US Coast Guard NMG-New Orleans FAX Broadcasts
4426.0 US Coast Guard HF Voice Broadcasts [ITU Marine Channel 424]
NMN Chesapeake: 0330/0515/0930
NMC Point Reyes: 0430/1030
4490.0 SHARES SCN ALE Net [SCN Channel 3]
4550.0 Mexican Army Country Net ALE/USB
4557.0 US Air Force MARS Phone Patch (occasional hurricane hunter traffic)[RK]
4573.5 SHARES Alternate frequency for channel 1 voice check-in
4582.0 National Civil Air Patrol Calling frequency USB
4640.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
4650.0 Mexican Army Mineral-Jewels/General Staff C2 Regional Net ALE/USB
4724.0 HF-GCS (Hurricane Hunter aircraft frequently check into this network)
4780.0 FEMA Operating Frequency
5135.0 Operation Secure SEM Net ALE/USB
5140.0 Operation Secure SEM Net ALE/USB
5192.0 Operation Secure SEM Net ALE/USB
5195.0 Operation Secure SEM Net ALE/USB
5211.0 FEMA Primary frequency USB/LSB
5236.0 SHARES SCN Voice Net [SCN Channel 1]
5252.0 Mexican Army Animal Net ALE/USB
5260.0 Mexican Army Mineral-Jewels Net ALE/USB
5263.0 Mexican Army Animal Net ALE/USB
5320.0 US Coast Guard District Discrete USB
5400.0 Mexican Army ALE/USB
5402.0 FEMA Operating Frequency
5555.0 Mexican Army Planet-Sky-Mythology Net ALE/USB
5590.0 Mexican Army Mineral-Jewels Net ALE/USB
5620.0 Mexican Army Planet-Sky-Mythology Net ALE/USB
5696.0 US Coast Guard Air-Ground USB
5705.0 Mexican Army Mineral-Jewels Net ALE/USB
5711.0 SHARES SCN ALE Net [SCN Channel 4]
5732.0 COTHEN/US Coast Guard [Scan 1] ALE/USB
5847.0 National Guard Nationwide Nets ALE/USB
6106.0 FEMA Operating Frequency
6215.0 US Coast Guard USB Voice Radio Guard Simplex
6340.5 US Coast Guard NMF-Boston FAX Broadcasts
6501.0 US Coast Guard HF Voice Broadcasts [ITU Marine Channel 601]
NMN Chesapeake: 0330/0515/0930/1115/1530/2130/2315
NOJ Kodiak: 0203/1645
NMO Honolulu: 0600/1200
NRV Guam: 0930/1530
6516.0 Marine Channel 6D USB -- Southbound Net at 0100 UTC.
6739.0 HF-GCS (Hurricane Hunter aircraft frequently check into this network)
6800.0 SHARES SCN BBS Net [SCN Channel 9]
Mexican Army Planet-Sky-Mythology Net ALE/USB
6955.0 Mexican Army Planet-Sky-Mythology Net ALE/USB
6985.0 US Army Corps of Engineers Net ALE/USB
6989.0 Mexican Military ALE/LSB
7233.0 Baja California Maritime Service Net LSB
7241.0 Caribbean Maritime Mobile Net (http://users.isp.com/kv4jc/) LSB
7242.0 Florida Midday Traffic Net LSB
Tropical Phone Traffic Net LSB
7250.0 Salvation Army Team Emergency Net LSB
7255.0 East Coast Amateur Radio Service LSB
7259.0 Baja-California Maritime Net (http://www.bajanet.jackclarke.net/) LSB
7265.8 Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Net (SATERN) LSB
7268.0 The Waterway Net (http://www.waterwayradio.net/) LSB
7294.0 Chubasco Net (http://www.clubcruceros.org/Chubasco.html) LSB
7348.0 FEMA Operating Frequency ALE/USB/LSB
7477.0 Operation Secure SEM Net ALE/USB
7480.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
7527.0 COTHEN/US Coast Guard [Scan 2] ALE/USB
7617.0 Mexican Army Animal/Mineral-Jewels/General Staff C2 Regional Net ALE/USB
7633.5 US Air Force MARS Phone Patch (occasional hurricane hunter traffic) [ACJ]
7650.0 US Army Nationwide Net ALE/USB
7666.0 Mexican Army ALE/USB
7670.0 Mexican Army Country Net ALE/USB
7777.0 Mexican Army Animal/Mineral-Jewels/Weather/General Staff C2 Regional Net ALE/USB
7802.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
7805.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
7900.0 Mexican Army Animal/Planet-Sky-Mythology Net ALE/USB
7932.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
7935.0 Operation Secure SEM Net USB
8000.0 Mexican Army Mineral-Jewels Net ALE/USB
8020.0 Mexican Army Country Net ALE/USB
8030.0 Mexican Army ALE/USB
8045.0 Mexican Army Animal/Trees-Planets/Weather Net ALE/USB
8047.0 Mexican Army Mineral-Jewels Net ALE/USB
National Guard Nationwide Net ALE/USB
8050.0 Mexican Army Animal/Mineral-Jewels Net ALE/USB
8065.0 Mexican Army Country/Planet-Sky-Mythology Net ALE/USB
8084.0 Mexican Army Mineral-Jewels Net/General Staff C2 Regional ALE/USB
8100.0 Mexican Army Planet-Sky-Mythology Net ALE/USB
8122.0 Amigo Net USB
8125.0 Mexican Military ALE/LSB
8184.5 US Army Air net ALE/USB
8281.0 Mexican Army ALE/USB
8291.0 US Coast Guard USB Voice Radio Guard Simplex
8502.0 US Coast Guard HF Voice Broadcasts
NMG New Orleans: 0330/0515/0930/1115/1530/1715/2130/2315
8503.9 US Coast Guard NMG-New Orleans FAX Broadcasts
8764.0 US Coast Guard HF Voice Broadcasts [ITU Marine Channel 816]
NMN Chesapeake: 0330/0515/0930/1115/1530/1715/2130/2315
NMC Point Reyes: 0430/1030/1630/2230
NMO Honolulu: 0005/0600/1200/1800
8912.0 COTHEN/US Coast Guard [Scan 3] ALE/USB
8983.0 US Coast Guard Air-Ground USB
8992.0 HF-GCS (Hurricane Hunter aircraft frequently check into this network)
9020.0 Mexican Military ALE/LSB
9025.0 Mexican Army Animal/Minerals-Jewels/Planet-Sky-Mythology/Weather Net ALE/USB
9045.0 Mexican Army ALE/USB
9050.0 Mexican Army General Staff C2 Regional Net ALE/USB
9060.0 Mexican Army Animal/Country/Mineral-Jewels/Planet-Sky-Mythology/Weather/General Staff C2 Regional Net ALE/USB
9080.0 Mexican Army Mineral-Jewels Net ALE/USB
9081.5 US Army net ALE/USB
9105.0 Mexican Army ALE/USB
9106.0 SHARES SCN ALE Net [SCN Channel 5]
9110.0 US Coast Guard NMF-Boston FAX Broadcasts
10135.0 Mexican Army Animal/Mineral-Jewels/Planet-Sky-Mythology/Weather Net ALE/USB
10194.0 FEMA ALE/USB/LSB
10242.0 COTHEN/US Coast Guard [Scan 4] ALE/USB
10444.0 Mexican Army Animal/Mineral-Jewels/Planet-Sky-Mythology/General Staff C2 Regional Net ALE/USB
10463.0 Mexican Army ALE/USB
10493.0 FEMA Primary frequency USB/LSB
10586.5 SHARES SCN [SCN Channel XF]
10588.0 FEMA ALE/USB/LSB
10816.5 National Guard Nationwide Net ALE/USB
11175.0 HF-GCS (Hurricane Hunter aircraft frequently check into this network)
11217.0 SHARES SCN ALE Net [SCN Channel 6]
11494.0 COTHEN/US Coast Guard [Scan 5] ALE/USB
12087.0 National Guard Nationwide Net ALE/USB
12216.0 FEMA ALE/USB/LSB
12290.0 US Coast Guard USB Voice Radio Guard Simplex
12359.0 Marine Channel 12C USB -- Amateur Op Don Anderson, N6HG/Private coast
station-Summer Passage Radio WPXU557, Oxnard CA/Valiant 47 Summer Passage WBX8756
monitors for weather questions from marine traffic at 1530 UTC.
12750.0 US Coast Guard NMF-Boston FAX Broadcasts
12788.0 US Coast Guard HF Voice Broadcasts
NMG New Orleans: 0330/0515/0930/1115/1530/1715/2130/2315
12789.9 US Coast Guard NMG-New Orleans FAX Broadcasts
12840.0 Mexican Army ALE/USB
13089.0 US Coast Guard HF Voice Broadcasts [ITU Marine Channel 1205]
NMN Chesapeake: 1115/1530/1715/2130/2315
NMC Point Reyes: 0430/1030/1630/2230
NMO Honolulu: 0005/1800
NRV Guam: 0330/2130
13200.0 HF-GCS (Hurricane Hunter aircraft frequently check into this network)
13242.0 SHARES SCN BBS Net (G-TOR) [SCN Channel 10]
13907.0 COTHEN/US Coast Guard [Scan 6] ALE/USB
13927.0 US Air Force MARS Phone Patch Primary (occasional hurricane hunter traffic)
[ACB]
13956.0 FEMA Primary USB/LSB
14265.0 Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Net (SATERN) USB
14300.0 Intercontinental Amateur Traffic Net (http://www.interconnet.org/) USB
Maritime Mobile Service Net (http://www.mmsn.org/) USB
Pacific Seafarer's Net (http://www.pacsea.org/) USB
US Coast Guard Amateur Radio Net USB
14303.0 International Assistance and Traffic Net USB
14313.0 US Coast Guard Amateur Radio Net USB
Maritime Mobile Service Net USB (Alternate net frequency)
14320.0 SEA Maritime Mobile Net USB
14323.0 South East Asian Maritime Net USB
14325.0* Hurricane Watch Net (http://www.hwn.org/) USB
14327.0 US Coast Guard Amateur Radio Net USB
14340.0 Manana Net (http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/3989/index.html) USB
14396.5 SHARES SCN Voice Net [SCN Channel 2]
14567.0 FEMA Primary USB/LSB
14400.0 Mexican Army Planet-Sky-Mythology Net ALE/USB
14606.0 US Air Force MARS Phone Patch (occasional hurricane hunter traffic) [ACF]
14653.0 National Guard Nationwide Net ALE/USB
14715.0 Mexican Army Planet-Sky-Mythology Net ALE/USB
14757.0 US Army Nationwide Net ALE/USB
14776.0 FEMA ALE/USB/LSB
14898.5 SHARES Alternate frequency for channel 2 voice check-in
15016.0 HF-GCS (Hurricane Hunter aircraft frequently check into this network)
15088.0 US Coast Guard Air-to-ground net USB
15094.0 SHARES SCN ALE Net [SCN Channel 7]
15867.0 COTHEN/US Coast Guard [Scan 7] ALE/USB
16338.5 National Guard Nationwide Net ALE/USB
16534.0 Marine Channel 16C USB -- Amateur Op Don Anderson, N6HG/Private coast station-Summer Passage Radio WPXU557, Oxnard CA/Valiant 47 Summer Passage WBX8756 monitors for weather questions from marine traffic at 1600 UTC.
17146.4 US Coast Guard NMG-New Orleans FAX Broadcasts
17314.0 US Coast Guard HF Voice Broadcasts [ITU Marine Channel 1625]
NMN Chesapeake: 1115/1530/1715/2130/2315
NMC Point Reyes: 1630/2230
17487.0 SHARES SCN ALE/STI Net [SCN Channel 8]
18594.0 COTHEN/US Coast Guard [Scan 8] ALE/USB
18617.0 US Air Force MARS Phone Patch (occasional hurricane hunter traffic)
20890.0 COTHEN/US Coast Guard [Scan 9] ALE/USB
20992.5 US Air Force MARS Phone Patch Secondary (occasional hurricane hunter traffic) [ACR]
21400.0 Trans-Atlantic Maritime Net USB
21407.0 Pacific - Indian Ocean Net USB
23214.0 COTHEN/US Coast Guard [Scan 10] ALE/USB
25350.0 COTHEN/US Coast Guard [Scan 11] ALE/USB
28313.0 10 Meter Maritime Mobile Net USB
*According to Dave Lefavour, W7GOX HWN Manager, "the HWN primary freq is 14.325, but when we have available operators and the National Hurricane Center requests, we may shift to various others to accommodate affected areas as storms approach and 20 meters folds. The specific freqs used will depend on storm location, and propagation while avoiding interfering with other nets in progress." Any other freqs you see listed for this net other than 14.325 MHz are probably not valid in most instances. They will use what they can when they can and those changes will be announced on 14.325 MHz.
Callsigns:
Teal ## WC-130J 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron
I will be adding more listing, including ham nets, as time, propagation and monitoring permits. This list is compiled from on the air intercepts. Be sure to check back often for updates as new material is heard.
Hurricane Information Reference websites:
403AW Hurricane Hunters webpage
Atlantic/Caribbean/Gulf of Mexico and the Eastern and Central Pacific Hurricane Names
Beauford Wind Scale
National Hurricane Center
National Hurricane Operations Plan 2007
NHC Aircraft Recon Page
NOAA/NWS Worldwide Marine Radio Facsimile Broadcast Schedules
NOAA/OPC Radio Facsimile Users Guide
Saffir-Simpson Scale
VoIP Hurricane Net
Special Thanks:
Dany Clum
73 and stay safe de Chief
Sunday, September 02, 2007
Saturday, September 01, 2007
Tropical Storm Felix Forms in the Caribbean
The sixth name storm has formed in the eastern Caribbean and is named Felix. Based on current forecast projections this storm should not effect the US coastline. It should impact Central America and Mexico.
At 8AM AST...1200Z...THE CENTER OF TROPICAL STORM FELIX WAS LOCATED NEAR LATITUDE 12.4 NORTH...LONGITUDE 62.8 WEST OR ABOUT 75 MILES...120 KM...WEST-NORTHWEST OF GRENADA.
FELIX IS MOVING TOWARD THE WEST NEAR 18 MPH...30 KM/HR...AND THIS GENERAL MOTION IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. ON THIS TRACK...FELIX WILL MOVE FARTHER AWAY FROM THE SOUTHERN WINDWARD ISLANDS LATER THIS MORNING AND WILL BE PASSING NEAR OR TO THE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS OF ARUBA...BONAIRE AND CURACAO LATE TONIGHT OR EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.
MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS HAVE INCREASED AND ARE NOW NEAR 45 MPH...75 KM/HR...WITH HIGHER GUSTS. SOME STRENGTHENING IS FORECAST DURING THE NEXT 24 HOURS. AN AIR FORCE RESERVE HURRICANE HUNTER AIRCRAFT IS SCHEDULED TO INVESTIGATE FELIX LATER THIS MORNING.
TROPICAL STORM FORCE WINDS EXTEND OUTWARD UP TO 45 MILES...75 KM...TO THE NORTH FROM THE CENTER. A WIND GUST OF 46 MPH WAS RECENTLY REPORTED IN BARBADOS AND A WIND GUST OF 44 MPH WAS OBSERVED IN ST. VINCENT.
THE ESTIMATED MINIMUM CENTRAL PRESSURE FROM SURFACE OBSERVATIONS IS 1004 MB...29.65 INCHES.
FELIX IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ACCUMULATIONS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ACROSS THE WINDWARD ISLANDS WITH STORM TOTAL AMOUNTS OF 7 INCHES POSSIBLE. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 4 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER COASTAL VENEZUELA AND THE NETHERLANDS ANTILLES ISLANDS OF ARUBA...BONAIRE AND CURACAO.
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