Tuesday, February 27, 2007

CHU Won't Have to Move

Canadian standard time and frequency station CHU will not have to change the frequency of its 7 MHz signal, which is by far the most frequently used. The station was able to modify the conditions of its licence (Canadian spelling) to continue broadcasting on 7335.0 R3E (upper sideband with a partial carrier). CHU will not leave the air any time in the forseeable future.

Remember that US daylight savings are earlier this year, and all your devices that reset as per the old formula will need manual updating or firmware modifications. This is an expensive pain in the butt, and if I may editorialize for a second, I wish they'd stop screwing around with the time. Pick two dates and stick to them, regardless of who lobbies Congress.

The change is March 11, but many short wave schedules will change on the first.

Yet more V2a Changes

I can't keep up with them all. I need to do some listening to verify some of what I'm reading. There appears to be a new format, and of course we've already mentioned the new frequencies, which are creating loggings of the Cuban numbers worldwide.

More as it is verified.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

New Internet "Numbers" Weirdness

Someone on a text-messaging social site called Twitter.com has created an account called ReadyReady, with a buddy icon that definitely resembles some kind of code pad and/or decrypt key.

Sure enough, all ReadyReady's postings are short streams of single-figure numbers, usually at 6 and 12 AM and PM. Presumably they are texted in from mobile phones using SMS.

"Ready Ready" is of course the attention signal of an old (long gone) numbers station, ENIGMA designator E01, family VII (AIDA).

Cuban V2a Numbers Frequency Changes

If you haven't been hearing the daily V2a skeds on 7975/8010 at 1600 and 1700 UTC, there is nothing wrong with your radio. They have not transmitted these for several weeks.

Various listeners have found the new frequencies for these skeds:

1600: 6867 and 16178
1700: ???? and 17436.

Thursday, February 08, 2007

Major US Government Exercise This Weekend

COMMUNICATIONS EXERCISE DEEP FREEZE ’07 - 10 FEBRUARY 2007

PURPOSE – To practice operating in an austere environment, gathering information, reporting Essential Elements of Information to NORTHCOM and FEMA, and assisting with the arrival of responding military units and federal agencies using long range HF communications frequencies.

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS – MARS (Air Force, Army, and Navy/USMC), Air National Guard, Air Force Research Labs, NY State Police, Civil Air Patrol, Amateur Radio Emergency Service, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service.

SCENARIO – Major winter storm affecting the entire AO [Northeastern US plus mid-Atlantic and northern midwest -Hugh] with heavy rain, flooding, mudslides, ice accumulation, high winds, and heavy snow cutting communications, transportation routes, and severely affecting the urban and rural populations.

The leadership may activate their members as early as 9 FEB to organize communications nets and make preparations for deployments in order to commence full disaster response operations at 0900 on 10 FEB.


For amateur try 3925 Khz LSB and 7237 Khz LSB. Also check SHARES and the usual places.