ICOMJAPAN: 0 to 30 MHZ what can we hear and listen to? Part THREE

lundi 12 juin 2023

0 to 30 MHZ what can we hear and listen to? Part THREE

For part FOUR

https://icomjapan.blogspot.com/search/label/0%20to%2030%20MHZ%20what%20can%20we%20hear%20and%20listen%20to%3F%20Part%20FOUR

When I decided to make articles to explain what we can hear between zero and 30 MHz I had not understood the difficulty of this task! I have some knowledge but I don't know everything. I am mostly familiar with listening to AM radios and amateur radio bands. But there are many other things to listen to on these 30 MHz. This allows me to learn some things too, especially about utility stations. I think you can use the Netherlands SDR web which indicates what is possible to hear.

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

Then if you want to try to decode you can go through a Kiwi SDR.

On the Netherlands web SDR you also have the possibility to find out which radio station you are listening to on medium wave and short wave ( look my exemple with a Chinese radio on 17650 )

The world of waves is fantastic and very vast.

The main uses of the short wave:

Military and governmental communication systems
Aviation air-to-ground communications
Amateur radio
Shortwave international and regional broadcasting
Maritime sea-to-shore and ship-to-ship services
Over-the-horizon radar systems
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) communication
Citizen's Band Radio services worldwide (generally 26-28 MHz, the higher portion of the HF band, that behaves more like low-VHF)
Coastal ocean dynamics applications radar

International shortwave broadcasting utilizes this set of frequencies, as well as a seemingly declining number of "utility" users (marine, aviation, military, and diplomatic interests), who have, in recent years, been swayed over to less volatile means of communication (for example, via satellites), but may maintain HF stations after switch-over for back-up purposes.

In aviation, HF communication systems are required for all trans-oceanic flights. These systems incorporate frequencies down to 2 MHz to include the 2182 kHz international distress and calling channel.

Time signal and radio clock stations: In North America, WWV radio and WWVH radio transmit at these frequencies: 2.5 MHz, 5 MHz, 10 MHz, and 15 MHz; and WWV also transmits on 20 MHz. The CHU radio station in Canada transmits on the following frequencies: 3.33 MHz, 7.85 MHz, and 14.67 MHz. Other similar radio clock stations transmit on various shortwave and longwave frequencies around the world. The shortwave transmissions are primarily intended for human reception, while the longwave stations are generally used for automatic synchronization of watches and clocks.

One common use of utility stations is disseminating weather information. Weather information is often broadcast using RTTY and sending synoptic codes, or weather charts are sent using radiofax, which are used by mariners and others. Airports make voice weather broadcasts on HF, known as VOLMET. Some examples include New York Radio, which broadcasts weather information for locations in the eastern United States, or Shanwick Radio, which does the same for Europe.

Clandestine stations. These are stations that broadcast on behalf of various political movements such as rebel or insurrectionist forces. They may advocate civil war, insurrection, rebellion against the government-in-charge of the country to which they are directed. Clandestine broadcasts may emanate from transmitters located in rebel-controlled territory or from outside the country entirely, using another country's transmission facilities.^[23]
Numbers stations. These stations regularly appear and disappear all over the shortwave radio band, but are unlicensed and untraceable. It is believed that numbers stations are operated by government agencies and are used to communicate with clandestine operatives working within foreign countries. However, no definitive proof of such use has emerged. Because the vast majority of these broadcasts contain nothing but the recitation of blocks of numbers, in various languages, with occasional bursts of music, they have become known colloquially as "number stations". Perhaps the most noted number station is called the "Lincolnshire Poacher", named after the 18th century English folk song, which is transmitted just before the sequences of numbers.
Unlicensed two way radio activity by individuals such as taxi drivers, bus drivers and fishermen in various countries can be heard on various shortwave frequencies. Such unlicensed transmissions by "pirate" or "bootleg" two way radio operators^[24] can often cause signal interference to licensed stations. Unlicensed business radio (taxis, trucking companies, among numerous others) land mobile systems may be found in the 20-30 MHz region while unlicensed marine mobile and other similar users may be found over the entire shortwave range.^[25]
Pirate radio broadcasters who feature programming such as music, talk and other entertainment, can be heard sporadically and in various modes on the shortwave bands. Pirate broadcasters take advantage of the better propagation characteristics to achieve more range compared to the AM or FM broadcast bands.^[26]

HF frequencies are still often used for trans-oceanic air traffic control. News agencies previously used RTTY for news stories, and, less commonly, radiofax for the images, although this is no longer done. Satellite communications and the Internet have replaced HF for this application.

Many maritime radio services are often known as utility stations, including as ship-to-shore and vice versa telephony and error-correcting radioteletype such as SITOR.

Military use of shortwave is also common, but nearly all transmissions are encrypted, with voice encrypted using modes such as ANDVT. Data transmission may make use of encrypted RTTY, use Link-11 for radar tracking data, or use of Automatic Link Establishment (ALE) modes to set up communication links automatically.

Some utility stations are on other frequency bands, including NOAA Weather Radio, traveler information stations, and the like; other utility-type signals are piggybacked on FM broadcast subcarriers.

A utility is the jargon for any radio station on the short wave band that is not for the public's entertainment or hobby. All those huge gaps on your shortwave radio, the ones between broadcast and amateur bands, are utility bands allocated by international treaties.

The word "utility" comes more or less from the original Latin for "usefulness." With very few exceptions, these radio communications are most certainly being used as part of some mission or task, known or unknown.

Utilities are harder to hear than broadcasts, but they're way more fun. You'll find all the world's militaries, ships, aircraft, spies, bootleggers, embassies, and anyone else who needs to communicate over the horizon. While satellites are often primary, the failure of Galaxy IV shows once again why many people want a shortwave backup. If your radio has a "USB" or "CW" setting, you're ready to give utilities a try.

http://ominous-valve.com/uteworld.html#utedef

On Youtube channel of Jonny14 you can watch lot of videos about strange radios on short wave

https://www.youtube.com/@jonny52107/featured

Signal Intelligence (SIGINT)

SIGINT is developed from the collection, evaluation, analysis, integration, and interpretation of information derived from intercepted electromagnetic emissions. SIGINT subdivisions include Communications Intelligence (COMINT) and Electronic Intelligence (ELINT). By integrating SIGINT with intelligence from other resources, accurate targeting and threat data can be obtained.

SIGINT assets support PSYOP by providing SIGINT and EW products extracted from locating, monitoring, and transcribing threat communications and by intercepting noncommunications emitters. EW assets support PSYOP by locating and jamming threat PSYOP transmitters. These assets provide information and intelligence that help reveal enemy activities or plans so that PSYOP can develop effective countermeasures.

https://www.sigidwiki.com/wiki/Signal_Identification_Guide

This channel is also very interesting

https://www.youtube.com/@RingwayManchester/featured

https://icomjapan.blogspot.com/2023/05/cipher-machines-and-cryptology-cold-war.html

https://icomjapan.blogspot.com/search/label/Clandestines%20radios

We come back to amateur radio and AM radios

20 metres – 14.000–14.350 MHz – Considered the most popular DX band; usually most popular during daytime. QRP operators recognize 14.060 MHz as their primary calling frequency within the band. Users of the PSK31 data mode tend to congregate around 14.070 MHz. Analog SSTV activity centers on 14.230 MHz.
15 metres – 21–21.45 MHz – Most useful during solar maximum, and generally a daytime band. Daytime Sporadic E propagation (1,500 km / 1,000 miles) occasionally occurs on this band.
10 metres – 28–29.7 MHz – Best long distance (e.g., across oceans) activity is during solar maximum; during periods of moderate solar activity the best activity is found at low latitudes. The band offers useful short to medium range groundwave propagation, day or night. Due to Sporadic E propagation during the late spring and most of the summer, regardless of sunspot numbers, afternoon short band openings into small geographic areas of up to 1,500 km (1,000 miles) occur. Sporadic E is caused by areas of intense ionization in the E layer of the ionosphere. The causes of Sporadic E are not fully understood, but these "clouds" of ionization can provide short-term propagation from 17 metres all the way up to occasional 2 metre openings. FM operations are normally found at the high end of the band (Also repeaters are in the 29.5–29.7 MHz segment in many countries).

On 26 and 27 MHz they are pirates who make contacts all over the world with CB radio équipment. They use USB, LSB at FM modes.

Thae have calls like 14 ABC 2000 or 2 AT 5000 for USA

https://161at118.jimdofree.com/11m-prefix-list/

They echange QSL cards after the QSO

Listen to 27555 Khz in USB and you will ear many CQ DX 11 meter !!!

https://www.alfatango.org/

YL also like FREE DXing on 11 meter !

In this moment propagation is very good for pirates but also for hams on 10 meter

For pirates radio who broadcast music on shortwave the are many frequencies

There are still many Dutch pirate radio stations, mostly located in rural areas. It has been claimed^[where?] that in 2011 approx 50% of all European Pirate Stations are located in the East-Netherlands. Especially the provinces of Overijssel, Friesland and Drenthe have a lot of pirate stations, as well as western Brabant. Most of the pirate radio stations air the so called "pirate music", traditional Dutch folk ( polka music ) music combined with classic English, German and Polka. Most operate on FM, but some can be found particularly 1611 to 1700 kHz. Like many other European countries another hotspot is the 48 meter-band on Shortwave radio.

The frequency is 6200-6500 kHz.

Some can be found in the American part of the band (6900-7000) but is rare.

There are about ~40 Pirate radio stations based in the Netherlands alone.

They are few pirates in other countries of Europe.

North AMERICA

North American Pirate Radio Frequencies

By far the most active ranges in North America are 43 meters (6800-7000 kHz), 46 meters (6200-6400 kHz) and 73 meters (4000-4200 kHz), with some activity in the 60 meter band (4700-5300 kHz) as well. Some pirates have even shown in in the SWBC bands, including 49, 31 and 25 meters.

https://www.hfunderground.com/wiki/List_of_Pirate_Radio_Frequencies

The Association of Clandestine Radio Enthusiasts (A*C*E) was a club dedicated to the
monitoring of unlicensed, unusual, un unexplained, and unofficial radio
broadcasts. If your interests include listening to pirate radio stations
clandestine broadcasts, covert communications or Europirates, The A*C*E
publishes information each month which is of interest to you.

https://archive.org/details/198707JulyTheACE/1987%2004%20April%2C%20The%20ACE/