Thursday 4 January 2007

New Charts from Cape Naval

11 minutes late! They started at 0741z on 18238 kHz in a hurry! I was ready to tune my receiver to something else, when I heard them rushing to start the transmission! At least there is a 1600 Hz tone idling before the transmission. I still have weak signals so the combination of all these make this station very tricky to catch!

Another thing I forgot to mention: Some charts transmitted blurred, i.e. with lower resolution, like resampling an image to fewer pixels. I don't know if this is intentional, the result is unreadable though.

18238 kHz, 0741z



18238 kHz, 1102z


Now this one started 2 minutes earlier!

Wednesday 3 January 2007

E10 blooper

E10 is one of the most common numbers stations in the HF spectrum. Despite the large number of transmissions, usually they make no mistakes. Well, most of the time. Today, while listening on 3150 kHz at 1900z (a "hot" PCD slot) suddenly the operator switched for some seconds from "PCD2" to "ULX2". Here is a recording of the event. And these days, they start late, about 1 minute late! Maybe is the "New Year's Eve hangover effect"!

ZSJ Cape Naval, South Africa HF-Fax

A decent chart appeared on my screen this morning, along with a partial RTTY transmission. So far the best frequency for me is 18238 kHz, but I have to operate on batteries to reduce QRN from my PC. Unfortunately there is noise on some frequencies caused from my computer. In the case of Cape Naval transmission, the signal is very weak and I have to run on batteries.

18238 kHz, 0756z

Station's schedule can be found on the South African Weather Service web page.

Two very important things to keep in mind if you decide to hunt this one:
  1. They don't start exactly on time, sometimes 8 minutes earlier or 4 minutes late.
  2. The preamble (tuning) sequence is very, very brief, so your decoder might not catch it.
RTTY transmission excerpt:

A EXTENSPOM OF WINDS BY QUADRANTS (KM):
30 KT NE: 150 SE: 250 SO: 200 NO: 150
50 KT NE: 04)2 SE: 040 SO: 40 NOWJ
A FIRST CLOSED ISO(PRESSURE AVEAGOCDIAM): 1008 HPA /400 KM A
VERTICALPXENSION OF CYCLONE CIRCULATION: DEEP

B FORECASTS:
12H: 2007/01/83 14 UTC: 11.0S/47.6E, MINDOTVKT, OVERLAND.
24P: 2007
84 0/75:: 21.6S/47.0EN MAX WIND=030KT, OVERLAND.
36H: 2) 01/04 18 UTCTI WWMTS/46.:MAX WIND=020KT, DISSIPATING.
48H: 2007/01/05 06 UTC: 23.4S/46.7E, MAX WIND=020KT, DISSIPATINGBOTHER INFORMATI
ONS:
CLOVIS IS MAKING LADFALL NORTH OF N
ASRCF
IT SHOULD RAPIDLY WEAKEN OC LAND AND DIZOGANIZE DURING OPE
NEXT WWR TO 48 HOATXHREPTISITUATION AT 030600 C
HIGH 1026 HVAH33F8W HIGHEUR HPA 37S49ELFOTI HPE 57S15W LOW 1010 HPA 4S DE LMW
994 HPA 57S3
S
LOW 1008 PA 22S40E SEVERE TROP
STORM(CLOVIS
OIT HPA 20.5S /
48.7E

1/ COLD FRONT:'67?2-8EEKW 45S19W 50S10W 55SUPLW
2. COLD FRONT: 35S15E UFWS28/3)45S38E 50STFTTS43E 58S38E

AREA FORECAST
ASCENSION (06S/15S 00E/20W)
BSE PHLQQ TO 20.
VIS : GOOD.

ANGOLA CKPYS.19=': 00E/ COAST)
WIND : O SW 05 TO 10 BUT SE 10 TO 25 .8, 5'3 23'5.
VCDN : GOOD.
ST HELENA (15XEPS, 00E/20W)
WIND C SE TO E 10 TO 20
VIS : GOOD.

TRADES (15S/30S, 00E/WEST COAST)
WIND : S TO CE 10 TO 20.
VIS : GOOD.
SEA STATE: 3.0ZWITH SW SWELL.

TRISTAN (30S/'(/(),001)26
WIND :8VARIABLPHK TO 10 IN THE EXTREME NORTH, OTHERWISE NW
20 TO 30 BECOMING SW 15 TO 20 IN THE
H-WEST
TOMORROW MORNING.
VIS N IGCOR IN RAIN AND SHOWERS IN THE SOUTH.
SEA STATE: 3.5 TO 4.5M I THE SUTHBN SW SWELL.

CAPE WEST (30S/40/''0+/20E)
WIND :6859 '3,059 20 IN THE NORTH, OTHERWISE NW 20 9
TO 30.
VIS TOD BUH POOR IN RAIN AND SHOWERS IN THE SOUTOPV
SELATE: 2.5 TO 3.5MNVNHHHE SOUTH-WEST, SW SWELLRBZUI EAST (32.5S/40S,28EBBPE)


WIND : E TO NE QT T
IGIN THE EXTREME NORTH, OTHERWISE NW
I H959 2''= '2 15 TO 2',45'023'5)74.
VIS NPGOOD BUT POOR IN RAIN IN THE EXTCHCBT.
SEU JR ZMT TO 3.0M IC GDNEAST, WITH SW ELL.


The decoding is not error-free due to low signal strength.

Other frequencies? Well, I haven't confirmed any other frequencies. I guess 7508 kHz is valid since I have a trace of a Fax transmission yesterday at 2245z.

Conditions are still disturbed and the frequency (18238 kHz) asks for more sunspots and quiet ionosphere! Hope this will happen soon!

Tuesday 2 January 2007

"Perfect Paul"

Ionosphere is disturbed again. While browsing New Orleans HF-Fax frequencies, I heard a mechanical male voice dictating weather info. A few clicks were enough to prove that it was New Orleans HF Voice Broadcast service. Here is more info. The mechanical voice is called "Perfect Paul"! I tuned on 8764 kHz and the signal was better. This frequency is assigned on Chesapeake and Pt. Reyes. The transmission started on 2130z according to schedule. Here is a sound sample recorded at 2154z on 8764 kHz. Some Cool Edit witchcraft is applied to make it more pleasuring for your ears.

Teaser: Cape Naval HF-Fax service is still on air. I'm trying to get a good chart for them to post here! Stay tuned!

Tuesday 26 December 2006

E25

Two transmissions for today, the first with Arabic message and lower signal quality, and the second in English. Note also the carrier dropping prior the first sending:

  • E25 9450 kHz AM 1208z 26/12 Arabic message to "835" low signal strength (listen!)
  • E25 9450 kHz AM 1228z 26/12 Message to "555", better quality! (listen!)
I'm open to your suggestions why is the signal strength varies with time. Is it the ionosphere, or tho operators beam the signal to a different location/use lower power to achieve local coverage? My guess is less power due to op mistakes or the ionosphere. These guys are prone to mistakes. They're probably resources-limited so not capable for high-tech stuff like frequency diversity and beaming! After all they use only one frequency!

Update 27/12:

The translation to the Arabic message is:

6011/6011
5040/0540
8360/3806
3576/5367
5911/9511
5820/8520
6126/1662
1478/4187
6976/9667
5040/0540
7887/8778

Thanks Mr.DXer!

Saturday 23 December 2006

ZKLF Wellington, New Zealand: Ultimate HF-Fax DX is DONE!

Bring me Honolulu!

Santa brought me a nice present for Xmas on my screen. I proudly present you...


13551 kHz, 1330z 1200 SW PACIFIC MSL PROG H+48

There are no doubts anymore. 17400 km! 17400 km! ...17400 km! 5kW transmitter! A portable radio! Antenna made out of junk!

Here comes another!


5807 kHz, 1400z 1200 SW PACIFIC MSL PROG H+72

And another!


9460 kHz 1415z 1200 SW PACIFIC MSL PROG H+72

This one suffered from BC QRM. 600 Hz above was the carrier of a broadcast station interfering.

...Again the same one transmitted on different frequency...


13551 kHz, 1430z 1200 SW PACIFIC MSL PROG H+72

The next transmission (1445z) was on 3247 kHz, too low for me. OK you can't have everything!

A different chart:


5807 kHz, 1500z 1200 TASMAN - NEW ZEALAND MSL ANAL(YSIS)

(parenthesis added to avoid any misunderstandings. This is a DX blog and nothing more!)

The same chart as above, on the QRMed higher frequency:


9460 kHz, 1515z 1200 TASMAN - NEW ZEALAND MSL ANAL(YSIS)

That's all for now. I hope you're impressed, and not bored! Again, the schedule can be found here.

I'll have to run a VOACAP run for Honolulu. I assume it must be more difficult, not because of distance, but because of the frequencies they use.

Friday 22 December 2006

The Ultimate HF-Fax DXing

This is the ultimate DX goal for any HF-Fax DXer (well, for those located near my QTH!)


13551 kHz 1434z Wellington, New Zealand. Distance: 17400 km


I decided to give a try and that's what I got! It must be the most distant HF-Fax station from my QTH. Distance-speaking, it is further than Honolulu, but maybe easier, propagation-wise. It is noisy, but it is definitely a fax transmission! The schedule can be found here. It is more detailed than the one found in rfax PDF. The service uses a single transmitter which changes frequency cyclically, as time passes.