Odd CW string on 173.275 MHz. What's it mean?

[KD7HGK]

I'm hearing a strong CW ID on 173.275 MHz approximately every 30 minutes. Decoding it with MULTIPSK, I get this:

KJH7N 9

I can't make any sense of it. I ran that frequency through the search here and only two licenses popped up: one in Macon County, TN and the other in Shelby County, TN. I think those counties would both be too far away for me to be picking it up full strength like I am. Could it be a National Park repeater CWID? I've been hearing it since yesterday morning and I haven't heard any voice traffic just the CWID. The CW sounds the same each time so I believe it's being sent via machine.

I just now heard:

KJHG HN

Either MULTIPSK isn't decoding it correctly, or a different string is being sent each time. I can't tell.

[n4yek]

if you can, record it as a .wav file and zip it up and put it on here. Will decode it by ear and let you know what it says.

[KD7HGK]

I left MULTIPSK running last night and woke up to this:

N A HM K E 77O K EHT N M T N WH7M 9K EHN 7Ö KR 77Ö KJHM £N N WHG HO N WH779KR T G I K E M 79 N W M N 9T N WH779K E 7T 9KJ N 7Ö K E 779 K EHM N Ö K E 7N 9

I'll grab an audio recording of it so you can double check the translation.

[kf4lhp]

Maybe this?

ULS License - Industrial/Business Pool, Conventional License - KJH779 - KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL COMPANY

Knoxville News Sentinel, KJH779, 173.275 MHz.

License shows cancelled but take anything in the FCC database with a grain of salt.

[ecps92]

KJH779 - KNOXVILLE NEWS SENTINEL COMPANY
Cancelled Status on 08.09.2011

Originally Posted by KD7HGK

I'm hearing a strong CW ID on 173.275 MHz approximately every 30 minutes. Decoding it with MULTIPSK, I get this:

KJH7N 9

I can't make any sense of it. I ran that frequency through the search here and only two licenses popped up: one in Macon County, TN and the other in Shelby County, TN. I think those counties would both be too far away for me to be picking it up full strength like I am. Could it be a National Park repeater CWID? I've been hearing it since yesterday morning and I haven't heard any voice traffic just the CWID. The CW sounds the same each time so I believe it's being sent via machine.

I just now heard:

KJHG HN

Either MULTIPSK isn't decoding it correctly, or a different string is being sent each time. I can't tell.

[zz0468]

Originally Posted by KD7HGK

...Either MULTIPSK isn't decoding it correctly, or a different string is being sent each time. I can't tell.

I'd put my money on bad decoding. Put up a wav file. There's a bunch of CW ops on there who could copy it by ear.

[jfhtm350]

I dont know what you all are talking about but I hear it too. It lasted about 3 seconds with a signal of 4-5 bars. I do know that the Knoxville News Sentinel makes newspapers for Atlanta, GA, already printed up and ready to go. Could they be communicating with them or some other place they may make newspapers for?

[n4yek]

Originally Posted by jfhtm350

I dont know what you all are talking about but I hear it too. It lasted about 3 seconds with a signal of 4-5 bars.

Jim,
The FCC requires repeaters to identify themselves with the callsign assigned to the frequency that is being transmitted. It does this by using morse code and his program isn't decoding it properly. That is what we are discussing and it appears that the News Sentinel is the owner of the callsign, or was before it was cancelled.

[KD7HGK]

Ok, I recorded it with audicity (sp?). As a .wav it's 110MB. As a .zip it's 797kb. The zip is still too large but I don't think I can cut it down anymore as the recording is only a few seconds long to begin with. How can I share it with y'all?

edit:

I trimmed it down even further by eliminating the second or two white noise at the beginning and end of the file and it's still 600+kb in size.

[freqhopping]

Why not just 'read' it from what is visible in Audacity? That's why I do. One example from one of my local recordings. Much easier to post images too.

[KD7HGK]

Originally Posted by freqhopping

Why not just 'read' it from what is visible in Audacity? That's why I do. One example from one of my local recordings. Much easier to post images too.

Ok, I hope this works. This is a screen shot of the signal

[jfhtm350]

Thanks for the explanation. I didnt know it was required to do that. Ive never heard noise on any other frequency I have programmed in without a PL or DC code. I see the morse code in the above examples.
-.- .--- .... --... --... ----.
I might download that program just to play around with it.

[jfhtm350]

I came up with
KJH779
with your example
Morse Code Conversion Tool

[KD7HGK]

So it is the news sentinel. That's that expired license that was mentioned earlier. I wonder when the FCC database will be brought up to date?

[jfhtm350]

Originally Posted by KD7HGK

So it is the news sentinel. That's that expired license that was mentioned earlier. I wonder when the FCC database will be brought up to date?

They probably just forgot to renew their license or something or just dont use it anymore. I guess they could still have the repeater there and not use it and be legal, dont know.

Would you care to tell me how you got that image you have posted. I am interested in doing what you just did. If it makes a difference in programs your using, I would prefer to just read the morse code from the pics like you have posted, instead of letting the program do it for me.

[WayneH]

Originally Posted by jfhtm350

Would you care to tell me how you got that image you have posted. I am interested in doing what you just did.

The software is called Audacity and is freeware. When you load up a wav you'll see it in that form. It's helpful to decode DTMF also.

Also, for those that don't know...173.2000 to 173.3875 (my edges might be off slightly) is not licensed to Federal agencies and is available for FCC licensing. It will typically be water dept telemetry but there are a few newspaper companies and others (I forget the old service types) left over. I'm sure there's an FCC Part # for it someone might know.

[KD7HGK]

Yes, Audicity. I just hit "print screen" and cleaned the image up in paint a little bit and posted it.

[jfhtm350]

Oh ok. I have an audio program that will probably show the wav file like the above example, but will download audacity anyways. I have a couple questions, maybe more when I get to going.
1) Do all repeaters put out the morse code identifier, such as pub safety, businesses, federal?
2) How did you get the wav file from the scanner (the Multipsk program)? I have an audio patch cable that I can run to my sound card that I have used with IDTrackerIII if that is what you used.

I hope this works like Im figuring. That would have saved me alot of time if I had known all this awhile back.

[KD7HGK]

forget multipsk. It has nothing to do with it now. Just hook up the scanner to an audio input on your computer and turn on Audicity and hit the "record" button and wait. Eventually the CW ID will pop up and you'll have what you're looking for.

[jfhtm350]

Ok thanks. Thats kind of what I was figuring but wasnt sure.
I assume I have to leave the PL or DC codes off for it to work right?
How often does the code come across? I am going to try it on the local sheriff repeater and see if I can grab it. May be lucky to even hear it since they may be talking at the time.