8.983 mhz (Camslant)

[Saint]

Just listening to Camslant on 8.983 and could not understand anything they were saying, is this some sort of encryption they are using, I thought I had my receiver set up wrong and it was not set at USB. Very distorted and not clear at all, Who ever Camslant was talking too they had no problem and both sided did say they had good signal, I made that out.
Steve

 

[brandon]

Yeah Camslant and Camspac transmitter on 5 and 8 megs is absolutely horrible sounding. It's been like this for months and not sure why it hasn't been fixed. Maybe since they're using COTHEN more they feel it's not necessary. It comes in very strong but extremely distorted with lots of feeback.

At least CommSta Kodiak has decent audio still.

 

[Saint]

Camslant

Yeah Camslant and Camspac transmitter on 5 and 8 megs is absolutely horrible sounding. It's been like this for months and not sure why it hasn't been fixed. Maybe since they're using COTHEN more they feel it's not necessary. It comes in very strong but extremely distorted with lots of feeback.

At least CommSta Kodiak has decent audio still.

Yea I just herd Camslant again about 15 minutes ago and it's a consistant terible sounding audio, I have been picking them up on the Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network for the last several nights and there audio is perfect, I don't think they are going to fix this because they are saying they hear each other ok so it seem it's just us that are having problems with there audio, really weird, Thanks for the information on the audio.
Steve

 

[W2RKJ]

Saint, If I may ask what COTHEN frequencies are you getting them? I have a bunch in my FRG 100 and I'm still getting nothing.
While were on the subject, I ran into a CG helo pilot the other day (He was with 3 other CG guys) and asked him were they having any problems copying on 5696 or 8983, he replied they are not. He used 5696 the other evening and the copy was OK. I told him I monitor then and a buch of other HF frequencies and they are coming lousy. His eyeborws went up and said I've been flying in the CG for years and I've never had anyone ask me about those frequencies before. I explained I was a civilian pilot and amateur radio operator plus I'm oppressed by my bully wife and I'm not allowed to leave the house, therefore I enjoy listening to staticy radios. For what it's worth he said he'd let them know the copy was poor up here in New Jersey.

 

[Saint]

Frequencies for Cothen

Saint, If I may ask what COTHEN frequencies are you getting them? I have a bunch in my FRG 100 and I'm still getting nothing.
While were on the subject, I ran into a CG helo pilot the other day (He was with 3 other CG guys) and asked him were they having any problems copying on 5696 or 8983, he replied they are not. He used 5696 the other evening and the copy was OK. I told him I monitor then and a buch of other HF frequencies and they are coming lousy. His eyeborws went up and said I've been flying in the CG for years and I've never had anyone ask me about those frequencies before. I explained I was a civilian pilot and amateur radio operator plus I'm oppressed by my bully wife and I'm not allowed to leave the house, therefore I enjoy listening to staticy radios. For what it's worth he said he'd let them know the copy was poor up here in New Jersey.

Hi W2RKJ, these are the frequencies I have in my Icom r75 and I have been picking up audio on all of them, depending on the conditions I have been picking up conversations at daytime and night time. Yep as I said they are not experiencing any audio problems when they are talking.
Steve

20.8900 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
4.4900 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
4.6145 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
5.2500 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
5.7320 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
5.9090 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
7.5270 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
8.9120 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
9.1060 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
10.2420 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
11.4940 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
12.2220 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
13.3120 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
13.9070 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
14.5820 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
15.8670 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
18.5940 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
20.6620 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
23.2140 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
25.3500 USB Immigration And Customs Enforcement (ICE) COTHEN Network
end......................

 

[W2RKJ]

Thank you Saint, some I had but a few I didn't. We'll try these.

 

[dd364]

I,m hearing it now on 8.983 and everyone is right.It sounds bad.You can kind of make out what they say when they talk slow,but most of it sounds like crap.

 

[brandon]

Update...last night I was able to copy CAMSLANT and their transmissions sounded clear.

Unfortunately I just caught some traffic on the Pacific side and it still sounds absolutely distorted.
Even the aircraft could not copy and switched frequencies several times.

Here are 2 audio clips to compare.

• 5696kHz CAMSLANT transmission clear and readable
• 5696 and 8983kHz CAMSPAC transmission distorted and absolutely unintelligible

 

[SCPD]

Update...last night I was able to copy CAMSLANT and their transmissions sounded clear.

Unfortunately I just caught some traffic on the Pacific side and it still sounds absolutely distorted.
Even the aircraft could not copy and switched frequencies several times.

Here are 2 audio clips to compare.

• 5696kHz CAMSLANT transmission clear and readable
• 5696 and 8983kHz CAMSPAC transmission distorted and absolutely unintelligible

Sounds like equipment problems. How did they sound on 11megs?

 

[W2RKJ]

I'm not sure but I don't think CAMSPAC and CAMSLANT are being controlled from 1 facility like the USAF HF Global is controlled from Andrews AFB. But something is going on here because I seriously doubt both transmitters could have the same sounding transmitters unless this is intentional. Nice audio captures N1RGR, that's about the same as I can copy here in New Jersey. I'm beginning to think our days of monitoring them is a thing of the past.

 

[brandon]

11 megs sounded just as bad, however signal was very weak here. Must of been skippin' right over me.

 

[Saint]

8983

11 megs sounded just as bad, however signal was very weak here. Must of been skippin' right over me.

Very strong signal on 8983, I think it's camslant s9 to s20 signal and I am thinking this is some sort of encryption they are using now, very consistant sound and very strong all the time now, I really don't think this is a problem on there side, whoever they talk to seems to be able to hear them ok.
Steve

 

[eorange]

I really don't think this is a problem on there side, whoever they talk to seems to be able to hear them ok.

I was thinking the same thing. You'd think if there was a problem, then it would be addressed quickly given the nature of CAMSLANT and its responsibility.

Almost sounds like varying modulation, like something you'd hear in the neighborhood of speech inversion.

 

[Saint]

encrypted

I was thinking the same thing. You'd think if there was a problem, then it would be addressed quickly given the nature of CAMSLANT and its responsibility.

Almost sounds like varying modulation, like something you'd hear in the neighborhood of speech inversion.

Yep, I don't think they would have a problem fixing this audio if it was a problem with their equipment, this has to do with life and death situations and they have the money to fix problems, Also have been seeing more and more coast guard encryption on the great lakes this year, Buffalo NY coast guard has been using it more. too bad I really get a strong signal from camslant from where I am situated. If this was a equipment problem more people on their side and also people who they are trying to contact on the radio's wold be complaining, I hope I'm wrong but I don't think so.
Steve

 

[W2RKJ]

I think the attached file is the conversation you are talking about, I've had my station set up to capture their comms all day. This is how I got it today here in South Jersey. Sounds as though it's pinched.

 

[W2RKJ]

The file didn't attach, I'll try again

 

[W2RKJ]

I thought I could attatch a mp3 file, sorry about that

 

[CLynch7]

I did catch a radio check a couple of days ago, didn't get the call, but sounded very good

 

[SCPD]

I was thinking the same thing. You'd think if there was a problem, then it would be addressed quickly given the nature of CAMSLANT and its responsibility.

Almost sounds like varying modulation, like something you'd hear in the neighborhood of speech inversion.

A few days ago, someone in the UDXF Yahoo group posted a note about the bad modulation from 5696/8983. Another person responded and said he was going to foward this information on to someone he knew in the USCG.

 

[Hooligan]

It's NOT encryption, just a dirty CAMSPAC San Francisco transmitter, or link from the control/receive site down to the transmit site about 12 miles away. USCG secure voice on HF is pretty standard/well-known and it sure isn't going to be something that sounds distorted, but is perfectly understandable to those of us who have developed "HF ears!"

Unfortunately these days, USCG fixed-wing aircraft don't always travel with a dedicated radio operator, & many of the airborne radio operators that are on flights don't have the HF art & science experience to recognize the difference between propagation artifacts & a technical problem, whereas an experienced person could ask a ground station to "recycle" their transmitter.

When I last stopped by the transmit site, it was just one Coastie caretaker living there with his family (including a dog that likes to chase cars along Mesa Rd).