Stange wideband interference on 2 meter band

[pyro424]

I usually leave a radio in the shack parked on 146.520. Today this strange noise appeared. It was quite wide band as I searched the band up and down. It then stopped only to re-appear later that day. In fact it was being received and re-broadcast by some of the nearby 2 meter repeaters. Does anyone know what this is? It was clearly not low power local to my QTH as it was also heard by repeaters. This recording is from March 04, 2014 around 3:30 PM


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N24CanDS-HY&feature=youtu.be

 

[MTS2000des]

sounds like a cable leak, that is usually what cable companies put on their lines to help the techs locate the source of the leak.

 

[pyro424]

sounds like a cable leak, that is usually what cable companies put on their lines to help the techs locate the source of the leak.

Interesting. And that would be bringing up repeaters 20 miles away also?

 

[MTS2000des]

Quite possible if it's a big leak or if the repeater in question is not using PL and has a sensitive receiver or remote receivers near the source of the leak.

 

[KC8ESL]

I've heard that before. There was a major storm happening in our area and I heard that on the input freq and output freq of a skywarn repeater some 20mi away. Hams about 40mi from me heard it as well. I figured Rouge satellite with a bad transponder just blanketing our area with rf. Never did find a source.

I work with a former cable TV lineman AND a former AT&T copper specialist and see what they say/if they can verify the source.

 

[pyro424]

I've heard that before. There was a major storm happening in our area and I heard that on the input freq and output freq of a skywarn repeater some 20mi away. Hams about 40mi from me heard it as well. I figured Rouge satellite with a bad transponder just blanketing our area with rf. Never did find a source.

I work with a former cable TV lineman AND a former AT&T copper specialist and see what they say/if they can verify the source.

That is interesting you say that. At the time of the noise there was a major hazmat fire at the port near here. A toxic chemical was burning and it was a big thing. Lots of news media out covering it live. More news media people out than normal would ever be out around here.

 

[KC8ESL]

You talking about the 20 alarm Willoughby fire? I was out of town when that happened. I can check emails because I wrote the control op of the repeater I heard it on during the skywarn net stating that I heard it out here in Painesville as well.

 

[pyro424]

You talking about the 20 alarm Willoughby fire? I was out of town when that happened. I can check emails because I wrote the control op of the repeater I heard it on during the skywarn net stating that I heard it out here in Painesville as well.

No this is in the pacific Northwest in BC.

 

[KC8ESL]

Ohhh, right, okay. Missed that one.

FTW, The tones I heard were on Nov. 17th, 2013 @7:56pm(referenced back in emails - I can't hold trivial things like that in my head). From what I recall, very similar in nature to the recorded tones, but maybe slower in speed.

 

[pyro424]

Yea when I first heard it on 652 I thought it was someone maliciously interfering and playing a recording. Then I saw how wide band it was and that it was all across the band. I know the military has some kind of jamming capabilities and considered that. But really have no idea so I took a video hoping someone would know. The constant changing tones is what made me think of some sort of jammer. Those tones you can hear could even possibly open up a repeater with coded squelch. I did hear it coming across several repeaters when I turned on a scanner I have programmed with all the local 2 meter repeaters.

 

[mancow]

That's totally bizarre. Too bad you couldn't get a look at it with SDR.

 

[Thunderknight]

Could someone be trying a ham digital mode? Perhaps they have a HF-VHF-UHF rig and were transmitting on the wrong band?
Not sure that would explain the wide signal, but it kind of reminds me of one of the HF digital modes.
Or some type of VHF digital mode?

 

[KC8ESL]

Ok, talked to both guys.

The former CATV lineman says that Comcast/Time Warner Cable pushes a 139.25MHz 25kHz wide signal down the feedline and they use a device that looks literally like a gun with some parasitic elements to trace cable faults/leakage. He also said that they use a straight 1kHz tone and it doesn't warble, like this. This is done either 2 or 4 times a year as PM.

Now, the former AT&T guy... He heard this and got a big grin on his face. Definitely not what we think it is. He is not at liberty to discuss this with me but assures me there is data masked by the tones. What he found weird though, is the fact that it wasn't 10MHz lower in spectrum.

Take out of this what you will, but this is the info I got from both guys and I trust their abilities as they had done both jobs a long time prior to where we all work together now.

 

[AK9R]

Is AT&T Uverse common in your area?

 

[pyro424]

Ok, talked to both guys.

The former CATV lineman says that Comcast/Time Warner Cable pushes a 139.25MHz 25kHz wide signal down the feedline and they use a device that looks literally like a gun with some parasitic elements to trace cable faults/leakage. He also said that they use a straight 1kHz tone and it doesn't warble, like this. This is done either 2 or 4 times a year as PM.

Now, the former AT&T guy... He heard this and got a big grin on his face. Definitely not what we think it is. He is not at liberty to discuss this with me but assures me there is data masked by the tones. What he found weird though, is the fact that it wasn't 10MHz lower in spectrum.

Take out of this what you will, but this is the info I got from both guys and I trust their abilities as they had done both jobs a long time prior to where we all work together now.

Very interesting. Thanks for asking them. By the way I put 2014 on my first post but I really meant 2015. Duh LOL. I have been listening all day today and it still has not returned. I will keep listening for the mysterious wide band signal.

 

[pyro424]

Is AT&T Uverse common in your area?

No it is not. But we have 1 cable company and 1 phone company. The cable one provides broadband internet while the phone company provides ADSL. I am in BC.

 

[mancow]

I have noticed something similar skipping in on low band for a while now. I will try to find some recordings.

 

[KC8ESL]

For weeks I had my SDR at the ready. Never heard it again. I just wanted to trace/record the noises. Finally gave up and never heard it again.

 

[kc4jgc]

This has happened before....

Several years ago, I heard that same signal! It had the same characteristics and was heard on several freqs on 2m and 220; was heard by me in Norfolk, KK4OK in Hampton and by another ham in Baltimore AT THE SAME TIME! If I recall correctly, it went on for over an hour.

Being it was heard in such a large area led me to believe that the source was satellite based. Never heard it again. Amazing it's been heard again after all this time.