Noticed this massive signal tonight near the 20m band. Kind of seems like the "Kontayner" radar mentioned here:
29B6, nicknamed 'Контейнер' (Kontayner), is a Russian over the horizon radar. It is currently very active in Europe. The radar uses 150 antenna masts with data transmission systems, transmitters and receivers, a power station, and control buildings. It can detect high-altitude and low-altitude...
www.sigidwiki.com
Here's a quick clip I recorded:
In this case no, not the Russians, instead... the British are coming, the British are coming!
The clip you have linked to is not the Russian 29B6 Kontayner radar, it is, instead, the British PLUTO (also called PLUTO II) radar.
Your recording shows a signal that is about 20 kHz wide and with a 50 Hz rep rate. That is indicative of the most common mode of the PLUTO, not 29B6. The most common mode of the Russian 29B6 is about 14 kHz wide and 40 Hz rep rate. Another difference is the use of FMOP by 29B6, and FMCW by PLUTO.
Here are videos on my YT channel describing the most common mode for each radar:
PLUTO:
29B6:
There are, of course, other modes available to each radar. I may eventually do video examples of these other modes. But for now, these are the most common you will encounter. And not that your recording is the same as my PLUTO example.
The sigidwiki calls for 50 Hz for 29B6, and that is incorrect. Prior to about 2017 29B6 did use 50 Hz, but the Russians upgraded the radar in the 2017 - 2018 time frame (it was off the air for most of that period) and since returning it has used 40 Hz as its default. I have not noticed it using 50 Hz one time since then. 40 Hz results in a slightly longer maximum unambiguous range than 50 Hz.
T!
Just tell me when to duck!
