RTTY on 4004 kHz

[WU8Y]

From 0410 UTC 14 May, I am reading very strong 599+ RTTY signals at 4004 kHz USB. The shift is wide, 850 Hz. Decode is mostly garbage characters though, not even nice five character code groups. My QTH is EN82jw.

I searched on Google for this frequency, and only came up with an old page about a Czech CW station.

Any ideas?

[ka3jjz]

Many of these type stations are unreadable - at least some of them are thought to be associated with NATO or foreign mil operations. Why in the world they would use an old mode like this (and not use satellite or other methods of safeguarding the transmission) is beyond me.

73 Mike

[zz0468]

Originally Posted by ka3jjz

Many of these type stations are unreadable - at least some of them are thought to be associated with NATO or foreign mil operations. Why in the world they would use an old mode like this (and not use satellite or other methods of safeguarding the transmission) is beyond me.

73 Mike

Maybe because it's a relatively inexpensive, but reliable, backup system.

That signal on 4004 has been there for years. The only thing I've ever decoded on it were RY's and foxes, and that's rare.

[ratboy]

Me too, it's encrypted most of the time. I can tell if it's copyable just by listening to it for a few seconds. I think that signal has been there since I got into rtty, back in 1986 or so.

[lanbergld]

I get that one, 4004 kHz, nightly on my DX-400. Its in a MARS band, or should I say one of the bands that I routinely listen to MARS (voice) operators on.

I also get a similar RTTY very very strong on 9029 kHz, nightly. Been picking that up for years. I don't know the origin of that one at all.


Larry Lanberg

Richmond VA

Realistic DX-400
Icom IC-R100

homemade antennas of various shapes, sizes and materials