3.308

[bearcatrp]

Seems I am listening to some military transmissions now on this freq. Confirming contacts then sending some digital code I can't decipher. This is not in the ham bands.

 

[Saint]

3308 khz is US Air Force Mars frequency
Steve

 

[bearcatrp]

Thanks. I recorded some of it but won't send file because its to large. Have to figure it out how to get it to my computer to post. Seems weird they confirm contacts then send a digital message. Once I get it on my computer, will try to post what I recorded. thanks for the info.

 

[kruser]

Thanks. I recorded some of it but won't send file because its to large. Have to figure it out how to get it to my computer to post. Seems weird they confirm contacts then send a digital message. Once I get it on my computer, will try to post what I recorded. thanks for the info.

MARS is the military amateur radio service so yes, it is amateur.

 

[bearcatrp]

Used MARS when I was in desert storm to contact home before AT&T set up massive satellite phone booths for the troops. I looked on my AARL band chart to check if it was amateur and didn't see it listed. Since MARS is amateur, why isn't it listed on the chart? Whats with the digital stuff being sent after contact is made? I listened for a while. Some stations needed resend of the digital stuff. Was a large group getting confirmed and the digital stuff sent. Was interesting though.

 

[GB46]

Used MARS when I was in desert storm to contact home before AT&T set up massive satellite phone booths for the troops. I looked on my AARL band chart to check if it was amateur and didn't see it listed. Since MARS is amateur, why isn't it listed on the chart? Whats with the digital stuff being sent after contact is made? I listened for a while. Some stations needed resend of the digital stuff. Was a large group getting confirmed and the digital stuff sent. Was interesting though.

I hear the same thing most mornings on 4021 kHz, and judging by the callsign prefixes, the stations are all in the western U.S. During one of the voice exchanges, participants were asked not to use the common expression "Roger that!" because it was unprofessional. I've even heard little kids using it on their FRS walkie-talkies.

 

[bearcatrp]

Finally got it uploaded. Might be a few minutes before its available.

 

[Saint]

Thanks for posting the vid.
Steve

 

[Thunderknight]

Since MARS is amateur, why isn't it listed on the chart?

Because MARS is a DoD program for amateur radio operators to separately join. The frequencies are not FCC Part 97 (amateur radio), they are controlled by DoD/NTIA. The amateurs who use it have to have separate authorization from the MARS program and separate MARS callsigns.

 

[bearcatrp]

Understood. So what kind of file/message would they need to send digital? Or is that an encrypted file/message?

 

[GB46]

Understood. So what kind of file/message would they need to send digital? Or is that an encrypted file/message?

They probably use one of the MIL-STD or STANAG digital formats, and due to their affiliaton with the military, the data is very likely encrypted, unless they're sending a test message of some sort. I use Sorcerer, which supports those formats, but I've never been able to decode any of the messages, because the transmissions are so short that they're finished before I've had a chance to try any of the formats.

 

[dlwtrunked]

MARS is the military amateur radio service so yes, it is amateur.

Not quite correct; it is the "Military Auxiliary Radio System". Previously it was the "Auxiliary Amateur Radio System" (AARS) until the name change in 1948 to "Military Amateur Radio System" in 1948 and then "Military Auxiliary
Radios System" in 2009. So "Amateur" is no longer part of the name and "Service" never was.

Military Auxiliary Radio System - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[MUTNAV]

I assume that since MARS really should be able to do ALE (automatic link establishment), they may need to do a quick radiosonde reading to decide the best frequencies to use (or co-ordinate the frequencies to use).

Just a guess

Thanks
Joel

 

[GB46]

I hear the same thing most mornings on 4021 kHz, and judging by the callsign prefixes, the stations are all in the western U.S.

I'm hearing them right now at 16:16 UTC (8:16 AM local).