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Howdy all,
Two subjects, Pirates and Numbers, both near and dear to my listening heart, covered in one post
A couple of times now I have heard a transmission on 6925 kHz USB that is intriguing to me. This is a very popular Pirate freq, in the middle of a range that is also very popular with pirates in the US. 6850 to 6980 is probably the most used freq range by SW Pirate BCs in North America.
On 12/04 at 0100 I heard a numbers transmission on 6925 kHz USB, very weak, only catching parts of it, but definitely there and definitely numbers with lead-in music. In fact, I could not really hear much of it and did not know the details until another listener provided me with a recording of it. Now, numbers around this freq are not that terribly uncommon, I hear Pirate ops doing numbers spoofs several times a year on average. And after the recent Fringe TV show aired I heard no less than half a dozen on 6955 kHz, the freq used on the TV show. But this one sounds slightly different to me, no laughing, no references to Borris or Natasha, no whispered parts, no mentions of double secret squirrel, no repeated 666 number combinations, etc.
On 12/05 at 0230 there was a similar numbers transmission, following the same basic structure but with some changes. Again, very much down in the noise for me, I could not hear details until provided a copy of a recording by someone else.
In general it appears that listeners on the east coast are getting these transmissions better than listeners on the west coast. In the #wunclub and #pirate IRC channels several people were making real time reports. East was pretty much always better than west. My 035 deg Rhombic pulled it in the best for me, but still just in the noise floor.
A little research also reveals that on 11/28 a listener reported hearing the station, again on 6925 kHz USB, at 0230. A recording of that reception sounds identical to the 12/04, 0100 UTC, signal.
So far the signal has only been reported on Pirate forums. That is understandable as pirate listeners spend the most time watching this chunk of spectrum.
Reports and recordings here:
11/28/2010: Alfa Hotel 7 Hotel 6925u 0238z approx - The FRN Grapevines
12/04/2010: Alfa Hotel 7 Papa? 6925u 0106+ UTC - The FRN Grapevines
12/05/2010: Alfa Hotel 7 Hotel 6925 USB 0230z - The FRN Grapevines
The general consensus right now is that this is a Pirate and a spoof, but so far no one has claimed it.
A quick look at the Spynumbers Database shows that at least 20 different actual numbers stations have used this frequency range, thousands of times between 6850 and 6990 kHz, and almost 2000 times between 6900 and 6950 kHz. Stations such as E3, E5, E6, E7, E10, E11, G6, G7, M1, M3, M8, M10, M12, M13, M14, M22, M31, M51, M52, M56, MX, S6, S10, S17, SK01, V2, and V7 have all been reported in the 6900 to 6950 kHz range.
Two things are immediately suspicious about this transmission. The frequency is number one and immediately brings it all into question. But, the TX includes a phrase in it that is … unusual. In the first two transmissions the phrase “the apple is in the tree” was included. It looks like the latest one changed that to “the apple is on the ground”. This is the kind of thing spy movies would use, and again causes immediate suspicion.
But, without those two factors I find the TX to be at least somewhat believable as a numbers TX.
So, what say ye, numbers? Or a Pirate having a go?
T!
Mohave Desert, California, USA
Two subjects, Pirates and Numbers, both near and dear to my listening heart, covered in one post
A couple of times now I have heard a transmission on 6925 kHz USB that is intriguing to me. This is a very popular Pirate freq, in the middle of a range that is also very popular with pirates in the US. 6850 to 6980 is probably the most used freq range by SW Pirate BCs in North America.
On 12/04 at 0100 I heard a numbers transmission on 6925 kHz USB, very weak, only catching parts of it, but definitely there and definitely numbers with lead-in music. In fact, I could not really hear much of it and did not know the details until another listener provided me with a recording of it. Now, numbers around this freq are not that terribly uncommon, I hear Pirate ops doing numbers spoofs several times a year on average. And after the recent Fringe TV show aired I heard no less than half a dozen on 6955 kHz, the freq used on the TV show. But this one sounds slightly different to me, no laughing, no references to Borris or Natasha, no whispered parts, no mentions of double secret squirrel, no repeated 666 number combinations, etc.
On 12/05 at 0230 there was a similar numbers transmission, following the same basic structure but with some changes. Again, very much down in the noise for me, I could not hear details until provided a copy of a recording by someone else.
In general it appears that listeners on the east coast are getting these transmissions better than listeners on the west coast. In the #wunclub and #pirate IRC channels several people were making real time reports. East was pretty much always better than west. My 035 deg Rhombic pulled it in the best for me, but still just in the noise floor.
A little research also reveals that on 11/28 a listener reported hearing the station, again on 6925 kHz USB, at 0230. A recording of that reception sounds identical to the 12/04, 0100 UTC, signal.
So far the signal has only been reported on Pirate forums. That is understandable as pirate listeners spend the most time watching this chunk of spectrum.
Reports and recordings here:
11/28/2010: Alfa Hotel 7 Hotel 6925u 0238z approx - The FRN Grapevines
12/04/2010: Alfa Hotel 7 Papa? 6925u 0106+ UTC - The FRN Grapevines
12/05/2010: Alfa Hotel 7 Hotel 6925 USB 0230z - The FRN Grapevines
The general consensus right now is that this is a Pirate and a spoof, but so far no one has claimed it.
A quick look at the Spynumbers Database shows that at least 20 different actual numbers stations have used this frequency range, thousands of times between 6850 and 6990 kHz, and almost 2000 times between 6900 and 6950 kHz. Stations such as E3, E5, E6, E7, E10, E11, G6, G7, M1, M3, M8, M10, M12, M13, M14, M22, M31, M51, M52, M56, MX, S6, S10, S17, SK01, V2, and V7 have all been reported in the 6900 to 6950 kHz range.
Two things are immediately suspicious about this transmission. The frequency is number one and immediately brings it all into question. But, the TX includes a phrase in it that is … unusual. In the first two transmissions the phrase “the apple is in the tree” was included. It looks like the latest one changed that to “the apple is on the ground”. This is the kind of thing spy movies would use, and again causes immediate suspicion.
But, without those two factors I find the TX to be at least somewhat believable as a numbers TX.
So, what say ye, numbers? Or a Pirate having a go?
T!
Mohave Desert, California, USA
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