What's the "most interesting" thing you have heard lately on non-ham HF SSB?

[KB2GOM]

Looking to "prime the pump" for my own monitoring.

If you would give the frequency or frequency range, that would be great.

 

[KB2GOM]

It would seem that no one has heard anything interesting on non-ham HF SSB. Darn.

 

[W8WCA]

I have not had a lot of time at Rx lately and it has changed a lot even in last few years (Like Coast Guard is just about gone from HF and tge old Ship - ship seems quiet like 6224 12352 etc
Could try to catch some EAM's on HFGCS is still at it 4724, 8992, 11175
I think 6640 is still active NY Air

Look at the Utilities forum here

 

[GlobalNorth]

Outside of the amateur bands, I can't think of anything interesting that still lives on SSB. Radio Havana still sounds the same as it did in 1983.

 

[KB2GOM]

Thank you both for replies.

 

[W8WCA]

There are also still 'numbers' stations on and on regular schedules

Station Schedule › Priyom.org

priyom.org

Spy Numbers

Spy Numbers

www.hfunderground.com

Numbers and Oddities newsletters

Numbers and Oddities newsletters, Enigma newsletters, Newsletters about Numbers stations

www.numbersoddities.nl

Short-Wave Radio Frequency Schedule for CUBAN SPY NUMERS in ANY LANGUAGE

The short-wave radio frequencies used by station Cuban Spy Numers for its international Any Language language broadcasts, showing those on-air at 22:32GMT.

short-wave.info

and the ARINC Air Freq's some listed here Atlantic HF Assignments or here Pacific HF Assignments depending on where you live

 

[slicerwizard]

Radio Havana still sounds the same as it did in 1983.

So, um... Spanish?

 

[safetypro79]

Two “Down under” HF groups I monitor is Australia off-road HF network and RDFS.
(Royal Doctors Flying Service) both have activity and normally a good copy here in SW Idaho, of course reception is based on time and band conditions

 

[KB2GOM]

Two “Down under” HF groups I monitor is Australia off-road HF network and RDFS.
(Royal Doctors Flying Service) both have activity and normally a good copy here in SW Idaho, of course reception is based on time and band conditions

Frequencies?

 

[W8WCA]

So, um... Spanish?

As far as I know they still have English broadcasts

 

[ridgescan]

Yes they still have English.
As for OP's question, I myself listen to music every night from about 01-0500UTC on 5085kHz WTWW from Tn. and in early evening on 9395kHz WRMI Florida. I also tune in the VOA on 6080 and 5925kHz in that time frame. They transmit from Botswana with a good reliable signal.
Other than that I'll eavesdrop on the ham bands.
I also keep 4724kHz on squelched monitor during my daytime here. 11175 and 8992 seem awful quiet the last few weeks.

 

[MDScanFan]

Pirate radio broadcasts in the 6900 to 7000 kHz range are fun to listen to in the evening.

 

[VK3RX]

Frequencies?

Australian Outback (4WD & remote area) Subscription HF networks

 

[VK3RX]

Further. Two of the networks have check-in skeds daily, though subject to change depending on the season:

Australian HF Touring Club:
CH 83 11407kHz 0700UTC
CH 82 7999kHz 0715UTC
CH 81 6820kHz 0730 UTC
CH 80 5264kHz 0745UTC

VKS-737 8022kHz I think around 0600 & 2100UTC +/- an hour

 

[mbott]

I'm somewhat of a music "nut". The "most interesting" thing I heard (not lately) was Nights In White Satin in 1967. Been a Moody Blues fan ever since.

--
Mike

 

[KB2GOM]

I'm somewhat of a music "nut". The "most interesting" thing I heard (not lately) was Nights In White Satin in 1967. Been a Moody Blues fan ever since.

--
Mike

Well, for me, the first time I heard Earl Scruggs rip into Foggy Mountain Breakdown was like being hit by lightning.

However, I was hoping for recent interesting stuff.

 

[Token]

Part of the problem is, what I hear here on the west coast is not going to be the same thing you hear at your location. Also, it depends on what you call "interesting".

I typically hear a lot of military stuff, but because of my location I hear a lot of Asian mil stuff in the morning.

5685 kHz, USB, Probable JSDF, 3 units that sound like they are working an air defense tracking net.
5708 kHz, USB, Probable JSDF, 2 stations working traffic, shifted to STANAG 4481 FSK, and later ALE. Came back on voice later.
5757 kHz, USB, US mil, several aircraft, prosecuting ground targets. It was obviously training against SAM systems, probably at UTTR.
6827 and 5156 kHz, USB, radio checks and status reports from various units, 29 Palms.
4090 kHz, LSB, assumed Chinese mil, VC03.
Multiple frequencies (freqs change every month, 4 freqs per month), Chinese mil, VC01.
6435 kHz, USB, probable Mexican mil, several OMs, SS, including English phonetics.

Periodically you can hear US Navy exercises at sea, often air tracking evolutions. But those are not on fixed freqs, you just have to hunt around and find them.

Lots of different numbers stations, Asian, Siberian, and occasionally European.

Occasionally you hear "oddities", weird transmissions such as John F Kennedy's "Ask Not" speech, FDRs "Fear Itself" speech, on weird frequencies. One assumption is that these are SIGINT training transmissions.

There is still stuff to be heard on SSB, you just have to hunt for it.

T!

 

[KB2GOM]

Part of the problem is, what I hear here on the west coast is not going to be the same thing you hear at your location. Also, it depends on what you call "interesting".

I typically hear a lot of military stuff, but because of my location I hear a lot of Asian mil stuff in the morning.

5685 kHz, USB, Probable JSDF, 3 units that sound like they are working an air defense tracking net.
5708 kHz, USB, Probable JSDF, 2 stations working traffic, shifted to STANAG 4481 FSK, and later ALE. Came back on voice later.
5757 kHz, USB, US mil, several aircraft, prosecuting ground targets. It was obviously training against SAM systems, probably at UTTR.
6827 and 5156 kHz, USB, radio checks and status reports from various units, 29 Palms.
4090 kHz, LSB, assumed Chinese mil, VC03.
Multiple frequencies (freqs change every month, 4 freqs per month), Chinese mil, VC01.
6435 kHz, USB, probable Mexican mil, several OMs, SS, including English phonetics.

Periodically you can hear US Navy exercises at sea, often air tracking evolutions. But those are not on fixed freqs, you just have to hunt around and find them.

Lots of different numbers stations, Asian, Siberian, and occasionally European.

Occasionally you hear "oddities", weird transmissions such as John F Kennedy's "Ask Not" speech, FDRs "Fear Itself" speech, on weird frequencies. One assumption is that these are SIGINT training transmissions.

There is still stuff to be heard on SSB, you just have to hunt for it.

T!

Thanks for your encouraging post.

 

[krokus]

While on shift at a remote HF receiver site, I would spend some time tuning around, and I stumbled into a MARS phone patch. I could only hear the troops, until I brought up another receiver, patched to an antenna point toward the USA. It was a way to pass time in the shift.

 

[k7ng]

HF SSB is alive & well. In general, the most "interesting" non-ham SSB doesn't last very long (like mere seconds). The less interesting, the longer it runs.

Aircraft LDOC (flying over ocean regions) can readily be found - but in general isn't exciting until some plane has a problem of some sort. English is the common language for aviation communications everywhere (almost).

Depending on how many languages you are proficient in, the more interesting voice SSB transmissions you might be able to log.
A spectrum / waterfall display is of great help in catching active frequencies. You get that with any SDR.
Frequencies? Try any range between a ham band and an 'international broadcast' band, e.g. 7.5 - 9 MHz. Or you could narrow your search by looking into one service at a time.

Be patient. You'll find interesting stuff.