Unknown Volmet 11253 - 11159

[Rick1959]

The below unknown Volmet station appeared a few days ago, broadcasting on 11.253 and 11.159 upper. Best reception appears to be in the central US, although WUN members have logged both frequencies on Euro rigs. It should be noted the reception on the Euro rigs is quite degraded.Also, as far as I know the station has not been copied in South America. Unsure about the Far East. The station does not ID but ends each report with a short "Military Lot #1" statement. That number will vary throughout the evening. Also, interesting is the Air Fields covered in the report; Baghdad International, Kandahar and Ascension Island, really to many to mention all. The below clip was captured on Friday 8-8 around 2200 GMT on a Colorado SDR.

Unknown Volmet 11.253 Mhz. by rickf on SoundCloud - Hear the world

 

[brandon]

Rock solid signal here in California on 11159.

 

[Intellifax]

Have them both, identical traffic, no delay. 11253 is known to be RAF Volmet from the St Eval comm station. 11159 is new to me, but is the stronger of the 2 frequencies, suggesting a different transmitter location. Andrews, McClellan, etc, used to use 11159 as a discrete (F919), but haven't heard that one in a while.

 

[jcherepy]

The Website <http://www.dxinfocentre.com/volmet-wx.htm> lists this as RAF Volmet.

 

[autovon]

11159 S6 in Nebraska

 

[Intellifax]

Maybe using a transmitter at Offutt?

 

[chief52ptfd]

11159 S3 Michigan

 

[Turbo68]

I can hear Raf Volmet on 11253 USB in aussie land in the early hours of the mornning very strong signal..

Regards Lino..

 

[majoco]

UK RAF Volmet, probably St. Mawgan in Cornwall is the transmitter site. Girls computer generated voice, good signal on 5450 in the evenings here. They are doing a WeFax transmission at the moment 0323z on 11253, have copied them before on the grey line and they broadcast maps for all the routes over to Afghanistan or wherever the "current sphere of action" is.

VOLMET 5450 11253 H24

00/30
BENSON, COLTISHALL, CONINGSBY, LEEMING, LEUCHARS, LOSSIEMOUTH, MARHAM, ODIHAM, SHAWBURY, HANNOVER, GEILENKIRCHEN, GARDERMOEN, TRONDHEIM

06/36
ALDERGROVE, BIRMINGHAM, BRIZE, NORTON, CRANWELL, EAST MIDLANDS, KINLOSS, LYNEHAM, MANCHESTER, NORTHOLT, PRESTWICK, STANSTED, WADDINGTON

12/42
SPLIT, BUDAPEST, BARI, GIOIA DEL COLLE, AVIANO, RIMINI, ANCONA, ROME, CONSTANTA, BUCHAREST, PRISTINA, SKOPJE

18/48
KEFLAVIK, ASCENSION, BANJUL, DAKAR,GIBRALTAR, MOMBASA, NAIROBI, RIO DE JANEIRO, MONTEVIDEO, BRIZE, NORTON,LYNEHAM, WADDINGTON, FUJAIRAH

24/54
ADANA, AKROTIRI, AL UDEID, AMMAN,BASRAH, BAHRAIN, CARIO, KEBUL,KUWAIT, MUSCAT, AL KHARJ, SALALAH,THUMRAIT

 

[autovon]

UK RAF Volmet, probably St. Mawgan in Cornwall is the transmitter site. Girls computer generated voice, good signal on 5450 in the evenings here. They are doing a WeFax transmission at the moment 0323z on 11253, have copied them before on the grey line and they broadcast maps for all the routes over to Afghanistan or wherever the "current sphere of action" is.
/QUOTE]

11159 is S9 here this morning. I think you're right. Just listened to the :42 forecast and it was pretty much what you listed.

 

[Token]

The Website <http://www.dxinfocentre.com/volmet-wx.htm> lists this as RAF Volmet.

I think they added that freq to the list on the site after it started being reported on forums, I did not check myself but others reported this freq was not on that web site when the freq was first noted. Although I cannot speak for whoever runs the site I imagine they probably labled it RAF VOLMET because it carries the same audio as 11253 and 5450 kHz. In this case it might be a tail wagging the dog.

T!

 

[Token]

Have them both, identical traffic, no delay. 11253 is known to be RAF Volmet from the St Eval comm station. 11159 is new to me, but is the stronger of the 2 frequencies, suggesting a different transmitter location.

Interesting that there was no delay when you listened. I assume you put a radio on each freq and compared the audio simultaneously? Over the past several days I have done that a couple of times and there has been a slight time delta between the two freqs, on the order of a quarter second or so at times, although I have not attempted to carefully measure the actual delay.

UK RAF Volmet, probably St. Mawgan in Cornwall is the transmitter site. Girls computer generated voice, good signal on 5450 in the evenings here. They are doing a WeFax transmission at the moment 0323z on 11253, have copied them before on the grey line and they broadcast maps for all the routes over to Afghanistan or wherever the "current sphere of action" is.

majoco, 11159 kHz is almost certainly not Cornwall, even though it carries the same audio as 5450 and 11253 kHz.

11159 kHz has been heard here in the Mojave Desert any time of the day or night I check for it. It has never been gone so far every time I have looked for the past couple days, day or night, although it can range from just detectable to 20+ over S9. 11253 is often gone for extended periods.

Also, the signal is extremely strong on remotes in Arizona and Colorado most of the time.

A good case can be made for it being on the west coast of the US, although I tend to lean towards a bit more inland than the coast.

T!

 

[lanbergld]

Delete.

 

[majoco]

In that case I would hazard a guess that they have opened up a relay station on Ascension again - it was used during the Falklands 'war'. I hear nothing on 11159 but there is a faint audio on 11253 at 2030z. 5450 was there an hour or so ago when it was just dawn.

I'll do some more sleuthing.....

Ascension is absolutely bristling with antennas - not just UK Airforce stuff either.....

http://www.thelivingmoon.com/45jack_files/03files/ECHELON_Ascension_Island.html

 

[Token]

In that case I would hazard a guess that they have opened up a relay station on Ascension again - it was used during the Falklands 'war'. I hear nothing on 11159 but there is a faint audio on 11253 at 2030z. 5450 was there an hour or so ago when it was just dawn.

I'll do some more sleuthing.....

Ascension is absolutely bristling with antennas - not just UK Airforce stuff either.....

ECHELON US Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station Far East Detachment, Diego Garcia

Ascension is very, very, unlikely. The distance from me to Ascension is a tad over 11700 km, but I can hear the 11159 kHz signal all the time, 24 hours a day, sometimes only just detectable, but most of the time S6 or more, often well over S9. That frequency would not support that kind of distance around the clock.

T!

 

[majoco]

I see now that the signal is very strong in the US West, so you are probably right. Perhaps there is a joint forces exercise going on, but then you would have heard more action on 11175. Seems strange that they would broadcast the weather for the mid - Europe through a transmitter over the west of the US?

Anyone near Trenton getting it loud'n'clear?

 

[metal57]

The recording of 11253 is without doubt the RAF volmet transmitted from St. Eval. As for 11159 this frequency is not audible in the UK at 22:49Z. I will have a listen tomorrow and see if I can catch any activity on the frequency. For some reason on 30/31st July, RAF volmet was also being transmitted on 11220.

 

[ridgescan]

FWIW adding in here to Token's posts-I'm getting 11159u here in SFO now good copy s6 and also get them all day at varying strengths but naturally strongest in my evening time.

 

[Rick1959]

Just a quick update on the possible location of the transmission site for 11159. I just reviewed over 100 messages from the various ute sites I belong to including UDXF and HF Monitors. I would guess 25-30 of the messages were in reference to our new mystery station, she's become quite popular.

The current thinking appears to be that the transmitter may be located in 1) Western Canada possibly at any number of CANFORCE bases 2) Inland Western US. Ascension Island has been ruled out.

A few posters opined that the origin may be Creech AFB in Indian Springs, NV as the RAF has a permanent presence there.

Rick

 

[Token]

Have them both, identical traffic, no delay.

I have them both here right now, had to wait until 11253 came up to roughly the same level as 11159 kHz. Although it is the same audio on both frequencies there is a delay. 11253 kHz audio leads 11159 kHz by about half a word.

Video of both frequencies here (unfortunately it looks like YouTube has converted my stereo audio to mono, but the time delta can still be heard):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UEPY7P_xI-U

The left audio channel is 11159 kHz, the right audio channel is 11253 kHz. It can clearly be heard that 11253 kHz leads, slightly, the 11159 kHz audio.

T!