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Howdy all.
There is a signal on 22819 kHz USB, and several associated signals and freqs, that has raised a few questions in a few different forums around the nets of late. I thought I would start a thread to work towards finding an answer.
I do not know what the signal is or where it is from, although I have a few ideas. It is easier to say what the signal is not than what it is. The purpose of this thread is to expose people to the signal and its existence, and see if participants can come up with supportable ideas on the source and usage of the signal. On the web I have seen suggestions of everything from experimental data modes and HAARP to aliens calling Sheldon home. I suppose anything is fair game if you can justify / support the suggestion. I would prefer to see no WAGs, but hey, it is bound to happen
Recently the signal has been a sweeping sound when you tune to 22819 kHz in the USB mode. The swept width of the audio is about 2000 Hz, when tuned to 22819 the audio is roughly from 500 Hz to 2500 Hz. Since the real purpose of the signal is unknown I suppose it could just as well be 22822 kHz LSB. The center of the audio bandwidth is roughly 22820.5 kHz. I will refer to it as if tuned to 22819 kHz in USB.
The signal is normally on the air before 1300 UTC, and off about 2000 UTC, daily. That start time is suspect and might be a function of when propagation opens up for me. The stop time is fairly firm, I often see it leave the air, not fade out. It has worked outside those times, but those are its most common.
Recently the signal has most commonly swept up in frequency. In the past other waveforms were often seen. I have been watching this signal off and on since early 2012.
In the US the frequency is licensed to several stations, notably WPG and WLO.
To get the discussion started, and for people who have never heard it or are in a location that does not receive it, I have put up a Youtube video of it here: Oddity Station, Unknown purpose, multiple waveforms, 22819 kHz, USB, multiple dates - YouTube
The first 45 seconds of that video are of the signal as it is seen most often today. The rest of the video samples modes it has used in the past. At one point in the video I show the frequency occupied by the “drifty MFSK”, or the “Snake Charmer Flute” as Hugh Stegman called it in his article in the August 2013 Monitoring Times.
Video centered on the Drifty MFSK can be found here: Oddity station, Unknown, multiple waveforms and frequencies, 14756, 16926.5, 17299 kHz, Sep 15, 2013 - YouTube
It is important to note, the swept signal and the drifty MFSK are somehow connected. As the video of the swept signal shows the drifty MFSK has been on the same freq, but also the swept signal has been seen at one time or another on almost all of the frequencies the drifty MFSK has been seen on. Most commonly the swept signal is on 22819 kHz and the drifty MFSK on the others.
I guess the drifty MFSK might be a subject for this thread also
Frequencies that have supported the drifty MFSK and the swept signal:
14756 kHz
16913.5 kHz
16926.5 kHz
16929 kHz
16986.5 kHz
17299 kHz
17383 kHz
19281.5 kHz
19776 kHz
22483.5 kHz
22819 kHz
Frequencies that have supported a very similar but not quite same signal:
22753 kHz
26151 kHz
Let the speculation begin.
T!
(edit) Sorry, I did not think about the faux pas of starting a second thread when one was already one active on the subject, I was trying to not hijack that thread.
There is a signal on 22819 kHz USB, and several associated signals and freqs, that has raised a few questions in a few different forums around the nets of late. I thought I would start a thread to work towards finding an answer.
I do not know what the signal is or where it is from, although I have a few ideas. It is easier to say what the signal is not than what it is. The purpose of this thread is to expose people to the signal and its existence, and see if participants can come up with supportable ideas on the source and usage of the signal. On the web I have seen suggestions of everything from experimental data modes and HAARP to aliens calling Sheldon home. I suppose anything is fair game if you can justify / support the suggestion. I would prefer to see no WAGs, but hey, it is bound to happen
Recently the signal has been a sweeping sound when you tune to 22819 kHz in the USB mode. The swept width of the audio is about 2000 Hz, when tuned to 22819 the audio is roughly from 500 Hz to 2500 Hz. Since the real purpose of the signal is unknown I suppose it could just as well be 22822 kHz LSB. The center of the audio bandwidth is roughly 22820.5 kHz. I will refer to it as if tuned to 22819 kHz in USB.
The signal is normally on the air before 1300 UTC, and off about 2000 UTC, daily. That start time is suspect and might be a function of when propagation opens up for me. The stop time is fairly firm, I often see it leave the air, not fade out. It has worked outside those times, but those are its most common.
Recently the signal has most commonly swept up in frequency. In the past other waveforms were often seen. I have been watching this signal off and on since early 2012.
In the US the frequency is licensed to several stations, notably WPG and WLO.
To get the discussion started, and for people who have never heard it or are in a location that does not receive it, I have put up a Youtube video of it here: Oddity Station, Unknown purpose, multiple waveforms, 22819 kHz, USB, multiple dates - YouTube
The first 45 seconds of that video are of the signal as it is seen most often today. The rest of the video samples modes it has used in the past. At one point in the video I show the frequency occupied by the “drifty MFSK”, or the “Snake Charmer Flute” as Hugh Stegman called it in his article in the August 2013 Monitoring Times.
Video centered on the Drifty MFSK can be found here: Oddity station, Unknown, multiple waveforms and frequencies, 14756, 16926.5, 17299 kHz, Sep 15, 2013 - YouTube
It is important to note, the swept signal and the drifty MFSK are somehow connected. As the video of the swept signal shows the drifty MFSK has been on the same freq, but also the swept signal has been seen at one time or another on almost all of the frequencies the drifty MFSK has been seen on. Most commonly the swept signal is on 22819 kHz and the drifty MFSK on the others.
I guess the drifty MFSK might be a subject for this thread also
Frequencies that have supported the drifty MFSK and the swept signal:
14756 kHz
16913.5 kHz
16926.5 kHz
16929 kHz
16986.5 kHz
17299 kHz
17383 kHz
19281.5 kHz
19776 kHz
22483.5 kHz
22819 kHz
Frequencies that have supported a very similar but not quite same signal:
22753 kHz
26151 kHz
Let the speculation begin.
T!
(edit) Sorry, I did not think about the faux pas of starting a second thread when one was already one active on the subject, I was trying to not hijack that thread.
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