priyom.org

Hello Shortwave fans

Time to bore you with IT stuff.

The backend database is back up and running, so the messages pages will work now.

We got the DNS records sorted, but the webserver had cached the entry. So I recompiled priyom.org's cache code and uploaded it, problem solved.

If anyone is curious, priyom.org is a shining example of collaboration between the Linux and Windows world.

Our front end is a .NET 4.0 C# based website, our backend is a Linux/MySql/Python system. We use XML and some decent traffic management to get the systems to talk to each other.

The whole of the code for the site, front and back ends is available on github, so have a look if your curious.

Anyways, back to radio stuff now..

73

Webweasel

Hello Shortwave fans.

The site will be working, but none of our numberstations pages will display logged messages right now.

We are migrating the backend webservice but the DNS records have not applied properly for the website host.

So a support ticket is raised and we are waiting on them...

Hopefully back soon/

73

Webweasel

Hello shortwave fans.

Well, I finally got back into listening to my radio after about a year of doing other things and after logging a few stations I had a look at our pages.

I was very dissapointed to see that after having the website up for 3 years we had not really made any progress on something as simple as displaying the frequency of the station we had logged.

So this morning Horrorcat and I were determined to get this working and we now have, the pages are updated.

Finally! It only took 3 years for me to get my ass in gear and make the changes on the site, but its done and it works wonderfully.

Ill also be working on a historical frequency table as a summary page on the stations pages, showing the list of frequencies used in the past. It was always our intention to do prediction based on past frequencies and how they change overtime, so you might see that appear on the site in the near future.

If you have any comments please join us in the IRC channel, all criticism is welcome, positive or otherwise.

Take it easy everyone.

Webweasel

Hi,
I just wanted to note, that i am going through archives of buzzers recordings and updating the logs pages for the buzzer. so you might want to check on them, if you wanted to do some work and found pages neglected.

What a coincidence! Moments after writing the previous blog post about a breakdown on S30 (the Pip) I turned on the radio and tuned to S32 (Squeaky Wheel, a station strongly connected to S30 and also S28) and it also endured a breakdown of it's own! This one, however, doesn't break down in the same wind-down fashion of S28 & S30 but instead the channel marker repeatedly turns on and off in a sporadic manner. This malfunction occured between 0113z and 0239z, a whole hour and 26 minutes until it stabilised!

This is the second time I have caught the S32 channel marker failing, though this failure seems much more problematic than the previous one in which the marker turned off, moments later returning with the normal pitch and tempo but missing one of it's two tones. The error must have been noticed quickly by technicians as the marker was quickly taken off air, only to return seconds later in standard working order. A few moments later the marker went down again but this time a voice message was given - though when the messge finished and the marker resumed service it did fail again by missing a few cycles, soon resuming normal service and providing no further problems. Coincidentally this occurance was exactly 7 months ago to the day (below stated date and time for transmissions are in UTC, making both occurances in the early hours of the 25th day of their respective months).

Linked below are recordings of the previous breakdown and the recent, for the sake of space saving I have cut a sample of the recent breakdown as the full recording is an hour and a half in length. I have also linked the cutting from the recording where the marker finally stabilises once again.

Previously observed breakdown on April 24th 2012 - /media/58104/s32-3828usb-20120411-2118z-breakdown-bygwraspe.ogg

Currently observed breakdown on November 25th 2012 - /media/60928/s32-3828usb-20121125-0113z-breakdown-bygwraspe.ogg

Channel marker stabilises after 1 hour and 26 minutes at 0239z - /media/60950/3828u_wheel_finally_stabilises_an_hour_and_a_half_after_breaking_down.ogg

This gives further weight to the idea that S30 and S32 are co-located and backs up that the stations are co-related at least, adding to the facts that in good radio conditions you can hear the S30 channel marker in the background of voice transmissions from S32 and that S32 transmits in the voice flash message format 4 minutes after each time S30 transmits such a message (though only the message format is identical, the content differs between the two stations).

SK

Gwraspe

Gwraspe@priyom.org

Recordings by Gwraspe.

OK so I wasn't expecting to do two blogposts tonight but something well worth noting has just been brought to our attention. Argonn, a member of the Priyom group, has recently been monitoring S30 quite intensively and in his recording tonight he has stumbled upon a real gem.

The Pip, channel marker of S30, broke down tonight (November 24th 2012) at 2309z. This is interesting enough on it's own but extra relevance is brought about by the way in which the breakdown occured. Just like we've heard many times with the well known Buzzer, channel marker of S28, the Pip slowly 'wound down' as if an analogue/mechanical device is discipating it's power - or as Argonn himself quoted "Some kind of engine-propelled flywheel using belt, and the belt just failed?" This strengthens the already notable connection between the two above-mentioned stations.

You can find linked below a comparison breakdown of the buzzer and also the original link for Argonn's recording which is available on his soundcloud page.

 

Pip breakdown - http://soundcloud.com/netba/s30-the-pip-3756khz-2012-11-8

Buzzer breakdown - /media/57569/s28-4625usb-20120319-1110z-breakdown-byavare.ogg

SK

Gwraspe

Gwraspe@priyom.org

S30 recordings by Argonn & Avare.

It has been a busy day for the morse & oddity oriented members of Priyom today, noting transmissions from all different kinds of morse station - several of which are quite odd.

The first one to mention is good old M18, a Russian operated time station which gives a continuous update of the current time for several timezones.

The mostly observed timezone for M18 is MSK (Moscow time) but in the current transmission which I first observed last night (23rd Nov.) on 3803kHz there have been 2 timezones given but no MSK time;

23rd Nov. 2320z - Time given as 0820 (UTC+9) 

24th Nov. 2128z - Time given as 1228 (UTC+15) 

Both of those logs are hyperlinks to their respective recordings, the odd thing to note here is that there is no such timezone as UTC+15, bringing into question the purpose of that broadcast. The same timezone is currently being witnessed (current time 2228z).

 

Next up are a couple of naval broadcasts. Today at 1125z I caught a Russian naval flash message on frequency 4565kHz which was odd in several ways. The first oddity I note is a lesser oddity than the other two but is worth a mention, the callsign the message sends is one I, nor anyone I've yet spoken to, recognises. The second oddity is the inclusion of a third group of 4 numbers after the word in the message, this is something I personally have never come across in historical logs or during my own monitoring periods. Finally, this message was repeated 3 times whereby these flash messages are typically repeated twice. The below transcriptions in latin and cyrillic CW are hyperlinked to the recording of said message.

ЬЬЬ ЬЬЬ ГЩВ6 ГЩВ6 35431 ПРОИЗНОШЕНИЕ 6658 0025 4710 К 

XXX XXX GQV6 GQV6 35431 PROIZNOQENIE 6658 0025 4710 K

The latin CW for 'Q' translates directly to Shch in cyrillic, so the call in latin is actually then GShchV6. A fun fact, the Russian word 'произношение' means 'pronunciation'.

Another transmission I caught today is one I believe to be of CIS naval use but I am unsure, verification on these callsigns would be warmly appreciated. I unfortunately have no recording for this log but the contents was captured in full. Interestingly this transmission was multicasted on two frequencies.

2055z on frequencies 3825kHz & 3862kHz - FAGI DE 2W8O K repeated 4 times with roughly half-minute gaps between which was followed one minute later by a single keying of VVV K. No traffic has been heard on the frequency since.

M21 - another of the Russian military morse stations was noted at 1640z today by Token, though no transcription was obtained.

 

The final morse oddity we noted today also encorporates voiced number stations. As Tucana tuned his receiver to 6433kHz near 1325z in anticipation of a G11 broadcast he noticed S11a was on frequency finishing a message. This was not a message from a currently known broadcast schedule. The message finished around 1324z and right on time some seconds later at 1325z there were some tuning tones and G11 began giving it's null message of 299/00. This was odd enough but moments after G11 ended it's transmission there was some morse of equal signal strength, noted by several listeners in seperate countries. This caught us all off guard and so most of it was missed, but the below log is hyperlinked to a recording of the final sending from this station.

Before the recording was started I logged the sending of "QRJ? K", then the recording began which I have cut here for the purpose of convenience (there was over 7 minutes of dead air in there).

GK I QOK K<-- In this instance, QOK is not followed by a question mark, which means 'last transmission was ok'.

 

Logged below are also M01 and an M03 captures from today. Unfortunately neither of the logs are accompanied by recordings.

M01 1500z 5810kHz - Several numbers missed due to heavy fading. Trancription by Tucana.

197 149 30 = 96587 50964 17800 01377 65804 35914 ????? 55722 73108 38419 ????? ????? 04311 16222 34320 52269 78??? 08666 60270 45164 83040 91614 20733 18314 65054 87227 35280 76388 60288 94523 = 149 000

M03 1535z 5358kHz - Transcription by Gwraspe.

790/31 = 11030 59598 01641 14798 74624 68877 29451 40383 49623 86914
39510 82596 73379 68209 49675 96461 57743 96503 88180 95141
21801 36148 24995 26641 95076 97446 76029 58428 40439 29745
28066 790/31 = 000

 

That's all for the morse today but there is one other oddity well worth a mention, noise station XM has been active continuously on frequency 4054kHz for 3 days & nights and is still currently on air. Below are recordings I have obtained from each night thus far.

22nd Nov. at time 2235z- Note that at several points in the recording form 00:47 in the turns off and back on.

23rd Nov. at time 2315z 

24th Nov. at time 1450z 

73s,

Gwraspe

Gwraspe@priyom.org

Logs by Gwraspe, Tucana & Token, recordings by Gwraspe.

Hello number station and shortwave fans!

Due to internal commitments we have had trouble updating schedules for November and December resulting in incorrect times, frequencies and low volume. Now that is fixed and the calendar has been updated for the end of  November and all the way up until December 31st. All information has been taken from ENIGMA 2000 November newsletter issue 73 with their expressed permission as per agreements betweenthe two groups.

I also have included two daily frequencies for famous Cuban V02a number station. Lately because of good conditions this station was received in Western Europe, reported by me and some of the members of the #priyom IRC channel.

We have not given on up our commitment to monitor and research number stations and military stations such as S28 (MDZhB, the Buzzer, UVB-76 etc.), we apologise for inconveniences arising from the calendar updating delay but would like to stress that this information is freely available in it's original form from the ENIGMA 2000 website and newsletters and all efforts should be made to obtain information from there as well as the Priyom Group website. For now I, Gold88 - the newest priyom team member, will take on the duty of updating the calendar.

And of course all the credit goes to ENIGMA 2000, who originally made these schedules, their latest newsletter can be found here: http://www.brogers.dsl.pipex.com/enigma2000/nletter03.html

 

Best regards!

 

Gold88

The Priyom team      

Edit 11.10.2012 1405z, typo "ВЕРАМИТИН" corrected to "ВЕРАМИТАН".

Pip sent a message today (10.10.2012) at 1608z on 3756 kHz using a new format.

All the previous messages Pip has sent have been either Для (Dlya) type propagation test messages or "real" messages with a 8С1Щ (8S1Shch) call sign.

The new message is addressed to 3 call signs, two of them are familiar from the 80 call sign rotation pool that is used for the Для (Dlya) propagation test messages, and the remaining one is just one character different (42БВ vs. 62БВ) which might suggest a possible transcription error.

The message structure is similar to the common Buzzer (S28) message format, each call sign having a 2fg 3fg "instruction group" followed by a shared code word and four 2fg groups.

 

S30 3756USB 20121010 1608z by Avare

8МУО 42БВ ПМВ5 42 956 23 239 30 488 ОПАСНЫЙ 75 64 18 09
8MUO 42BV PMV5 42 956 23 239 30 488 OPASNYJ 75 64 18 09

 

 

UPDATE!
A new rare message was sent at 1730z on 3756 kHz. This one consisted of 8МУО (8MUO) call sign for the second time ever and included two code word & number groups, a rarity in on itself as this format has only been reported once even from the common call sign 8С1Щ (8S1Shch).

S30 3756USB 20121010 1730z by Avare

8МУО 53 597 МЕЛОВАТЫЙ 39 08 86 94 СКОПУЛИТ 69 72 83 78
8MUO 53 597 MELOVATYJ 39 08 86 94 SKOPULIT 69 72 83 78

 

As a side note, there was a Для (Dlya) propagation test message at 1747z which did not include any of the call signs that have received actual traffic today, nor does it list any previously unknown calls.

S30 3756USB 20121010 1747z by Avare

Для Ф61Н 37ЦН МУДР 7ВНЩ Ж7НЖ ЫМА5 ВТХ3 АГДТ ЬУ1Б ОСОГ
Dlya F61N 37CN MUDR 7VNShch Zh7NZh YMA5 VTH3 AGDT 'U1B OSOG

 

 

UPDATE 2!
Heavy traffic with new call signs continues on Pip. Within 22 minutes there were three new messages, all with the 3 calls used at 1608z today, all with similar formats of unique 2fg 3fg "instruction groups" followed by one code word and corresponding numbers.

S30 3756USB 20121010 1808z by Tucana

8МУО 42БВ ПМВ5 16 378 53 213 88 901 БЫТНОСТЬ 66 80 83 84
8MUO 42BV PMV5 16 378 53 213 88 901 BYTNOST' 66 80 83 84

S30 3756USB 20121010 1815z by Tucana

8МУО 42БВ ПМВ5 57 089 94 545 16 546 ВЕРАМИТАН 33 66 84 60
8MUO 42BV PMV5 57 089 94 545 16 546 VYeRAMITAN 33 66 84 60

S30 3756USB 20121010 1830z by Tucana

8МУО 42БВ ПМВ5 22 516 69 595 95 805 ВВЫЗАНЬЕ 24 52 58 94
8MUO 42BV PMV5 22 516 69 595 95 805 VVYZAN'Ye 24 52 58 94

On the first reading the operator made a mistake: "22...25...25 516", not acknowledging the error he made by reading "25" as "22".

 

Many thanks to everyone involved in monitoring the station, providing recordings and transcriptions!
I'll try to keep you updated on any new developments.

 

---
Tucana
tucana@priyom.org

Hey guys.

Today I spent 2 hours downloading files from my old archive, converting them to Ogg Vorbis and renaming them to match Priyom file naming scheme.

The package contains recordings dating back to August 23, 2010 (NAIMINA message) to February 5, 2011, i.e. when I stopped working on it and a study page* in favour of Priyom, which was then a completely new site.

It's a big file (71.2 MB), so I could not upload it here, but you can download it from RapidShare.

I uploaded it solely for historical purposes.

Best regards
danix111.

 

* - if you're new here, I used to maintain a page with a list of facts about the buzzer and all its noted messages. This was the direct inspiration for Priyom. It used to be located at http://danix111.cba.pl/ns/uvb-76.html