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May 5, 2015 at 3:11 am #817334
tricknologyParticipantI’m getting this strange signal over my stereo speakers via my magnetic turntable cartridge. Can anyone confirm that it’s shortwave and not some secret numbers station broadcasting clandestinely from Burien?
The voice sounds human but it’s indiscernible:
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8ydp9wnaf7mgqaj/AADipUlHLcQjBsh9kkF1O3PAa?dl=0
May 5, 2015 at 8:41 am #823949
JeannieParticipantBump, because this is rather intriguing. The explanation is probably mundane, but I like to think it’s spirits calling from The Other Side.
May 5, 2015 at 9:53 am #823950
WSBKeymasterI can’t hear the files but two things:
#1 – Don’t suppose you’re near the “car remotes don’t work here” zone of mystery south of Morgan Junction?
#2 – If this was any time near 6:30 pm, we have a new calendar entry for the West Seattle Amateur Radio Club’s on-air “meetings” – see the listing in our “West Seattle Monday” preview on the home page …
Good luck with solving the mystery.
-TR
May 5, 2015 at 5:58 pm #823951
PatrickKeymasterSounds like you have a ham operator near by. The things that sound like numbers are probably his call sign.
May 5, 2015 at 9:02 pm #823952
valvashonParticipantThis is most likely a ham/shortwave operator. You can’t understand it because it’s in sideband. On an AM (shortwave broadcast) signal (such as the Voice of America), there is a carrier and the voice or music information is modulated on either side of it. It’s easy to tune in for the general public and the sound quality is generally good, but it’s inefficient and uses a lot of transmit power. Hams usually operate with just a single sideband, giving them the ability to reach the same distance as an AM modulated signal with much less transmit power. The tradeoffs are reduced quality and difficulty for the average listener to tune in the signal. Part of the fun of being a ham radio operator, I guess. If your turntable and other equipment is properly grounded, the ham needs to take steps to reduce or eliminate the interference to you by using filters and transmission line with better shielding, for example.
Today’s FCC is a paper tiger beholden entirely to the broadcast industry, so good luck getting help from Uncle Charlie. There’s a number of good articles over at diymedia.net about the recent cutbacks in staff, regional bureaus and enforcement.
May 5, 2015 at 11:53 pm #823953
trickycooljParticipantLooks like I’ll have to use a desktop to listen, but I would suspect either a HAM just got a new antenna or a rogue radio station. I recall a recent news release that several hyperlocal radio stations were going live soon but I don’t remember if any were near West Seattle. We had friends back in the 1980s that lived near an FM radio station in the mid-west and it interfered with everything in their house, even the telephone.
May 6, 2015 at 12:11 am #823954
WSBKeymasterTricky – no. While one of those radio stations claimed to technically be “serving” part of West Seattle (from Seattle U on Cap Hill, I believe), none are broadcasting *from* here.
May 6, 2015 at 12:37 am #823955
trickycooljParticipantOh it’s a HAM! In the 3rd transmission you can tell he’s calling out and looking for responses with his callsign. If memory serves me WA licenses have a 7 in them, and he’s definitely saying seven.
And after a few more listens:
Wiskey (garbled) 7 [more letters maybe KTFH?]
If we can figure out the callsign you can look them up on ARRL.org. I’ll forward the link to my dad, he’s a HAM in the south sound.
May 6, 2015 at 1:28 am #823956
trickycooljParticipantDad said the same as Valvashon it’s single side band and he needs a beat frequency oscillator. My dad used to interfere this bad in his parents house in Germany and it went through cement walls. We think the call sign starts with WH7. Maybe the local club might have an idea who around here could be transmitting near by with that call sign.
May 6, 2015 at 2:24 am #823957
tricknologyParticipantThanks everyone! I don’t really want to come down on the guy, I was really just curious. I at least need to work on my grounding a bit to make sure it’s not my fault before scaling his antenna in protest ;)
But thanks for the very informative assistance here!
May 6, 2015 at 4:49 am #823958
Arbor Heights PeacefulParticipantSilly question but could these radio waves interfere with my local TV station reception that I get through one of those converter boxes? About 1 week ago no local TV stations came in clear, they all had horrible interference – something was corrupting the TV reception. Thanks for feedback :)
May 6, 2015 at 7:18 am #823959
trickycooljParticipantNo. They do not broadcast on the same frequencies.
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