[HCDX]: Fwd:AFN Transmissions Location Found!

["Jascha Ruesseler" <ruessele@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

hi, folks,

think that this is of interest to you.
73
jascha

> Date:          Mon, 3 Aug 1998 09:35:34 -0400
> To:            wun@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> From:          Larry Van Horn <steditor@xxxxxxxxx>
> Subject:       [WUN] AFN Transmissions Location Found!
> Cc:            milcom@xxxxxxx, swl@xxxxxxx, ulis@xxxxxxxxxxxxx, g.serra@xxxxxx,
>                cumbreedtitor@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
> Reply-to:      Larry Van Horn <steditor@xxxxxxxxx>

> FLASH TRAFFIC!!!
> 
> As most of you know we have been enjoying 24/7 broadcasts from American
> Forces Network (AFN) on two shortwave utility frequencies from an unknown
> location (s) for well over a week now. 
> 
> When these broadcasts first started and only the 12 MHz (12689.5 USB) freq
> was up, we thought that these broadcasts could be associated with the
> ongoing multinational Rimpac 98 exercise being conducted in the Pacific. But
> that theory was quickly shattered when the 4 MHz (4278.5 USB) frequency was
> discovered the next day.
> 
> Here at our Brasstown NC location we get the 4 MHz transmission 24/7 which
> immediately ruled out transmitters serving the Pacific or in the Pacific. 
> 
> To further narrow down the search area for these transmissions late last
> week I did several sweeps of the 4 MHz CW band for marine station CW marker
> beacons to see who else was on the band during broad daylight when I was
> hearing the AFN broadcasts. Based on comprehensive spectrum sweeps during
> daylight hours it was quite obvious our 4 MHz transmitter was east of the
> Mississippi. Also based on government frequency allocation information and
> the spectrum location of both stations (marine CW coastal subband) we
> strongly believed that these two frequencies were being broadcasts by a US
> Navy communications station (comsta).
> 
> Further monitoring by a couple of Satellite Times magazine staffers north of
> Brasstown NC in VA/NY and south in FL indicated that the transmitter was NOT
> north of the Mason Dixon (grits) line. ;-) In fact my Florida companion
> indicated a much stronger signal on 4 MHz in the daytime than I was getting.
> The only Navy comsta that fit was in Puerto Rico.
> 
> I then contacted a few military friends (it pays to be an old Navy chief)
> last Friday and proposed my Puerto Rico navcomsta theory. I now have
> confirmation from two independent sources that the broadcasts on 4 and 12
> MHz are being transmitted from the US Navy communications station in
> Isabella, Puerto Rico. Neither source would confirm why these transmissions
> were being broadcasts, only the location and source of the transmissions.
> 
> I will continue to work this story and try and come up with why these
> broadcasts are happening and how long they will be available. At least now
> we can answer the who and where questions and only the why remains.
> 
> 73 all,
> 
> Larry Van Horn
> Assistant Editor
> Monitoring Times magazine
> 
> 
> * * * * * * 
> Satellite Times Magazine - We cover space from LEO to GEO and beyond.
> ST Home Page: http://www.grove-ent.com/hmpgst.html
> Telephone: (828) 837-9200; Fax (828) 837-2216
> Toll Free 800-438-8155 in the US and Canada
> Brasstown, NC USA: 35 deg 2'46.3"N, 83 deg 56'28"W
> 
> --
> This is the WUN mailing list. WUN is the Worldwide UTE News Club, a
> non-profit hobby club formed Jan.1995 to promote the sharing of info
> about the shortwave utility hobby. WUN is not associated with any
> company or group and does not require dues.  For further info see
> the club webpage at http://www.gem.net/~berri/wun
> 
_____________________________________________
J. Ruesseler
rx: Yaesu FRG 8800 + FRA 7700 + random wires
central Germany

73 000 000 ZNN
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