Re: [IRCA] Spooky MW tests from Oklahoma have started

[Glenn Hauser <wghauser@xxxxxxxxx>]

>From DXLD 7-085: There are two locations: Chilocco, Oklahoma, which is right at the Kansas border north of Ponca City, on an abandoned water tower at an Indian school; and Flying H [sounds like the name of a ranch/brand; is it?], New Mexico, which is in the back country SW of Roswell. Both mobile (suspect aeronautical) and fixed are authorized. The same callsign applies to both locations, WE2XFZ. 

Like last year`s tone tests from Virginia on 1610, 1020 and 590 kHz, each of these has three frequencies at the bottom, middle and top of the band, and ditto FM: 
Chilocco, OK: 540, 830, 1680 kHz, 92.3, 99.1, 107.5 MHz 
Flying H, NM: 530, 950, 1680 kHz, 88.3, 97.7, 107.3 MHz 

They are using a 2.5 and a 10 kW AM transmitter and 1 kW on FM, 5 kW ERP. They also mistakenly give ERPs for the MW frequencies. Tests will consist of 1 kHz tones or audio for 5-10 minutes. The equipment is capable of transmitting the callsign. 

NOTE: THERE COULD BE SHORTWAVE TESTS TOO --- PATROL THESE FREQUENCIES

A later filing is for shortwave frequencies too, with 1 kW on USB, LSB, AME, also from the same two locations, but different callsign, WE2XEV, on 

4015, 4085, 12115, 12185, 22015, 22085, 26115, 26185. 

NTIA has accepted these, but two more frequencies have not yet been accepted, 12415 and 12485 (DXLD 7-085 via DXLD 8-071) 

I too picked up the tone as reported by Glenn Hauser on June 16 on 540 kHz at 0853 UT on June 17, 2008 and it's still on at 0950 but I noticed that it fluctuates in pitch pretty close to every nine seconds. It seems to extend about one kHz on each side of 540 kHz. the signal shows five bars on my bar graph as I'm using a Grundig S350 for medium wave reception and it has no S-meter. I'll report any further reception (Rich Brock, Bridgewater, Pennsylvania, (Near Pittsburgh), Grundig S350, SW/NE long wire antenna, mwdx yg via DXLD)

Glenn: The station is sending a tone on 1680 kHz at this moment (17.6.08 at 1340 CDT [1840 UT]) with S9+20DB strength. Using my Sony SRF-T615 receiver I was able to null the signal roughly on a 120/300° axis. This pretty much pin points the signal as probably coming from Chilocco.

WE2XFZ shut down on 1680 kHz just before 1530 CDT [2030 UT]. It's now on 830 with S7 signal strength. No tone - yet. The 830 transmission ended at 1606 CDT [2106 UT] June 17 (Richard Allen, S of Billings OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Glenn, Richard and Kirk: Thanks for the tip on this. It probably explains what I heard today, June 17, 2008, on my 2004 Pontiac car radio with RDS for FM. At 5:14-5:23 P.M. Central Time or 2214-2223 UT, I heard a very loud tone on 107.5 MHz. It was easily s9+ from the sound of it. Since this is one of the frequencies mentioned for the test from Chilocco, it is probably what I was hearing. It was still there when I had to tune out to return to work. I will check the other frequencies that you mentioned. Interesting! I wonder what they are up to? :) (Carl DeWhitt, June 18, mwdx yg via DXLD) I think he is in Ponca City (gh)

Hello Carl, Yes, that’s probably what you heard on your Pontiac radio. 
I checked 540 kHz at 2:00 AM Eastern time this morning, 6-18-08, and the fluctuating tone that I described is still loud and clear. Check out the links that Glenn included in his e-mail. It’s confusing but from what I can gather the military, including the Navy and Homeland Security are or will be testing experimental sensors that detect biological threats and others. They also want to find out if and how bad these "broadcasts" interfere with other radio stations. I haven’t checked the FM frequencies. I’m sure that there are other reasons for these tests also (Rich Brock, Pittsburgh PA area, June 18, mwdx yg via DXLD)

WE2XFZ is testing on 1680 kHz at this moment (0921 CDT June 18 [1421 UT]). (Richard Allen, OK, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Good Morning Glenn and Richard, In regard to Richard`s email I just received: I just now checked both 540 and 1680 kHz at (0955 CDT), and I heard very weak 1 kHz tones on both the frequencies. Not even close to the strength of the signal I heard on 540 kHz Monday (Kirk Allen, Ponca City, ibid.)

I think they could have picked a better FM frequency than 99.1 for
their tests. If they plan to use that, it might interfere with KLOR
99.3 in Ponca City. There is also a Ark City, KS station on 107.9
that`s a bit close also. I heard 540 kHz this morning at 11:35 a.m. It
was still there at 11:46 a.m. recheck [1635, 1646 UT June 18] (Carl DeWhitt, ibid.)

I have been away at OK Mozart Festival in Bartlesville for two days. Did not ever hear the AM or FM frequencies while there, or on the way over Tuesday morning, but couldn`t check very often.

I did however, hear 1680 for the first time, in Enid, June 18 from 1257 tune-in until 1322*. The frequency was slightly off compared to BFO hets stepping to nearby broadcast frequencies on the ATS-909.

Altho the documentation from FCC said the transmitters were capable of transmitting IDs, I have never heard anything but open carrier or tones, and AFAIK no one else has either. WE2XFZ has not IDed near hourtop nor when closing down, altho I have never caught it turning on.

On the way back thru Ponca City I took a side trip up to Chilocco, altho it was after closing time, to see what I could see, 2340-2350 UT June 18. Nothing on the air at that time either. However, on that day and the day before when in the area, the FM frequencies appeared ill-chosen, with 92.3 dominated by Wichita, 99.1 next to Ponca City, 107.5 the clearest.

Yes, the US77 (not 177) gate to the Indian School was locked, and nothing visible from there. However, I went around to the unpaved stateline road (signed 332nd Road, West of 51st Rd) on the north side and was able to see the water tower, and just to the west of it, a single radio tower, which could well be the MW antenna (no VHF antennas visible mounted on it). There is a separate tower to the east with a bunch of antennas on it. Looks like a cable headend.

The water and other towers were too far away to photograph without a telephoto lens, and all we had was a low-resolution pocket camera. Shots of the sign over the main gate, with the sun behind it, and of a nearby granite marker legend, are at
http://www.w4uvh.net/chilocco1.jpg
http://www.w4uvh.net/chilocco2.jpg
[good resolution photos of the school have been found on the web, including the now famous water tower; see below]

It`s the OSU Multispectral Lab which is doing this. Dropped by Gate F at Conoco-Phillips on South Street in Ponca City and the guard confirmed UML is within the compound, but they use Gate G. Nobody there in the evening, and behind security you can`t just walk in without an invitation. 

It`s not part of the University Center, in which OSU is also involved, she said. UML seems rather hush-hush, as the phone directory does not have it under Oklahoma or Oklahoma State, but just a white pages phone number, no address, under OSU UML. I wonder how common knowledge in PC the existence of UML is?

If you google Multispectral Laboratory OSU Ponca
you will find a lot about its being set up recently and what a great thing it is for the economy there.

I should point out that there may well be some tests from airplanes, or UAVs (unmanned), which could account for the variable strength. I wonder if there is an airstrip on the school grounds.

Also, is the Chilocco Indian School currently funxioning as such? Or during the school year if not right now? And I am not quite sure how to pronounce it. Richard, I also wonder if you have ever been up there and visited the grounds. 73, (Glenn to Kirk and Richard, via DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Glenn: Chilocco is pronounced "sha-lock-co". I attended Perry High School and, at the time, the two schools competed in sports. I have a friend who went to school there in the 1950s. While she is part Muscogee (a.k.a. Creek) from eastern Oklahoma, she said most of the students then were Navajo and Hopi. You can find a little more information on the Chilocco Indian School Alumni Association website http://www.chilocco.org/ It even mentions OSU-UML.

I’ve never been to Chilocco other than drive past going to and from 
Arkansas City. The reason I knew of the radio activity was I came across the information on the FCC website several weeks ago. At the time I didn’t give it a second thought.

I heard the station a couple of times this morning (18.6.08) on 1680 kHz. But they didn’t stay on the air very long. Good night (Richard Allen, OK, UT June 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST)

Tnx for that link. It seems the CIS lands are being divided up among various tribes with a stake in it and there are already TWO casinos and accursed smokeshops just south of it on the highway.

The Water Tower, last item in a slideshow which also includes a campus map showing the tower at the extreme left edge: 
http://www.chilocco.org/DesktopModules/Gallery/Viewer.aspx?tabid=87&mid=412&path=Later%20Years&currentitem=23&currentstrip=4
It looks like there is some small stuff on top of the tower, maybe just a lightning rod. But it was taken in 2005 long before UML.

Hi Glenn and Richard, Here’s an email my brother Tim sent a while ago. You all probably have seen this stuff before, but it was actually the first time I had. Chilloco is pronounced "Shill-awk-o" with the emphasis on the second syllable. My brother also wrote this little bit of other stuff in a different email: 

During Governor Henry’s first term, he had a big group of smart people study what Oklahoma needs to do to create a bunch of good jobs. Among the findings was that Oklahoma had a strategic advantage with sensor technology — specifically with OSU. This is obviously an outgrowth of that thing. Why we have an advantage over other states in this area, I have no idea. Hell, I’m not even sure what sensor technology is. I guess it has something to do with strange radio transmissions at Chilocco. 

I worked today, and I haven’t heard anything yet on any of their frequencies since I started checking around 2100 UT (Kirk Allen, June 19, DX LISTENING DIGEST) 

Tim`s press about the OSU UML will be in upcoming DXLD 8-071


      

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