Copper Talk » Open Forum » Archived Messages » 2002 » 12/01/2002 to 12/31/2002 » "Woodpecker" interference « Previous Next »

Author Message
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Bluesman
Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 11:48 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Does ANYBODY know what the source of that ratcheting, woodpecker sounding interference on freeband might be? I haven't talked to anybody that seems to know. Thought I might run it by the forum.
Bluesman
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Znut
Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 12:45 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Being that it is usually centered on a certain freq, like 27.385 or such, I would think it is a form of deliberate interference.

Znut
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

de
Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 1:26 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

If it is the same thing that happens on the Ham Bands it is over the horizon radar. Mostly Russian. Sorry, but there is nothing you can do about it.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Taz
Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 5:00 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

well, it might be a piece of electronic equipment in your home. shut stuff off 1 by one to see. My router causes tons of problems.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

bruce
Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 8:45 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

DE is right i hear it here in tampa all the time its radar and nothing can be done ..... short of choping down a antenna.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Highlander
Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 9:30 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I think many of the "buzz-saw" sounds are Ionosondes.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

czar
Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 9:53 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The noise you are hearing is not radar it is a form of digital communications called ALE.Monitoring times had an article about this form of comm.The us military and FEMA are the primary uisers of this mode and they can be found using it daily from 27.450 to 27.830.It is sending out data bursts simmilar to packet and amator.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Scrapiron63
Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 10:27 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Wonder why the military would be using such a lousy frequency to send information. It would have to be short range unless they were depending on skip conditions, and you know how erratic that can be. I've heard that "russian woodpecker" for at least 25 years, it comes and goes with skip, from 26 meg to 28 meg that I know about, and I think across several ham bands. It use to be worse below the regular 40 than above, and would move up frequency as the skip changed. I heard years ago that it was a jamming interference aimed at VOA on SW frequencies and we were getting a harmonic on 11 meters. I don't know where it comes from, but it can be annoying.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Radiodude
Posted on Wednesday, December 04, 2002 - 10:46 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It "might" be radar~~ The former Soviet Union used a type of radar called OTH (Over the horizon). It was called the Russian woodpecker!!. It was very common in the 80ties! I still hear it once in awhile.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

2EC837
Posted on Thursday, December 05, 2002 - 4:20 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I remember back in the mid to late 70's the Russian OTHR could be so strong it would make the VOA and BBC unreadable.SWL's,hams and CBers wanted to kill "that damn bird".I haven't heard this winter,but last year it would cover about 100Khz of spectrum at S/9 to 30 over.
I would think the ALE comms would be short data bursts like amateur packet.The "Russian Woodpecker" can run ten minutes or more.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Taz
Posted on Thursday, December 05, 2002 - 5:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I hear it too, its a damn innoiance. And if the millitary does use this freq the fcc should be called because they dont have any more right to use it then we do!


I hear this damn noise for days at a time, of course there are a few millitary bases out here.


Taz
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

de
Posted on Thursday, December 05, 2002 - 6:55 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Re Taz...tap tap tap

I hate to tell ya BUT

The FCC can do nothing to stop anyone in a foreign country. Our laws only apply within our borders. If it could there would be no shortwave broadcasts on the ham partion of the 40 meter band.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Chris142
Posted on Thursday, December 05, 2002 - 11:05 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I've never heard it.It cant be as annoying as that mexican lady with the echo on Ch19 that says the same thing over and over and over :)
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Taz
Posted on Friday, December 06, 2002 - 9:14 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

DE, I was reffering to czars post!

;)
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Czar
Posted on Friday, December 06, 2002 - 5:53 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I am telling you it is ALE.Russia does not even use the old "woodpecker"type of over the horizon radar.But the noise on the 11 meters upper freq's is ALE not any type of radar.There is already some de-coding software available for this mode of communication.similar to packet,amator,bpsk,etc.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Taz
Posted on Friday, December 06, 2002 - 6:43 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

hmmmm interesting
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Chris142
Posted on Friday, December 06, 2002 - 11:57 pm:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I think I heard it today on 27.545 am.It was a clicking sound that changed tones but not speed.Was that it?
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

yapper
Posted on Saturday, December 07, 2002 - 12:07 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Well I "know" that the Russian Woodpecker is still active!! I saw a story on it not too long ago!! Some of what we are hearing "may be" ALE but some of it IS the Russian Woodpecker!!
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Highlander
Posted on Saturday, December 07, 2002 - 9:52 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

And some of it is Ionosondes--propagation test instruments. Monitoring times had a link to a site that has .wav samples of various digital modes---USAF Ionosondes were the closest match to what I usually hear. It's more of a buzzsaw sound than the old woodpecker, but the woodpecker is still out there. I think the ALE soundbites on that site sounded a little like the buzzsaw I hear on the air, but the Ionosonde was MUCH closer of a match than the ALE.
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message

Scrapiron63
Posted on Saturday, December 07, 2002 - 10:47 am:   Edit Post Delete Post    Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I think we're talking about two different noises. This old Russian Woodpecker has been around for many years, on all the bands, way before there was ALE. If ALE is above channel 40, I've probably never even heard it, as I seldom go up there anymore.