8895 kHz is a very interesting Russian Air Force CW frequency. The W beacons have been around for years and now UDXF monitors have found that these beacons may be related to Russian AF Tupolev TU-95MS Bear aircraft activity.
Update: A regular contributor to the MilcomMP Ron Perron in Maryland sends along the following regarding the Russian Bear Net.
Whenever the 8895 kHz marker is active in CW, I usually hear the TU-95s in USB voice on 8909.0 kHz. The use their bort numbers as call signs and send the same type of 3-figure formatted reports.
In the past they also have used 5833.0 (night), 8131.0, 11223.0 & 11370.0 kHz.
Ground controller callsigns I've noted are:
AKUSTIK- assocw/Russian Strategic Forces
SYMPATIA- assoc/RussianStrategic Forces
NABOR- assocw/Russian Strategic Forces
SHPORA- assocw/Russian Strategic Forces
GAZELLE- assocw/Russian Strategic Forces
SHLAGATA-assocw/Russian Strategic Forces
MASKA-assocw/Russian Strategic Forces
PROCELKA-assocw/Russian Strategic Forces
SAKSOFON-assoc/Russian Strategic Forces
OCHITSKA- assoc/RussianStrategic Forces?poss Moscow
MIDYALKA-assoc/Russian Strategic Forces
NEZYANKA-assoc/Russian Strategic Forces
KANSEK-assoc/Russian Strategic Forces
Original article Posted 13 Aug 2013:
Recent activity monitored on this frequency listed below is courtesy of the Numbers and Oddities newsletter 190 July 2013, courtesy of Ary Boender and other UDXF reports from several monitors.
“Bear net” on 8895 kHz, 25-07, 1800-2100 UTC:
“W” markers at 1800, 1820, 1900, 1920, 1940, 2040, 2100 UTC.
Z7NG DE TV6P QSA 3 K. (TV6P) OK K
Z7NG DE TV6P QSA 1 QSV K
Z7NG DE TV6P VVV VVV
TV6P QRV K
TV6P R 547 ??? ??? 069 K
Z7NG DE TV6P QRV K
(TV6P) RPT K @
Z7NG DE TV6P R = 474 286 812 550 K
SHNE DE TV6P. TV6P QRV. TV6P R = 883 671 284 610 613
FEQ6 DE TV6P. TV6P QRV. TV6P R = 989 549 500 210. TV6P R = 989 549 500 910
Russian Air Force “Bear net” on 8895 kHz:
23-07: "W" markers at 1940-1942, 2000-2002, 2040-2042, 2100-2102 UTC
26-07: “W”markers at 0240, 0300, 0340, 0400, 0420 UTC
30-07: "W"-markers at 0600, 0620, 0640, 0800 UTC
30-07: "W"-marker followed by a short voice call. Location over the Mediterranean Sea, between Sardinia and Alger.
05-08: "W" markers at 1800-1802, 1820-1822, 1840-1842, 1900-1902, 1920-1922, 1940-1942, 2000-2002, 2020-2022, 2040-2042, 2100-2102 UTC
12-08: "W" markers at 1820-1822, 1840-1842, 1900-1902, 1920-1922, 1940-1942, 2000-2002 UTC
Looks like an interesting real world net to check from time to time.
