VP-26 Begins Historic Last Deployment of the P-3C Orion

VP-26 Sailors work beneath a P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft as they prepare for the squdron's last P-3C deployment on Jan. 16. (Photos by MC1 John Smolinski)

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class (SW/AW) John S. Smolinski, Naval Air Station Jacksonville Public Affairs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- The "Tridents" of Patrol Squadron (VP) 26 begin their last deployment with the P-3C Orion aircraft with a send-off of their first two planes out of Naval Air Station, Jacksonville, Jan. 22.

 The historic occasion was attended by senior leadership, family and friends of VP-26 Sailors and members of the Jacksonville community.

 "This is a historic deployment for you," said Rear Adm. Matthew J. Carter, commander of Patrol and Reconnaissance Group. "You are the last operational P-3 squadron on the East Coast. Once you go, we are a P-8 only force. That does not diminish anything you do with this aircraft. America has given us the best, and this aircraft is still a very capable airplane."

 Carter knows firsthand how much the P-3 community has contributed to the success of the Navy's mission. He served as both executive officer and commanding officer of VP-26, and he told the Sailors just how special it is to wear the Trident colors.

 "We have been flying this aircraft for 50 years," said Carter. "The whole squadron, from the admin department, the maintainers and the aircrew has continued to go out and do great things, and I know you are going to go out on this deployment and do great."

 Preparing the squadron for a deployment presents its challenges which include everything from packing up parts and equipment, preparing junior Sailors for their first deployment and making sure Sailors are up to date with their training.

 "Seeing that there are not many P-3s around and this being the last P-3 deployment for the East Coast," said VP-26 Command Master Chief James B. Daniels. "Getting parts has been a big issue. Also, since most of our preparations have been during the holidays, we needed to work hard to make sure our Sailors were trained on what is expected of them and they were ready for deployment, but the squadron has met its challenges and now is ready to go."

 The support from family and friends is an integral part of the success of the Sailors.

 "My family is so supportive and so much a part of my life," said Aviation Electronics Technician 2nd Class David Heder. "Having to leave them is the hardest part of deployments."

 Heder's wife and two children were there to show their support. Heder said that he was a little nervous and sad to leave his family.

 "I'm looking forward to this as much as I can," said Heder. "I miss my family when I'm away, but I have a job to do and I enjoy it because I learn something new every day, and I'm challenged every day."

 Heder said this is his second history-making deployment since he has been in the Navy.

 "I actually helped introduce the P-8 while I served at VP-30," said Heder. "It's cool to be able to say that I was a part of the P-8 coming in and now a part of the P-3 going out in Jacksonville."

 Retired Chief William W. Stewart, from the aviation structural mechanic community and a Jacksonville resident, was present to witness this historic day. Stewart served 30 years in the Navy and was factory-trained on the P-3 in 1962.

 "I was assigned to VP-9 as an airframes chief after training with Lockheed on the P-3s and went on their first deployment with the aircraft in November 1964," said Stewart. "It's kind of sad to see the P-3 go, but it's an evolution. It's a new age; we have cell phones, wide-screen TVs and now the P-8s."

 VP-26 became the Navy's first operational P-3B squadron in January 1966, when the squadron received the first production of the P-3B while stationed at Naval Air Station, Brunswick, Maine.

 "I am so proud of all the Sailors who have worked so hard to keep these aircraft flying for so many years," said Cmdr. Gregory Smith, VP-26 commanding officer.

One Service You Can Hear to Monitor Navy Ships on HF

Interested in listening the Navy ships on HF? Then the U.S. Navy SESEF frequencies are your ticket to make that happen.

The Shipboard Electronic Systems Evaluation Facilities (SESEFs) are land based test sites established to facilitate testing of ships' electromagnetic transmitting and receiving equipment. The SESEFs provide test and evaluation services to U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard and Military Sealift Command activities as well as allied foreign navies.
So were do you listen? Set your rig to USB and try our list below. You will hear occasional encrypted comms and the ships will use tactical voice call signs.
* indicates a frequency guarded continuously during normal working hours.

SESEF Norfolk -
4040.0 4515.0 7535.0* 9260.0 12315.0* kHz (USB) 274.800* MHz (AM)
The Norfolk SESEF facility is operational 5 days a week from 0700-1600, excluding weekends and holidays.

The Norfolk SESEF facility is located in Building 102 at Fort Story, Virginia Beach. The facility overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay and the approaches to the Virginia Capes operating area.  In addition to at-sea testing, directional antennas provide LOS support for pier side testing from all naval and shipyard facilities in the Tidewater area.  The Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Division, Newport, RI operates this facility.



Norfolk SESEF at Fort Story (US Navy Photo)

SESEF Mayport -
5745.0 kHz (USB) 274.800* MHz (AM)
The Mayport SESEF site is operational 5 days a week from 0700-1600, excluding weekends and holidays.

The Mayport SESEF is located in Building 1860 on  Naval Station Mayport, FL. The facility has LOS capability for pier side testing as well as easy access to ships in the Jacksonville operating area. This facility is operated by NUWC Division Newport, RI and managed by the Norfolk SESEF facility.

Mayport SESEF (US Navy Photo)

SESEF Ediz Hook (PACNW) -
3235.0* kHz (USB) 308.500* MHz (AM)
The Ediz Hook SESEF facility is operational 5 days a week from 0800-1600,
excluding weekends and holidays.

The Ediz Hook SESEF is located on the U.S. Coast Guard Air Station, Ediz Hook, near Port Angeles, Washington. The Puget Sound coastal waters are adjacent to the facilities. This site supports the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bangor Naval Submarine Base, Naval Air Station Whidbey Island and Everett Naval Station. NUWC Division Keyport, WA operates this facility.

Navy SESEF Ediz Hook (US Navy Photo)

SESEF Pearl Harbor -
16087.0* kHz (USB) 277.000* MHz (AM)
The Hawaii SESEF facility is operational Monday through Friday from 0700-1530, excluding weekends and holidays.

The Hawaii SESEF is located at the Barber's Point Light Station, Kapolei, HI.  It is within line-of-sight (LOS) of Pearl Harbor, Sand Island, Naval Air Station Barber's Point, and the Fleet Operational Readiness Accuracy Check Site (FORACS) III.  Surface ships, submarines, and aircraft can be serviced at dockside, hanger side and underway.  This facility serves the U.S. Naval Forces in the MIDPAC area.  SESEF testing is conducted in port, during transit to and from Pearl Harbor, and on designated test ranges.  NUWC Detachment, Waianae, HI operates this facility. SESEF Hawaii is located at latitude 21 degrees 17 minutes 48 seconds north and longitude 158 degrees 6 minutes 23 seconds west.

Navy SESEF Hawaii (US Navy Photo)

SESEF San Diego -
5742.0 kHz (USB) 236.200 264.200 MHz (AM)
The San Diego SESEF site is operational 5 days a week from 0700-1600, excluding weekends and holidays.

The San Diego SESEF is located at the SPAWAR Seaside Complex, Building 610, on the ocean side of Point Loma, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. This location provides easy access to ships as they transit the entrance of San Diego's harbor. NUWC Detachment, San Diego, CA operates this facility. SESEF San Diego is located at latitude 32 degrees 41 minutes 35 seconds north and longitude 117 degrees 15 minutes 4 seconds west. The Nominal Range Center is located at latitude 32 degrees 41 minutes 12 seconds north and longitude 117 degrees 25 minutes 30 seconds west.

SESEF Facility San Diego (US Navy Photo)

SESEF Yokosuka -
5304.0 kHz (USB) 295.000 MHz (AM)
The Yokosuka SESEF site is operational from 0700-1600, excluding weekends and holidays. 

USS George Washington in Yokosuka (US Navy Photo)

For the radio monitor these are some neat frequencies to monitor and they will let you follow the comings and goings of the fleet.

NORAD Falcon Virgo Exercise to be Conducted in Washington DC

The North American Aerospace Defense Command and its geographical component, the Continental United States NORAD Region, will conduct exercise Falcon Virgo 15-04 Wednesday night through Friday morning, in the National Capital Region, Washington, D.C. Flights are scheduled to take place between midnight and 5:30 a.m. (EST) each day.

In  the event of inclement weather, the exercise will take place the following evening.  If bad weather continues, officials will then make a decision to postpone or cancel the exercise.

The exercise is comprised of a series of training flights held in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration, the National Capital Region Coordination Center, the Joint Air Defense Operations Center, Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Coast Guard and CONR’s Eastern and Western Air Defense Sectors.

Exercise Falcon Virgo is designed to hone NORAD’s intercept and identification operations as well as operationally test the NCR Visual Warning System and training personnel at the JADOC. Civil Air  Patrol aircraft and a U.S. Coast Guard MH-65 Dolphin helicopter will participate in the exercise.

These exercises are carefully planned and closely controlled to ensure CONR’s rapid response capability. NORAD has conducted exercise flights of this nature throughout the U.S. and Canada since the start of Operation Noble Eagle, the command’s response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

As the continental United States (CONUS) geographical component of the bi-national command NORAD, CONR provides airspace surveillance and control, and directs air sovereignty activities for the CONUS region. CONR and its assigned Air Force and Army assets throughout the country ensure air safety and security against potential air threats.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, CONR fighters have responded to more than 5,000 possible air threats in the United States and have flown more than 62,500 sorties with the support of Airborne Warning and Control System and air-to-air-refueling aircraft.

The New Norm - Russian Spy Ship docks in Havana - Again!

The Viktor Leonov CCB-175 is docked at the port of Havana, on January 20, 2015 (AFP Photo/Francisco Jara)

AFP is reporting that the Russian intelligence warship Viktor Leonov CCB-175 docked in Havana on Tuesday, a day before the start of historic US-Cuba talks aimed at normalizing diplomatic relations.

 

There was nothing stealthy about the arrival of the Leonov, which was moored to a pier in Old Havana where cruise ships often dock. But the visit was not officially announced by Cuban authorities.

The Vishnya or Meridian-class intelligence ship, which has a crew of around 200, went into service in the Black Sea in 1988 before it was transferred seven years later to the northern fleet, according to Russian media.

The vessel previously docked in Havana in February and March last year, staying there for a few days. Those visits were also unannounced.

DOD Wants To Upgrade Air Force One, 'Doomsday' Aircraft Communications Suites

James Drew on the InsideDefense.com website reported on January 9 that Pentagon comptroller Mike McCord has submitted a reprogramming request to Congress to modify and upgrade the communications equipment aboard Air Force One as well as the nuclear-hardened "Doomsday" aircraft.

Of the $79 million in requested funds transfers, an equal amount will come from several important programs, such as the B-52 digital communications upgrade, where the Air Force believes it has found funding that is "excess to need."

According to a reprogramming request signed Nov. 13, 2014, and published recently, the two VC-25A Air Force One aircraft would receive wireless Internet access through a $2 million modification and a further $37 million would install high-bandwidth commercial satellite communications (SATCOM) equipment.

The E-4B National Airborne Operations Center (NAOC) that is better known as the "Doomsday" aircraft for its specialized nuclear command-and-control mission would receive a super-high-frequency Ka and X-band capability -- at a cost of $40 million.

"This upgrade will ensure the continued connectivity and interoperability needed to keep pace with changes in the satellite and communications infrastructure," the document states.

The two VC-25As are assigned to Air Mobility Command's 89th Airlift Wing and are stationed at Andrews Air Force Base, MD.

Four E-4Bs are assigned to U.S. Strategic Command and are operated by Air Combat Command's 55th Wing from Offut Air Force Base, NB.

Both fleets support strategic national-level missions and are due for replacement over the next decade. The Air Force expects to issue a request for proposals for a new presidential aircraft some time this year.

Top Gear Russia Magazine Accidentally Published An Image Of A Classified Submarine

Top Gear Russia Magazine Accidentally Published An Image Of A Classified Submarine courtesy of Business Insider

In a Business Insider article published online and written by Elena Holodny is reporting that the Russian edition of the automobile magazine published a photo of the classified "AC-12 Project," a nuclear deep-water submarine, nicknamed "Losharik" after a children's movie.

This was first reported by the unofficial blog of the Center for Analysis of Strategies and Technologies and picked up by Slon Media, which reached out to an expert for commentary.

Russia is in the midst of a serious military buildup. Among other things, the Russian military is upgrading its navy and by 2020 is hoping to add at least 16 new nuclear submarines to its Northern and Pacific fleets.

Click here for the original pictures, the entire article and comments from readers.

RAF Mildenhall to Close - Basing Deck Being Reshuffled in Europe

STUTTGART, Germany — A major U.S. Air Force base in the United Kingdom and 14 other installations scattered across Europe will close as part of sweeping reorganization of forces on the Continent, the Pentagon announced.

Operations at RAF Mildenhall, home to Air Force special operations forces, air refueling tankers and 3,200 military personnel, will end and missions carried out there will be moved to other locations such as Germany. Two other facilities in the U.K. — RAF Alconbury and Molesworth — also will close as part of a consolidation effort. Most of the missions there will be moved to RAF Croughton.

Meanwhile, the Pentagon plans to station two squadrons of F-35s at RAF Lakenheath by 2020, which ensures the continuous presence of U.S. air power in the country.

As a result of the moves, there will be a slight reduction in overall force levels. However, Germany and Italy are expected to gain troops through the Pentagon’s moves.

In all, the Pentagon expects to save about $500 billion annually from the consolidations, which have been under review for more than a year.

Other announced closures and consolidations involve support facilities rather than major bases.

Russian Air Force Aircraft/Tankers Uses CW!

Image credit: Flo Weiss

Found an interesting article that appeared last November in The Aviationist online at http://theaviationist.com/2014/11/03/il-78-midas-egypt/. Article which features info from Tom Hill of the UDXF talks about how the Russian Air Force still uses CW.

"Then, according to Tom Hill, a radio enthusiast and reader of The Aviationist, the Tu-95MS and IL-78Ms were active in Voice and Morse Code.
The Russians still use quite a lot of Morse and especially for these extended out of area missions. They send the same short 3 figure tactical messages back to their control in Russia using Morse and Voice. Radio enthusiasts were busy logging the activity last week.

“I just copied the Morse. You can’t really get any info from the Morse as it is short encoded three figure groups. They send the same in Voice. The only thing different here was the IL-78s using the Bort number in voice for the air route over the Mediterranean. Morse Key fit on Tu-95MS radio operators station. On the HF radios you can see 8909 KHz USB set up for the voice transmissions. This is the frequency they use during the Summer,” Hill explained in an email to us."

Russian Government Presidential Aircraft Fleet

One of the more fascinating things for me as a radio monitor t1o study, research and catalog are other government and military organizations (I really should have been a spook).

The one that fascinates me the most is Russia. Their military, space program, Navy, Air Force, Air Defense Networks, government and all the rest I find fascinating from a monitors point of view. Heck, I even get a big kick working Russian hams and collecting their oblasts and QSL cards.

So when I run across some stuff on their government presidential aircraft fleet I can't pass it up and thought I would post something here in the hope to get some discussion going in various radio circles out there.

According to an article I found at Wikipedia:

"Rossiya Airlines OJSC, operating as Rossiya — Russian Airlines (Rossiya — Rossiyskie avialinii) is a secondary national airline with its head office in Saint Petersburg, Russia, resulting from the 2006 merger of the Moscow-based company of the same name and Saint Petersburg-based Pulkovo Aviation Enterprise. The airline operates scheduled and charter passenger flights from Saint Petersburg and Moscow, and VIP flights on behalf of the Russian government, including the operation of the Russian presidential aircraft fleet for the President of Russia. Rossiya maintains an operational base at Pulkovo Airport in Saint Petersburg."

Rossiya Government Aircraft Fleet

According to the Wikipedia article mentioned above, the Rossiya government fleet consists of the following aircraft (August 2014) (my number varies slightly for the TU-214s and TU-204-300s):

Aircraft Type: In Fleet-Orders-Stored
Airbus ACJ319: 2-0-0
Ilyushin Il-62M: 1-0-0
Ilyushin Il-96-300: 8-0-0
Tupolev Tu-154: 1-0-0
Tupolev Tu-204-300: 2-0-0
Tupolev Tu-214: 10-2-0
Total: 24-2-0

Below is my latest list with a few Mode-S codes that I could find. I hope to add to this list in the future and if you have anything you would like to share, please contact me at the email address in the masthead. My numbers are a bit off from those listed above but as with any secretive style of government I have come to expect that. Here is the best info I have to date. I haven't been able to find anything on the Airbus aircraft. * May not part a current member of the fleet

RA-64057 Tupolev TU-204-300 14FA39
RA-64058 Tupelov TU-204-300 14FA3A*
RA-64059 Tupolev TU-204-300
RA-64515 Airborne Relay Aircraft Tupolev TU-214SR
RA-64516 Airborne Relay Aircraft Tupolev TU-214SR
RA-64517 Command Post Tupolev TU-214PU
RA-64520 Command Post Tupolev TU-214PU
RA-64522 Command Post Tupolev TU-214SUS 14FC0A
RA-64523 Command Post Tupolev TU-214SUS
RA-64524 Command Post Tupolev TU-214SUS
RA-64525 Command Post Tupolev TU-214PU
RA-64526 Airborne Relay Aircraft Tupolev TU-214SR
RA-64527 Airborne Relay Aircraft Tupolev TU-214SR* May still be on order
RA-64528 Airborne Relay Aircraft Tupolev TU-214SR* May still be on order
RA-86570 Airborne command customized for emergency response agency EMERCOM  Il-62M 
RA-85655 Tupelov TU-154M Possible Open Skies aircraft?*
RA-96012 Russian equivalent of AF1 Ilyushin Il-96-300PU
RA-96016 Russian equivalent of AF1 Ilyushin Il-96-300PU 157710
RA-96017 Russian equivalent of AF1 Ilyushin Il-96-300PU 157711*
RA-96018 Russian equivalent of AF1 Ilyushin Il-96-300PU 157712
RA-96019 Russian equivalent of AF1 Ilyushin Il-96-300PU 157713
RA-96020 Russian equivalent of AF1 Ilyushin Il-96-300PU 157714
RA-96021 Russian equivalent of AF1 Ilyushin Il-96-300PU 157715

And then there is this from the Russian Take-Off website: http://en.take-off.ru/news/102-feb2011/640-newaircraftforpresidentialairdetachment-21-2011

"On 27 October 2011, the airfield of the Kazan Aviation Production Association named after S.P. Gorbunov (KAPO) witnessed the maiden flight of the new Tupolev Tu-204SUS special-purpose aircraft (RA-64522) built on order by the Russian Presidential Property Management Department. The aircraft was piloted by a crew led by KAPO test-pilot Alexey Ryabov. The aircraft carrying a “special communications centre” (SUS in Russian), is the fifth airliner out of the six special Tu-214 derivatives ordered by the Presidential Property Management

"The first two aircraft the department ordered from the Kazan-based aircraft manufacturer – Tu-214SR relay aircraft (RA-64515 and RA-64516) – were built in 2008 and handed over to the Rossiya special air detachment in a ceremony on 1 June 2009.

"Last year, KAPO assembled two more aircraft under the Presidential Property Management Department order. They were Tu-214PU VIP airborne command posts. The former of the two (RA-64517) was received by Rossiya in October 2010 and the latter (RA-64520) in January this year.

"The government-awarded order for two Tu-214SUS aircraft is to be fulfilled before year-end. The second aircraft of the type (RA-64524) was rolled out right on the heels of the first Tu-214SUS.

"Once it is delivered, the Kazan-based aircraft maker will have fulfilled the order from the Presidential Property Management Department for six special aircraft derived from the Tu-214.

"The aircraft fleet of the presidential air detachment is to be beefed up with other new domestically-built types as well. In October, the Aviastar-SP close corporation in Ulyanovsk rolled out two Tupolev Tu-204-300A airliners (RA-64057 and RA-64059) at once. RA-64057 first flew on 29 October, controlled by a crew led by Tupolev JSC test-pilot Victor Minashkin. According to Tupolev, the Tu-204-300As slated for the presidential air detachment are equipped with “a VIP cabin that has been soundproofed effectively, furnished with up-to-date telephone communications systems and provided with Internet access."

TU-214 Aircraft

For me the most interesting of all the aircraft studied so far are the Tupolev TU-214 variants. They look like the airborne strategic command post structure of the Russian Government. It would be interesting to catch some HF activity from these birds.

Tu-214 is a variation of Tu-204 first flown on 21 March 1996. It is technically a Tu-204-200, one of the differences being that it is built by a different factory. Planes designated Tu-204 are produced in Ulyanovsk by Aviastar-SP; Tu-214 in Kazan by the Kazan Aircraft Production Association (KAPO). Both factories are independent from the Tupolev design bureau and have some control over the design of the variant they produce.

The Tu-214 is essentially a higher gross weight variant of the Tu-204, being fitted with extra fuel tanks and structural adjustments to deal with the heavier gross weight. For this reason, the Russian government prefers to use it as the platform upon which all further modifications for the 'Special Mission' variants will be based. Some of the special mission variants are disclosed to be capable of a non-stop 10,000 kilometre flight range.

Tu-214ON - Observation version of Tu-204-200 equipped for Treaty on Open Skies missions. Two ordered by Russian Ministry of Defence, with a delivery planned for 2012 and 2013.
Tu-214PU - Airborne command post version. Two operated for Russian Ministry of Defence.
Tu-214SR - Communications relay version. Two operated by GTK Rossiya for Russian government, with three more planned.
Tu-214SUS - Communications relay version for Russian Ministry of Defence. Two on order and they were suppose to be delivered planned by end of 2012.
Tu-214R - Special-mission versions of the Tu-214 commercial transport aircraft, developed under the codename ‘Project 141', to replace the ELINT plattform Il-20 Coot. The aircraft are configured to carry the MRC-411 multi-intelligence payload, to include electronic intelligence (ELINT) sensors, side-looking Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and other Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) and Communications Intelligence (COMINT). In addition, the aircraft will carry multi-spectral electro-optical systems. The aircraft has conducted test flights over the Sea of Japan but the program was experiencing problems as of January 2013 according to Jane's Defense Weekly 16 January 2013. The Tu-214R made it public debut in August 2013 at Moscow Air Show MAKS and is the proposed platform for conducting surveillance of the United States of America in accordance with the open skies treaty to monitor compliance with the relevant treaties.

Tu-214R inflight from Borisoglebskoye airfield (2014) Rimma Sadykova - http://russianplanes.net/id143163

Got anything you want to share, you can do so anonymously or whatever via the email address in the masthead.

2015 Rose Bowl Flyover

Really there is nothing else to say.

Can You Solve the Mystery of the Russian UVB-76?

Happy New Year to all my readers, and friends. Let's start the New Year out right with an HF radio mystery.

Can you solve the mystery of UVB-76??? Check it our at http://qrznow.com/can-solve-mystery-uvb-76-4-625-khz/

From the Wikipedia article on The Buzzer:

"UVB-76, also known as The Buzzer, is the nickname given by radio listeners to a shortwave radio station that broadcasts on the frequency 4625 kHz. It broadcasts a short, monotonous About this sound buzz tone, repeating at a rate of approximately 25 tones per minute, for 24 hours per day. On very rare occasions, the buzzer signal is interrupted and a voice transmission in Russian takes place. The first reports were made of a station on this frequency in 1982. Its origins have been traced to Russia, and although several theories with varying degrees of plausibility exist, its actual purpose has never been officially confirmed and remains a source of speculation.

"The station is commonly referred to as the Buzzer among English-speaking radio listeners, while Russian listeners refer to it as жужжалка (žužžalka) – "the buzzer". Its official name is not known, although some of the voice transmissions have revealed names which may be call signs or another form of identification. Up until September 2010, the station identified itself as UVB-76 (Cyrillic: УВБ-76), and it is still often referred to by that name. In September 2010, the station moved to another location, and it has used the identification MDZhB (Cyrillic: МДЖБ, phonetic spelling "Mikhail Dmitri Zhenya Boris") from then onwards. It has been suggested that the correct identification until September 2010 was actually UZB-76 (Cyrillic: УЗБ-76), and that the Cyrillic letter Ze (З) had been misheard as the letter Ve (В). However, it is still referred to as "UVB-76" by most people. Although the station, by and large, has used these two codes at the beginning of most voice transmissions, a few voice messages have used other identification codes. This makes it uncertain whether the names are actually the call sign of the station, or some other identifying code.

"The station transmits using AM with a suppressed lower sideband (R3E), but it has also used full double-sideband AM (A3E). The signal consists of a buzzing sound that lasts 1.2 seconds, pausing for 1–1.3 seconds, and repeating 21–34 times per minute. Until November 2010, the buzz tones lasted approximately 0.8 seconds each. One minute before the hour, the repeating tone was previously replaced by a continuous, uninterrupted alternating tone, which continued for one minute until the short repeating buzz resumed, although this no longer occurs since June 2010.

"The Buzzer has apparently been broadcasting since at least 1982 as a repeating two-second pip, changing to a buzzer in early 1990. It briefly changed to a higher tone of longer duration (approximately 20 tones per minute) on January 16, 2003, but it has since reverted to the previous tone pattern."

See additional Wikipedia material at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UVB-76.

There is a great Daily Mail article featuring an interview with UDXF luminary Ary Boender by clicking here.

2015 Air Show Guide Now Available

Every year, from March through November, millions of people hit the road to watch the excitement and thrills as military and civilian flight demonstration teams put their high performance aircraft through the paces to entertain the crowds and perform at air shows all over the world. Anyone who has attended one of these events will tell you it is thrilling to watch the close quarter flying of the Blue Angels delta formation or the hair-splitting maneuvers of the Thunderbird opposing solos.

While attending the show and enjoying the sights and sounds is an exciting experience that is only half the fun. You can add another whole dimension to that visual experience by monitoring the performing teams’ radio communications.

With a radio scanner in hand you will experience a whole new perspective of the show that few of the attendees will ever experience – pilot audio from the aircraft cockpit. While everyone else at the air show is just watching and listening to the public address system narrator, you’ll be able to hear what’s happening inside the cockpit, up in the tower and on the ground with the hundreds of players that keep these screaming, state of-the-art air machines thundering through the skies.

But you can’t tell the players without a program, and to indulge in the craft of monitoring the air show experience you need a current and well researched list of frequencies that the various performers may use during their performances.

In our new Teak Publishing 2015 Air Show Guide eBook, former Monitoring Times Editor and Milcom columnist Larry Van Horn - N5FPW, delivers the hundreds of frequencies you’ll need to monitor the action if you’re within receiving distance of any air show in 2015.

From the Blue Angels and Thunderbirds, military parachute and search and rescue demonstration teams, to a wide variety of other military and civilian demonstration teams from the U.S. and abroad, Larry has the list of frequencies each unit has used. Now you can bring the excitement you see at the show to your ears. Listening to the nonstop action at the air show on dozens of radio frequencies is part of the real fun of being there.

But wait, there’s more! Larry also tells you which scanners work best at the air shows, what features you’ll need and which models can cover the military as well as civilian frequencies used at these events. There is also a chapter on tips for enjoying a great day at the air show.

You will also get frequency lists for other possible frequencies that may be used at the air show including GMRS, Family Radio Service (FRS), DoD Intra-Squad Radio frequencies, and even Civil Air Patrol VHF/UHF frequencies and call signs. We also include in this eBook an up-to-date air show Internet resource guide and frequency listings for overseas military and civilian aeronautical demonstrations teams.

Finally you will get the latest air show schedules for the Navy Blue Angels, Air Force Thunderbirds, Canadian Forces Snowbirds and the Army Golden Knight Parachute Teams. We include with each show location, the latest air traffic control frequencies for each facility hosting a show, when known. This schedule information only covers the United States and Canada.

This is the 16th edition of this popular frequency monitoring guide published by the author. The first fourteen editions appeared annually each March in the pages of the former Monitoring Times magazine and were one of the most popular features carried in the magazine. This edition of the Teak Publishing Air Show Guide is the most comprehensive collection of air show information and frequencies currently published for the radio listening hobbyist.

The Teak Publishing 2015 Air Show Guide is now available for purchase worldwide from Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00R6QG7GW/. The price for this second eBook edition is US$3.99. Since this book is being released internationally, Amazon customers in the United Kingdom, Germany, France Spain, Italy, Japan, India, Canada, Brazil, Mexico and Australia can order this e-Book from Amazon websites directly servicing these countries. All other countries can use the regular Amazon.com website.

When the T-Birds, Blue Angels, and all the other precision flight teams are in the air, Larry has all the frequencies you need to hear them on the air in this new eBook from Teak Publishing!

Frequency updates, correction and late additions between editions of this e-Book will be posted on his Milcom Monitoring Post blog at: http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/.

You do not even need to own a Kindle reader to read Amazon e-book publications. You can read any Kindle book with Amazon’s free reading apps. There are free Kindle reading apps for the Kindle Cloud Reader, Smartphones (iPhone, iTouch, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry); computer platforms (Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 and Mac); Tablets (iPad, Android and Windows 8), and, of course, all of the Kindle family of readers including the Kindle Fire series. A Kindle e-book allows you to buy your book once and read it anywhere. You can find additional details on these apps by checking out this link to the Amazon website at www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771.

For additional information on this and other Teak Publishing radio hobby books, monitor the company sponsored Internet blogs – The Military Monitoring Post (http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/), The Btown Monitor Post (http://monitor-post.blogspot.com/) and The Shortwave Central (http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/) for availability of additional e-books that are currently in production.
You can learn more about the author by going to his author page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00G1QMO4C.

Teak Publishing Releases New Winter 2014-2015 Shortwave Guide - Available Now at Amazon

So why should you listen to shortwave radio? Quite simply shortwave radio is your window to the world.

The best source of global information continues to be shortwave radio. Throughout the world, shortwave remains the most readily available and affordable means of communication and information. It lets you listen to voices from around the world. You'll also learn about the lives and concerns of people from all walks of life, from soldiers, to farmers, to retired scholars. Shortwave radio provides nearly instantaneous coverage of news and events from around the world.

Shortwave listening, or SWLing, is the hobby of listening to shortwave radio broadcasts located on frequencies between 1700 kHz and 30 MHz, also known as HF or the High Frequencies bands.

If you live in the U.S., you can easily listen to shortwave broadcast stations from countries like North/South Korea, Iran, Australia, Cuba, China, New Zealand, Pakistan, India, Japan, England, Egypt, Tunisia, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United States and many other counties if you have a shortwave receiver, and you know when and where to listen!

That when and where to listen is covered comprehensively in the pages of a new edition of the International Shortwave Broadcast Guide.

The International Shortwave Broadcast Guide (Winter 2014-2015 edition), by Amazon bestselling author Gayle Van Horn, W4GVH, is that all important information resource you need to tap into the worldwide shortwave broadcast radio spectrum. It is a 24-hour station/frequency guide to “all” the known stations currently broadcasting on shortwave radio at time of publication. This unique shortwave resource is the “only” publication in the world that offers a by-hour schedule that includes all language services, frequencies and world target areas for each broadcast station. There are new chapters that cover basic shortwave radio listening and Who’s Who in the Shortwave Radio Spectrum. Also extensive work has been done to improve the readability of this edition on the various Kindle platforms.

The International Shortwave Broadcast Guide (Winter 2014-2015 edition) is now available for purchase worldwide from Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00QU8LC6M. The price for this latest edition is still US$4.99. Since this book is being released internationally, Amazon customers in the United Kingdom, Germany, France Spain, Italy, Japan, India, Canada, Brazil, Mexico and Australia can order this electronic book (e-Book) from Amazon websites directly servicing these countries. All other countries can use the regular Amazon.com website.

This new e-publication edition is an expanded version of the English shortwave broadcast guide formerly printed in the pages of Monitoring Times magazine for over 20 years. This one of a kind e-book is now being published twice a year to correspond with station seasonal time and frequency changes.

If you enjoy listening or monitoring HF shortwave stations, and you miss the monthly English frequency listings formerly published in the late Monitoring Times magazine, and multilingual station listing in the old MTXpress electronic magazine, this valuable tool will now be your new guide to listening to the world.

Frequency updates between editions will be posted on her Shortwave Central blog at: http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/.

And, the good news is that you do not even need to own a Kindle reader to read Amazon e-book publications. You can read any Kindle book with Amazon’s free reading apps.

There are free Kindle reading apps for the Kindle Cloud Reader, Smartphones (iPhone, iTouch, Android, Windows Phone and Blackberry); computer platforms (Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8 and Mac); Tablets (iPad, Android and Windows 8), and, of course, all of the Kindle family of readers including the Kindle Fire series. A Kindle e-book allows you to buy your book once and read it anywhere. You can find additional details on these apps by checking out this link to the Amazon website at www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?ie=UTF8&docId=1000493771.

For additional information on this and other Teak Publishing radio hobby books, monitor the company sponsored Internet blogs – The Military Monitoring Post (http://mt-milcom.blogspot.com/), The Btown Monitor Post (http://monitor-post.blogspot.com/) and The Shortwave Central (http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/) for availability of additional e-books that are currently in production.

You can view the complete Teak Publishing book catalog online at http://mt-shortwave.blogspot.com/. Click on the Teak Publishing radio hobby e-book link at the top of the blog page. You can learn more about the author by going to her author page on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Gayle-Van-Horn/e/B0084MVQCM/.

The International Shortwave Broadcast Guide will have wide appeal to shortwave radio hobbyists, amateur radio operators, educators, foreign language students, news agencies, news buffs and many more interested in listening to a global view of news and events as they happen. 

If you are an amateur radio operator or shortwave radio enthusiasts, and want to hear what is happening outside the ham bands on that transceiver or portable shortwave radio in your shack, then this new e-book from Teak Publishing is a must in your radio reference library.

Here are a few of the public comments from radio hobbyists who purchased the first two editions of this Amazon e-book.

Five Stars By  Frank S. Excellent for the price. Glad I found this.

 

Shortwave Broadcast Guide by Kindle Customer. Since Monitoring Times is no longer in publication, this guide is required for the dedicated shortwave listener. There is information provided that I have found nowhere else. It will be a welcome addition to any listener's equipment. Gayle Van Horn has been publishing this research for many years and the followers are numerous, from beginners to professionals. The author's work is accurate, concise and thorough. If you have a shortwave radio, you need this publication as much as a set of earphones. There is none better.

Very Good Source for Shortwave Stations Broadcast Schedules by Kenneth Windyka. I've got to admit up front that I don't have a strong interest in this part of the hobby. HOWEVER, Gayle Van Horn makes it easy to determine what one can hear on the short wave bands during a particular time period (in GMT time sorted format). I also like the internet reference available, so that one can listen to programs via the internet even if its' not possible via the shortwave radio.

NJ Shortwave listener hears International Frequencies with new guide help by Stanley E Rozewski, Jr. This e-book is complete and accurate in presenting a low cost SW frequency guide and important must read topics for the new or experienced user. I liked the easy reading format, and understandable frequency guide. I will order the second edition next year.

This is my go-to-first reference by Mary C Larson. When I turn on the shortwave receiver and want to find out what's on and where to look, Van Horn's handy frequency guide is a smart place to begin. The format is not unlike the one Monitoring Times (R.I.P.) used each month. Presumably, updated ISBGs will be published twice per year, but you can check for the updates on her blog, (mt-shortwave.blogspot.com).

Good value by DrP. This is an excellent well-written book that is very affordable when compared to encyclopedic guides, e.g., the WRTH. Much the same information is included. The first part is a nice introduction to SW listening pitched to the beginner. Included is an informative section on purchasing a radio spanning low-end <$100 models up through the most advanced transceivers. The bulk of the book contains a list of world-wide SW broadcasters, organized by frequency band. This makes it ideal for browsing one band at a time, but much less so if you want to search for broadcasts from a particular country.
I like this one by Charles. I have only had a brief chance to scan through this book. From what I have seen of it I will enjoy getting in to it.

Shortwave Is Not Quite Dead By James Tedford (Bothell, WA United States). It was barely breathing as of late, but there is still a lot you can hear on shortwave radio. You need more than a little dedication, and a better-than-adequate radio to hear what remains on the HF bands, but if you have those, you will be rewarded with a lot of interesting audio programming. This book is a good guide to what is currently available over the international airwaves.

Five Stars By  Kindle Customer
Came on time. Packaged right. Looks as shown. Works as advertised.

 

Possible Land-Attack Cruise Missile Launch Scheduled for Next Week

The 7 Feet Beneath the Keel Blog is reporting that the Russians may be conducting a cruise missile launch over the Barents Sea Dec 8-10.

The blog reports while the launch platform is not yet known, there are at least two candidates, both of which are armed with the SS-N-30 land-attack cruise missile (range: 800nm-1,400nm, depending on the warhead payload):
Severodvinsk-class nuclear-powered cruise missile submarine "Severodvinsk"
Kilo-class diesel submarine "Novorossiysk", which arrived in Polyarnyy last month

For my Russian UDXF monitor friends it will be interesting to see if any VLF/MF/HF traffic is associated with this launch.

Orion Spacecraft Descends to the Pacific on Three Silk Mains

NASA's Orion Crew Module descends to the Pacific Ocean under its three main parachutes as part of the Orion Program's first exploration flight test. USS Anchorage (LPD 23) is supporting the first exploration test flight for the NASA Orion Program. EFT-1 is the fifth at sea testing of the Orion Crew Module using a Navy well deck recovery method. (U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Charles White/Released)

NASA's Orion Spacecraft Launched for Cape on Delta IV Heavy

A Delta IV heavy rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 7:05 a.m. EST carrying NASA's Orion spacecraft on an unpiloted flight test to Earth orbit. The two-orbit, four-and-a-half hour mission will evaluate the systems critical to crew safety, the launch abort system, the heat shield and the parachute system. The amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23) will recover the Orion crew module after it splashes down in the Pacific Ocean using a Navy welldeck recovery method. (U.S. Navy photo courtesy of NASA/Released)

Minot AFB successfully flies 40 out of 40 sorties during exercise

An Aircrew member walks toward a B-52H Stratofortress while it’s being deiced on Minot Air Force Base, N.D. Battling harsh winds and temperatures 20 degrees and below for several days, operations and maintenance Airmen joined together to successfully fly 40 out of 40 sorties during Prairie Warrior surge week. (U.S. Air Force photo/Senior Airman Brittany Y. Bateman)

By Airman 1st Class Sahara L. Fales, Minot Air Force Base Public Affairs

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. (AFNS) -- Battling harsh winds and temperatures 20 degrees and below for several days, operations and maintenance Airmen joined together to successfully fly 40 out of 40 sorties during Prairie Warrior surge week here, Nov. 17-20.

The purpose of the exercise was to demonstrate conventional capabilities in a realistic training environment to simulate combat.

"Prairie Warrior provided us with some outstanding visibility because we were able to exercise realistic and challenging scenarios that we don't normally encounter," said Col. Kieran Denehan, the 5th Operations Group commander. "This is where we put our training to the biggest possible test outside of a combat environment."

Air crew members were issued weapons, met with a chaplain, received a weather intel brief and a pre-takeoff brief just as if they were preparing for war, said Capt. Michael Devita, the 5th Operations Support Squadron conventional plans flight commander.

With only 16 jets available and 12 scheduled to fly on the first day, the maintainers' skills were put to the test to have 10 jets prepared for takeoff first thing the next day.

"A B-52's normal flying rhythm is every other day," said Senior Master Sgt. Paul Crisostomo, the 69th Aircraft Maintenance Unit lead project supervisor. "Our ability to be able to fly a jet one day and turn around and fly it twelve hours later speaks volumes of the good work that our Airmen are doing out there."

In addition to the 22 sorties in the first two days, they also flew 10 on the third day and eight more on the fourth to conclude the exercise, Crisostomo said.

The demanding mission of Prairie Warrior had Airmen working 12 hour shifts the entire week to provide full-spectrum deterrence and maintenance on the B-52H Stratofortresses. Day shift focused primarily on getting the bombers loaded and up in the air, while night shift was responsible for recovery, refueling, service and pre-flight checks.

"I only had so many load crews and maintainers," Crisostomo said. "They were all hopping from jet to jet just getting the job done!"

Because of their hard work throughout the week, the base was able to fly 40 out of 40 sorties with 33 on-time takeoffs and successfully dropped 119 munitions.

Crisostomo attributes the most successful surge Minot AFB has had in about five years to the outstanding teamwork among all of the squadrons.

"Prairie Warrior was a huge success for us," said Col. Jason Armagost, the 5th Bomb Wing commander. "Just weeks after coming out of succeeding in a large-scale nuclear exercise, we accomplished our base's largest conventional exercise of the year -- and we crushed it."

USS Vicksburg Deploys to Support NATO

By Lt. j.g. Timothy Dover, USS Vicksburg Public Affairs

MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- Ticonderoga class guided-missile cruiser USS Vicksburg (CG 69) departed Naval Station Mayport Dec. 4 to relieve USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55) later this month as the Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 flagship and to support theater security cooperation efforts in Europe.

 The crew recently participated in Joint Warrior 14-2, a United Kingdom (UK)-led multinational exercise in UK coastal waters. The training is designed to provide allied forces a multiwarfare environment to prepare for global operations.

 "The crew has worked extremely hard to prepare this ship for deployment," said Capt. Lyle Hall, Vicksburg commanding officer. "I am very proud of their commitment to this ship and to the mission ahead. They have always gone above and beyond at each and every turn."

 Before deploying, Vicksburg also participated in the USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7) Amphibious Ready Group (ARG)/24th Marine Expeditionary Unit's (MEU) Composite Training Unit Exercise, a highly successful missile exercise.
 During this exercise, the crew earned their Independent Deployer Certification, which assesses a ship's capabilities to function at tactical and operational levels.

 Commissioned Nov. 12, 1992, the ship was named for both the Battle of Vicksburg, fought during the American Civil War, and the city of Vicksburg, Mississippi.

 Commander, Standing NATO Maritime Group 2 Rear Adm. Brad Williamson and staff will embark their new flagship, Vicksburg, to continue support of NATO counter-terrorism Operation Active Endeavour and additional NATO tasking.

HSC-8 Helo Trains for Orion EFT-1

An MH60-S Sea Hawk helicopter assigned to Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 8 takes off from the amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23) as part of at-sea training. Anchorage is participating in the first Exploration Flight Test (EFT-1) for the NASA Orion program. EFT-1 is the fifth at-sea testing of the Orion crew module using a Navy well deck recovery method. U.S. Navy Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Gary Keen

USS Fort Worth Arrives in US 7th Fleet

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NNS) -- Littoral combat ship (LCS) USS Fort Worth (LCS 3) arrived in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations Dec. 4, marking a key initial milestone in its 16-month rotational deployment in support of the Indo-Asia-Pacific rebalance.
 Building on USS Freedom's (LCS 1) inaugural 10-month deployment from March to December 2013, Fort Worth will expand LCS operations while in 7th Fleet, to include visiting more ports, engaging more regional navies during exercises like Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) and expanding LCS capabilities with tools like the MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned autonomous helicopter.

 "Fort Worth will be a workhorse in 7th Fleet, demonstrating our forward presence in the vital littorals of the region and expanding its operations to work with allies and partners in unprecedented ways," said Vice Adm. Robert Thomas, commander, U.S. 7th Fleet.

 In addition to presence in nearly every phase of CARAT 2015 in South and Southeast Asia, Fort Worth will train with the Republic of Korea Navy in exercise Foal Eagle and is scheduled to join multinational ships at Singapore's Changi Naval Base for the International Maritime Defence Exhibition. Fort Worth will also expand LCS regional presence by using additional expeditionary maintenance locations in Northeast Asia.
 Fort Worth is the first LCS to deploy under the "3-2-1" manning concept, swapping fully trained crews roughly every four months. This concept will allow Fort Worth to deploy six months longer than Freedom and twice as long as typical U.S. Navy ship deployments, extending LCS forward presence and reducing crew fatigue for the 16-month deployment. It is named 3-2-1 because three rotational crews will support two LCS ships and maintain one deployed ship.

 Forth Worth arrives in 7th Fleet with an embarked aviation detachment from Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 35, the Navy's first composite expeditionary helicopter squadron. The detachment consists of one MH-60R Seahawk helicopter and one MQ-8B Fire Scout Vertical Takeoff and Landing Unmanned Aerial Vehicle. The Fire Scout will complement the MH-60R by extending the HSM-35's range and endurance thereby enhancing maritime domain awareness.

 "It's great to be in 7th Fleet, a huge region with critical littoral areas in which Fort Worth is tailor-made to operate," said Cmdr. Kendall Bridgewater, LCS Crew 104 commanding officer. "The next several months here will be busy for Fort Worth and her crews, but we're looking forward to the opportunities this deployment will provide to work with many partner navies throughout the Asia-Pacific."

 Fast, agile and mission-focused, littoral combat ships are designed to operate in near-shore environments and employ modular mission packages that can be configured for surface warfare, mine countermeasures or anti-submarine warfare. Fort Worth will employ the surface warfare mission package for her entire deployment, augmenting her 57mm gun and rolling airframe missile launcher with two 30mm guns, two 11-meter rigid-hull inflatable boats and two eight-member maritime security boarding teams. With more fuel capacity than Freedom, Fort Worth can refuel less often and stay on patrol longer.

 Since departing San Diego Nov. 17, Fort Worth transited the Pacific Ocean, visited Hawaii to conduct joint operations, and is scheduled to arrive in Guam for its first 7th Fleet port visit. Following Guam, Fort Worth will continue to the maintenance and logistics hub in Singapore. It will remain homeported in San Diego and all crews will live aboard.

 The U.S. 7th Fleet conducts forward-deployed naval operations in support of U.S. national interests in the Indo-Asia-Pacific area of operations. As the U.S. Navy's largest numbered fleet, 7th Fleet interacts with 35 other maritime nations to build maritime partnerships that foster maritime security, promote stability and prevent conflict.

Anchorage Departs on NASA's Orion Mission

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Christopher A. Veloicaza, USS Anchorage Public Affairs

PACIFIC OCEAN (NNS) -- San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ship USS Anchorage (LPD 23) departed from Naval Base San Diego to retrieve NASA equipment in the Pacific Ocean, Dec. 1.

 Anchorage will use its amphibious capabilities to conduct an at-sea recovery of the Orion space capsule.

 NASA operatives will launch Orion into Earth's orbit and wait for it to splash down into the Pacific Ocean for recovery. The launch window for this NASA mission terminates Dec. 19. Once launched, the capsule will take four hours to orbit the earth twice before it is recovered. The total duration of the operation from launch to recovery is entirely weather dependent and relies on numerous variables.

 Anchorage will use a specially trained bridge team that will be on watch for the operation. Divers aboard small boats will maneuver alongside and rig tending lines to guide the capsule to Anchorage as the ship safely operates on station.

 "It is a very complex, highly-integrated team of Navy divers, meteorologists, flight crews, the well-deck personnel and the bridge watch standers on Anchorage," said Lt. Keith Tate, operations officer. "All of this will hopefully culminate with the historic capsule recovery, which is something the Navy hasn't been involved with for almost 40 years."

 Sailors aboard Anchorage have been training for several months and this mission has been a consistent focus for the crew dating back to late spring.

 NASA crewmembers will provide real-time tracking information of the capsule once it is launched. They will be in constant communication with the Johnson Space Center in Houston to notify the ship of any capsule deviation. NASA crew members will also guide the ship incrementally closer to the recovery point.

 "We want to get ourselves into the right mindset," said Jeremy Graeber, NASA recovery director. "This is a historic event we're all getting to be part of and I want everyone to think in those terms. We want to be safe first, diligent about our work and make sure we do this as well as they did it in 1975."

 NASA will serve as a liaison to Navy divers for all the hardware that is connected to the spacecraft. If there are any issues with the hardware, the designer on board Anchorage can tend to it accordingly. NASA crew members are also managing how the capsule gets brought in, how it's set down and where it's safe in the ship. After the equipment is secured a Lockheed Martin team will download data off of the spacecraft.
 "All of us who have been here since the beginning are excited to see this day come," Tate said. "We're hoping for a safe, successful evolution. It's something historic and we're all proud to be apart of it."

Cosmos 2499 is now a hamsat?

Well it started life as a probable anti-satellite killer sat. Now it appears that Cosmos 2499 has morphed into a hamsat? First, Paul Marsh over at UHF-Satcom has discovered the S-band downlink for this satellite. Here is what Paul posted to the UHF-Satcom newsgroup:

"Confirmed S-Band downlink from Cosmos 2499, cat #39765 on 2280.000MHz. Transmitter activated with the satellite is at 5 degrees at Moscow. Quite a good signal using 1M antenna."

http://pjm.uhf-satcom.com/twtr/cosmos2499_301114.jpg
http://pjm.uhf-satcom.com/twtr/cosmos2499_011214.jpg
http://pjm.uhf-satcom.com/twtr/cosmos2499_011214a.jpg

Eight minutes ago Paul tweeted:

"Cosmos 2499 S-Band TX commanded on from Moscow, sending 'idle' frames from the look of the BPSK; http://pjm.uhf-satcom.com/twtr/cosmos2499_021214.jpg … - strong signals!"

 

According to R4UAB Cosmos 2499 may have morphed into a Hamsat (see http://r4uab.ru/?p=8509 for his full story). Portion of his post at http://r4uab.ru/?p=8509 translated to English text:

 

"Amateur astronomers and observers satellites in Russia and in the West follow the unusual maneuver object 2014-28E. Now and amateurs joined observations:-)
He may have different functions, some of them civilians, some - the military. In confirmation to the first statement I was today adopted a scientific telemetry signal with COSMOS 2499 on frequencies 435.465 MHz and 435.565 MHz. TABLETSAT-AURORA. The first time a strange signal that I could not identify, I noticed in the summer during the reception of satellite TABLETSAT-AURORA. In the picture once again screenshot summer, found in the repository at: On it you can see 2 data link with COSMOS 2499 (as I now know) and the lighthouse TABLETSAT-AURORA.  A lot of time spent on the search for the source.  First time I have access to the signal height of the object identified approximately 1500 km, calculate the approximate TLE based on my observations and this led me to the COSMOS 2499."

 

 

 

Robert Christy at Zarya.info is reporting on his twitter feed the following:

 

"Cosmos 2499 - R4UAB reports: as of today it is identifying itself as radio amateur sat RS-47, maybe means the military mission is completed?"

 

Amsat UK has picked up the story on their blog at http://amsat-uk.org/2014/11/30/cosmos-2499-callsign-rs-47/

 

Track COSMOS-2499 / RS-47 at http://www.n2yo.com/?s=39765

 

Listen for RS-47 online with the SUWS WebSDR located near London
http://amsat-uk.org/2014/08/15/suws-websdr-moves-to-new-site/

 

RS-47 Telemetry data http://www.dk3wn.info/p/?p=52752

 

Dmitry Pashkov R4UAB describes receiving the 435.465 MHz and 435.565 MHz signals at http://tinyurl.com/R4UAB-COSMOS-2499

You can read the complete story on Cosmos 2499/RS-47 on the RussianSpaceWeb.com at http://www.russianspaceweb.com/Cosmos-2499.html#1125

 

So there we have it the hunter killer anti-satellite satellite is now RS-47 a hamsat. Only in Putin's Russia. ;-)

 

 

Milcom Blog Logs - November 2014 - Central Florida

Our good friend Jack Nesmith checks in with his active milair freqs from central Florida monitored during November. Thanks Jack

120.9500 FACSFAC JAX
134.6500 FACSFAC JAX
225.0250 CHARLIE/ECHO RNG AVON PARK RNG
225.3500 PINECASTLE RANGE
228.2250 A/G/A 347RQW MOODY AFB
233.5500 A/G/A 93FS HOMESTEAD ARB
234.6000 NORAD
234.8000 159FS/125FW
236.0750 GRAND BAY RNG MOODY AFB
236.7250 A/G/A 23FW MOODY AFB
238.9000 REFUELING
240.1000 A/G/A AVON PARK RNG
251.2000 INTERPLANE 23FW MOODY AFB
251.2500 159FS/125FW
253.7000 159FS/125FW
254.2500 ZMA
254.3250 ZJX
257.1000 INTERPLANE 319SOS HURLBURT FLD
257.7000 ZMA
260.9000 NORAD
267.5000 FACSFAC JAX
269.2500 ZJX
269.3000 ZMA
281.5000 ZMA
282.2000 ZJX
283.2500 SOF 93FS HOMESTEAD ARB
283.8750 A/G/A 325FW TYNDALL AFB
284.5000 FACSFAC JAX
285.5000 ZMA
288.5000 W-151/470
289.2000 PINECASTLE RANGE
289.3000 INTERPLANE 23FW MOODY AFB
290.6250 METRO TYNDALL AFB
292.1000 INTERPLANE 23FW MOODY AFB
293.1000 "WETSTONE DISCRETE" W-151/470
293.2250 ZMA
295.0000 INTERPLANE 23FW MOODY AFB
298.5000 INTERPLANE 325FW TYNDALL AFB
299.0000 INTERPLANE 325FW TYNDALL AFB
305.6000 SOF 23FW MOODY AFB GA
307.2000 ZJX
308.7500 A/G/A 93FS HOMESTEAD ARB
313.7000 FACSFAC JAX
313.7250 PINECASTLE RANGE
314.0500 W-470A
316.4000 A/G/A 1SOW HURLBURT FLD
317.5250 ZJX
317.6000 ZJX
318.6000 FACSFAC JAX
319.0000 ZMA
322.4750 ZJX
324.6000 REFUELING
335.5000 ZMA
335.5500 ZJX
337.3000 NAOC
341.7500 UNKNOWN USER
342.1000 W-470
343.0000 159FS/125FW
343.5000 METRO NAS JAX
343.7000 ZMA
346.2500 ZJX
348.7000 ZMA
349.3000 A/G/A AVON PARK RNG
352.0000 ZJX
352.1000 A/G/A 325FW TYNDALL AFB
354.8000 A/G/A EGLIN AFB
357.5000 A/G/A 325FW TYNDALL AFB
360.7000 ZJX
360.8000 ZJX
361.4000 A/G/A 325FW TYNDALL AFB
364.2000 NORAD