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Unlike the growing scarcity of good HF maritime DX targets, there is still a large amount of HF aero activity to enjoy! Even with the move to satellite comms, there is still, at any given time of the day or night, hundreds of aircraft using HF radio to communicate with controllers, companies and home bases. Both commercial aviation and the military, as well as many privately owned aircraft, use the HF communication networks to keep them flying safely. From trans-oceanic 777s' and military transports to single engine float planes in the Canadian Arctic and Alaska, the sky is alive with DXing opportunities!

A huge percentage of commercial aircraft are delegated to moving freight and many of them can be heard on HF radio. Many of the planes in use are retired passenger planes that have been reconfigured for moving cargo. Back when I did this type of listening, older DC-8s seemed to be particularly popular, especially on the nightly South / Central America to Florida routes. I suspect that nowadays, these have been replaced with older DC-10's and 747's.


'FINE AIR 432' was logged on March 24,1996 at 0435Z while working Miami Radio on 6637kHz. The DC8-51F (Freighter) was over Bogota while enroute from Lima to Miami.




'NIPPON CARGO 083', a 747-200F, was logged
on 8891kHz working Baffin Radio. They were reporting position "LT", a waypoint above Alert, at 82-31N / 62-12W, westbound on Polar Track "Quebec".
The freighter was enroute Amsterdam to Anchorage.



The Antonov 124-100 is a gigantic Russian built freighter - capable of transporting in excess of
120 tons. This is aircraft "RA-82045" which was logged as 'HEAVYLIFT 878' in June, 1996.



Operated by Volga-Dnepr, 'HEAVYLIFT 878' was working Dakar (Senegal) Aeradio on 6535kHz reporting FL240 and position 13-14N / 24-26W enroute Cape Verde Islands to Sao Paulo, Brazil.


'AFM 01' was a DC8-55F logged while working Brazzaville Radio (Congo) on 8903kHz. It was at FL350, enroute Harare, Zimbabwe to Kano, Nigeria at the "MPK" waypoint, 250 miles east of Kinshasha, Zaire. Brazzavile was advising of 'crossing traffic, same level...please say intentions'... Yikes!
On another evening I heard the Dakar (Senegal) controller advise a British Speedbird 747 to 'go to flight level 330 ... please go now ... go very very fast'. I don't think I'll be flying in Africa anytime soon.


'AFM01' (Affretair) was Z-WMJ, shown here on final approach to Gatwick.



'PACIFIC AIR EXPRESS 3517' was heard on 8867kHz working Brisbane Radio while over the Coral Sea. The Lockheed L-188C four-engine turbo prop was enroute Honiara to Brisbane with a load of fresh tuna destined for the Japanese market. N360Q, shown on the ground at Honiara, was leased from the states and operated by Charrak Air.



The U.S. military is still active on HF radio and some interesting catches can be had. During the testing phase of the 'cruise' missile, the missile navigation systems were tested over the Northern Territories and Alberta. Once dropped from their B-52 launch platforms, the missiles were tracked across Alberta by Advanced Range Instrumentation Aircraft (ARIA). 'AGAR 93' was heard on one such mission on 11176kHz. 'AGAR 93' was # 81-0893, an EC-18 (modified Boeing 707) out of Wright Patterson' 4950th Test Wing. According to the aircraft commander who signed my verification, the aircraft was approximately 1 hour S.E. of Namao, Alberta. One can easily see why # 81-0893, shown here, was affectionately known as "The Beast".


'DOOM 81' was a gigantic B-52H from the 96th Bomb Squadron, stationed at Barksdale AFB, LA. The appropriately named big bomber was heard on 11176kHz while working Ascension Radio and was just about to rendezvous with their mid-air refueler when the mission was aborted. This was the first and only B-52 that I was ever able to confirm.
'ROMA 99' was logged on 17975kHz while working Thule Radio. They were taxiing for takeoff at Dulles International in Washington D.C. and reporting a minor fuel-pump problem. 'ROMA 99' was a KC-135R Stratotanker, # 62-003512, from the 509th Air Refueling Squadron at Griffis AFB, NY.



'REACH 71839' was heard on 11176kHz while working Albrook AFB, Alaska. Tail # 65-0239, this 'REACH' flight was an aging C-141B Starlifter, at one point, the Air Force's major transporter. 'REACH 71839', out of McChord AFB, was enroute Brazil to Puerto Rico.


There's still plenty to be heard on HF, outside of the amateur bands and a quick internet search on 'Utility DX' will turn up several interesting and informative sites ... each one having an abundance of related links to follow. Here are some that will be helpful:

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A freshly updated list of all active HF aero frequencies. Also check their list of active aero 'callsigns'

http://monitor-post.blogspot.ca/p/this-international-hf-aero-frequency.html

If you can catch an aircraft's four-letter SELCAL code, often given during waypoint checks, you can search here for more info on the actual aircraft itself:

http://www.airframes.org/reg/b18305 

The Milcom Blogspot:

http://mt-milcom.blogspot.ca/
Steve McDonald, VE7SL, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from British Columbia, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

Wow… what a day. Judy and I hiked to Knox Mountain. I worked Paul W0RW who was walking on Pike’s Peak. I also worked KM0U/P/QRP, Canary Islands and Mexico. The color was amazing.

Every day is a surprise. We expect November weather to set in, but it’s sunny and warm. It was a bit over 50F today, so we headed to the Knox Mountain cabins. We took an old logging road. This is not the charming trail we usually take along the brook. Loggers have changed that landscape and so we’ll avoid that route. Actually this was beautiful.

We hiked in about a mile and a half and came to the pond and the cabins. The loggers have not been anywhere near here.

I tossed my 30 foot wire over a cherry tree between the cabins and set up the KX3. I was a half hour late for Paul’s starting time on Pike’s Peak, but I tuned up on 14.342.5 anyway. What a thrill to hear him… I had no microphone so I set up cross-mode with a split… VFO B in CW mode up 600 Hz. Paul came right back to me and it was a real thrill. Just imagine working Paul who had a backpack PRC319 military radio walking on the north side of Pike’s Peak at 13,000 feet. It’s plain magic! Anyway Paul copied everything I sent and gave me a 599. His SSB signal was 55. He said the cold was “bone chilling.”

After I signed and tuned down the band. KM0U Terry was calling CQ. Little did I know that he was operating QRP portable with a KX3. We had a long chat. It was pretty cool to work QRP /P between New Hampshire and Minnesota. He was 589 and gave me a 569.

Next I worked XE2HOE in Mexico. Mode gave me a 449 and he was 599. It was a quick exchange and then I tuned down a bit and answered EC8AUZ Pedro in the Canary Islands. We gave each other 599s and signed. I packed up to leave. What a day… a perfect hike, great radio and fall scenery at its best.

Jim Cluett, W1PID, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Hampshire, USA. Contact him at [email protected].

Here is this week’s space weather and geophysical report, issued 2015 Nov 02 0132 UTC.

Highlights of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 26 October – 01 November 2015

Solar activity was at low levels on 26-30 October and 01 November with numerous C-class events, primarily observed from Region 2443 (N07, L=316, class/area Fkc/650 on 01 Nov). An isolated M1/Sf (R1-Minor) flare was observed on 31 October at 1752 UTC from Region 2443. On 29 October, Type II (estimated 972 km/s shock velocity) and Type IV radio emissions were detected at 0219 UTC and 0230 UTC, respectively. SOHO/LASCO C2 imagery observed a non Earth-directed CME off the SW limb at 29/0236 UTC, believed to be associated with the Type II and Type IV radio activity.

A short-lived greater than 10 MeV at greater than or equal to 10 pfu proton event was observed on 29 October. The event began at 29/0550 UTC, reached a maximum of 23 pfu at 29/1000 UTC and ended at 29/1700 UTC. Coincident with this event was a short-lived greater than 100 MeV at greater than or equal to 1 pfu event. This event began at 29/0435 UTC, reached a maximum of 2 pfu at 29/0610 UTC and ended at 29/0930 UTC. Both of these events were most likely associated with activity just beyond the SW limb described above.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit was at normal levels on 26, 30-31 October and 01 November with moderate levels obsered on 27-29 October.

Geomagnetic field activity was predominately at quiet levels with some unsettled periods observed on 30-31 October and 01 November. Solar wind parameters reflected a mostly nominal environment with wind speeds ranging from a high of 483 km/s at 26/1145 UTC to a low of 287 km/s at 29/0746 UTC. Total field strength ranged from 1-10 nT while the Bz component did not vary much beyond +/- 7 nT. Phi angle was in a positive (away) orientation from the beginning of the period through early on 28 October when a switch to a negative (towards) sector was observed. Phi switched back to a positive sector at about 29/1915 UTC and remained so through the balance of the summary period.

Forecast of Solar and Geomagnetic Activity 02 November – 28 November 2015

Solar activity is expected to be at predominately low levels with moderate levels (R1-R2.Minor-Moderate) likely through the outlook period. Region 2443, through 10 November, and the return of old Regions 2434 (S09, L=165) on 07 November and 2437 (S18, L=098) on 12 November are likely to produce M-class activity through the outlook period.

No proton events are expected at geosynchronous orbit in the absence of any siginifcant flare activity.

The greater than 2 MeV electron flux at geosynchronous orbit is expected to be at high to very high levels on 02-13 November due to an enhanced solar wind environment as a recurrent, trans-equatorial coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS) becomes geoeffective. Normal to moderate levels are expected from 14-28 November.

Geomagnetic field activity is expected to began the period at G1 (Minor), G2 (Moderate) and G3 (Strong) levels on 02 November followed by G1 to G2 levels on 03 November as a recurrent, trans-equatorial CH HSS impacts Earth. Unsettled to active levels are expected on 04-06 November as CH HSS effects wane. Unsettled to active levels are expected on 13-14 November and 16-17 November due to periods of southward Bz and a weak positive polarity CH HSS. Quiet to unsettled levels are expected for the remainder of the outlook period.

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It is a known fact that China has been cutting through import red tape for many years now. We have all purchased Baofeng's, cheap electronic components, tablets, computer hardware and many other items that we all have bought directly from China to benefit our radio hobby.


Ticking the CN22 as a gift, or marking down the value of items, is in effect deceiving the import rules. It appears that this activity has not gone unnoticed by the UK VAT man, and some traders are complaining about this practice too, saying that they cannot fairly compete. Could the door be about to close!








There are quite a few articles on this doing the rounds today, this is the best one I have found that sums it all up:  http://www.pressexaminer.com/uk-troubled-by-chinese-sellers-on-ebay-and-amazon-as-christmas-approaches/77476



Steve, G1KQH, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from England. Contact him at [email protected].

It is a known fact that China has been cutting through import red tape for many years now. We have all purchased Baofeng's, cheap electronic components, tablets, computer hardware and many other items that we all have bought directly from China to benefit our radio hobby.

It appears this activity has not gone unnoticed by the UK VAT man, and some traders are complaining about this practice too that they can't fairly compete, could the door be about to close!








There are quite a few articles on this doing the rounds today, this is the best one I have found that sums it all up:  http://www.pressexaminer.com/uk-troubled-by-chinese-sellers-on-ebay-and-amazon-as-christmas-approaches/77476



Steve, G1KQH, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from England. Contact him at [email protected].

30m WSPRing

On Sunday I found some time to get on the radio and I found there was not to much happening on the bands. I had some other things I could do while on the PC so I started up WSPR just to see how the bands were doing. I gave 30m a go starting around 3pm local time and really there were no spots of my signal. At around 5pm local things began to pickup and I was being heard across the pond. I was using 5 watts and I understand that is very high for WSPR but I wanted to see how the loop antenna would do with that type of power. I would like to use WSPR to see when each of the bands peaks in my area and this would mean a few weekends of WSPRing from morning to evening to see if I can pickup a pattern for good propagation from my location. Just as a side note I'm not sure where W0AY is located.....seems to be out in the ocean?? I did look his call up on QRZ.COM and found his home QTH to be in Montana so not to sure why he is out in the ocean.........maybe M/M?? I did email Laurence to see if in fact he was M/M or if WSPR was just a bite confused last evening.  
Mike Weir, VE9KK, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from New Brunswick, Canada. Contact him at [email protected].

“The starship hypothesis is a very interesting one, and the one which seems to be the most popular one on the internet,” said Sverre Holm, a professor of signal processing at the University of Oslo. “Such theories always excite our imagination, but it builds on a very poor data set. Unfortunately I believe it says more about human imagination than anything else.”

Although scientists have yet to settle on a final explanation for these mysterious echoes, Holm believes this is has less to do with a lack of scientific knowledge than a lack of willpower.

“I think that with today’s satellites and sensors, the mystery of Long Delayed Echoes (LDEs) could probably be solved,” he said. “What’s holding us back is most likely the problem is not considered important enough—it doesn’t occur often enough and doesn’t affect important enough forms of communications.”

These are excerpts from an interview in an article entitled “Radio Ghosts Have Haunted the Airwaves for Nearly a Century” on Motherboard Vice written by Daniel Oberhaus. It builds on a web page that I created some years ago after having spent days studying the archives from the 20’s of professor Carl Størmer at the National Library in Oslo.

Sverre Holm, LA3ZA, is a regular contributor to AmateurRadio.com and writes from Norway. Contact him at [email protected].