Lot of OTR over the HF bands !

[edje555]

When Putin thread whit a possible nuclear conflict couple a day's ago, more and more OTH (Over the Horizon Radar some name it The Russian Woodpeckers) is active the last two days al over the HF band and even on HAM bands up to 10m band and CB band.
Seems that Russia activated more Radar to see what NATO/UK/V.S is doing in the sky and detect possible ballistic missiles or detect airplanes/drones over Europe and over Sea to the west.
Never less, also frequency sweeps are common from Russian radar stations to find the max MUF or the best frequency for the best propagation where the Sporadic-e and F-layer has the max reflection and receive back to earth and back to source antenna of the radar station. (called radio wave Skip or Multi-Hoping from earth to ionosfeer and back).
These signals can make a trip from 200km up to 2000+km depending on frequency, MUF and atmosferic interference, on the day time frequency's above 7mhz is usable for radar but at night below 7Mhz more useful because the D-layer will not absorb radio waves like it do on the day time on lower frequency's.
So far some information that Russia is more and more active whit Radar, reason is that when Russia say's couple a day's ago that a Nuclear conflict is possible the NATO in Europa is on higher alert and trigger Russia to activated more OTH radar in case of a possible first strike from NATO.

 

[expat42451]

Good to know edje555........ Thanks very much for this....its interesting , I am amateur extra as well so.....I am curious about what kind of Rx/transceiver gear you are hearing this on specifically to ask about SDR like an Apache Labs or Elad transceiver....... with the FPGA's in those radios are you able to either with existing filter constructs ..... or with modified or different ones (for example a filter you might create through a program like OpenSDR or HPSDR) are you able to QSO? If its an analogue Rx section how does filtering and passband tuning work to nullify the OTR signals? How does it affect weak signal performance? Digital modes? I am in process of trying to get some gear here where I live in N Ecuador in the eventuality this all goes agley because there wont be any more internet if it happens.

73 & thanks

 

[edje555]

@expat42451

Well being active for 31years on 11m or the CB band and not being a Ham operator but only listen on HAM bands have seen and heard lot of things.
The equipment here is Kenwood TS-870s and Yaesu FT-991 and CB radio's whit a 5/8 Vertical GPE for 11-10M and home made 1/2 H-dipole for 20-40M and 1/4 long wire for 60-80M for 160M homemade coil whit 80meters wire windings nice for 100Khz up to 1.8Mhz listening.
Yes can transmit on HAM bands but that will be pirating for me Arrgghh
Also use online Kiwi SDR stations for listening that are online in other country's, To detect OTH Radar is not difficult it's a signal about 10-50Khz and sound like a woodpecker and can be received on any HF receiver of transceivers and even on portable radio's whit AM/SSB so no special filters is needed or equipment.
73's

 

[expat42451]

@expat42451

Well being active for 31years on 11m or the CB band and not being a Ham operator but only listen on HAM bands have seen and heard lot of things.
The equipment here is Kenwood TS-870s and Yaesu FT-991 and CB radio's whit a 5/8 Vertical GPE for 11-10M and home made 1/2 H-dipole for 20-40M and 1/4 long wire for 60-80M for 160M homemade coil whit 80meters wire windings nice for 100Khz up to 1.8Mhz listening.
Yes can transmit on HAM bands but that will be pirating for me Arrgghh
Also use online Kiwi SDR stations for listening that are online in other country's, To detect OTH Radar is not difficult it's a signal about 10-50Khz and sound like a woodpecker and can be received on any HF receiver of transceivers and even on portable radio's whit AM/SSB so no special filters is needed or equipment.
73's

I started on the 11 M band as well so most excellent. Thanks for the equipment list -- you have some really nice stuff. I have used the Kiwi stations but havent checked with them to hear anything in a couple of months.I have absolutely no radio gear at this point. Where I live in Ecuador, importing stuff is a nightmare. A $400 Xiegu G 90 will cost close to $1000 by the time its here including duties. I sold my gear when I left the US in 2012 and have not been on the air since. Like you I have used the Kiwis but not recently....Listening on your antennas with either the Kenwood or the Yaesu do you get any feel for how many S units above your noise floor the OTR is? Dunno if you can hear anything today we had an X1 flare a few hours ago so that probably has kacked a lot of the bands....
Again many kind thanks for the info.
73

 

[edje555]

I started on the 11 M band as well so most excellent. Thanks for the equipment list -- you have some really nice stuff. I have used the Kiwi stations but havent checked with them to hear anything in a couple of months.I have absolutely no radio gear at this point. Where I live in Ecuador, importing stuff is a nightmare. A $400 Xiegu G 90 will cost close to $1000 by the time its here including duties. I sold my gear when I left the US in 2012 and have not been on the air since. Like you I have used the Kiwis but not recently....Listening on your antennas with either the Kenwood or the Yaesu do you get any feel for how many S units above your noise floor the OTR is? Dunno if you can hear anything today we had an X1 flare a few hours ago so that probably has kacked a lot of the bands....
Again many kind thanks for the info.
73

Today not much going on on the HF bands lot of Sun flares today, OTH signals S7 up to 9+20dB is common when there is good propagation but don't think you will receive OTH radar from Russia but say never never everything is possible.
On SDR internet you can try European SDR stations to hear OTH radar when active, cannot give you any frequency where to look for it, all depend on frequency where propagation is the strongest.
Europe Daytime between 7Mhz up to 30Mhz and Europe night time below 7Mhz will be most use full to receive OTH when active.

 

[expat42451]

Thanks very much for the info. Listening to 40 M websdr.utah.org right now and propagation is really bad. I dont hear anything that sounds like OTR right now but as you said flares have killed it. Where I am right now its 4:30PM , +5 for Greenwich and anything below 40M is dead so. I remember the woodpeckers from many years ago......

Wow just went to ulwente.nl here

http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/

and the woodpecker is back. Found a place just inside 40M , 7062 with no signals and the noise floor i s between S5 and S7 and the woodpecker is in and out of the noise floor. So yep its there but not solid copy at all.
73

 

[Anonim]

So far some information that Russia is more and more active whit Radar, reason is that when Russia say's couple a day's ago that a Nuclear conflict is possible the NATO in Europa is on higher alert and trigger Russia to activated more OTH radar in case of a possible first strike from NATO.

That's noticeable. At the moment I found + - 5-8 radars in the radio range.