[UK-CONTEST] QRM = Stanag

[Roger Cooke]

Hi Y'all.

   Following a long conversation with Chris Cummings, G4BOH, regarding
intruders, it looks
as though we have identified that awful noise on 3580.  It belongs to
the military and they 
obviously have precedence on 80 metres over us, so they can dump this
stuff on any frequency
they choose. It is a form of multi-75 Baud data transmission called
Stanag 4285. Stanag is an 
anagram for Standardised Agreement. This means that this is used by all
NATO countries and
there are dozens of them all over the place. Google Stanag 4285 if you
are interested and you
will find lots of references. In particular, this one on Utube shows
just the noise that I am getting
here. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xUeTE21RUMM

  I have just checked again ( Saturday at 2030 ) and it is still there.
Apparently it will stay there
24/7 until this latest NATO excercise is over.

   Anyway, the confusing part to me is the fact that I could not copy
ANY PSK transmissions,
well just one, although I could hear them THROUGH this data
transmission. If you look at the
waterfall in MMVARI, you will see there are what appear to be carriers
every 50Hz and they 
spread about 10kHz. 

  I am also copying this to the UK contest reflector, as I have had
quite a generous response
on there to my GOM rambling! Interestingly enough, some were able to
copy the PSK, whereas
some were unable to. I shall do some tests with MMVARI tonight to see
what I can do in the
peace of a "no-contest" situation.  Also, some were unable to hear it
at all, in fact one station 
said what a wonderful evening it was! It was b....y gruesome down here
near Norwich.

  Thanks for the responses and although the noise is still there at S-9
+ 15 here, I have been
assured that it will go as soon as this "excercise" is over.


73 de Roger, G3LDI
 
Regards from Roger, G3LDI
Swardeston, Norfolk.