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Press RTTY Frequencies

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t.sun...@genie.geis.com

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Feb 7, 1995, 6:33:00 PM2/7/95

7 February 1995

Questions keep popping up on press RTTY schedules. At the risk of
boring those who saw this list about three weeks ago, this is a mild
update to that posting with some additional comments based upon
questions received.

I'd appreciate feedback with any updates, new frequencies or countries.

I'm using a Japan Radio Company NRD-535D receiver. Note the following
list contains the NRD-535D frequency readouts whereas the published
(nominal) transmit frequency will be higher by a few Hz (usually
usually to the nearest .000 or .500 kHz). Yes, the NRD-535D tunes in 1
Hz increments and reports to 1 Hz out its serial port. I'm using the
RTTY mode with the (Narrow position) 1 kHz filter -- I think this is
the ideal filter bandwidth for my purposes -- and the Universal M-6000
stand-alone decoder and a Kenwood SM-220 Station Monitor for
oscilloscope purposes to ensure the appropriate settings and to yield a
good X-Y trace. I determine the frequency to enter in my file by tuning
in the mark tone to make the Y-trace vertical, then adjust the decoder
shift to lengthen the X-trace of the space tone and make it
perpendicular to the Y trace.

A lot has to do with the receiver options as to modes and filters. If
you have to tune digital stuff on one of the SSB filters, then you'll
have to apply a differential offset to the nominal carrier frequency.
The offset may vary among receiver manufacturers.

I've had tabletop receivers with wide and narrow SSB filters, and my
experience usually has been that the filters are too wide for decoding
weaker signals. I've experimented with some audio filters to shape the
audio a bit, and that's helped, but it is no panacea.

The decoder's effectiveness can vary all over the place too. For
example, the other day I was tuned into North Korea on 11476 kHz. I had
both the M-6000 and the AEA Fax III -- I use the latter for weather fax
and grayscale photos -- decoding the baudot. Whereas the M-6000 was
providing absolutely 99% solid copy from an s7 signal, the add-on RTTY
mode in AEA Fax III managed to decode only an occasional word. When I
had a AEA PK-232 (sn 49 way back when...), it had a narrow and wide
baudot mode, and at least for my purposes, I found the two settings to
be lacking for effective copy of the press services. The only other
decoder I've used is an M-7000; for baudot reception purposes it is the
same as the M-6000.

As the quality of the receiver and decoder increases, your decoding
results will improve. I'm in a low-noise environment, and the antennas
are a 350-foot inverted-L with the flattop off to the NW at 90 feet,
and a 50-foot doublet running N-S at about 50-feet off the ground.
(Actually the smaller, lower antenna works better during the day and on
the frequencies listed below). With the M-6000, I usually find that I
can get near-perfect decoding with virtually no s-meter deflection
except when polar path signals from North Korea and China are affected
by a geomagnetic disturbance.

The logic behind my setup? I didn't want to tie up a computer to tune
in press services that I sometimes tuned in for hours -- such as I may
do if trying to figure out a transmission schedule. The stand-alone
decoders manufacturered by DES and sold by Universal Radio (and other
dealers) fit that criteria. If I want to capture the text -- I made a
patch cable to take the signal from the M-6000 to the computer -- I use
Procomm Plus for Windows to capture text in the background while I
continue to use the modem on a second COM port or work with other
application software packages.

I don't pretend to be an expert. I cannot comment on the effectiveness
of any other commercial or shareware hardware and software approaches
to decoding; you read the same reports I do. Jack Albert, formally of
MT, comes to mind as the technical authority on how all this stuff
works.

The settings below are baud rate, shift in Hz, and sense (N = Normal,
and R = reverse). The sense may be the opposite for you depending upon
the receiver and the decoder at your disposal. Language abbreviations:
EE=English, FF=French.

If you can't tune in any press services, those from Morocco are the
easiest to practice on as signals on many frequencies are strong.
You'll find some RTTY (45/170) in the ham bands as well, below 14.1 and
above 3.6 MHz, that you can practice on.

By the way, there is no AP, UPI, or Tass on shortwave any more. Much of
the press stuff has moved to satellites. As this list represents what
I've observed in the last year or so, if I don't list a press service
or a country it means (1) I haven't found it yet or (2) I haven't heard
it in a very long time or (3) it isn't on the air. Again, if you find
something I don't have here, please tell me.

References that you should have: Klingenfuss' Guide to Utility Stations
and/or Ferrell's Confidential Frequency List. Both can be acquired from
the usual SWL mail order houses -- Gilfer Shortwave, Universal Radio
and others -- listed in the rec.radio.shorwave FAQ compiled and posted
each month by Ralph Brandi.

This is an extract of one of my files for the NRD-535 Control Program we
author. Times are UTC. Hope this helps.

25271.605 Italy: ANSA | 50/355/R | FF 11&14, EE 12&15
24789.754 Italy: ANSA | 50/360/R | FF 11&14, EE 12&15
22955.033 Italy: ANSA | 50/350/R | FF 11&14, EE 12&15
20559.862 Libya: JANA | 50/425/N | EE 16-17
20372.085 Italy: ANSA | 50/360/R | FF 14, EE 15
20203.919 Yugoslavia: TANJUG | 50/425/N | FF 1200, EE 13-14
20084.761 Italy: ANSA | 50/375/R | FF 11&14&18, EE 12&15
20077.846 France: DIPLO | 50/425/R | FF 0200
19463.230 Sudan: SUNA | 50/210/R | EE 1705-1800 (//12120)
19171.931 Morocco: MAP | 50/425/N | EE 12-14, FF 11 & 16-1630
18788.070 Sudan: SUNA | 50/250/R | EE 1705-1735
18495.970 Morocco: MAP | 50/425/N | EE 12-14, FF 11 & 16-1630
18264.980 Morocco: MAP | 50/425/N | EE 12-14, FF 16-17
18220.792 Morocco: MAP | 50/425/N | FF 11 & 16-17, EE 12-14
18039.095 Turkey: AA | 50/850/N | TT 12, EE 13+
17442.916 China: XINHUA | 50/425/N | RYs 1300-1400 s/off
16347.894 Cuba: PL | 50/400/N | SS 12-22
16342.931 Yugoslavia: TANJUG | 50/425/N | FF 1200, EE 13-14
16135.874 China: XINHUA | 75/425/N | EE 1030-1330
16116.921 Senegal: PANA|50/580/N|EE 1030&1230&15,FF 1215&1530
16105.846 France: DIPLO | 50/425/R | FF 0200
15934.973 Egypt: MENA | 75/425/N | EE 1130-1140,15-20 w/EE 18+
15750.889 Morocco: MAP | 50/425/N | EE 12-14
15704.842 Yugoslavia: TANJUG | 50/425/R | FF 1130-1230
14931.700 Algeria: APS | 50/850/N | EE 11-12,13-14
14922.636 China: XINHUA | 75/425/N | EE 0045-
14763.922 Bahrain: GNA: 75/350/N | EE 1500-1550
14759.895 China: XINHUA | 50/425/N | EE 0200-, 1400-
14759.880 Morocco: MAP | 50/425/N | FF 11, EE 12-14
14698.706 Iraq: INA | 50/425/N | probable EE 1250-1400
14372.870 Iraq: INA | 50/425/N | 13-19 seAs
14366.912 China: XINHUA | 75/425/N | EE 1130-1400
13655.362 Vietnam: VNA | 50/500/N | VT 1320-
13653.045 Egypt: MENA | 75/500/N | EE 12-, -19
13579.957 North Korea: KCNA | 50/250/N | FF 1130-1230
13562.684 Taiwan: CNA | 50/775/N | EE 1340-
13523.870 Iraq: INA | 50/425/N | (inactive)
13439.912 Yugoslavia: TANJUG | 50/425/N | EE 12-1230,1530-16
12185.885 Lybia: Jamahiriya News Agy|50/425/N|EE 14+ 1730-1830
12174.956 North Korea: KCNA | 50/250/N | EE 2130-23 //11476
11603.893 Yugoslavia: TANJUG | 50/425/N | RYs 1120-
11535.954 North Korea: KCNA |50/250/N|FF 1130-1230,1830-1930+
11475.966 North Korea: KCNA | 50/250/N | EE 2130-23 //12175
11429.958 North Korea: KCNA | 50/250/R | FF 2200-2330
11132.910 China: XINHUA | 50/425/N | FF 1130-, 19-1930
11079.759 Syria: SANA | 50/600/N | FF 18-1830, EE 1830-19
10959.674 Taiwan: CNA | 50/775/N | EE 1340- //13563
10609.832 Egypt: MENA | 75/500/N | EE 2000, FF 2030
10599.764 Vietnam: VNA | 50/500/R | VT 1230, FF 1310, EE 1400
10523.607 North Korea: KCNA | 50/250/R | FF 1230-1300
10162.381 Iraq: INA | 50/425/N | 13-19 Eu/nAf (1245-1800 now)
9429.816 Albania: ATA | 50/500/R | EE 1800-1830
9329.285 Vietnam: VNA | 50/500/R | VT 1230, FF 1310, EE 1400
9132.861 Albania: ATA | 50/500/R | FF 0930, EE 1000-11
8048.965 Iran: IRNA | 50/425/N | EE 1930-22
7995.887 Yugoslavia: TANJUG | 50/425/N | EE 21-2330
7958.956 Iran: IRNA | 50/425 N | EE 1930-22
7805.912 Yugoslavia: TANJUG | 50/425/N | EE 21-2330
7657.963 Yugoslavia: TANJUG | 50/425/N | EE 21-2330
7609.811 Egypt: MENA | 75/425/N | EE 2000, FF 2030
6971.832 Romania: ROMPRESS | 50/500/N | EE 17-18
5239.922 Yugoslavia: TANJUG | 50/425/N | EE 21-2330

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