North Korean Weather Station

While exploring the 6 mhz band this morning at 15:40 utc
I noticed that the North Korean weather station was
very busy on 6777khz; callsign: HMA
Please note that this station transmits not only weather
conditions of their military airstrips but also of eastern
China as well! Analysis of HMA radio traffic reveals some
of the sites remain unidentified.
No reflection of this surge of HMA's radio traffic is seen on
8437 khz callsign: QF3K (another Chinese Military) which
has been active for several days.
Reception conditions remain fair here at my high latitude
monitoring site. Continued observation of these enitites
hopefully will reveal their intentions.

Attu Bosch
Alaska

Sounds interesting, but I need some help. I actually dont really understand most of what you said, so if you could please let me know what that all exactly means, thanks

Interesting.

Is the signal encrypted and burst transmit?

I would be surprised if it was not. Civilian RAWS here in the U.S. are mostly burst. I just assumed all weather data like that would be.

BTW -- for other readers: RAWS = Remote Automatic Weather Stations. Lunar lander lookalikes scattered around unpopulated and backcountry areas where regular weather stations do not exist. Propane and/or solar powered. Transmits weather data via satellite link to the National Weather Service in Boise, Idaho. Used primarily for land management and firefighting purposes. Data is also available to the public on the net. raws.wrh.noaa.gov...

Handy if planning a camping trip.

"Interesting.

Is the signal encrypted and burst transmit?"

Greetings, I apologize for the delayed reply.
Yes, the weather messages are encrypted. The
station identifies itself in the clear every 15 min.
It has been noted active on the following
frequencies - 6775 to 6783 khz and around
3160 khz. As I'm typing this at 15:30 utc
HMA is hammering away on 6777 khz.

"BTW -- for other readers: RAWS = Remote Automatic Weather Stations. Lunar lander lookalikes scattered around unpopulated and backcountry areas where regular weather stations do not exist."

While hiking in the Chugach mountains we stumbled
across one of these. Took some photographs and noted
the gps: 61.38N 148.97W. Upon returning home
did some online searching and revealed this www site
which posts its data.

www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov...

Returned to the location sometime later with my
Optoelectronics Digital Scout to detect any radiated rf
was quickly rewarded with: 41.690 khz. Immediately
tuned in using a AOR 8200 MK3 handheld receiver.
Signal characterization: digital burst, encrypted, once
burst a minute. After consulting other communications
monitoring enthusiasts, found out that this site is
using a technique known as meteor scatter.

members.datafast.net.au...

I'm constantly on the lookout for remote communications
sites here in Alaska. Simply amazing the wide variety of
systems that exsist for the different "agencies". Please
bear in mind that due to Alaskas topography once one
leaves the limited road/populated areas, cellular phones
are useless.

" Propane and/or solar powered. Transmits weather data via satellite link to the National Weather Service in Boise, Idaho. "

Most of the goverment comm sites I've seen while
walking mountain ridgelines are housed in a fenced
concrete structures with a carefully landscaped area close by
for helicopter landings. Recently, a wildfire was burning
through the tundra in a area that is culturally important
to the Ahtna natives. It was printed in the Anchorage News
that no health or ecological hazard resulted from the
fire burning around a simple concrete structure sporting
solar arrays, uhf,vhf & hf antennas. Small dish antennas.
The resulting uproar from the Ahtna navtive corporation was
tremendous when it was revealed that this sites
primary power generation is nuclear.
Enviromental impact statements were never filed during
the construction of this fenced in comm site. The Ahtna
Native Corps. lawyers are still fighting to get it removed
from the tundra. Purpose of this site is unknown.

Again I apologize to fellow members of this www site
for my slow reply.

- Please explore the rf spectrum from your location.
Detection of both analogue & digital communications
systems reveals activities previously unknown. -


Attu Bosch
Anchorage, Alaska