What's The BUZZZZ!

Editors Note:

The FCC and Industry Canada announced that the following interference was originating from Eastern Canada where the Canadian Military were experimenting with high power over the horizon radar.... Sound Familiar?? In the 60's and 70's the Russians were wiping out 20 with similar experiments.

The Canucks agreed to change frequency so keep your receivers peeled for other encroachment.

ed.

Efforts are under way in the US and Canada to identify the source of what's being described as a loud and broad "125 Hz buzz" that's been showing up on the 80-meter band. The ARRL Monitoring System has requested FCC assistance in tracking down the harmful interference, which has been audible primarily in the US Northeast. The League also is working with Radio Amateurs of Canada. The annoying buzz frequently has been heard on or about 3.5 MHz.
It's also been monitored in the vicinity of 3.6 and 3.7 MHz.

Sometimes, it transmits for hours on end, other times for relatively brief periods of a few seconds or minutes.

Audible over a bandwidth of more than 30 kHz, the signal has become an increasing irritant to amateurs over the past few weeks. ARRL member Dave Bowker, K1FK, in extreme northern Maine reported hearing the signal in mid-September. "The interference is a square-wave modulated signal which totally destroys any communications possibilities (20 kHz either side of 3.500 MHz with its 'buzz saw' characteristics," he reported.

Bowker's direction-finding efforts determined the signal was coming from the north northeast "from over the polar region." At least some FCC staff members believe the signal originates in Canada. An FCC staff member said this week that the Commission has been investigating the emission "for a couple of weeks" as a result of a complaint from an aeronautical weather station that broadcasts at 3485 kHz. The staff member said the signal appeared to come from Newfoundland and said the FCC was in contact with its Canadian counterparts at Industry Canada.

There have been suggestions--unconfirmed--that the signal might be the result of a system being operated by the Canadian military. Military authorities North of the Border reportedly have said they will look into the complaint. Other as-yet-unconfirmed information suggests, however, that the signal was not of Canadian military origin at all nor even from Newfoundland but might be coming from Europe.

"There are certain risks in trying to DF any pulse signal that may not be transmitted mainly in the direction of the observer," says IARU Region 2 Monitoring System Coordinator Martin Potter, VE3OAT. Potter says bearings obtained may actually be on the "returned signal" from reflection and scatter points along the transmitted signal's path--either in the ionosphere or on the ground or ocean, or both. "So it may be premature to conclude that the transmitter is in Newfoundland, especially if reception is only by skywave, without taking special measures while obtaining a bearing," he said.

To add to the mystery, ARRL member Paul Veal, N0AH, in Wyoming -- in a TowerTalk reflector posting earlier this month -- reported the signal was appearing every morning at 1300 UTC on or about 3795 kHz. He said the signal appeared to coming from a northwesterly to southwesterly direction.

Additional reports and observations are welcome to ARRL Monitoring System Administrator Tom Hogerty, KC1J, thogerty@arrl.org.