I heard a Spanish conversation between two people on 263.825 NFM earlier
today at 5:00 PM EST. This was from my location in NE Ohio. I believe this
is a SATCOM frequency. Any ideas what this was? I was listening on my PRO-43
with just a 220 Mhz Ham Band rubber duck antenna indoors with NO pre-amp.

Frank

On Mon, 27 Mar 2006 01:22:00 GMT, "Frank"
wrote:

I heard a Spanish conversation between two people on 263.825 NFM earlier
today at 5:00 PM EST. This was from my location in NE Ohio. I believe this
is a SATCOM frequency. Any ideas what this was?

A spur? A harmonic. Intermod?

Not that uncommon to hear Spanish and especially Brazilian pirates on US
UHF SATCOM birds. Many of the Spanish stations sound like local chit
chat and they may not be intending to go through a satellite. The
Brazilians are definitely Pirates and use the satellites like a big CB
repeater. A guy in Brentwood, CA with a Portuguese surname name was
recently busted for unlicensed operation and the frequency range listed
by the FCC was in the UHF Satcom range. I would like to find out if this
guy was connected with the Brazilian Pirates that have been plaguing the
system for years. I have picked up McMurdo Station conversing with a
supply aircraft via UHF SATCOM with my PRO-43 and stock rubber duck, so
there is no reason to believe you did not pick up a UHF satellite. The
new UHF follow on satellites have a pretty hot downlink.
Bob


Frank wrote:
I heard a Spanish conversation between two people on 263.825 NFM earlier
today at 5:00 PM EST. This was from my location in NE Ohio. I believe this
is a SATCOM frequency. Any ideas what this was? I was listening on my PRO-43
with just a 220 Mhz Ham Band rubber duck antenna indoors with NO pre-amp.

Frank

Bob,

I've also heard them with Eastern European (Russian I believe)
language as well. Usually, I hear them around 8:00 or 9:00AM EST, but this
was in the afternoon. Why are they transmitting on UHF SATCOM frequencies?

Frank


"Bob" wrote in message
om...
Not that uncommon to hear Spanish and especially Brazilian pirates on US
UHF SATCOM birds. Many of the Spanish stations sound like local chit chat
and they may not be intending to go through a satellite. The Brazilians
are definitely Pirates and use the satellites like a big CB repeater. A
guy in Brentwood, CA with a Portuguese surname name was recently busted
for unlicensed operation and the frequency range listed by the FCC was in
the UHF Satcom range. I would like to find out if this guy was connected
with the Brazilian Pirates that have been plaguing the system for years. I
have picked up McMurdo Station conversing with a supply aircraft via UHF
SATCOM with my PRO-43 and stock rubber duck, so there is no reason to
believe you did not pick up a UHF satellite. The new UHF follow on
satellites have a pretty hot downlink.
Bob


Frank wrote:
I heard a Spanish conversation between two people on 263.825 NFM earlier
today at 5:00 PM EST. This was from my location in NE Ohio. I believe
this is a SATCOM frequency. Any ideas what this was? I was listening on
my PRO-43 with just a 220 Mhz Ham Band rubber duck antenna indoors with
NO pre-amp.

Frank

The Brazilians have mentioned the satellite in their conversation and
often complain about their equipment to one of the persons in the group.
Sounds like he supplies them with equipment or knowledge. Brazil has a
severe telephone and communications problem and they grab and use any
radio and frequency they can. Illegal operation is rampant in the big
cities. Using a US satellite is just another opportunity to communicate
over their country or even to friends in the US. Other foreign
conversations I have heard seem to be unaware of the satellite and are
probably using the satellite uplink frequency as simplex in their
country. You can easily (and unknowingly) hit the UHF satellites with a
moderate power mobile or base radio and whip antenna, especially if the
satellite is low to the horizon.
Bob



Frank wrote:
Bob,

I've also heard them with Eastern European (Russian I believe)
language as well. Usually, I hear them around 8:00 or 9:00AM EST, but this
was in the afternoon. Why are they transmitting on UHF SATCOM frequencies?

Frank


"Bob" wrote in message
om...

Not that uncommon to hear Spanish and especially Brazilian pirates on US
UHF SATCOM birds. Many of the Spanish stations sound like local chit chat
and they may not be intending to go through a satellite. The Brazilians
are definitely Pirates and use the satellites like a big CB repeater. A
guy in Brentwood, CA with a Portuguese surname name was recently busted
for unlicensed operation and the frequency range listed by the FCC was in
the UHF Satcom range. I would like to find out if this guy was connected
with the Brazilian Pirates that have been plaguing the system for years. I
have picked up McMurdo Station conversing with a supply aircraft via UHF
SATCOM with my PRO-43 and stock rubber duck, so there is no reason to
believe you did not pick up a UHF satellite. The new UHF follow on
satellites have a pretty hot downlink.
Bob


Frank wrote:

I heard a Spanish conversation between two people on 263.825 NFM earlier
today at 5:00 PM EST. This was from my location in NE Ohio. I believe
this is a SATCOM frequency. Any ideas what this was? I was listening on
my PRO-43 with just a 220 Mhz Ham Band rubber duck antenna indoors with
NO pre-amp.

Frank