cuba and ham - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / rf-microwave

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 20, 2021, 10:50:12 pm
content: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/21/07/20/1839213/fcc-investigating-whether-cuban-government-is-jamming-ham-radioI thought this is interestingmy hunch based on just history is yes

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2021, 12:27:23 am
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on July 20, 2021, 10:50:12 pmMy hunch is the story is a lot of bollocks.

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2021, 06:32:56 am
content: someone may just try to find the sourcehttps://www.rtl-sdr.com/kiwisdr-tdoa-direction-finding-now-freely-available-for-public-use/

author: FlyingHacker
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2021, 07:03:21 am
content: The jamming is definitely there. It's not fake. I hear it in St Louis, MO.Many people have use the TDOA on KiwiSDR and it seems to indicate Cuba.

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2021, 07:21:45 am
content: Quote from: FlyingHacker on July 21, 2021, 07:03:21 amwell it can even be heard in Europehttps://swling.com/blog/2021/07/from-cuba-with-noise-massive-jamming-on-the-40-meter-band/and if the TDOA points to Cuba, then I think it's from Cuba

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2021, 08:06:30 pm
content: I picked up something jammish on7.16 MHz using a loop antenna aimed at cuba from ~1000 milestry a florida web sdr, with that I saw like 8 strong anomalous noise bands fromedit***sorry if I mislead anyone, I wrote 6 instead of 7, confused the FUCK out of myself

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 21, 2021, 08:55:38 pm
content: Because HF signals go all around the world, this is really evil and probably violates some international law.Cuban HF radio (radio Havana) comes in extremely strong, too strong, near new york. Its too strong, and like the bible thumpers (overcomers ministry) it seems so strong sometimes that its causing band splatter.Those two things are high annoyances to my attempts at radiolistening.I wonder what the voltage is at the input terminals.

author: ahbushnell
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2021, 02:29:42 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on July 21, 2021, 12:27:23 amIt seems reasonable that a country that would cut off the internet would do the same with radio. Why do you think it's bollocks?

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2021, 06:24:49 am
content: Quote from: ahbushnell on July 22, 2021, 02:29:42 amAll through the Cold War period, they never limited Ham Radio, so if true, historically, it is unusual.I had also seen nothing about it on the various ham websites before the posting here.Even now, I have only seen a few postings on QRZ.com, with others as dubious about it as I was.Eham had a very short article, which looked like it had been picked up from a non-technical report, with references to hams "broadcasting".If Cuba are doing this, Jamming is a ridiculous brute force approach.The silly thing is, that they can declare an emergency & close down Amateur Radio for a time.(After all, that was done in wartime by all the belligerents).

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2021, 07:16:03 am
content: Quote from: cdev on July 21, 2021, 08:55:38 pmSeeing Havana is about 1300 miles away from you, I don't think the splatter is created by overload to the input of your radio.I would suggest that Radio Havana may be clipping their modulating signal hard, causing artifacts outside the allocated bandwidth of their transmission, along with audible distortion of the received programme.The "God botherers" may be doing the same thing.The other, probably less likely, alternative is plain old overmodulation, which sounds similar around the transmissions fundamental frequency, but would also cause the transmission of strong harmonics, which you should be able to hear on higher bands as well.

author: Jeroen3
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2021, 07:57:14 am
content: Youtube suggested me this video yesterday, not sure about how true it is.

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2021, 08:02:57 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on July 22, 2021, 06:24:49 amReading through the various bits of info floating on the 'net, the purpose isn't to stop hams from transmitting, but to impede to anyone to receive (not just hams); judging from the infos there are some hams outside Cuba transmitting news so the Cuban government is trying to jam those and garble the received signals

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2021, 09:11:45 pm
content: Well the never saw when the hole neighbourhood use Powerline.

author: Bud
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2021, 10:22:52 pm
content: Quote from: Jeroen3 on July 22, 2021, 07:57:14 amBullshit. The guy cherry picked a portion of the 40m band which hams must share with generic broadcasting radio stations. The jamming, if exists, is more likely targeting broadcasters and not hams.

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 22, 2021, 11:12:26 pm
content: In the case someone forgott:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guantanamo_Bay_Naval_Base

author: ahbushnell
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2021, 07:17:40 pm
content: Quote from: Lord of nothing on July 22, 2021, 11:12:26 pmAnd your point?

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 23, 2021, 07:22:45 pm
content: Its based on the Cubain Island to.So there are 3 potential Sourced the Signal could come from.

author: ahbushnell
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2021, 12:02:09 am
content: Quote from: Lord of nothing on July 23, 2021, 07:22:45 pmSo you think the US Navy is jamming the ham radio.

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2021, 02:28:51 pm
content: Since I believe in Sinyce (or how to spell) not God I dont know.But there are atleast 3 different possible thinks who could be the source:a) Cuba Mainlandb) Guantanamo Basec) a VesselIn the past the US did and claim a lot of tinks who later be found out where wrong.

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2021, 03:07:05 pm
content: Quote from: Lord of nothing on July 24, 2021, 02:28:51 pmthis isn't an US claim, as far as I know, several hams and swlers from different parts of the globe reported the noise and TDOA was used by some of them to find the location, add to this that the band was (is ?) actively used by Cuban expats to transmit uncensored news to Cuban listeners and then try making an educated guess

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2021, 03:20:23 pm
content: Sure but there is no evidence. The origin can be everything be.

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2021, 03:44:24 pm
content: Quote from: Lord of nothing on July 24, 2021, 03:20:23 pmagain, all the TDOA triangulations point to Cuba, and you may run one by yourself using some kiwisdr receiversAlso, according to a number of reports, the jammed frequency change in time and (almost) follow the ones used by expats in central america and florida to transmit news, cannot verify that (tx frequencies) but in effect the frequencies change in time

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2021, 04:06:11 pm
content: yeah you can verify if its guantanamo with directional antennas, its surrounded by a mine field and very unfriendly cuban soldiers (the most trustwrothy) so if they tried to transmit something outside of the base it would immediately be confiscated and they would get arrestedthe vessel would need to be outside of the nations waters and then you could triangulate it with mexican american and south american radios to the coast I think

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2021, 04:49:47 pm
content: I tried using the kiwisdr for some weird frequency near the 7MHz area and I got it to work only once. I got like a weather map of color of the 'bay' (near the coast between cayman) of bottom of cuba once but then it stopped working. Looked kinda imprecise.I assume there is some kind of trick to this. It says completed but there is no heat map. I dunno why I got it one time. I tried it 20 more times with no cigarhmm it started working again. very fun program but it displays some crazy stuff lol

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2021, 07:19:43 pm
content: QuoteWhat did you mean with?When a 3Ltr Agency say the need a Building with Roof Access why the could get arrested?The US Staged anough thinks to can claim to have a Reason for War.

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2021, 08:59:54 pm
content: the US won't get a building in Cuba unless its in the base or in the embassy because the cuban goverment would jump on the opportunity to say anything bad about US forces there.and if it was in the USA area someone would triangulate it, I have been playing with the websdr for a while and I did not get any transmitters even close to the naval basenot sure what the hell I am even trying to locate, randomly looking at signals I guess. There are a few mainland cuba and a few in the water cuba and the islands under it (these are dubious readings on very weak signals, I don't think their actually there)

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 24, 2021, 10:28:45 pm
content: Getting realtime, uncensored news from all around the world is what makes shortwave listening as a hobby fun and sometimes even exhilarating.For example I learned that the PRC government was sending the tanks in before anybody else I knew because the BBC was reporting that one of their reporters was woken up in the middle of the night by tanks creeping up a back alley behind their apartment. So living just a few minutes from the PRC consulate I went there with signs and sign making material, so I could demonstrate.Had I not been an SWL I never would have known until the next day when thousands of people turned out. As it was I was one of the first non Chinese to stand with the students here in the US I really felt strongly that it was important at that time to show solidarity with the democracy demonstrators in Beijing and speak out against the PRC government's violent crackdown on the democracy students.. here in the US. On that same day. (It was actually night in China) Despite there being a lot of Chinese in SF, my friend and i were the second and third people to show up there. Presumably because I was ahead of the news thanks to the BBC World Service.

author: ahbushnell
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2021, 03:38:28 am
content: Quote from: Lord of nothing on July 24, 2021, 02:28:51 pmI didn't know that do you have good references?

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2021, 11:46:09 am
content: How about the Gulf of Tonkin incident?Orhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curveball_(informant) ?https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gulf_WarQuotejust a quick link package for you. Well you as an American Citizen should know what your Gov. do and did.

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2021, 12:05:51 pm
content: Could we please avoid steering this on bare politics and, instead, consider the facts ? Then, by the way the old "cui prodest" rule is still totally valid, but just to find out who and why

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 25, 2021, 03:31:47 pm
content: QuoteQuote

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 26, 2021, 11:38:20 am
content: here are some additional infos and pointershttps://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/wireless/cuba-jamming-ham-radio-listen-for-yourself

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2021, 02:05:19 pm
content: Quote from: A.Z. on July 26, 2021, 11:38:20 amThis again looks to have been regurgitated from the other reports, & "dressed up a bit".The part about 40m being the best frequency for hams in Florida to speak to Cuba, & comparing 20m is a bit "non-ham", as 75/80m should also give good coverage, at least at night.Has anybody tried that band, & has the jamming followed them?Something in the original report sticks in my craw, -------how they kept using the term "broadcasting", which is something outside the remit of an Amateur Radio licence, so is illegal .OK, if you are talking to a Cuban ham who tells you about something really bad going on, but if you are setting yourself up to transmit news to all & sundry, that is definitely a "no -no".That said, it definitely appears that the Cuban government are doing this, which is, as I said before, a ridulous overreaction, if directed at hams.Alternatively, it could be, asBudpointed out, aimed at broadcasters who share the band with hams.Jamming of HF broadcasters who present a different point of view is pretty much standard practice amongst some countries

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 27, 2021, 09:03:18 pm
content: I saw a few unharassed transmissions near 7.1 MHz florida but the problem is, you can have screened jammers, i.e. jamming only starts when the transmission is deemed to be 'irresponsible', anti patriotic, etc. It might even go through some kind of judge/tribunal/trial etc (a rapid one), to make some attempt at following internal bureaucracyHalf of their game is gathering intelligence on people because you can only get away with jamming someone for so long.

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2021, 01:34:49 am
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on July 27, 2021, 09:03:18 pmCuba has been "hands-off" on hams for a very long time, so it is a pretty profound move to start jamming them now.HF SSB is hardly a "mass audience" mode, as most people, even if they do have multi band receivers can't resolve SSB, so the likelihood of many people hearing "irresponsible" or "unpatriotic" speech is miniscule.Obviously, the Cuban authorities cannot shut down amateur transmissions from other countries, so the most likely justification would be to block those.The point about receiver capabilities still applies, however.If the Cuban ham licencing regulations are similar to most countries, they don't have to have any tribunal, etc.If hams are deemed to be breaking regulations in some way, they can be shut down, although with the right of appeal.(The authorities can just delay these, pleading overwork)Or, as I pointed out, just temporarily close the whole Amateur Service.Of course, for those who really wish the regime ill &areplotting against it, this will have zero effect, as they will just operate illegally, & as they are unknown, unlike Amateurs, with impunity.

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2021, 06:42:01 am
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on July 28, 2021, 01:34:49 amThat's the point, from what I gathered from a number of sources there are some Cuban expats (OUTSIDE Cuba, that is) which use ham gear on the 40m band to transmit news to Cuba, yes, that's illegal in any country, but "pirates" existed and exist; now, on the Cuban side ANYONE (not just Hams) with a receiver covering the 40m band could be able to receive those transmissions, so the only way Cubans have to attempt "censoring" those is to setup listening posts and whenever one of those transmissions appears, start a "jammer" on that frequency, by the way since the "jammer" uses quite a bunch of power, the result is disturbing or even disrupting communications for a wide area of the world

author: vk6zgo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2021, 12:03:07 pm
content: Quote from: A.Z. on July 28, 2021, 06:42:01 amI made the point that many people these days don't have anything which will receive HF, & even in the case of the minority who do, most domestic radios won't resolve SSB. (The expats could use AM, I suppose.)Maybe Cuba is more "retro", but I doubt it.Obviously, SWLs will have the capability, either owning commercially made communications receivers, or being capable of homebrewing receivers, even simple regenerative sets, but they are fairly "thin on the ground".

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2021, 12:46:43 pm
content: Quote from: vk6zgo on July 28, 2021, 12:03:07 pmRemember that we're talking about Cuba, an "embargoed" country and that "the revolution" brought to people the idea that having at least a receiver would allow them to hear news... at least at the time; also, I still remember building external BFOs for old radios (tube ones included) or building simple regen receivers which, with the help of a piece of wire stuck between some trees brought the world at my touch, so I believe that there may be (and probably are) much more listeners in Cuba than we may imagine, and that makes the "jamming" choice a "logical" (ok, not for me) one

author: ahbushnell
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2021, 04:43:59 pm
content: I went on the SDR network mentioned in the IEEE Spectrum article. I listened at a Key West station and one in mid Florida and in San Diego at 14.074MHz and at 18.100 MHz which I have been using for FT8 digital work out of San Diego. There is much more noise all over the band in Florida and more so in the south. On the waterfall it looks like the signals maybe scanning across frequencies. I could barely hear the digital tones in mid Florida on the SDR and not at all in Key West. In San Diego no problem.

author: iMo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 28, 2021, 05:19:47 pm
content: Simply go tohttp://www.websdr.org/and the web sdr stationshttp://hp-sdr.ddns.net:8091/http://sdr.n4but.com/will show you what is going on on the 40m band in Caribbean, in real-time..

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: July 29, 2021, 08:37:18 pm
content: is there an SDR who use Port 80 or 443?Thanks

author: ahbushnell
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: August 19, 2021, 01:42:42 am
content: I have been watching for contacts from Cuba. I'm on the west coast and working FT-8 mainly on 20 m. Recently I started seeing contacts from Cuba and managed to close the loop.Are they still jamming?Andy

author: coppercone2
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2021, 04:53:22 pm
content: I want to know about Afgan ham radio with everything thats going on

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2021, 05:00:05 pm
content: Quote from: coppercone2 on August 20, 2021, 04:53:22 pmI think the best bets could be Turkish and other surrounding countries hams

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2021, 05:07:00 pm
content: Or better call the NSA, CIA, DEA,... Office who lead the IS, Taliban Groups.

author: A.Z.
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2021, 05:22:42 pm
content: Quote from: Lord of nothing on August 20, 2021, 05:07:00 pmgood ideanow if I could rember where I put that darn phone number...

author: Lord of nothing
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 20, 2021, 05:25:12 pm
content: Dont worry the have all your Private Data include your Phone Number.Just pick up your Phone and say you want talk with an NSA, CIA,... Officer.

author: cdev
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2021, 01:18:58 am
content: The cuban numbers stations broadcast a coded message of some kind after the numbers. Its a very strong signal wise on the US east coast, strong enough to splatter like crazy.. This is a screnshot of the waterfall image of this encoded section. Does anybody know what we're looking at here? As I said its very strong.

author: Kerlin
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2021, 02:50:28 am
content: Been watching this for a while and as a Ham I have a comment.Con them into talking.If you suspect jamming to ham bands don't ignore them, a lot of jammers do so because they feel left out. Also a comment that you can hear their jamming is the only confirmation they can get that their RF experiments are successful and they are making the trip.Call them in and let then let them in on QSOs. Then use it as a chance to to provide evidence of what is really going on in the world and what is wrong with their systems. Should be easy. Let them know how good things are at your Q.D.H.See if they go QRT or are put off air then.

author: iMo
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: August 25, 2021, 08:24:41 pm
content: 14.377 is off the 20m ham band..Cuba number station:https://priyom.org/number-stations/digital/hm01