[MilCom] MIL: BLACK FLAG; ADDRESSEE; GATEPOST; MARIGOLD; GUMDROP; DATENIGHT; and BALL CURVE

[Jeff Haverlah]

0038z  14 Jan 26

UTC 13 Jan 26

Interesting day. Precursor or ongoing?

No active E6Bs from 0000z visible on ADSB mapping sites (including GUMDROP;
DATENIGHT; and BALLCURVE) and ; No E6B restoral/VLF activity logged since
post0000z 0050z TACAMO PAC restoral.

BLACK FLAG (presumed ground station of suspected FED or MIL status) briefly
active with NCS at 0625z. Are there logs of "BLACK FLAG" as either a static
or "daily" callword in the past 20 years? [I see the udxf log from 2008
which was on 6697.0 (USN).]

0006z: ADDRESSEE with communications test count.
0007z: ADDRESSEE with communications test count.
[USSTRATCOM CP]

0020z: MARIGOLD (pre0000z SANDSTONE); 7LKUWI; h+20/h+50 TACAMO PAC restoral
rebroadcast.

0033z+: GUMDROP calling ?? (very weak/often unreadable on SDR in use).
0036z: GUMDROP called MAINSAIL.

0048z: HICKAM with test count.

0050z: MARIGOLD; 7LKUWI; PAC restoral.
********
[No detected 22.7 VLF broadcast detected on SDR or W1VD VLF Grabber
website.]

0123z: DATENIGHT (presumed E6B; not visible on ADSB mapping sites) called
MAINSAI and raised GATEPOST (NCS) to enter the net.
0126z: DATENIGHT entered the net.

[Strings in this section (0347z-0443z) are repeated from initial
transmissions approximately 10 hours earlier during UTC 12 Jan 26.]
=======
0347z: GATEPOST; U3SPCY; 60 characters; P4.
U3SPCY5VCCS6I3CJ5OT6J5OP6J5OO4NUTYVRQNUJY376ANUZHVRQNUJY376Z

0352z: GATEPOLST; 7L7QHB; P1.
7L7QHB42FSXDVOFRZYES5R6NQST4WH

0424z: GATEPOST; U3AS75; P2.
U3AS75V73Y2477TJPVYPJJXD6IMZ7F

0428z: GATEPOST: 7LN7LB; P1.
7LN7LBUM7CLJ7EWT5RY5IV24CQWTSD

0433z: GATEPOST; 7LFP65; P1.
7LFP65CCKU7FKFB7IH2ZV4EV6WIEVZ

0438z: GATEPOST; 7LGF3V; P1.
7LGF3VYFPPTBK2FR3RAY5WNG7ABPUZ

0443z: GATEPOST; 7LN2CI; P1.
7LN2CIQOEUORYL3HYU2R6PYG3HTQSK
=============

0552z: MARIGOLD (not seen on ADSB mapping sites; TACAMO PAC) called
GATEPOST on 11175 (but simulcasting); eventually raising GATEPOST on 4724
to exit the net.
0602z: MARIGOLD exited the net; strong levels on California SDR.

&&&&&&&&
0625z: BLACK FLAG (4724.0; very weak; barely readable; "beep/bop" tones at
start of voice xmsn) called GUIDE POST. Probably not airborne; probably a
ground station of unknown FED/MIL origin, IMO.

0626z: WEST COAST with test count.

0626z: MAINSAIL called BLACK FLAG a couple of times on 04724.0 with no
known response.
&&&&&&&&

Quiet

========
1338z: GATEPOST; 7L5HSW; P1.
7L5HSWLAYCYNUUP7YPHTMEUSN24C3X

1341z: GATEPOST; 7L5HSW; suspected echo rebroadcast; weaker level.
========

Quiet.

[Possible six hour message traffic session.]
========
1625z: GATEPOST; U3UFIO; P2.
U3UFIO7D6YCFFEHQ7QD7TM7M6OMOVC

1728z: GATEPOST; U3H5HD; 40 characters; P2.
U3H5HD2HIO2IOG53WYZPO7TYJNEQXKD5Z4Z2UKCT

1735z: GATEPOST; 7L3OSR; P1.
7L3OSRI5NRJJUR4ZO5SGEH7RQMN4XE

1740z: GATEPOST; D5A6MJ; 27 characters; P4.
D5A6MJEOPLJ7QSIZRVXTOEFZY4A

1802z: GATEPOST; 7L3OSR; P1.
7L3OSRI5NRJJUR4ZO5SGEH7RQMN4XE

1830z: GATEPOST; 7L30SR; U3H5HD; h+00/h+30 NCS/ABNCP/Gulf restoral
rebroadcast window.

1837z: GATEPOST; 7L2UYO; P1.
7L2UYOBOHJ3FGL2UE2GU4RTSBWI3OQ

1839z: GATEPOST Standing by for traffic.

1840z: GATEPOST; 7LAYLX; P1.
7LAYLX7WS2G6JSFODV4JRCRZEPC3SV

1843z: GATEPOST; 7LTU75; P1.
7LTU75DKKCRPOBN4YOLBIX6UFLGX7O

1900z: GATPOST; 7LTU75; 7LAYLX; 7L2UYO; NCS restoral; previous traffic
expired in the queue.

1903z: SIGONELLA with test count.

1918z: GATEPOST; 7LSQID; P1.
7LSQIDFDQJHLVBBKCJP63VQJG6RAMZ

1920z: GATEPOST; 7LKAF6; P1.
7LKAF6KSDC26GYMW4UQJ2CZKPU2DTP

1936z: GATEPOST; 7LKAF6; 7LSQID; out; restoral; higher priority traffic
follows.

1935z: GATEPOST; U33KZE; 39 characters; P2.
U33KZEHCJO5HHR4DBNEDH4SWZWTP7A3SWGYOJS6

1938z: GATEPOST; 7LTU75; prompted to disregard; disregard.
1938z: GATEPOST; 7LTU75; NCS restoral; continuation of disrupted session
above.

2007z: GATEPOST; D5N5GR; 22 characters; P4.
D5N5GRBVAYZUJ6KC6LQUWB

2050z: GATEPOST; 7LDSXZ; stopped.

2052z: GATEPOST; 7LASXZ; P1.
7LDSXZT43O2XJFTIA4JVRPZ5Z5RJEB

2055z: GATEPOST; 7LTPN7; P1.
7LTPN7ZKFUCAVFOGJTZ7K635ILDK3X

2104z: GATEPOST Standing by for traffic.

2110z+/-: BALL CURVE (sounds like; presumed E6B; don't see on ADSB mapping
sites; very weak levels on SDR in use) called and raised MAINSAIL (who
remained "MAINSAIL" throughout the process) to enter the net.
2113z: BALL CURVE entered the net.

2121z: GATEPOST; 7LLOES; P1.
7LLOESXF7LTNKLYMFCTHO2QZ6PNJ2O

2130z: GATEPOST; 7LLOES; NCS restoral; out for higher priority traffic).

2132z: GATEPOST; 7LNBGF; P1.
7LNBGF3XPA6B5O4WRLAZYKOIRD3WH7

2135z: GATEPOST; 7LTPN7; 7LDSXZ; continuation of NCS restoral.

2140z: GATEPOST Standing by for traffic.

2148z: GATEPOST; 7LCK5U; P1.
7LCK5U37R2XK7TW573E3HNJWWBAGZ2

2200z: GATEPOST; 7LCK5U; 7LNBGF; 7LLOES (preamble only) disregard at
preamble; NCS restoral.

2205z: GATEPOST; 7LLOES; NCS restoral; suggesting the disregard was for
7LCK5U & 7LLOES (expired)??

2207z: GATEPOST Standing by for traffic.
========
[Apparent end of session.]

2213z: DOOM 64 called MUDBUG with no known response.

2219z: DOOM 65 called MUDBUG and raised GATEPOST with a loud and clear but
no response to the NCS signal report.

2300z: Informal air to air chatter from unknown stations.

2312z: Station (aircraft) off frequency (11176+/-) with 400 Hz harmonics on
signal. Brief.

Jeff
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Jeff Haverlah               Coastal Texas
     Airspy HF+ Discovery   W6LVP loop  Various web SDRs
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