[HCDX]: AFN Transmissions Location Found!

[Larry Van Horn <steditor@xxxxxxxxx> (by way of Gayle Van Horn <gayle@xxxxxxxxx>)]

FLASH TRAFFIC!!!

As most of you know we have been enjoying 24/7 broadcasts from American
Forces Network (AFN) on two shortwave utility frequencies from an unknown
location (s) for well over a week now. 

When these broadcasts first started and only the 12 MHz (12689.5 USB) freq
was up, we thought that these broadcasts could be associated with the
ongoing multinational Rimpac 98 exercise being conducted in the Pacific. But
that theory was quickly shattered when the 4 MHz (4278.5 USB) frequency was
discovered the next day.

Here at our Brasstown NC location we get the 4 MHz transmission 24/7 which
immediately ruled out transmitters serving the Pacific or in the Pacific. 

To further narrow down the search area for these transmissions late last
week I did several sweeps of the 4 MHz CW band for marine station CW marker
beacons to see who else was on the band during broad daylight when I was
hearing the AFN broadcasts. Based on comprehensive spectrum sweeps during
daylight hours it was quite obvious our 4 MHz transmitter was east of the
Mississippi. Also based on government frequency allocation information and
the spectrum location of both stations (marine CW coastal subband) we
strongly believed that these two frequencies were being broadcasts by a US
Navy communications station (comsta).

Further monitoring by a couple of Satellite Times magazine staffers north of
Brasstown NC in VA/NY and south in FL indicated that the transmitter was NOT
north of the Mason Dixon (grits) line. ;-) In fact my Florida companion
indicated a much stronger signal on 4 MHz in the daytime than I was getting.
The only Navy comsta that fit was in Puerto Rico.

I then contacted a few military friends (it pays to be an old Navy chief)
last Friday and proposed my Puerto Rico navcomsta theory. I now have
confirmation from two independent sources that the broadcasts on 4 and 12
MHz are being transmitted from the US Navy communications station in
Isabella, Puerto Rico. Neither source would confirm why these transmissions
were being broadcasts, only the location and source of the transmissions.

I will continue to work this story and try and come up with why these
broadcasts are happening and how long they will be available. At least now
we can answer the who and where questions and only the why remains.

73 all,

Larry Van Horn
Assistant Editor
Monitoring Times magazine


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