David Stinson wrote:

Eat your heart out, Ace-Hole!

Why?



dxAce wrote:
HAM VS. SPY (RADIO)

...When a pair of New Mexico hams decided to
trace down some
interference on the 75 meter band, they had
no idea that they may
have been entering a world of spy versus spy.
Or should we say hams
versus spy. Here`s mo

On Wednesday, February 16th, Mike Stark,
WA5OIP and Mike Langner
K5MGR set out to locate some annoying
interference on 3.700 MHz, a
signal that had been on the band since last
December.

The interference manifested itself as a
digital data burst followed
by an audio clip from a Yosemite Sam cartoon. Nope. I am not kidding
you. Each transmission ended with the famous line where Sam says:

Actual interfereing audio: (data buss followed by) ``Varmint, I`m
agonna blow you to smithereenes...``

The interference came on for just a few seconds at intervals of just
under 2 minutes. The fact that Yosemite Sam was loud and clear told
the Stark and Langer that the interference was intentional and not
simply a transmitter gone bizzerk.

Using Stark`s mobile installation the pair quickly found that the
signal grew stronger as they headed West. They then shifted to a
Potomac Field Intensity Meter with a shielded loop antenna. Using
this gear they located the offending transmitter at the MATIC
facility on the Laguna Indian Reservation. MATIC is an acronym for
the Mobility Assessment Test and Integration Center. This is a
military facility used to develop advanced battlefield communications

systems and not generally known to the public.

The two hams dove up to the building. At no time did they leave the
public highway. Langer began taking pictures of the towers, antennas,

and building. Immediately a not-very-friendly guy started walking
towards their truck. He was yelling and gesturing for the hams to
stop taking pictures and go away. Langer and Stark beat a hasty
retreat.

Now here`s the real kicker. The ham radio T-hunters found the
interfering transmitter at about 2:30 in the afternoon. The signal
went off the air around 5:30 that evening and has not been heard
since. Langer suggests that the origin was a contractor`s employee
having having a little fun on the radio. Obviously his or her
superiors got the message that ham radio operators do not consider
interference to their spectrum to be something to enjoy.

For the Amateur Radio Newsline, I`m Evi Simons, reporting.

A few other notes. Langer says that about 5 minutes before he and
Stark located the exact source of the interference, a pickup truck
had passed
them as they were parked and taking a bearing. He thinks that the
driver must have told someone at the facility that they were being
hunted. He also expresses his belief that the signal was from some
kind of automatic link radio. Also that the data burst was
information, and that someone had recorded the Yosemite Sam clip
where call letters would normally go.

You can take a look at what the two hams saw on the web site for the
project. It`s at
http://www.laguna-
industries.com/Lines_of_Business/MATIC_Center/matic_center.html
or at http://www.rdecom.army.mil/rdemagazi...tl_mosaic.html
(K5FSB via Amateur Radio Newsline™ Report 1438 - March 4, 2005 via
John Norfolk, dxldyg)

dxAce
Michigan
USA

running dogg wrote:

-=jd=- wrote:

On Fri 04 Mar 2005 04:45:29p, running dogg wrote in message
:

(snip)
Looks like Sam WAS a government operation after all. But I don't know
why the government put it in the middle of a ham band.


Possibly, but the hams tracking the signal thought differently:

"...Langer suggests that the origin was a contractor`s employee
having having a little fun on the radio. Obviously his or her
superiors got the message that ham radio operators do not consider
interference to their spectrum to be something to enjoy..."

If so, the employee may have committed the ultimate sin: Having fun on
company time.

Some organizations can't bear the thought of anyone having a good time on
the clock. It's like the sound of running water to a beaver. It gets on his
nerves and he has to put a stop to it.

Having a good time in the middle of a ham band is not advised. That
said, we ARE talking about the US government, which can't stand
independent thought of any kind by anybody.

No, tard boy... what we are talking about now are GOVERNMENT CONTRACTORS... there is a
difference, 'tard boy... please try to pay frickin attention.

Are all the folks your age that damn stupid?

dxAce
Michigan
USA

-=jd=- wrote:
Possibly, but the hams tracking the signal thought differently:

"...Langer suggests that the origin was a contractor`s employee
having having a little fun on the radio. Obviously his or her
superiors got the message that ham radio operators do not consider
interference to their spectrum to be something to enjoy..."

If so, the employee may have committed the ultimate sin: Having fun on
company time.

Having been in just exactly that kind of job,
I can tell you without question that this is utter bull****.
No way a contract employee is going to be doing this for
as long as it went on without oversight, not to mention
making toast of his job and going to *jail* for misappropriation
of government equipment; that just did not happen.
This is a B.S. cover story, regardless of what AceHole thinks.
D.S.

David Stinson wrote:

-=jd=- wrote:
Possibly, but the hams tracking the signal thought differently:

"...Langer suggests that the origin was a contractor`s employee
having having a little fun on the radio. Obviously his or her
superiors got the message that ham radio operators do not consider
interference to their spectrum to be something to enjoy..."

If so, the employee may have committed the ultimate sin: Having fun on
company time.

Having been in just exactly that kind of job,
I can tell you without question that this is utter bull****.
No way a contract employee is going to be doing this for
as long as it went on without oversight, not to mention
making toast of his job and going to *jail* for misappropriation
of government equipment; that just did not happen.
This is a B.S. cover story, regardless of what AceHole thinks.
D.S.

Who ever said it was 'government equipment'? The place where the transmitter was
found was a private company as far as I am aware of, and located on a Native
American reservation.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

"dxAce" wrote in message
...

snip

Who ever said it was 'government equipment'? The place where the
transmitter was
found was a private company as far as I am aware of, and located on a
Native
American reservation.

I think he's assuming it's gov't equipment because of this quote:

"Using this gear they located the offending transmitter at the MATIC
facility on the Laguna Indian Reservation. MATIC is an acronym for the
Mobility Assessment Test and Integration Center. This is a military facility
used to develop advanced battlefield communications...."

I assumed it was a government facility as well, until I researched it and
learned that MATIC is owned by the Indians, and not just on land leased by
the gov't, etc.

http://www.rdecom.army.mil/rdemagazi...tl_mosaic.html

Honus wrote:

"dxAce" wrote in message
...

snip

Who ever said it was 'government equipment'? The place where the
transmitter was
found was a private company as far as I am aware of, and located on a
Native
American reservation.

I think he's assuming it's gov't equipment because of this quote:

"Using this gear they located the offending transmitter at the MATIC
facility on the Laguna Indian Reservation. MATIC is an acronym for the
Mobility Assessment Test and Integration Center. This is a military facility
used to develop advanced battlefield communications...."

I assumed it was a government facility as well, until I researched it and
learned that MATIC is owned by the Indians, and not just on land leased by
the gov't, etc.

http://www.rdecom.army.mil/rdemagazi...tl_mosaic.html

That is correct.

dxAce
Michigan
USA

-=jd=- wrote:

Assuming that this is a "B.S. cover story" simply because it may have
involved civilian contractors is a flawed assumption. Over just the past
four months, I've seen two civilians with TS clearances chunked for stupid,
irresponsible and totally avoidable behavior in two seperate and unrelated
incidents. Just because they are a civilian contract employee with a
clearance does not preclude human tendencies when no-one else is looking.

I grant you, JD, that people in that position can do stupid crap-
I've seen that myself- even been guilty of it (just a human, not
an angel ;-).
But this went on for a very long time, using a lot of equipment.
That it was done in such a major manner without any oversight
at all is difficult to believe. "The simplest explanation is
usually correct," and the simplest answer is that it was
a government exercise.

It certainly helps, but it is absolutely no guarantee. I also highly doubt
anyone would be charged with misappropriation over this, unless they are a
Military service member who can't be "fired". If it was a civilian, then
they may be in the unemployment line sans clearance.

Sometimes I deeply regret quitting and surrendering my clearance,
which is worth considerably more than its weight in gold.
Anyone who would lose his over such an outrageous fit of
stupidity needs commitment to a nut-doctor hospital.

Sorry, JD; there's just no way I buy this was some contractor
minion having fun- too much time and too many resources
were involved.
73 Dave S.

By the way- since when do the Native American nations
issue TS clearances? Certainly, they can "own" the
business/base, but if cleared people are running it,
then by definition it is an Uncle operation.

In article rQuWd.40908$uc.23102@trnddc01,
David Stinson wrote:
But this went on for a very long time, using a lot of equipment.

But it probably isn't a lot of equipment.

Back a few years ago, ARRL's QEX newsletter printed some stuff about
government proposals for new radios that were the High Frequency
equivalent of a trunking radio system. These were frequency agile
highly automated radios that figured out for themselves how to
establish a connection on each end, no matter what the conditions.

Sounds like somebody was messing around with a prototype.

Mark Zenier Washington State resident

-=jd=- wrote:

No, I just don't see the YS transmissions as some form of "secret" research
or operation.

Nothing as dramatic as that;
My own theory (speculation, more like) is a field
exercise in radio location for small teams.
It would be useful for small operations abroad.
We did a lot of stuff in the 80s and 90s on
HF and in the clear, just because it was handy.

I also doubt we will ever know what the whole story was either way.
Agreed... Ah, well... It was interesting while it lasted.

Regards,
Dave S.