UNID 6881 USB? 0051 UTC 11 Nov 2013

[Capt. Radio]

I'd like to know if anyone has heard activity on or near 6881kc that sounds like inverted SSB. I'm hearing it tonight, and have heard it before.

I'm sure someone on the forum has run across this before, and I'm wondering if this is simply inverted SSB, and if it has been decoded.

[OldSeaRock]

Funny!  Got my laugh on today.  Using kc makes a person ancient?

No, the station is in Kansas City!   

[Token]

A recording really would help to ID the signal.  Preferably one online and not on a wire real

Without a recording the best one can do is guess.  On that frequency in the past I have heard SailorCry voice encryption, and that can sound something like inverted audio.  In fact, right now I am hearing SailorCry on that freq.

T!

[Capt. Radio]

Token,

Thanks much for passing info along on what appears to be what I am hearing! I must say, I've never heard of SailorCry voice encryption. From the name, it obviously appears that I'm hearing maritime activity.

Which leads to further questions...

Commercial or governmental activity?

Where is the possible origin of transmissions... Atlantic, Pacific, (name another body of water)?

Possible motives for using encryption?

There are numerous unsolved mysteries in the realm of radio communications. Maybe the above questions can be answered by you or others on the forum, maybe not.

I will "stay tuned" for further developments. 

Thanks again Token!

p.s. Signals received at my Indiana location are marginal, at best. A recording would be difficult unless I could pick a night that propagation was more favorable.   

[Token]

Token,

Thanks much for passing info along on what appears to be what I am hearing! I must say, I've never heard of SailorCry voice encryption. From the name, it obviously appears that I'm hearing maritime activity.

Which leads to further questions...

Commercial or governmental activity?

Either commercial or private, governmental activities use different encryption methods.

Where is the possible origin of transmissions... Atlantic, Pacific, (name another body of water)?

All of the above.  The fact that I am hearing Sailor Cry on that freq when I am argues either Pacific or Gulf of Mexico.  However it is used world wide.

Possible motives for using encryption?

To make it so you cannot copy what they are saying.

Maritime communications have historically been HF centric, although today sat comms are being used more and more.  These HF comms have always been easy to monitor.  And be it a vessel master contacting the company or a sailor calling his wife, none of them are really happy knowing anyone with a radio can listen in to their conversations.  So, various forms of voice encryption have been used over the years, Sailor Cry is just one of them, although probably the most common.

There are numerous unsolved mysteries in the realm of radio communications. Maybe the above questions can be answered by you or others on the forum, maybe not.

I will "stay tuned" for further developments. 

Thanks again Token!

p.s. Signals received at my Indiana location are marginal, at best. A recording would be difficult unless I could pick a night that propagation was more favorable.   

Without a recording I can only guess.  I can say when I am tuned to that frequency (actual proper tuned freq is 6880 kHz) I often hear Sailor Cry here.  You will find it in use all across the bands, as I write this a quick tune shows it in use on 6305, 6320, and 6650 kHz also.

T!