4101 kHz CW What Kind of Code Is This? Wabun? SKATS?

[Exo]

Mystery code.
Similar to Wabun (Kana) Code.
What kind of code is this?
What language?
Copied on 4101.4 kHz CW
0540UTC 08OCT2018
night in California

PLAY AUDIO of Wabun-like CW Code

More info about the source, and USB voice audio of operators who are sending the code.

Some of the characters copied in this Mystery Code:

[Exo]

The Mystery Code, which doesn't appear to be Wabun Code:



Some Japanese Wabun Code (Kana Code or Katakana Code) charts and code trees for reference:


Japanese Wabun Kana Code Morse Tree


Japanese Wabun Kana Code Tree


Japanese Wabun Kana Code Chart in Katakana and Hiragana Japanese language


Japanese Wabun Kana Code Morse Code Table

[Exo]

They're back!

Report
0535 UTC 09 OCT 2018
4101.3 kHz CW, UNID Mystery Code similar to Wabun, readable, with some lightning static, apparently a regular sked

PLAY AUDIO of today's reception of the Mystery Code at full speed

PLAY AUDIO of today's reception of the Mystery Code slowed down to 25% speed

And some more Mystery Code characters today to add to the list:


 

[R4002]

Very nicely done research Exo

So these marine operators that switch between CW on 4101.3 kHz and SSB on 4100 kHz have a fairly regular daily schedule? 

[Exo]

Very nicely done research Exo

So these marine operators that switch between CW on 4101.3 kHz and SSB on 4100 kHz have a fairly regular daily schedule?

Recently, they have appeared on 4100 USB / 4101.4 CW / 4101.3 CW every day at 0530 UTC.
They have been heard around 0525 UTC auto-tuning their antenna with some CW dashes, and then V, V, V, before the sked.
Sometimes they go immediately to USB voice, and other times they have a short CW exchange.
They have recognizable quick fists on CW, using the free form style of a bug (long dash emphasis) and sometimes a straight key.
On voice, using an Asian language, they are noticeably older males, who laugh and tell long stories or sometimes rant.
They seemlessly go back and forth between USB voice and CW.
They have been heard as late as 0700 UTC on this frequency.

On CW, one of the stations transmits on 4101.3 kHz and the other is on 4101.4 kHz.

They are not using Japanese Wabun Code.

[Exo]

Report
0550UTC 2018 OCT 11
4100.0 kHz USB alternating with CW on 4101.3 kHz, HLVW South Ko rean language, South Ko rean CW code, strong signals, good readability

As a result of the log today, and the stronger signals which provided clear ID of the language, the ID of the stations are now known.
South Ko rean fishing vessels in mid-Pacific.
They are using a Ko rean language and a Ko rean CW code.
One station is Sajo Industries vessel 306 Oryong, with callsign HLVW.
The other stations also appear to be Sajo Industries vessels.

If anyone could provide a link to a table of their Kore an CW code, it would be appreciated.

For the full story and some good recordings click here.

[ChrisSmolinski]

Thanks for these posts - I believe I have received this CW when monitoring the Windy beacon on 4102.8 kHz. In fact I heard some just now (1120z). Also some weak voice noted on 4100 USB.

[Exo]

Thanks for these posts - I believe I have received this CW when monitoring the Windy beacon on 4102.8 kHz. In fact I heard some just now (1120z). Also some weak voice noted on 4100 USB.

You are doing extremely well to receive these ships in mid-Pacific and western-Pacific from your location.

At other time slots, the "Sajo Oryong" Sajo Industries fishing fleet has also been logged on:
4111 kHz USB voice / 4112.3 kHz CW,
4189.kHz CW
6868 kHz USB voice

S. Kor ea seems to be one of the few nations with a fully functional and active commercial marine HF CW enterprise.

It seems that we've just scratched the surface on logging the Sajo Oryong huge fleet HF operation.
Perhaps they have been somewhat overlooked up until now, possibly because of the few western ops who understand their language, and even fewer who can copy their CW code.

An educated guess is that their CW code is a specific S. Kor ean language code that is utilized for direct writing of Kor ean characters.
It seems somehow different from SKATS code, which is a standard way to send Kor ean Han gul (characters) writing.
Perhaps the mystery CW characters are run-together CW jamo SKATS Han gul characters.

SKATS = Standard Kore an Alphabet Transliteration System, which is an adaptation of English Morse characters for sending/receiving Hang ul.

SKATS
Consonants   Vowels
Han gul SKATS Han gul   SKATS
ㄱ   L   ㅏ   E
ㄴ   F   ㅑ   I
ㄷ   B   ㅓ   T
ㄹ   V   ㅕ   S
ㅁ   M   ㅗ   A
ㅂ   W   ㅛ   N
ㅅ   G   ㅜ   H
ㅇ   K   ㅠ   R
ㅈ   P   ㅡ   D
ㅊ   C   ㅣ   U
ㅋ   X   ㅔ   TU
ㅌ   Z   ㅐ   EU
ㅍ   O   ㅖ   SU
ㅎ   J   ㅒ   IU


SKATS Hang ul dash-dot Table


SKATS Han gul to English Letters Table


Mystery S. Kore an CW characters

Some of the mystery CW characters may be in this chart below:


A comparison of kore an transliteration systems

[R4002]

These guys are all over the place, 4 and 6 MHz frequencies - I imagine they have operations on the higher bands as well, 8 MHz and 12 MHz perhaps - if their fishing operations are as wide-ranging as it seems. 

I thought Japan was another heavy user of HF marine CW still as well.