Cuban Government Jamming 40 meter US HAM BAND

We can fix this, then: I'm definitely telling you or anyone else that there's nothing you can do about it. We actually have a required task - to document and report. Part 2 - of course! Keep operating and keep working through, around, over, under the QRM - we have no challenge here! There's a third area, though, as has been documented here: The folks trying to keep in touch with their families on the island are limited to a fairly narrow area of spectrum because of the nature of the Cuban ham's rigs. Most of them aren't running the newest $7000 hybrid SDR appliance from Japan - they're building their own equipment or repairing old gear - to the point of re-winding transformers. Not many US hams are up for that sort of "improvise, adapt, overcome" scrounging and repair. "If your contact still feels like 'playin' radio'." How about if your contact is in desperate need of getting word out to their kids? Not everyone on this spinning rock is 'playing' radio. That's an important point.

ETA...We relied on radio here in Texas last Feb during the freeze. The attitude and skills needed then don't become less important when it's not happening here.

 

It's pretty bad but plenty of room.

 

Nobody in Cuba is using homebuilt rigs anymore. Maybe not the latest Flex , though. They have VFOs and bandswitches nowadays

 

ARRL?
Where is the American Radio Relay League?
Beuller?

 

The IEEE Picked up the story.

https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/telecom/wireless/cuba-jamming-ham-radio-listen-for-yourself

 

Right around 2000 on the waterfall, 40Meter digital mode: there is a strong and constant signal. Anyone know what this is?

 

Good article, fairly reported IMO.

 

Nobody? On their typical wages? I'm guessing "nobody" isn't an accurate estimation.

ETA...

 

I continue to see 1800 Hz wide bands at 7106, 7116, 7126, 7131, 7141, 7151, 7158, 7179, and 7216 LSB. It appears to be two parallel zones of noise about 800 Hz wide, but there are random periods that include sounds like "spastic tapping on an electric typewriter", to coin a technical term.

Another day's report is filed with ARRL and IARU.

 

Here's a post from CO8LY that puts it in perspective.

https://forums.qrz.com/index.php?threads/from-eduardo-co8ly.766312/

 

Thanks - good to see the coverage!

I want to point out that the gent from the ARRL did not respond accurately when he suggested that "There is no real role for ARRL..."

Per the IARU region 2 monitoring program:

The ARRL is the monitoring system coordinator for the United States. Specifically, the IARU notes that reports should be sent to both HQ and the IARU liaison: Rod Stafford, W6ROD
https://www.iarums-r2.org/indexen.html
https://www.iaru.org/reference/member-societies/

 

For which digital modes on which frequency are you seeing this signal?

 

Reliable sources have confirmed there are multiple sites on the island of Cuba where the noise is allegedly coming from. Operating conditions are 15KW transmitters using large Discone antennas like the one shown below. (image posted from the internet to protect source)

 

All that time and money, personnel and fuel invested in perventing radio listeners from listening to radio - go figger.

 

I'm not seeing the jamming from EL09 today, but it is readable from an SDR in Orlando, FL. Is the band in horrible shape, or did the Cubans turn the power down on the noisemakers?

ETA...getting Spanish language on 7120 LSB. It sounds to me like a Radio Havana rant - what is it, Spanish speakers? There were periods of this with music (voice and music) noted in the last 30 minutes as well.