Recently I have noticed a few illegal radio operators operating on or near 6990
LSB nightly beginning around 0100 UTC. When I first heard these "outbanders," or
bootleg operators there, I thought they were just a couple of pirates chatting back & forth.
One of them even ID'ed as "Radio Free Texas."
After monitoring them for some time, it became apparent that they were not
pirates as we know them, but simply unlicensed operators that showed up there to have a
place to talk. I wouldn't even mention them if it weren't for the fact that they appear to be
communications for a militia group in Texas.
Militia groups have used frequencies for communications just outside the ham
bands for inter-group communication for about the past ten years or so. The lower edge
of 20 meters has been known to harbor some militia activity, as well as 6660 and possibly
around 6200-6300 kHz.
The 6990 group is very informal, and most members of the net are apparently from
Texas. They don't use any callsigns except for the one using "Radio Free Texas," but
prefer to use first names. There are roughly six or seven regular members of the group.
At least two of them are in Texas, one near Dallas and the other farther south.
Communications might sound like what you'd hear on the CB bands, but slightly more
interesting.
It's obvious that the group does have militia ties, or at the very least are strong
supporters of militia groups. Their discussions usually lean toward anti-government
feelings and some of the conspiracy theories popular with "patriot" groups. For example,
I once heard one of them talking about Satanic cults in his county in Texas, who had entire
cities located underground and regularly abduct people to use as sacrifices during Satanic
rituals. It's doubtful they are all playing with a full deck.
I haven't heard them using anything I could definitely consider as a code or cipher,
but they have used cryptic communications that when I was in the military we referred to
"talk-around." It's kind of like the way you'd talk around small children when you don't
want them to know what you're talking about. Two people "in the know" would
understand, but a third party might not.
The group regularly uses 6990 LSB, but I have heard them referring to using
13950 USB. They also have another frequency they constantly refer to as "primary," but I
have not located that frequency. I don't believe that it is 13950 since "primary" seems to
be used for shorter range communications. For example, if conditions aren't that great,
they'll say, "go to primary." For two stations in Texas maybe one or two hundred miles
apart, it makes sense that they would use a lower frequency to make use of groundwave
propagation. My guess is that it's around the lower or upper edge of the 80 meter ham
band. The upper edge in the 4 MHZ band is filled with MARS and maritime stations, so
it's likely they use a frequency below 80 meters, around 3400-3500.
If you enjoy the stuff you hear on WWCR & similar stations, you'll enjoy tuning
these guys in.
It is with regret that I mention that this will be my last "Covert Comms" column. I
have found it increasingly difficult lately to find the time to meet a deadline for a column
every month. Also, my interests in radio have been shifting to other areas and I am finding
it hard to devote more time to writing about numbers stations. I rarely even find time to
do much shortwave listening these days, let alone hunting for numbers transmissions. I
have devoted the past five years to writing this column, and now find it time to move on
to other pursuits. I have enjoyed contributing what I could to the hobby, but now must
move on to other things.
With that, the job of writing a monthly numbers column for the ACE is now open.
If anyone is interested, please contact Harry Helms or John T. Arthur and let them know
that you're interested. I'm sure they'll be glad to have you.