[GreenKeys] UPI on the air (Was: ITTY channels offline)

[David I. Emery]

On Tue, Mar 12, 2024 at 03:40:42PM -0400, Gary Chatters WA9ZZZ wrote:

> You've reminded me that back in the mid 60's I would copy UPI off the 
> air.  They broadcast news on RTTY on some HF frequency in 60wpm, Baudot, 
> close enough to 850 shift that I could copy.
> 
> Anybody remember the frequency(ies) or where they were located.  They 
> generally had a good signal into southern Michigan.

	Too long ago to remember specific frequencies, but as a HS
student in the mid 60s I copied a lot of UPI and AP RTTY from prep
school in SW Maine.  IIRC most of the frequencies were in the 4-9 MHz
range at night and maybe 10-18 MHz during the daytime.  I do remember
that frequencies around 13 and 14 and 15 MHz Mhz were popular...

	Many originated from commercial point to point HF sites dating
to a bit before  WW II on the Eastern tip of Long Island.   Those sites
had arrays of rhombics on wooden telephone poles over copper screening
often buried in marshy flat land... and transmitted either 850 Hz shift
or 400 Hz shift (I think I also remember some 600 Hz shift, but memory
fades) at either 45  baud (60 WPM) or 50 baud (67 WPM) in baudot (ITA
2). 
	
	Riverhead, and Orient Point come to mind.   There was also some
of this relayed via sites in North Africa - IIRC specifically near Tangier
Morocco and Asmara Ethiopia.   And some originated from transmitters
in Europe and the US West coast.

	And of course various HF marine communications sites transmitted
"press" news summaries to ships at various times of day...

	More obscure, but also present were AP and UPI signals in
various VFT "tone pack" multiplexes on US military/government HF SSB ISB
links.  Notably audible on the east coast were links to sites in the
Panama Canal zone that included these at one point.   Those powerful
buzzing or droning HF signals  originated from various US
government/military  HF sites in CONUS including some around Va and Md
and Pa and had lots of encrypted military circuits and some ITC 100 WPM
weather traffic in addition to the AP and UPI wires.

	The AP and UPI signals were usually either their radio/TV
wire (rip and read stories for radio broadcast) or national newspaper
"A" wires.   


-- 
  Dave Emery N1PRE/AE, die at dieconsulting.com  DIE Consulting, Weston, Mass 02493
"An empty zombie mind with a forlorn barely readable weatherbeaten
'For Rent' sign still vainly flapping outside on the weed encrusted pole - in 
celebration of what could have been, but wasn't and is not to be now either."