[Spooks] Re: M13d

[Mark Slaten]

Hi Pete:
    I do not think your question is sarcastic at all.  This gives me a quick
opportunity to explain the inclusion of the text of a number station sked.
    You are quite correct, the text is enciphered and I doubt if any of us
"numbers" enthusiasts can decipher the messages.
    I mainly send copy of a text to the Spooks Digest so that those that
have not heard these particular entities, can see just what they are sending
and in what format.  This can be of great assistance when you try to
identify one of these stations.
    If you look at the Enigma list of all the different voice and CW
families out there, you can see how any clues in the formats can help in the
identifying process.
    M13d just happens to be a brand new variation of the M13 family, and
probably the majority of listeners haven't found him yet.  Also, by the
number of logs we get here, I believe there are less monitors of CW stations
than the voice stations.  So those that are not familiar can see what all
those dits and dahs are really saying!
    Also, when we are stumped as to who we may be copying, we will show the
crew what the text looks like and see if anyone else can help in the ID
process.
    To me, the fun of this hobby is trying to catch as many different CW
stations as possible.  If I run across a voice station, I will log it, but
then continue the search for CW signals.  That's me.
    Being a newcomer to the hobby, feel free to ask anyone here for some
assistance if you are not sure who you may be listening to.
    I hope this answers your question and is a satisfactory explaination.
Hope to see your logs soon.  That's what this hobby is about.
    Regards
Mark