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The Return of "The Wobbler???"

radioman148 said:
Last night WGN and WBBM were coming in pretty well on the Key West receiver especially considering it's summer.
I didn't check out 870, but I'll try soon.
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WNEW doing well on the Iceland SDR last night. WBZ, WINS, and WCBS also in, but underneath other signals. Sign of things to come?
 
cyberdad said:
WNEW doing well on the Iceland SDR last night. WBZ, WINS, and WCBS also in, but underneath other signals. Sign of things to come?
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Thanks for the heads up. Just checked and heard WNEW and a very good WBZ. I think I was hearing CFRB. Not too long until MWDX season shows up. I wonder if the Arctic receiver will hear anything this year?
 
cyberdad said:
"Wpbbler" was going strong last evening (8/20 at 9:30CDT) on the Key West SDR. Trashing WWL and R. Reloj. Checked 870 again this afternoon (8/21 at 3pm CDT) and 870 was completely empty on the same SDR. Hmmmm.
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At 10:24PM CDT the Wobbler is back on 870 with WWL well underneath.
 
I'm hearing it here as well near Detroit on 870 kc. 1:17am edt. Not continuous, short 4-5 second "Bursts" then disappears. Difficult to pinpoint, but seems strongest 162° SSE from here. WPWT "The possum" is operating after hours again so the frequency is kind of a mess at the moment. But wobbler is clearly audible.
 
I haven't heard it lately at my location northwest of Chicago. Unlike a month ago, when it was here nightly for a brief period, But, then again, I haven't paid much attention to 870 during the past couple of weeks. When I have stopped at 870, it's been missing. I'll make it a point to be more proactive during the coming evenings and see if it turns up here.
 
At 2135ET tonight on Key West SDR it was a weak WWL with the Wobbler quite strong. On Athens, GA SDR it was WWL extremely clear, almost like a local with the Wobbler poking in underneath. Last time I tried to listen to the Wobbler it was a different sound, probably local interference but tonight it is very distinct.
 
Actually, in my office in Loganville, GA on my Grundig with built-in whip the quality is only slightly worse than the Athens, GA SDR. If I went outside and hooked up an external speaker the sound quality would probably equal Athens tonight.
 
This morning in NW Arkansas a moderate to strong WWL with the Wobbler in and out depending on the direction the radio was facing. The Wobbler varied from strong to moderate, to weak or nothing.
Heard between 5:05 and 5:20.
Receivers Eton Grundig Edition Satellit and Eton Grundig Edition Field BT.
 
Tried 870 this morning at around 4:30am CDT. About 90 minutes before local sunrise. All WWL. No trace of the Wobbler. (C Crane Skywave).
 
CTListener said:
Where is this Wobbler thread heading? Right now, it seems to be becalmed in a sea of reception (and non-reception) reports.
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I started the thread, and I have NO idea where it might be heading. "Becalmed in a sea of reception (and non-reception reports"? The best I can tell you is that it's a mystery. It can most accurately be described some sort of electronic pulsating noise without any type of ID. Similar noises were heard more than ten years ago in the southeast. Primarily on 930 khz, but occasionally on other channels as well, IIRC. (1550 comes to mind.)

As for the current "Wobbler", Some of us hear it, some of us don't. And of those who've heard it, some of us hear it only some of the time. I'm in the latter group. I heard it barfoot at my home location near Chicago in July. But I haven't heard it at my home for about three weeks. Yet I....along with others...have continued to hear it from time to time on SDR's, if not barefoot. Again, primarily located in the southeastern U.S.

I have no "axe to grind" with this thread other than to try to figure out WHAT this thing is and WHERE it's coming from. Given that the strongest signal seems to be on an SDR located in Key West, Florida, The best guess is probably that it's some sort of jamming device eminating from Cuba. But no one knows that for sure. Just like no one knows why this thing is being heard on 870....which would seem to be an unlikely target for Cuban jamming (if that's, in fact, what it is).

So that's the best answer I can give to your question, Perhaps others who've heard the Wobbler can answer better than I can.
 
Heard this morning in SE MI from the car on my way to work around 6am. Always weak and subject to fading so it's definitely not close by. Forgive my ignorance, but if it is Cuba, why would they jam their own broadcasts? Radio Reloj apparently has several transmitters on 870 kc, seems more plausible one of them is experiencing some type of malfunction as others have said. Although I know its been observed on multiple frequencies over the years. An intriguing mystery to be sure.
 
K8PLW said:
Heard this morning in SE MI from the car on my way to work around 6am. Always weak and subject to fading so it's definitely not close by. Forgive my ignorance, but if it is Cuba, why would they jam their own broadcasts? Radio Reloj apparently has several transmitters on 870 kc, seems more plausible one of them is experiencing some type of malfunction as others have said. Although I know its been observed on multiple frequencies over the years. An intriguing mystery to be sure.
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It sounds somewhat similar to what was on 1000 awhile back. It sounds like a voltage regulator went wacky on one of the transmitters
 
cyberdad said:
Given that the strongest signal seems to be on an SDR located in Key West, Florida, The best guess is probably that it's some sort of jamming device eminating from Cuba. But no one knows that for sure. Just like no one knows why this thing is being heard on 870....which would seem to be an unlikely target for Cuban jamming (if that's, in fact, what it is).

So that's the best answer I can give to your question, Perhaps others who've heard the Wobbler can answer better than I can.
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And that is what I've heard also. The signal seems to be strongest on the Key West receiver. Why it's there is the mystery.
 
K8PLW said:
Forgive my ignorance, but if it is Cuba, why would they jam their own broadcasts? Radio Reloj apparently has several transmitters on 870 kc, seems more plausible one of them is experiencing some type of malfunction as others have said. Although I know its been observed on multiple frequencies over the years. An intriguing mystery to be sure.
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"Why 870 with R. Reloj there?" was my first thought as well. Not to mention that WWL has a null towards Cuba. Bit with other signs pointing towards Cuba, it's, as you said, "an intriguing mystery to be sure".
 
Listening to WWL for NOLA hurricane info and the wobbler at times would overtake them. Even attempting to maybe get an idea from what direction they were from my QTH, by turning my Terk, even at the weakest they were too loud. At about 240 miles to my east they are always a good listen. Winds could be up to 145 MPH. Pray for our Cajun friends as Ida will be historic.
 
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