U.S. $3.95 Can. '6-.25 - ( 1i,t; Prr.,ou«,t Nnrntttuie'ariou.v Sour 3$ L . POWER zL8b-ZZ£L6 2'r0 ANVflIV H1NIN 3S 3f1N3AV 6£î# 311I6Z%Ó66T%Ó9 56?./551S tt t 10 tit tt t e tt u n ttt it I II { I I il li` il l l I I il l ll I` £L6 lI9Ia-£*-******** *********************** r'At"4 410.RP _*, h. o 33932 74654 8 zmrls www.americanradiohistory.com OptoSpot Hits The R11 10MHz - 1.4GHz 30MHz - 2GHz wide band 30MHz - 2GHz (Cellular Blocked) Stores 400 frequencies in memory receiver (Cellular Blocked) Two line LCD frequency display Reaction Tune the ICOM Built-in speaker for instant Decode CTCSS, DCS. and R7000, R7100, R8500, R9000, R10, audio demodulation DTMF AOR 8000, AOR 8200, and Opto R11 LED frequency range indi- 500 memories 10 digit LCD with signal strength bar. cation display 1000 frequency lockout graph Reaction Tune with Scout Built -in PC interface Vibrator and beeper alert mode Capture 5 watt UHF signal *Capture 5 watt UHF signal from from 500 feet 800 feet 1000 frequency lockout SAVE SAVE $100 $100 $299 TA100S Antenna Included TA10OS Antenna Included DB32 Antenna Sold Separately (029) .ate Special Prices are Spot/ h for a Limited ime Only!! CU COUNTERS Handheld frequency counters, all incorporating patented Digital Filter and Digital Auto Capture. All counters come with initial accuracy of +/- 1ppm. High rK/81ea+ impedance amplifiers standard pl on M1 and 3000APlus. Call for i additional features on all three counters. M1 CUB $149 SAVE M1 S50 on the 3000A+ $199 M1 & 3000A+ Computer Not Included OPTOCOM 3000A+ $299 High speed triple :onversion GRE receiver *Store & Scan, download up to 28 different frequencies or one talk Antennas Sold Separately Track Motorola 4(0, 500, 800, and 900MHz systems group ID for scanning without computer control Decode CTCSS, JCS, LTR, DTMF, and Motorola talk group IDs Supplied with the all new Trakkstar software Scan trunked and conventional frequencies simultaneously *Trunk Track LTR systems Reaction Tune with Scout Frequency Recorder Scans conventional frequencies from 25 -250, 760- 823.995. *Software Controlled volume & squelch for remote control operation 849.005- 868.995, 894.005- 1300MHz (Cellular frequencies blocked) Micro Counter Micro OPTOTRAKKER OPTOSCAN DTMF Decodes CTCSS, DCS, LTR, Computer control scan- Micro Test equipment in pager style cases Motorola Type I and ll, and DTMF ning interface board for Scan multiple trunked systems the popular RadioShack featuring a 2000 char- at the same time under computer Pro 2005/6 (OSLite) acter DTMF decoder, control and Pro 2035/42 a Frequency Counter All trunked frequency bands sup- (0S535(. with three memory ported, including 400MHz, Decode CTCSS, DCS, hold, and an RF 500MHz, 800MHz and 900MHz and DTMF with OS535 Detector with setable Built -in Data Slicer Circuit only threshold alarm. Pass through technology requires only *Supported by popular third Micro one port RF com party software Detector Includes MicroCounter $99 Software Purchase all $299 $4E three for MicroDTMF $99 Receivers supported under computer cortrol: $175 S299 'com R7000, R7100. R8500, 89000 and R10, AOR AR8000, OS456Lite: S99 MicroRF Detector AR3000A, AR5000. and Pro 2005/6 with 0S456 /OSLite. Pro Save S48 $149 2035/42 with OS535 TMC100 Antenna Sold Separately (S9) FACTORY DIRECT ORDER LINE 800 -327 -5912 Made in the Aftnivvre irem wklme'( .S. V V`11.11.\. ß0 Mr. 5821 N.E. 14th Avenue Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33334 www.optoelectronics.com Telephone: (95.0771.2050 Fax: (950.771.2052 EMail: sales @optoelectronics.com Prices and Specifications are subject to change without notice or obligation The OptoCom has not been approved by the Federal Communications Commission. This device may not be said or offered for sale until the approval at FCC hen been obtained. Contact Optoeleatronten for information on availability. Optoelectronics. ScanStar. Motorola. EF Johnson LTR and Microsoft Windows are all registered trademarks. Scout, 3000A.. R11, Xplorer. MloroCounter, M1, Cub are covered by U.S. Patent No. 5,471,402. www.americanradiohistory.com C O N T E N T S The WYFR Story 0 12 Vol. 17, No. 10 October 1998 By Hans Johnson The largest private shortwave station in the United States, WYFR, is celebrating its 25th year of broadcasting, but the station's prior history goes back several incarnations -as experimental sta- tion W 1 XAL; World Radio University for the Listener (WRUL), which was taken over by the US government during WWII; and as commercial station WNYW. Cryptography - Language of Spies 18 By Dan Veeneman Cryptography is the science of secure communications in the presence of adversaries, and it can be as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. The author walks you through a simple, but Cover Story very effective example. Encryption is also a very hot issue for business, law enforcement, and Internet users, and Congress is in Unloddng the Secrets the middle of the controversy. on Shortwave Radio By Larry Van Horn Now it Can be Told - and Toured 22 Bleep, bleep, bleep ... bra -a -a- By Jesse Finkelstein ap ... tweedle- deedle -deee! It's enough to scare off any beginner to "Project Greek Island" is a relic of the Cold shortwave listening, but most of War - a giant complex hidden underneath the these noises are anything but five -star Greenbrier Resort and intended to house "spooky." It's the sound of the ev- the entire U.S. Congress in the event of a nuclear eryday work world using the effi- war. Legislation is pending to turn it into a casino. ciency of digital communications to carry out its business. What kind of business is trans- acted on shortwave radio? What Reviews: kinds of digital modes are these? The reviews you've been waiting for: Parnass credits the AOR Larry Van Horn helps to demystify AR8200 with flexibility, operational complexity, and richness fea- many of the most common modes, of tures (p.87); Magne Sangean 404 is and suggests frequencies where you says the brand new ATS flexible to can tune them in and say "Oh -h, so tune and has a nice roster of features (p.88). Ham Bands columnist that's what that sound is!" Starts Kerschner is smitten with the Kenwood VC -H1 page 8. slow scan TV- small, self-contained, and reason- To represent our focus on ably inexpensive (p.70). Elliott finds the Kenwood "spooks," encryption, and other FreeTalk FRS radios great for beginners (p.71). weird and wonderful signals to be Donnell gives the Radio Max scanner control found on your radio, our cover was software program a successful workout (p.85), and specially designed by Ron Brown Catalano does the hardware connections to test the new, PhotoGraphics, copyright. external, PC-based WiNRADiO WR1500e (p.90). www.americanradiohistory.com DEPARTMENTS MONITORING TIMES (ISSN: 0889 -5341; CPC IPN Sales Agree- Washington Whispers 4 On the Ham Bands 70 ment #1253492 ) is published month y by In the Data Stream The Kenwood VC-H1 Grove Enterprises, Inc., Communications 6 And More! 71 Brasstown, North Carolina, USA. Scanning Report 26 Kenwood's Easy-to -Use FreeTalk Random Scanning Antenna Topics 72 Copyright©1998. Periodicals postage paid Utility World 30 Some Hard -to -Spy Antennas at Brasstown, NC, and additional mailing Spook Radio: Trick or Treat? Experimenters Workshop 74 offices. Short excerpts may be reprinted Digital Digest 33 Automatic NiCd Cell Discharger with appropriate credit. Complete articles may not be reproduced without permission. Who Uses Digital Modes? PCS Front Line 76 Global Forum 34 Cellular Cryptography and GSM Address: P.O. Box 98, 7540 Two Views on Clean Signals Federal File 78 Highway 64 West, to Brasstown, NC 28902- QSL Report 38 FBI Obtain New Radio System 0098 An unbeatable DX season Plane Talk 80 Telephone: (828) 837 -9200 English Lang SW Guide 39 Coming to Terms with Radar Fax: (828) 837 -2216 (24 hours) Propagation Conditions 60 What's New 82 web: www.grove-ent.corn Internet Address: Ionospheric Modification Review 85 or e -mail: [email protected] Programming Spotlight 61 Future Scanning Systems' Radio Max Editorial e -mail: [email protected] Subscriptions: [email protected] Shortwave as a Learning Experience Scanning Equipment 86 Beginner's Corner 62 AOR ÁR8200 Scanner Subscription Rates: in US; $36.50 $23.95 "Spooky" Radio Listening Magne Tests 88 Canada; and $55.45 foreign elsewhere, US funds. Label indicates last issue of subscrip- Ask Bob 64 Sangean ATS 404 Economy Portable tion. See page 95 for subscription information. Listen and See your Infrared Control Computers & Radio 90 Below 500 kHz 66 First Look at WinRadio's WR 1500e Postmaster: Send address changes to Monitoring Times, Better Beginnings Letters 92 P.O. Box 98, Brasstown, NC 28902 -0098. American Bandscan 67 Stock Exchange 94 The Expanded -Band Times Closing Comments 96 Disclaimer: Legislators above the Law? While Monitoring Times makes an effort to Outer Limits 68 ensure the information it publishes is accu- WREC Retires from Broadcasting rate, it cannot be held liable for the contents. The reader assumes any risk for performing Correspondence to columnists may be mailed c/o Monitoring or construction projects pub- modification EDITORIAL STAFF Times; any request for a reply should include an SASE. lished in Monitoring Times. Opinion or conclusions expressed are not necessarily the view of Monitoring Times or Grove Frequency Manager Gayle Van Horn gayle @grove.net Enterprises. Unsolicited manuscripts are Frequency Monitors David Datko, Mark J. Fine Frimmel frimmel accepted. SASE if material is to be returned. Program Manager Jim @star -telegram. corn American Bandscan Doug Smith, W9WI w9wi @bellsouth.net And More! Jock Elliott KB2GOM lightkeeper @sprintmail.com Owners Antenna Topics W.