29B6 'Kontayner' OTH Radar

29B6 'Kontayner' OTH Radar

Frequencies	6.1 MHz,32 MHz
Frequency Range	6.1 MHz - 32 MHz
Mode	USB
Modulation	FMOP
ACF	20 ms
Emission Designator	—
Bandwidth	3.5 kHz,7 kHz,14 kHz,28 kHz
Location	Russia
Short Description	29B6, nicknamed 'Kontayner', is a Russian over the horizon radar. It is currently very active in Europe.
I/Q Raw Recording	Download file
Audio Sample

29B6, nicknamed 'Контейнер' (Kontayner), is a Russian over the horizon radar. It is currently very active in Europe. The radar uses 150 antenna masts with data transmission systems, transmitters and receivers, a power station and control buildings. It is able to detect both high altitude and low altitude aircraft and missiles at very long ranges.

The first 29B6 radar installation is based at Kolkino radar station. The receiving antennas are located 8 km south-west from Kovylkino, Mordovia, Russia 53.9841°N 43.8427°E. The transmitting antennas are located 300 km from receiver, 5 km north from Gorodets town, Nizhegorodskaya oblast', Russia 56.69328°N 43.48625°E.

29B6 commonly uses 50 sweeps/sec (max range 3000 km), but it has been seen with 25 sweeps/sec (max range 6000 km) and 100 sweeps/sec (max range 1500 km). 29B6 uses Frequency Modulation On Pulse (FMOP), unique among OTHOver The Horizon (very long range) Radars since they tend to use Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW).

Samples

50 Sweeps/Sec

29B6 Sounder

This is an Over The Horizon Radar Sounder signal from the Kontayner radar. It is used to check frequencies that are not in use. It commonly overlaps Amateur and broadcast shortwave bands.

This signal has ~13-14 kHzKiloHertz (kHz) 10^3 Hz of bandwidth and hops frequencies in an ascending manner. It starts from 9.2 MHzMegaHertz (MHz) 10^6 Hz, and moves up the band in various intervals until it gets to 19.745 MHzMegaHertz (MHz) 10^6 Hz. After this, it pauses for a while and then goes back to 9.2 MHzMegaHertz (MHz) 10^6 Hz to begin the sweep again.

Often times, the radar overlaps over broadcast and amateur bands with no regard, causing massive interference as shown here (2015-02-09 15:22 UTC) :

Sample

29B6 Sounder	29B6 Sounder Slow

Video Examples

• Radar, new Russian 29B6 Radar with Sounder, 19712 and 19477 kHz, September 08, 2013, 1631 UTC
• Radar, British PLUTO and 29B6, some ways to tell them apart, February 07, 2015, 1500 UTC
• Russian OTH Radar Blasts 20 Meters
• Radar Container (29B6) (RБ6 «Контейнер») 20 Meter band

Additional Links

• I-56578 29B6
• 29B6 Codenamed "Kontainer"
• 29B6 OTHR Wikipedia
• 29B6 Transmitter in Russia, Google Maps
• 29B6 Recieving Antennas in Russia, Google Maps

Additional Images

The sounder signal hops up to a new frequency 29B6 Over The Horizon Radar Array Kontayner seen strongly interfering with CODAR at 13500kHz. 29B6 Found in Russia at 12.8 MHzMegaHertz (MHz) 10^6 Hz.