ZEVS (transmitter)

ZEVS is a facility of the Russian Navy to transmit messages to submerged submarines in deep water using extremely low frequency (ELF) waves and super low frequency (SLF). It is located near Murmansk on the Kola Peninsula. As ZEVS works on 82 hertz, it can be only used for very rudimentary transmissions. Due to its extreme low frequency, the techniques used by ZEVS are quite different from those of standard transmitters.

Technology

Track of the antenna system of the ZEVS transmitter

Russian sources confirmed that the ZEVS transmitter consists of two swept-frequency generators of sinusoidal voltage and two parallel horizontal grounded antennas, each about 60 km long. The generators provide 200-300 A currents in the antennas, in the frequency range from 20 Hz to 250 Hz.[1]

The antenna used by ZEVS is a ground dipole. This is simply an arrangement of two widely separated electrodes, through which the transmission current is fed into the ground. From both units a feeder line of the ground dipole runs 60 kmeastwards, ending at 68°46′44″N 35°09′06″E / 68.778981°N 35.1515662°E / 68.778981; 35.1515662 and 68°42′04″N 35°12′52″E / 68.7010474°N 35.2145822°E / 68.7010474; 35.2145822 respectively. The grounding electrodes are wires running in east–west direction, laid just below the surface. They form a characteristic pattern on satellite pictures.[2][3]

ZEVS consists of 2 units, situated at 68°48′48″N 33°45′06″E / 68.813321°N 33.7517427°E / 68.813321; 33.7517427 and at 68°42′59″N 33°42′28″E / 68.7163557°N 33.7078248°E / 68.7163557; 33.7078248. They are supplied by Kolenergo with electricity and have there the designation PS-373 (Cyrillic: ПС-373) and PS-393 (Cyrillic: ПС-393). These Kolenergo substations are designed for transmission ratings of 7.478 MVA and 7.446 MVA respectively, so the total transmission power of ZEVS transmitter may be between 10 MW and 14 MW, making it the most powerful transmitter in Europe.

The feeder line of the other ground dipole electrode turns from the stations in southwestern direction and then running northward, to finish at 68.7948802 N 33.6278419 E and 68.7948802 N 33.6278419 E. As there are no traces of ground wires buried in low depth visible, rods running deep into the ground may be used there for the grounding.

The Zevs transmission on 82 Hz is making use of a minimum shifted carrier, MSK. This type of transmission mode, is in use by nearly all modern submarine-communication transmitter facilities. What makes the transmission mode of the ZEVS and similar ELF transmitters so unique, is the very narrow frequencyshift of the transmitter carrier, during the message phase of the transmission.

The widest frequency shift observed, is in the narrow range 81 Hz to 83.3 Hz, at the start of a transmitted message. The carrier shift of only 2.3 Hz. makes up the difference in a mark and a space of the MSK signal. Sophisticated decoding software is used by the onboard communication computer-system of the submarines. The ELF carrier frequency is shifted from the normal carrier frequency of 82 Hz, down to 81.6 Hz and up to 82.7 Hz, prior to this message. This is seen most likely the “message waiting” call function of the Russian ZEVS transmitter.

History

The transmitter Zevs, was during the early 1990’s detected around the globe, by several radio noise measurment systems operated by Stanford University. The 82 Hz signal was even received at the base at Arrival Height Laboratory in Antarctic ( 78°S 167°W ).

See also

  • Project Sanguine – a US Navy ELF system
  • INS Kattabomman – an Indian Navy ELF system

References

  1. ^ "ZEVS, The russian 82 Hz ELF transmitter". www.vlf.it. Retrieved 2024-06-11.
  2. ^ "Wikimapia - Let's describe the whole world!".
  3. ^ "Wikimapia - Let's describe the whole world!".

External links

  • http://map.kolenergo.ru/ Map from KolEnergo website(in Russian)
  • ZEVS, THE RUSSIAN 82 Hz ELF TRANSMITTER. A Extrem Low Frequency transmission-system, using the real longwaves. Trond Jacobsen at ALFLAB, Halden in Norway (in English)
  • http://www.radioscanner.ru/forum/topic12739.html (in Russian)
  • http://www.radioscanner.ru/forum/topic15128.html (in Russian)
  • http://www.liveinternet.ru/community/3629085/post123817602/ (in Russian)
  • https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/3407767
  • Book about scientific usage of ZEVS: Взаимодействие электромагнитных полей контролируемых источников СНЧ диапазона с ионосферой и земной корой: Материалы Всероссийского (с международным участием) научно-практического семинара. В 2 т. / Рос. акад. наук, Отд. наук о Земле, Кольский научный центр, Геологический институт; гл. ред. академик РАН Е.П. Велихов, зам. гл. редактора д.г.-м.н. Ю.Л. Войтеховский. – Апатиты, 2014. – Т. 1. – 206 с. (in Russian)