Something completely out of the ordinary for this site but mentioning here just because i keep looking at all the theories with the kind of curiosity reserved for rubber necking and figured i'd share ;-)
The Russian "Numbers Station" UVB-76, which is a radio station broadcasting on 4625kHz with enough power to be picked up almost globally, normally produces a buzzing noise ~25 times per minute. The purpose of this, and other number stations has never formally been admitted by any national government or agency. Although i think there was a senior british military bod once said something like "they are what you suppose they are" when he was asked if they were used for communicating with spies.
Since the 23rd of August UVB-76 has broadcast a new voice message. Only the 4th occurrence since this numbers station was found in 1982 i think it is.
EDIT: forgot to put in the transcript of the voice message: UVB-76, UVB-76 - 93 882 naimina 74 14 35 74 - 9 3 8 8 2 nikolai, anna, ivan, michail, ivan, nikolai, anna, 7, 4, 1, 4, 3, 5, 7, 4 - (repeated twice)
Background on this station, including picture of it and listing of events since the 20th August ->
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UVB-76
Recording of the new transmission ->
uvb-76.blogspot.com/2010/08/august-23-2010-935am-pst-voice.html
If the encoded message refers to coordinates, it's either in the barents sea, or in the pakistan mountains (depending on which way round the "coordinates" are read).
It's quite a short message, hard to imagine anything more than general information could be encoded in the message. Although it has been noted that maybe the lack of a particular message, known only to official consumers of this station, could be significant too.
Who knows :-) Not normally one for conspiracy theories but this is more tangible and easier to speculate on.
Last edited by: CraigP on Wed 25 Aug 10 at 08:31
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Seems a primitive way to broadcast to spies these days - they're probably teasing the Americans or some such.
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It was the russian (actually east german then) numbers stations that made me fascinated by radio in the late 60s. My father had a "worldband" set.
The monotone, mechanical, repetative nature of them in a foreign accent was always rather sinsister to my young ears.
It is actually a very good way of communicating to spies, even today. Totally anonymous and can be picked up by anyone with ordinary equipment. The use of one time pads makes it almost unbreakable as well.
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Same here Zero - a SW radio under the blanket listening to Radio Moscow's five year plan talks and output at tractor factories in the Ukraine.
You're right about the keep it simple theory on communicating with spies !
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My Sony ICF2001D still lives beside the bed - if all more advanced technology fails it still provides a wide variety of interest and entertainment. Radio China International reconstructions of police actions are often very diverting...
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My travel radio is the Sony ICF-SW11.
www.sony.co.uk/product/rad-worldband-receiver/icf-sw11#pageType=TechnicalSpecs
I have had mine for at least 6 years and sony are still churning them out unchanged.
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I have the slightly larger ICF7600G. Brilliant bit of kit whether picking up 5Live in southern France or Santa Maria Oceanic ATC at home.
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These numbers stations are fascinating. I was introduced to this quite recently having heard a Radio 4 programme back in 2006 called "Tracking the Lincolnshire Poacher". The title of course referring to one of the more famous numbers stations which played the first few bars of the folk song of the same name. I believe that station ceased broadcasting quite recently.
It's a brilliantly simple way to communicate with field agents. As was said above, it can be transmitted cheaply, received by anyone, but deciphered only with the appropriate pad. It's also very difficult to trace.
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www.radioworld.co.uk/~radio/catalog/second-hand-kenwood-ts2000-70cm-transceiver-p-2775.html
The above is what i use to listen to these and plenty of other juicy sw broadcast and military frequencys & if your naughty you can talk back to them.
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Saw a bloke at a car boot sale a couple of weeks ago with a beautiful 7-valve Sommerkamp, allegedly in working order. He wanted 250 euros for it though.
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>> Saw a bloke at a car boot sale a couple of weeks ago with a
>> beautiful 7-valve Sommerkamp, allegedly in working order. He wanted 250 euros for it though.
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I assume that it was a 'vide grenier'. :)
What are prices like in your area? Down in 34 most things are grossly overpriced, even after negotiation!
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Indeed it was a vide grenier (attic emptying).
Prices in 87 - at least among ordinary people with stalls - have become much more reasonable in recent times as the French get to realise it's better to sell than look at the stuff. Brocantiers and professionals are still on another planet though.
Have you ever watched 'Louis la Brocante' on French Channel 3? It's roughly the equivalent of 'Lovejoy'. Gentle stories and it's helped us learn French!
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Marche des Puce (flea market?) note several times on this year's French trip - Alsace as it happened.
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New Russian Numbers Station Broadcast - R.P.
