A look at the mysterious side of Shortwave radio in 2021. Inc. tuning in to numbers stations. The website I refer to is: priyom.org/number-stations/st...
I got my first shortwave radio in 1983 at the age of 13, during the height of the Cold War. I heard numbers stations, woodpeckers, waterdrippers (OTH radar), pirates on 6955 and other strangeness. Back then, nothing was encrypted on VHF or UHF either, and you could hear peoples’ cell phone conversations. Ah, the good old days.
You have a great audio book reading voice. I'd love to hear you read any Holiday themed stories especially A Christmas Carole or It's A Wonderful Life🤔
Very useful link to the priyom site, been looking for something like this to find those elusive stations - and nowadays it's easier than ever to tune in with SDR websites visualising whole bands all at once. Still love to use an antenna in my shed though, always exciting! Many thanks Peter for a great channel.
Wonderful and entertaining video! You could keep going on about number stations for a while.. very fascinating topic and really cool when your tuning around and stumble onto one!
A couple of friends of mine tracked down a Spanish-language numbers station in the early 80s. It was coming from a remote fenced-in property with a house-trailer on it, in southern Florida. They called for somebody to come out and sign a QSL form for them but they were sternly told to leave.
Have you or anyone else heard anymore of the backwards music station? That was a bit of a stir back in the early 2000s. For context, the Backwards Music Station was thought to be a military broadcast from the mainland US to a station somewhere in Europe (some have even speculated it's at Mi5 or Mi6 HQ) Its really odd it sounds like a while with undulating tones or backwards music. It seems to be audio, buut some of the high peaks in it seem to even possibly have data embedded. Most certainly heavily encrypted. Really odd and worth a listen if it is still broadcasting.
Oddest thing l heard was while setting clox to a universal time station it broke to give a weather report for outer space - solar flare activity, meteor showers, etc.
Nice video! I have picked up a number station. S11a on my small portable radio (Kenner PR-410) in 2020. Couldn't get a good signal because I had accidentally dropped it and the signal has some drifting issues.
Neat video! I get lots of these “numbers stations” across the spectrum. Usually between 10,5 and 12 MHz. Have heard the buzzer in 60 meters. I have this radio, too. It works great.
A friend who works in a Round building told me these days pre arranged messages are sent by simply changing backgrounds and colours of certain websites....
Great vid! The buzzer I ran into years ago. Numbers stations back in the 90's ,I remember a female voice. I miss the "utes" My passion was USCG sar opps
Kind of unrelated...did you ever pick up a phenomena of CW that was "chorusing" and/or delaying? Couple of times I picked this up. I'm sure it was just the freq. drifting or some such electromagnetic effect. It honestly sounded like a stereo signal that was coming from my little Mono 2.5" speaker. Too cool. Great video. Thanks alot!
I've been a ham for nearly 40 years, i've only heard it a couple of times. Usually it means the conditions are really good and a circumnavigation happened on the signal path. If its higher up the freq, it could mean freak scatter effect.
Many years ago I heard an echo on the BBC short wave somewhere around the 13 or 11 meter band. Could be chordal hop propagation where it propagates right round the Earth. Possibly a ground wave signal plus a sky wave signal slightly later.
I actually made an experimental electronic piece using a numbers station and various RTTY transmissions fed through a reverb pedal. People who heard the track felt it was spooky. I'll have to upload it to my channel.
Hi Peter, thanks for sharing this! It's been years since I (accidentally) ran into 'my first numbers station' and since that time I've always been fascinated by this phenomenon. I bookmarked the link you've shared and it actually works! As a HAM operator it's easy for me to pick them up, using my Yaesu FTdx-3000D or Yaesu FT-991A and my HyEndFed wire. Brilliant! So thanks again and I hope to catch you one day on the airwaves! 😉 73 de PD0CT - Gert (the Netherlands)
The only numbers station I hear on a regular basis is bingo numbers. But seriously, the Cuban numbers station sometimes comes on in the afternoons in North America. It has voice numbers in Spanish and data bursts of some time.
China has a new numbers station going up next to one of the largest USA Air Force bases in the US. The Chines government just purchased all the land around it. Their is also a spooky station that is a 2 watt digital beacon around 10,000 KHZ located at the Mass Maritime Academy for a long term propagation experiment. As part of their Stem program. Love free form DJ's and Merlin Communications Limited.
Radio MISTERY. Just built a cheep Chinese. Superhet reciver. The values must be wrong. As I picked up a signal I could not figure where/what It is?/ came from. Then got the enlightenment. As I saw my cell phone and turned up the sound. I could see it was the cell phone internal signal. Hi hi. As i was looking for the MISTERY sound it was "with"me along in me pocket. Cheers. Ps the phone does xmit audio to a in company diagnostic tester. After build for final test. So there one more reason not to do taxes around the buggar hi hi. De kv4li
Хобби
I love my numbers station, nice to find a fellow fan. Kudos on the thriller snippet at the start too!
I got my first shortwave radio in 1983 at the age of 13, during the height of the Cold War. I heard numbers stations, woodpeckers, waterdrippers (OTH radar), pirates on 6955 and other strangeness. Back then, nothing was encrypted on VHF or UHF either, and you could hear peoples’ cell phone conversations. Ah, the good old days.
I find this extremely fascinating. Definitely want to record some of these spooky frequencies and use them in sound design work.
And I would be very interesting hear it Parker, thanks for the comment
You have a great audio book reading voice. I'd love to hear you read any Holiday themed stories especially A Christmas Carole or It's A Wonderful Life🤔
That’s an interesting thought and very kind comment SoUtH thanks for taking the trouble to write :)
Obvious he is a professional broadcaster (DJ).
The reason why I got myself a Tecsun PL-660 (which not only has shortwave, but also air band).
Very useful link to the priyom site, been looking for something like this to find those elusive stations - and nowadays it's easier than ever to tune in with SDR websites visualising whole bands all at once. Still love to use an antenna in my shed though, always exciting! Many thanks Peter for a great channel.
Yes it’s a brilliant site
That 457 cw signal sounds like a signal report. Its called RST Readability, Signal strength, and Tone quality.
Thanks for the comment James
I thought that was always 599 LOL
Wonderful and entertaining video! You could keep going on about number stations for a while.. very fascinating topic and really cool when your tuning around and stumble onto one!
Thanks for the comment Quickstar - yes they are one of shortwaves many mysteries - we must explore them further.
Thanks for the info and links Peter and the humour too great video 😂👍
Good to hear from you, thanks for the kind comment :)
I used to hear the numbers stations a lot during the 1990s ,usually between the 20 meter band through the 80 meter band.
Yes and a lot of them are still there … thanks for the comment Randy
A couple of friends of mine tracked down a Spanish-language numbers station in the early 80s. It was coming from a remote fenced-in property with a house-trailer on it, in southern Florida. They called for somebody to come out and sign a QSL form for them but they were sternly told to leave.
That’s interesting thanks for the comment
Fun video. Keep them coming. Thank you.
Thanks for the kind comment... more on the way :;))
Your videos are superb! Very well done indeed! From one "long in the tooth " SWL to another: '73!
Thanks for the kind comment kc8 I’m glad you enjoyed the vids :)
Now THAT was quite well done!
That’s very kind Thomas thanks
LITT Never fails to crack me up, while offering up some good info. Well-played.
thanks for tuning in ;)
Have you or anyone else heard anymore of the backwards music station? That was a bit of a stir back in the early 2000s.
For context, the Backwards Music Station was thought to be a military broadcast from the mainland US to a station somewhere in Europe (some have even speculated it's at Mi5 or Mi6 HQ) Its really odd it sounds like a while with undulating tones or backwards music. It seems to be audio, buut some of the high peaks in it seem to even possibly have data embedded. Most certainly heavily encrypted. Really odd and worth a listen if it is still broadcasting.
Oddest thing l heard was while setting clox to a universal time station it broke to give a weather report for outer space - solar flare activity, meteor showers, etc.
Thanks for the comment, you were lucky to catch that :)
Another great video. Breath of fresh air.
Glad it went down well with you Mark :)
Well done Peter…educational and entertaining!!🇨🇦🇮🇪
thanks for your kind comment Glen
I remember there were lots of these in the 70's and 80's. The Lincolnshire Poacher too.
Nice video! I have picked up a number station. S11a on my small portable radio (Kenner PR-410) in 2020. Couldn't get a good signal because I had accidentally dropped it and the signal has some drifting issues.
Thanks for the message Provilaz, check out the live website I mention to see when they are on ... happy listening :)
I think it’s so cool that you can experience a little. It of history whilst enjoying the broadcasts as well.
thanks for your comment sassy - happy radio
I’ve been finding these with my sister all day. :)
Fun and creepy stuff.
Didn’t think they’d be so used still today.
thanks for your comment WorldsWorstBoy
Very good info.... thank you for your time...love your doggie
Thanks mike pasko and welcome aboard - Mia is a the star :)
Neat video! I get lots of these “numbers stations” across the spectrum. Usually between 10,5 and 12 MHz. Have heard the buzzer in 60 meters. I have this radio, too. It works great.
Thanks for viewing and your comment ... good radio ::))
Interesting, you have earned my subscription :-)
Thanks
A friend who works in a Round building told me these days pre arranged messages are sent by simply changing backgrounds and colours of certain websites....
indeed it sounds likely - thanks for the comment
I have been to the location from where the Buzzer used to transmit))
WOW Margret !!! and you live to tell the tale :)
Great vid! The buzzer I ran into years ago. Numbers stations back in the 90's ,I remember a female voice. I miss the "utes" My passion was USCG sar opps
E10? ruclips.net/video/pbJDDjJEC_c/видео.html
Thanks Thomas keep on buzzin :) Peter
Came here for the shortwave content, but is that a Bass Station 2 on your desk?! 😲
Well spotted Arcade it certainly is. I’m better at tuning the shortwaves than I am making music :)
Excellent. Subbed.
73s M7TUD
Thanks Paul, welcome aboard:)
Kind of unrelated...did you ever pick up a phenomena of CW that was "chorusing" and/or delaying?
Couple of times I picked this up. I'm sure it was just the freq. drifting or some such electromagnetic effect.
It honestly sounded like a stereo signal that was coming from my little Mono 2.5" speaker.
Too cool. Great video. Thanks alot!
That’s a weird one ;) SW is full of suprises .. thanks for the comment .. Peter
@Terry Weinhold Ok cool man. I picked it up on my Grundig portable a few times over the years.
@Terry Weinhold Yeah, I think I've heard that mentioned before too. I never thought about it though. Thanks for the "come back".
I've been a ham for nearly 40 years, i've only heard it a couple of times. Usually it means the conditions are really good and a circumnavigation happened on the signal path. If its higher up the freq, it could mean freak scatter effect.
Many years ago I heard an echo on the BBC short wave somewhere around the 13 or 11 meter band. Could be chordal hop propagation where it propagates right round the Earth. Possibly a ground wave signal plus a sky wave signal slightly later.
I actually made an experimental electronic piece using a numbers station and various RTTY transmissions fed through a reverb pedal. People who heard the track felt it was spooky. I'll have to upload it to my channel.
Let’s hear it :)
I enjoy the hobbyists tuning up around 10000 kHz calling, "HOLA HOLA HOLA". Wonder if they are trying to get an answer from WWV?
Hi Peter, thanks for sharing this! It's been years since I (accidentally) ran into 'my first numbers station' and since that time I've always been fascinated by this phenomenon. I bookmarked the link you've shared and it actually works!
As a HAM operator it's easy for me to pick them up, using my Yaesu FTdx-3000D or Yaesu FT-991A and my HyEndFed wire. Brilliant!
So thanks again and I hope to catch you one day on the airwaves! 😉
73 de PD0CT - Gert (the Netherlands)
Thanks for your comment Gert, Hope to hear you on the radio soon, 73s
Spooky indeed. Do you remember the woodpecker ?
The only numbers station I hear on a regular basis is bingo numbers. But seriously, the Cuban numbers station sometimes comes on in the afternoons in North America. It has voice numbers in Spanish and data bursts of some time.
Legs 11 :) thanks for the contribution Bruce
More of this
Whats the best shortwave radio for beginers
Hi thanks for the comment .. I usually recommend the XHDATA d808 see my review on here, it should do all you need ;)
A nice little Tecsun would do just fine, and there is still plenty to listen to on the air.
This i like alot,greatings from the dead land of FM namely Norway :)
you gone digital K O ?
The buzzer sounds like power supply problems modulating old Russian OTH radar.
Yes Dai C its often mistaken for such, thanks for the comment :)
The numbers Mason, what do they MEAN?
P_ its a mystery
listen 11635Khz.
China has a new numbers station going up next to one of the largest USA Air Force bases in the US. The Chines government just purchased all the land around it. Their is also a spooky station that is a 2 watt digital beacon around 10,000 KHZ located at the Mass Maritime Academy for a long term propagation experiment. As part of their Stem program. Love free form DJ's and Merlin Communications Limited.
GO YOU 'R's!!!
Wasn't scared
But I heard you screaming !
Radio MISTERY. Just built a cheep Chinese. Superhet reciver. The values must be wrong. As I picked up a signal I could not figure where/what It is?/ came from. Then got the enlightenment. As I saw my cell phone and turned up the sound. I could see it was the cell phone internal signal. Hi hi. As i was looking for the MISTERY sound it was "with"me along in me pocket. Cheers. Ps the phone does xmit audio to a in company diagnostic tester. After build for final test. So there one more reason not to do taxes around the buggar hi hi. De kv4li
Thanks for sharing your radio mystery albeit a short lived one :)
Fy