[Hip Priest]

NEW links, fresh for 2007, or something:

Really good blog, regularly updated with good recordings: http://hfsurfing.blogspot.com/2007/03/e25.html

A good site, with info and recordings: http://www.angelfire.com/rebellion2/sw_underground1/

Lots of good download stuff here: http://home.luna.nl/~ary/



The original post:

Is anyone picking any of these stations up lately? I've had a couple, I'd like to hear of others.

For more than 30 years the Shortwave radio spectrum has been used by the worlds intelligence agencies to transmit secret messages. These messages are transmitted by hundreds of “Numbers Stations"...

...Why is it that in over 30 years, the phenomenon of Numbers Stations has gone almost totally unreported? What are the agencies behind the Numbers Stations, and why are the eastern European stations still on the air? Why does the Czech republic operate a Numbers Station 24 hours a day? How is it that Numbers Stations are allowed to interfere with essential radio services like air traffic control and shipping without having to answer to anybody? Why does the “Swedish Rhapsody” Numbers Station use a small girls voice?

Have some links, free of charge.

this is a ten minute film that introduces short wave radio and number stations.

There's a wealth of info here: Number Stations

The Conet Project is sa compilation of these broadcasts available on CD.

Here's a Radio 4 documentary from 2005 about these things. It's called 'Tracking The Lincolnshire Poacher', which is one of the more well-known Number Stations. It's a bit worrying, to be honest, but well worth a listen, so click here.

And here's photos of the Lincolnshire Poacher's transmission site

This site is a database of what's going on with number stations, and it even has a facility to show what stations should be active both now or in the next hour, which is very cool. Lots of US references, so suitable for many board members, I think.

Spy Numbers Station Database

[Glice]

I've not got a shortwave radio any more, but that Conet set is excellent listening.

[trance feeeedback]

wow, thanks hip priest for even more number stations stuff.

[Пятхъдесят Шест]

GREAT!

This is great, I know nothing about this, and I call myself a Shortwave enthusiaist!!

[Hip Priest]

Originally Posted by Пятхъдесят Шест

GREAT!

This is great, I know nothing about this, and I call myself a Shortwave enthusiaist!!

Пятхъдесят Шест, the more you read the more you'll be fascinated.

As I understand it, it's actually illegal to listen to these stations in the UK (but not recorded material)!

[Пятхъдесят Шест]

It may be illegal, but how are they going to know you're listening? The best part about shortwave is it can't be traced....or do you know something I don't?

[Hip Priest]

Originally Posted by Пятхъдесят Шест

It may be illegal, but how are they going to know you're listening? The best part about shortwave is it can't be traced....or do you know something I don't?

No no, I don't think they can get you, but that makes the law al the more sinister in a way; our government won't own up to mainaining Number Stations (even though they do), the BBC denies any involvement (wrongly) and they can't tell if you're listening. yet they move to ban it anyway - bizarre!

[Пятхъдесят Шест]

Very intriguing. The plot thickens....

[Hip Priest]

On the subject of Number Stations being used in music, recordings (all can be heard at the 'Number Stations' link I posted earlier in the thread):

British group The Porcupine Tree's song "Even Less" ends with E14 CIA 4F

Stereolab's "Pause" from the "Transient Random-Noise Bursts with Announcements" album uses "Swedish Rhapsody" clip.

Boards of Canada use a heavily modified E5 "Counting station" clip in their track "Gyroscope"

Pere Ubu's track "Coming Home" from the album "The Story Of My Life" uses modified E5 "Counting Station"

German electro pop band OK with their track "OKAY" ends with S5 OLX

Danny Eskanazi recorded the track "21.252" which was featured on the 1980's album "Seattle Syndrome". The so called "British YL" E21 counting station is included in the piece.

Italian group Madwork have just released the album "Overflow". The first track "Null" contains a sound clip from this very site.

The group "Chroma Key" uses the Swedish Rhapsody German YL on the track "Even the Waves" from the album "Dead Air for Radios".

The group "Tree Helicopter" have released an album called "Moon Calf", which includes several tracks inspired by number stations.

[pokkeherrie]

thanks for starting this new thread. it reminds me i have to save the links from the last thread before the old board closes down!


edit: wait, i think you already posted the same links here? if so, thanks again.

[Пятхъдесят Шест]

After going through many of the links, I now know what that annoying counting is that always interferes with Radio Habana Cuba! Many times that I've tuned into Radio Habana Cuba, the faint sound of a woman counting in Spanish can be heard.

Very creepy.

[Hip Priest]

Originally Posted by Пятхъдесят Шест

After going through many of the links, I now know what that annoying counting is that always interferes with Radio Habana Cuba! Many times that I've tuned into Radio Habana Cuba, the faint sound of a woman counting in Spanish can be heard.

Very creepy.

Excellent, a mystery solved. Of course, the Number Station thing appears to be included in the TV series Lost, but I don't know how it will be dealt with.

[stirling]

Reviving this old thread with a new twist.
A phone number was posted to craigslist that, when called, gave an automated message in the same form as the number stations.

Original discussion
Second craigslist message (the first was deleted)
Story with first mp3
Story with second mp3
Slashdot thread

[Пятхъдесят Шест]

I was just thinking of bumping this, because I had a dream the other night of the 'nervous lady'. She is by far the creepiest sounding.

'6 8 9 4...........2 2 5 7...........1 5 6 6'

More like a nightmare.

You must wonder why she sounds so rushed.

Radio Tashkent is playing right now.

[schizophrenicroom]

This is the neatest post, Hip Priest.

I've always wanted to be a spy just so I could use number stations as part of my ultra-cool job.

[Пятхъдесят Шест]

Yes, this is a great thread. Hipster deserves more rep for this, even though I'm pretty sure I gave him rep when it was first posted.

EDIT: Ah, shit.
You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Hip Priest again.

[alyasa]

This is great. I wasn't aware of this. Appropriately esoteric.

[Hip Priest]

Bumpy for Tokolosh.

I've not picked up any recently. Anyone else?

[Tokolosh]

Oops! I didn't know this thread already existed.
It sucks that I can't throw the thread I started away.

[Hip Priest]

Well, The COnet PRoject deserves a thread in the Sonics section. This was more of a Conet/Number STations joint thing really. There's a shortwave radio thread too, not started by me:

http://216.70.73.169/gossip/showthread.php?t=87