The Spooky Secret Numbers Station Signals That Transmit 24:7 

In the late 70s I came across a voice on shortwave repeating over and over again, ‘move the black cap’, with an English accent. I listened for 20 minutes until I got bored. When I tuned to the same frequency later it had disappeared

My fascination with Number Stations is what got me interested in Shortwave! Thank you for your videos and time!

Thanks for another fascinating video. Another mysterious radio signal are those Driftnet Radio Buoys (DRB) which transmit 3 letter Morse Code used by fishing boats operating in open seas and oceans for collecting fishing nets. These are low power and operate between 1600 khz and up to 4.000 Mhz including thr 160 meter band. On a good night they can be heard for hundreds or even thousands of miles.

It is strange that after the fall of the iron curtain no testimony has emerged from some former radio operators regarding these stations. (As far as I know) May be there are part of a "deception" technique to fool the enemy and are actually useless.. ;-)

It seems unlikely that after decades of keeping the purpose of a number station entirely secret that when retiring it and leaving the site to become derelict, actual log books are carelessly left behind with useful details for random explorers to find later on. I have to question - 1. who were these explorers and how do we know they did not conjure the found log books into existence? 2. if not conjured into existence, how do we know that the books found were not just planted at the end of the decommissioning process, containing misleading info in the knowledge they would be found and shared, thereby proliferating misinformation? My pet theory about number stations is that way way back they were actively involved in cryptographically secured communications to remote agents far afield. But now, no such thing or purpose. All sides just keep them running to keep all the others guessing (or it's an in joke) whether they serve any purpose or not. Wastes a bit of the others' intelligence time monitoring them tying up resource from doing something else useful. Every so often the operators get to have a bit of a giggle when they are told to change the pattern broadcast. This is my theory, there are many like it, but this one is mine :D And no doubt, entirely wrong :D

My favourite UVB76 moments were getting in touch with the hackers on the live RU-vid stream and requesting they Rickroll the STL. Apparently it isn't hard to do

As a child radio was my hobby literally 24/7 I listened to all sorts from shortwave, dx-ing beacons, mw transatlantic……decoding all sorts on shortwave. The Russian woodpecker was the sound of my childhood. Still got my RCA AR88D and Sony ICF2001D. Number stations were common back then.

I had a shortwave radio, my dad lent me over the summer, back in 1987... Being a teens, and hearing music, and other languages, then the numbers stations, was ...creepy, yet intriguing. I felt like a spy. ;D Of course , I'm a fan of the movie "the numbers station"..

Should the sound of the buzzer ever crash, be prepared for the bright white flash! 🔥⚰ Love the sound of the malfunction! I bet a few people got pretty anxious at that moment. The buzzer is live here on RU-vid for those like me who cannot hear it via RF.

I loved the spectrum painting of troll memes etc over the buzzer this year 😂

BBC R4 LW going of-air was thought of as a dead mans switch but has been down a few times over the last few months.

That Buzzer at 3:58 sounds a lot like something I've heard in a Drum & Bass track 😁 Andy Kirby, there's an idea for ya !! Lewis, you've inspired me to go scan through these frequencies 🙂

Lewis thank you for all the videos you post. Your hard work doesn't go unnoticed. I understand your videos & your Pic. Scheme that accompanies them. I like the antenna Pics. you post, and I enjoy the Pics. Of your beautiful countryside. I enjoy listening to you & I think you are a great teacher! Your friend Dave, Palm Beach Florida, United States.

Another interesting video, thanks Louis. It's good to have some background on these stations that one comes across while tuning around. It does make you wonder about the costs of running these stations...

I find this stuff absolutely fascinating and your presentation is great thanks Lewis 👍

Love coming across number stations . This is what got me into SW radio . I’ve been hooked ever since . I like E11 oblique

Loving these numbers station vids , more about the whole topic in general if possible! Thanks Lewis

I love these Lewis, I'll certainly be checking out more numbers stations and hope to hear more soon - can you do a video on dead hand?

Great video as always... these videos leave me with so many questions 🙂

Loving the number station videos bro, 👍 👍 RINGWAY MANCHESTER is one of my go-to youtube channels, could watch this guy 24-7, I need like 3 HOUR long videos though! Hahaha 😂 Awsome work pal x 🇬🇧 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 🇬🇧 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Thank you for the information. Keep up the great work.

Neat! I've listened to the last one several times before. But I did not know of the jamming attempts.

Thank you for an ingesting video Lewis. BTW it is great you were able to get video of all the transmitter towers (haha, I know, I know. I watched the previous several videos). More seriously however, I might see if I can get a SW radio, as I am interested in picking up the transmissions.

The Air Horn has reappeared on 4930 kHz since 22 September this year. I found it tonight when tuning my radio. It's interfering with VOA but there's fading in and out so both stations can be heard.

Thanks for doing another numbers station video. Feeding my fascination 😁

Very interesting. Nice presented. Thought provoking. 👍🇬🇧

Thankyou Lewis always very interesting. Yes, I have known of them for years. Heard much more easily in England than Canada.

Always a notable subject. That they still exist demonstrates their worth and simplicity.

I have heard all of these with intermodulation from radio Moscow or its successor stations as Russia changed politically over the years..and they all make good propergation markers for us nosey parkers Keep em coming Lewis great vid

This stuff is fascinating! Thanks.

If i ever have a child I'm raising her with these radio transmissions rather than pre-recorded lullabies and cocomelon.

There is something so fascinating about clandestine communications on older technology. It's so underneath the surface of what people perceive.

Interesting video once again Lewis.. Strangely enough i don't hear The Buzzer tonight, and for the last few nights that I've checked, it's being jammed.

you would be good doing TV voice overs 🙂 Interesting video as usual. I will try the frequencies you mention in the video

It's the government calling the mothership to pick them up, and take them back to their home galaxy.

Brilliant as usual❤

It's my delight on a shining night in the season of the year

That tower reminds me of the 380 foot, 115.82 meter 'RCA' behemoth that existed on Rocky Point, Long Island, NY, USA. It was a remnant of a massive RCA facility there. Creepy as hell at night with its rotating aircraft beacon through the fog. It made a big bang when 2 of the supporting legs were exploded to bring it to the ground.

I have been mostly listening on the Single letter CW beacons from Russia. They have low power and give really good indications on the radio propagation. I have mostly used that CW beacon in Murmansk as it is very far north and easily disturbed by Aurora. When I get a loud and clear signal, then its time to start my Ham radio station. Ham radio gets very rewarding that way.

I used to listen to the buzzer for hours on end it's such a calming one

Back in the late seventies up to ninteen eighty . The school bus driver would play the radio. One station imparticular she pointed out while tunning there to let us hear was just one thing constantly it was someone whistling. She said its always the same person whistling and nothing else. Another wierd thing different story is that my friend use to say in his old house he could sometimes hear a radio playing somewheres inside his house but never found it. So many years later he moved up north three hours away to a really old homestead house, he says he can hear a faint sound of a radio in this house too. I have another little story ... another guy friend of mine lived in an old church parsonage , one day while i was visiting and chatting while working on the basement computor we heard a bell like alarm . it only sounded once like a grandfather clock would every hour but it only rang one time . He said there are no clocks like that in his house anywheres and nothing like that on a phone or computor that he ever set or heard before. It was bewildering. We looked around that house and never found anything.

Another fantastic bit of research about these "number stations"! Keep up the good work. M0TEP

So eeeery, love these number station videos.

Thanks Lewis, very interesting. I saw another comment about shortwave receivers. I had a look through your videos but saw only one about them. Recommendations would be welcome. Can you tune in these stations with a modestly priced unit and a telescoping antenna?

Was waiting for some sick techstep dnb beats to drop on The Buzzer

Once I heard the "Buzzer" with a regular AM radio from Budapest! 😮 That was the first time I ever heard that signal, I don't know how!

I got my first short wave receiver for Christmas 1982. We were living just south of Frankfurt, West Germany. I remember "the Buzzer" on good reception nights. It made my brother, 10 at the time, very uneasy...

I can just imagine that somewhere there's a Stephen Fry religiously listening to the radio, waiting to be activated

0:48 sound like the three tones that were sent out on the CB band to track pirates in the mid-1970s by the RTT (Radio, television and telegraph services). This agency still exists and surveys everything that is still analog or now digital and also internet services.

Brilliant again mate

Love these videos. Will have to invest in a new s/w radio - old one died a few years ago. And now living in a place where erecting an antenna would be "frowned upon". Have to stick to online tuners for the time being. Thanks again for the great content Lewis

very good info thank you

It's a very good with video I enjoyed it very much Ringway Manchester

That drum and bass numbers station at the end was my fave.

love this stuff

The old 1950's radio as SW, MW, LW was old style dial style. As a young boy of 5, love to listen to this strange broadcast. Post 1980 FM radio using digital tuner make it impossible to listen into the strange broadcast. 🤣 That was first exposure radio arrays. Old days school boys talk about it, and the older boys, some read physics will tell us what that was. 1950 to 1970 is fun. We watch cartoon on Ray guns or BBC explanation on radar, radio. FM reduce the eager crowd having fun to listen 🎶 to strange noises. 🤣

idk why i chose to listen to this before bed! My eyes always water when i listen to this stuff, it freaks me out, no idea why! haha very interesting though!

Excellent. I think you should get Andy to do a banging tune using samples.

Reminds me of the distress call recording on Lost, endlessly reiterated...

Inspiration of course for OMD Dazzle Ships / Radio Prague

I have never heard the squeaky wheel. I don’t know what I do wrong. I am a shortwave listener since a year back. I can hear the buzzer and the pip. 🤔

I've heard the squeaky wheel one on my big HF receiver here in Australia

I love this content

Thank you👍

Thanks Lewis

Brillant video 👌

Cool stuff!!

I first started hearing them in the Summer of 1990. It was 90 percent the Spanish Lady, 10 percent the synthetic Phonetic Letter stations.

A nice idea is a short video "how the number stations pass messages and how they believe they are deciphered by the recipient"

The very first one he played is part of Gasters theme. Gaster is Purim confirmed

Unbelievable, how much you know about all that radio stuff! Thanks for sharing ✌

Very interesting!

So awesome

Brilliant video mate. My old shortwave is absolute pants....may have to invest in a new one! Any recommendations peeps???

any guards at the towers ? Wonder what would happen if all the towers just where to be destroyed suddenly ?

Got a recording of the Buzzer and music from Tetris playing over it only a few months ago all so heard crazy frog on there to

Sort of vaguely connected. Perhaps you know the answer, back in the 70s I regularly heard (in Barrow-in-Furness) on short wave a station that continuously identified as "a test transmission from a station of the Moscow Radio Telephone Company". Perhaps it was but in english and radio telephone from Moscow to Cumbria? always struck me as odd. Any thoughts?

You doing anything on the UK Tele switch system pal. There is an old site in dyserth prestatyn

A vent to the tunnel between Wal-Marts is 3 doors down from me.

For the Buzzer, a few months before the ukraine war started it changed tones, wonder if its a coincidence or not

interesting station, this tower looks nice

What is a good reciever to listen to these stations which is not all that expensive?

Are there stations that broadcast encoded digital information? I’ve come across broadcasts of what sounds like millions of super high speed Morse code blips in digitized form that comes in waves

These are new Haarp stations. Instead of a field array they use tops of cell towers giving them global access.

Does MI6 still utilize radio-free Cyprus as a carrier ?

I rem reading about number stations at school. It all seemed very James Bond. I think the woodpecker was still transmitting then in the mid 1980's.

I always suspected the buzzer to be a communication using variances in phase and perhaps another viartiable to create a known differential, and therefore transmit data, albeit slowly. Governments, particularly russia tend to quickly abandon unused tech, so it clearly has a purpose.

You not done a RINGWAY MANCHESTER live stream yet bro? Count me as a deffo viewer 👍

The buzzer station sounds like a Jacob’s ladder arc

When I first heard them as a young engineer at BBCM my old supervisor told me they were just reporting River Danube water levels!!

After watching this your 2nd Number Stations video I researched on Google for 'Enigma Newsletter' I used to receive the printed copy of this as member in the '90s. At the time I was in the Merchant Navy so used to listen out for these signals many parts of the world. Thanks for another interesting video. BTW all the Enigma Newsletters have been archived and can be downloaded.

I still remember the Wood 🪵 pecker years ago on the amateur radio bands, and people would transmit Morse Code over it, and it would change frequency. I think it was over the horizon, OTH, radar, like from the antennas 📡 near Chernobyl.

Have you any info about the two towers on the top of portsdown hill in the b2177?

Sounds like control signals much like the FM translators used in the 80's and 90's.

Killing Joke's "The Wait" at 3:56.

Buzzer sounds like hoover drum and bass line.

I am sure there used to be something on 4489 back in the day

I am certain I heard pips and wheels in the 1960s on the home Pye multi-Short Wave receiver( mainly used to get Hilversum on Sunday Lunchtimes !)

Quality

The Buzzer sounds a lot like Over The Horizon radar.