Have you heard of Numbers Stations or ghost frequencies?
Here are the main distinguishable aspects of a ghost frequency.
The source of these broadcasts is unknown. Their purpose is unknown.
They are all shortwave radio, the source of which can be hard to track.
Many people speculate they are old war time frequencies that have been running for years, however those who have studied these broadcasts and who record the sounds say (UVB76 in particular) never appears to loop and that it is a deliberate transmission..
When you listen to them, they are eerie….
The most famous one is called UVB76 nicknamed The Buzzer because it will play a monotone sound all day long, then occasionally play what sounds like morse code, a series of beeps. Then out of nowhere an old Russian military tune followed by a list of random words, (possibly code) will appear. It’s been playing for over 3 decades.
A recent theory is that the buzzer is actually an official coded military broadcast for military units within Russia and is used to convey tasks and instructions.
This theory is supported by the fact that listeners have narrowed the broadcast location down to somewhere in Russia. Russia being the huge size that it is means the mystery remains but there are a few interesting theories around the shortwave community and YouTube, here are a couple of those theories
They are broadcasts created pre wartime transmitted to Aliens or other beings in the galaxy!
They were used in covert espionage!
If you want to get your message out to a large number of people you would broadcast on AM with a message people can understand. Remembering that these broadcasts originated prior to telephones, If you didn’t want everyone to hear your message, (perhaps it was only for one person), you might use a numbers station to transmit to one country at a pre-organised time, using a predetermined code.
There are some even crazier theories online, like people during wartime being hypnotised and these broadcasts contained random trigger words to trigger people into action.
Either way, it is an intriguing mystery! Why were they started and why do they continue to broadcast and are they still being used to this day?
Want to find UVB76? For many, there is a constant beeping, buzzing, or morse code sound and randomly it will stop for words, music, or speaking then resume its beeping again so you need to be lucky to catch it between long periods of beeping!
Why don’t you try and locate some numbers stations yourself and let us know what you found.
Alternatively, jump on YouTube and you may find some people streaming their experiences whilst tuning in to these stations.
This June Long Weekend, get ready for the annual event held by the ORARC over TWO exciting days!!
The Oxley Region Amateur Radio Club annual Field Day will be held at the Wauchope Showground hall with all the usual field day activities on Saturday and Sunday the 11th and 12th of June 2022 during the Queen’s Birthday Long Weekend.
This is a great opportunity to meet like-minded folk, talk radios, enjoy a sausage sizzle or group dinner, try your luck in the raffles and best of all get involved in the fox hunts!
The Field Day dinner will be held at the Port Macquarie Golf Club on the Saturday night. Mark your calendar now. The Wauchope Showground permits camping so it is possible to stay on site in your own motor home, caravan, or tent with power and amenities.
Click here to download a copy of the Field Day Program (PDF).
Here’s page 3 from the program, the Field Day schedule: provided by the ORARC.
Our continued thanks go to VK2CLL’s daughter Jacqui for her continued fantastic Graphics Design work for our brochure! See everyone soon.
Pirate radio is the name for somebody who broadcasts over the airwaves without a valid license, But it gets deeper than that.
There are several factors that would classify a broadcaster as a “Pirate”.
Besides not having a valid transmit licence, actions like failure to transmit a station identification or exceed the transmit power ( wattage) limit of the station, even if it is simply an amateur radio transmission can be deemed “pirate”.
More sinister factors like transmitting illegal content or politically motivated information can also be considered pirates.
Interestingly, many of these transmissions contain content that is legal in the country of origin, however trouble can occur, when the information transmitted is illegal in the region or country where it is received.
Historically “pirate radio” is also known as free radio.
This name came about during the “Summer of Love” in San Francisco during the 1960s.
These secret and unlicensed land-based transmissions of “free radio” were tagged as being pirate due to the radio transmissions being beyond government control, as was offshore radio in the UK and Europe.
Have you seen these movies that feature shortwave?
Pirate radios have featured in a few movies and TV shows over the years including
On The Air Live With Captain Midnight, filmed in 1979, which tells the story of Captain Midnight, who runs his own pirate radio station and becomes a cult hit!
Jump ahead to the 1990s film “Pump Up The Volume” with Christian Slater. Mark is an intelligent but shy teenager who has just moved to Arizona from the East Coast. His parents give him a short-wave radio so he can talk to his pals, but instead he sets up shop as pirate deejay Hard Harry, who becomes a hero to his peers while inspiring the wrath of the local high school principal. When one of Harry’s listeners commits suicide, inspired chaos breaks out at the school and the authorities are called in to put a stop to Harry’s broadcasts (info from IMBD)
More recently pirate radio is seen in the 2009 film, “The Boat that Rocked” a 2009 British comedy film written and directed by Richard Curtis about pirate radio in the United Kingdom during the 1960s.The story is loosely based on the famous pirate radio broadcaster, “Radio Caroline”. The station operated in international waters off the coast of the UK, broadcasting pop music the BBC would not include in their programming..
There are still many pirate radio stations in operation today available for you to listen to like Free Radio Santa Cruz (FRSC) which is an unlicensed radio station in Santa Cruz, California, United States. The station has been on the air since Spring 1995; its broadcast content is a mix of daily news, music, and cultural programs, produced both locally and nationally. Free Radio Santa Cruz exists due to donations, membership, and listeners can call in live during shows.
Recently, there have been claims that the FCC (Federal Communications Commision) that they are cracking down on pirate broadcasters and several broadcasters in NYC have been sent legal letters to cease illegal transmission or face fines up to $2M.
It may very well be an interesting time for pirate radio.