Number Stations
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ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
I have a blog where I follow various radio related topics and also internet radio forum issues. I happen to have actually heard the very last CW transmission made by our American - Cuban spies right before they were both arrested.
Not 100% related, but wondered whether there are any fans of Florida author Tim Dorsey out there. Just mentioning because the "Cuban numbers lady" is part of the plot of his latest novel, "Nuclear Jellyfish," and her true purpose is revealed, and it's quite different than what we've always imagined.
Suzie
lanbergld
Member
Recently active numbers
Most recently I've copied the Cuban numbers lady on 4028 kHz and 4174 kHz, in the evening of course. These are two frequencies that I hadn't previously logged her on.
Larry Lanberg
Richmond VA
Most recently I've copied the Cuban numbers lady on 4028 kHz and 4174 kHz, in the evening of course. These are two frequencies that I hadn't previously logged her on.
Larry Lanberg
Richmond VA
pathalogical
Member
The Cuban lady is the only one I've heard. I've spun the dial around and around but never caught anything else that resembled numbers...well, other than EAMs. Do any othe numbers reach North America ???
EasyRadio
Member
Propagation is not real good right now, but when the sunspot cycle nears peak ( couple of years, maybe) you should hear E03 (Lincolnshire Poacher) and E10 (Mossad) pretty regularly on several freqs. E06 and E07 (the "english" Russian Man) will probably be pretty easy to copy, too. Logged all of these quite regularly, in early 2006, here in Florida. Of course, the "Cuban Lady" and the M08 Cuban morse variants still pound in pretty solidly to my location.
lanbergld
Member
Good job Xeno. She has several broadcast times on several different frequencies. Often its easier to find them while in SSB mode, where the radio is more sensitive.
Larry Lanberg
Richmond Va
Larry Lanberg
Richmond Va
ka3jjz
Wiki Admin Emeritus
Y'know it's interesting. It's probably coincidental (although with numbers stations, you never know), but I believe there are a couple of Columbian broadcast stations around that frequency. It wouldn't at all surprise me if the Cubans built a small relay station there - it's well known that the Cubans and Columbians have had friendly relations for a number of years.
Food for thought 73 Mike
Food for thought 73 Mike
ridgescan
Member
spy atation video by ripprock - Photobucket
Interesting that she's on LSB this time. Caught at 0121UTC on 8136KHz-LSB
Interesting that she's on LSB this time. Caught at 0121UTC on 8136KHz-LSB
Another CW message on 5800khz AM or 5799.50 CW mode. I might try to find a program that can decode CW.
Update
Here's a partial output:
itadgrtgttltmngdmauteuiugnuirwargdgwwawwtiardnidmagiiruwuruuiitrnrwsnuiemmaiumrtnnwwirnuigiuriuieeedawdaduuruanrtutetuwinrstidmituawiawrgwttatewdnnmutmunmgeateatdgurweeeeugtwdarnrmddinwnammnrtgmmuttdmtwauaiitgwgnrwgrunauawddagdmnaidiawiwaantraeamdntumgmtgadmwwduwawdrgaawirnwtgmuntwgwdumuiaunitrgggngruggadreatudtrigwwmmgratgmmdt AR AR AR SK
**The program I was using didn't copy it correctly. The main text was mostly 5 or 6 letter groups. The ending of the message is significant.
According the web site below, it's likely the M8 spy number station. The ending (AR AR AR SK) resembles "M8" type of messages which are based out of Cuba.
http://www.spynumbers.com/enigmaM8.htm
I checked their online database and there are many hits at this frequency. Seems like 0600z is a popular time.
Here's a partial output:
itadgrtgttltmngdmauteuiugnuirwargdgwwawwtiardnidmagiiruwuruuiitrnrwsnuiemmaiumrtnnwwirnuigiuriuieeedawdaduuruanrtutetuwinrstidmituawiawrgwttatewdnnmutmunmgeateatdgurweeeeugtwdarnrmddinwnammnrtgmmuttdmtwauaiitgwgnrwgrunauawddagdmnaidiawiwaantraeamdntumgmtgadmwwduwawdrgaawirnwtgmuntwgwdumuiaunitrgggngruggadreatudtrigwwmmgratgmmdt AR AR AR SK
**The program I was using didn't copy it correctly. The main text was mostly 5 or 6 letter groups. The ending of the message is significant.
According the web site below, it's likely the M8 spy number station. The ending (AR AR AR SK) resembles "M8" type of messages which are based out of Cuba.
http://www.spynumbers.com/enigmaM8.htm
I checked their online database and there are many hits at this frequency. Seems like 0600z is a popular time.
gcgrotz
Member
I heard CW numbers at 02:51 thru 03:00 on 8-9-09 at 5194KHz. Haven't heard much CW in recent months. 5-figure groups, one message ended and another started. Tried DM-780 decoding it and it was reporting 22wpm. No wonder I was having a hard time! DM-780 has trouble with the timing and it just looks like individual letters.
Anybody copy any numbers in PSK31? I had read some reports that it was being tried out but I've never heard one.
Anybody copy any numbers in PSK31? I had read some reports that it was being tried out but I've never heard one.
docknows
Newbie
not sure what kind of station this was...
Some time ago- late 1980s/early 1990s- i heard a station in Eastern Iowa somewhere broadcasting at 530 Khz, AM 530. It broadcast in Morse, and it gave different signals at different times.
First it broadcast SOB (... --- -...) continuously 24/7.
Then a few months later it switched to SOC (... --- -.-.). Again, 24/7.
Then it went to transmitting FN (..-. -.) 24/7.
At the time all the equipment i had to track it was the family car radio, which at that age i did not control. Eventually (1991) it stopped and i haven't heard it since.
Opinions please?
Some time ago- late 1980s/early 1990s- i heard a station in Eastern Iowa somewhere broadcasting at 530 Khz, AM 530. It broadcast in Morse, and it gave different signals at different times.
First it broadcast SOB (... --- -...) continuously 24/7.
Then a few months later it switched to SOC (... --- -.-.). Again, 24/7.
Then it went to transmitting FN (..-. -.) 24/7.
At the time all the equipment i had to track it was the family car radio, which at that age i did not control. Eventually (1991) it stopped and i haven't heard it since.
Opinions please?
Token
Member
Well, my first opinion is that it was not a numbers station
What you heard was, in all probability, an NDB, Non Directional Beacon. A Google search will show lots of data on the history of this service. A few could and still can be heard when tuning an MW AM Broadcast receiver to the low end of its abilities, however the majority of them are far below the lower end of that broadcast band.
The habits you describe, sending a 2 or 3 letter / digit call sign 24/7 in MCW (a CW transmission mode that can be received using an AM radio) is their normal format.
I have no idea why it would be changing call sign over time though, unless it was an experimental setup to test a new location. The other possibility, admittedly a long shot, is that you actually heard multiple stations and that propagation was bringing you one or the other seasonally. For a few weeks / months you heard one of them, then conditions changed and for the next few weeks / months you heard another, etc.
I can't find a listing of an NDB callsign for SOB or SOC (of course, I don't have a searchable list from the 1990 time frame) but the callsign FN is used by a station out of Flint MI, on 269 kHz. Interestingly the 2nd harmonic of that station would be on 538 kHz, and might show up at the lower end of the AM BCB.
T
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