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Number Stations
Number Stations
org
Allison McLellan
Scanning through the bands on AM, you stumble upon something
odd. It might be the last few notes of a folk song, a sound clip from
an old cartoon, or phrases in a different language. A voice cuts
through the static, methodically calling out, “Mike, India, Whiskey,
One, Four…” But this isn’t a fellow ham announcing their call sign.
These are numbers stations, an eerie subset of radio stations that
has intrigued hams and non-hams alike for decades.
Famous Stations
Most numbers stations were first heard throughout the Cold
War era, and some were so consistent or idiosyncratic that they
become popular among those who monitored them. The Lincoln-
shire Poacher, first identified in the 1970s, became known by
playing a few notes from the famous British folk song of the same
name before each transmission. It is thought to have been run by
the British Secret Intelligence Service, and Amateur Radio direc-
tion finding (ARDF) tracked its transmissions to a Royal Air Force
station in Cyprus.
have members of all ages, but a lot However, those most prominent in Conclusion
are under 30 years old, or even teen- their monitoring say that numbers While many have spent years fol-
agers,” Ynard said, crediting this to stations are used for spy communica- lowing numbers stations, it appears
the fact that the community formed tion. After the Buzzer became very that their meaning will not be made
around online chat rooms. popular, monitoring communities like clear to anyone except the two par-
Priyom and www.numbers- ties that the transmission is made for
With their background, the com stations.com were able to establish — and perhaps for the better.
munity takes a more digital approach that it is a Russian military channel
to radio listening, utilizing remote marker. That would explain the It is their mystery that has drawn a
web receivers like WebSDR (www. increased activity in 2010, which following of eager detectives and
websdr.org) and KiwiSDR coincided with reorganization of the serious monitors in a range of ages
(www.kiwisdr.com) to “promote Russian military. In 2013, the station and careers. If we confirm for sure
awareness of these modern possibili- sent out its first command: “Objavlena what numbers stations are they may
ties and…increase the levels of komanda 135,” which translates to, not be so interesting anymore.
understanding and monitoring,” “Command 135 announced,” a drill
Ynard said. Notes
message for full-combat readiness. 1P. Savodnik, “Inside the Russian Short
Wave Radio Enigma,” Wired, Sep. 27,
Theories In fact, not long after the 1997 re- 2011, www.wired.com/2011/09/ff-uvb76.
2R. Adams, “Russian spy ring claim — 29
Given that numbers stations trans- lease of a compilation of numbers June,” The Guardian, June 29, 2010,
missions can’t be deciphered, many stations recordings called The Conet https://www.theguardian.com/world/
Project (see the sidebar, “The Conet richard-adams-blog/2010/jun/29/
have developed their own theories russian-spy-ring-live-updates.
on what they are for, from practical Project ”), the government publicly
study to conspiratorial weaponry. acknowledged numbers stations and
Some choose to believe these trans- their link to covert operations for per-
Allison McLellan is an Assistant Editor
missions couldn’t be something haps the first time. In 1998, the FBI for QST. She can be reached at
secretive in the public eye, posing arrested the “Wasp’s Network,” a almmclellan@gmail.com.
that they are signals from tools mea- group of five Cuban intelligence offi-
cers who were spying on Cuban For updates to this article,
suring changes in the ionosphere,
see the QST Feedback page at
oceanographic buoys that monitor exiles in southern Florida under the www.arrl.org/feedback.
marine environment information and command of the Castro government.
transmit via radio communication, or News reports described how the
the testing of radio equipment.