Transmissions from nowhere: Numbers Stations

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Starting off in 1890, we take a look back at the history of secret radio transmissions, leading up until today and unravel some of the mystery, whilst uncovering some new oddities, of what are known as 'Numbers Stations'.
Thanks for watching! Contact me and feel free to drop comments, episode suggestions or anything else in the comments.

[@JosephHood83]

Theres just something about numbers stations that gets to me. I've been intrigued ever since first hearing about them some 3 or 4 years ago. They provide a different kind of eeriness, the extreme mystery surrounding them is pugnant enough to be the stuff of nightmares and raise the hairs on your arms, despite never really posing a threat of any kind. Its similar to the random EBS test notifications that came of the tv or radio, which as a kid used to unnerve me and still do a bit today, even though you cant really explain why its scary. Its just easy for the unknown to craw under your skin. Great video, it revived my interest in this subject quite a bit.

[@smileydude0]

Beats the hell out of SCP

[@djbassphase]

Yes I feel the exact same, especially about the EAS 😍

[@dorkmax7073]

I feel you. They're just so eerie. A derelict signal from a long lost time. The radio dead drops of a bygone era

[@nancyhicksgribble9799]

Yes totally agree! I used to get sooo scared whenever the emergency broadcast came on the TV. When I picked up a creepy monotone number frequency on a walkie talkie, I literally had a chill down my spine. I've been trying to figure out what it was I picked up. So freaky and alien.

[@My2Cents1]

Look up the movie Banchee Chapter. Watch it alone and in the dark. All I will tell you as a synopsis is... ”They want to wear us...”.

[@Joe45-91]

After I listened to this episode again I brought it up to my dad. He worked in radio for over a decade in the mid cold war years and he said he'd never heard of them. He was fascinated nonetheless. This is one of my favorites of the podcast.

[@Sarah.Riedel]

I think the point is that radio is one of the most efficient methods of long-distance communication which requires very little power to deliver. Most transmitters can be run off generator power in the event of a blackout or grid collapse. The technology is also relatively simple and accessible to laymen.

[@skylined5534]

Definitely. Reliable, simple to use and potentially impossible or near impossible to code crack!

[@harperparee7230]

i think its very brave, sexy, and terrifying of Boards of Canada to sample one of these transmissions in their song Gyroscope. terrifyingly eerie. ever since i listened to that song i've been interested in these number stations, and this is the most succinct explanation i've seen. thank you

[@peterridgway7355]

My interest in number stations dates back to being given a small radio when I was a child. Listening to these stations at night as well as the police broadcasts ignited the imagination. Listening to these documentaries takes me back to a more simple time....

[@baberoot1998]

Last time I tuned into a shortwave numbers station...a message came over that said, "-Hello, we have been trying to contact you, about your vehicles extended warranty." Trembling...I turned it off, and never tuned into Shortwave Radio again.

[@lsant1997]

I got something similar when it was coming from “China Buffet” when I began listening it said that my warranty had expired and I ended the communication. I was shooketh😂

[@carolyngair7051]

I was so fascinated by this particular story that I went out and bought a shortwave radio with sideband. I haven't heard any numbers stations yet but I've managed to listen to stations as far away as New Zealand, North Korea and Sofia Bulgaria. I live in Los Angeles. I'm planning on taking my radio with me to Russia next winter when I travel there. I bet I hear some interesting things from MOSCOW!!

[@DarkHistories]

That's awesome, you can hear a recording on the internet, but there's nothing like tuning into one of these stations as they're broadcasting live!

[@mrcemetery]

You can go to www.websdr.org/ and find a fairly complex online radio receiver. I've scanned a few times and come across some questionable content. I recommend you check it out!

[@skylined5534]

@Atomix A I thought that was for two way communication only?

[@juliab9826]

@Atomix A what Skylined said. I used to think the same the same thing for a couple years. I really wanted it, but put it off for ages. Then I stumbled at world-receivers. Basically a very advanced radio, able to listen to SW transmissions accross the globe. No cerificates necessary, and also rather cheap!

[@sinicalypse]

@@mrcemetery define questionable plz

[@tommasocastelli91]

One of the best YT explanations of this "phenomen"I've been studying for years.

[@michaelbruns449]

Perhaps these strange transmissions are random broadcasts from the past, now lost somewhere in time, occasionally received during the right conditions, certain magnetic field fluctuations, or maybe they originate from parallel worlds and alternate realities.

[@annoyingbstard9407]

There’s always one…

[@ninonaumovski8038]

we need to keep old technology alive!

[@travelinghermit]

I have swedish rhapsody as my phone ringtone

[@krismack4222]

how in the world do you make the most mundane topics so interesting. must be a gift. You should be a history professor. you would bring it to life.

[@JosephHood83]

Far from mundane, numbers stations are the very definition of intrigue and mystery.

[@gitargangster]

Reminds me of call of duty black ops where the stations were used to awaken sleeper agents that were used for different purposes. In the games case, the numbers were used to get Mason to assassinate certain people.

[@zyltch1]

Yes, the Lincolnshire poacher was run by British SIS/MI6 from Akrotiri on Cyprus. A map of the world shows that Cyprus is near the centre of the main landmass of Europe, Asia and Africa.The header music played on a synthetic calliope repeats the first 16 notes. Although the numbers cannot be deciphered, the 16 musical notes are code for the words "poacher" and "calliope".

[@otahak]

I stumbled onto one in the early 2000's in the San Fernando valley. It interfered with the local am radio signals and even disrupted my Internet connection due to weathered cables.

[@kbkman7742]

'the buzzer' spoken about after 30 mins was claimed to be an internal communication transmission for the russian military. It was supposedly simple instructions issued for large movements of troops, the buzzer is a way to eat up the frequency so nobody else can use it and it is ready to go at any time. Supposedly the location it used to be transmitted from was found, but when enthusiasts turned up to look the building had been abandoned and now it is transmitted from several places Also the helicopter thing from near chernobyl was interference from a huge radio array that used to be secret - you can visit it now on tours through the area

[@hectorlumbagoCringe]

This channel needs, nay, DESERVES more subs!

[@Tirana44]

I well remember the GDR operated stations. The eerie gongs were so suited to this phenomenon. I thoroughly enjoyed this video, you made the whole thing easy to understand and interesting

[@benjamindurden481]

Tonight I ran a roleplay game set in the Doctor Who-niverse involving a number station, after watching your and other videos on the subject.. it was very well received, so thanks!

[@logandeathrage6945]

Having a low tech general purpose system makes sense as a backup for covert operations even in this day and age.

[@pmcfarlain]

Fascinating stuff. I'm basing a story on the concept of numbers stations in the post-cold war era. I'm always looking for videos like this to try to find new information.

[@skylined5534]

How did the story go? I'm all for such stories which contain stuff like numbers stations and the like!

[@berylgreen1973]

An excellent introduction to a fascinating and endlessly puzzling phenomenon. Thank you!

[@jperez8194]

Sounds like a creepy ice cream truck. Weird

[@1joshjosh1]

Very detailed!! Probably best on KZbin explanation.

[@MagiMysteryTour]

I've listened to the Luxembourg Polka on KZbin, and I would say that music box is indeed playing the melody from Hugo Alfven's Swedish Rhapsody, and _not_ the Luxembourg Polka. This reminds me of the Spy vs. Spy cartoons from Mad Magazine: cloaks and daggers and more silliness than anything else.

[@epicstimulus282]

Often known as the misnomer and Name of the numbers station Swedish Rhapsody

[@jisanhaque1896]

during our liberation war such radio transmissions ware placed in radio programs popular at that time in the country to give green lights to commando operations

[@ImCarolB]

I remember the Whoopi Goldberg movie, Jumping Jack Flash, about a bank employee whose international computer connection kept being interrupted by a Soviet signal, drawing her into a call for help from an American spy trapped in Eastern Europe.

[@reason5591]

Once owned one of those vintage floor model radios. Amazing things can be found listening to those. I was listening to Korea, France radio stations from Huber Heights OH. I suspect much of the strange pilots and air traffic were being picked from Wright Pat Airforce base.

[@seaningram4434]

There is an NPR Broadcast about numbers stations from 2000.

[@sethlabombard2931]

This is an awesome channel. Im glad I found it. Great job!

[@renaj9206]

It's so weird that we know this exists, know 99% of what it's for, and yet don't know anything about numbers stations really

[@saidci2002]

Well done and Thanks from a Yank. The best researched discussion of numbers stations I have ever heard.

[@DarkHistories]

That's very kind! Cheers, glad you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it all up!

[@smileydude0]

Just found your channel! Appreciate your presentation and due research

[@jackking5567]

I was fascinated by number stations in the early 70s when I was a child. I loved slowly tuning through them and would listen for hours trying to understand them. Dad would find old radio sets for me as he knew they kept me quiet! Old radios with SW tuning that could be fine tuned. The woodpecker was quite a surprise when I finally discovered its location and what it looked like. It must have cost a lot of money to keep running. I do indeed remember how sometimes the woodpecker would drown out other radio transmissions within the SW band. Sweet little innocent me back then had no idea this was real James Bond stuff and that it had links to the military. I guess this still goes on today but by using other technologies. Good old basic SW radio is still a formidable tool though if used like this.

[@grahamkeithtodd]

in the UK under the radio and communications act of 1967,it's illegal to listen to a radio number station,however to date no one in the UK has ever been prosecuted for doing so....

[@jesseespinosa9739]

Fascinating

[@sseese]

Graham Keith Todd No one can tell you’re receiving a radio transmission - unless you go blathering about it online. ; ]

[@skylined5534]

@@jamyDodger Haha really?! That's cool! The BBC sucks anyway these days, it's about time the craziness of a TV licence... the utter BS is that it's still far cheaper to have a black and white telly licence!

[@kenirainseeker539]

@@jamyDodger Wait, you need a licence to watch TV in the UK? What kind of hellscape do yall live in?

[@annoyingbstard9407]

And they’re unlikely to be in the future as there’s no such act. Or are they keeping it secret? 😂

[@omni673]

The numbers mason what do they mean?!?!

[@jubeninpucho3776]

A UK band called 'Hostile Foreign Powers' did a song called Gongs & Chimes, sampling the famous German numbers station with the voice of Magdeburg Annie. Great track and video, search it on KZbin!

[@SC-ec9fx]

Really interesting coverage! Can't believe the secretive and bizzar nature of human behavior.

[@umageddon]

StanC its even more bizarre that as a human, you have the ability to define your own species behaviour as bizarre

[@ZackMartin177]

Is this the automated distress call from a damaged C204 unit?

[@TheHortoncrow]

This video needs more views.

[@SARbud1387]

"The Woodpecker" has been identified as a shortwave Radar site. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duga_radar

[@Josh-le6lu]

The only stations that still play music are E25-25A , V13, V15 (Last heard in 2020) and V24.

[@NapierNimbus]

Excellent, great presentation

[@tashareally3959]

F as scinating yes! There's my breakable code for you yoda lol. I have been intrigued since the first examples played on various you tube mystery lists. Thanks for an introductory overview on the subject

[@DarkHistories]

Pleasure! I'm a bit of a nerd so this episode was a little bit of a personal guilty pleasure. I just love them radio warbles!

[@georgefleming6058]

Still a great way for long-distance communication however covert use is not as effective as he would have you believe in this video and finding a transmitter or even receiver stations of so-called spies is much easier to accomplish nowadays as code-breaking has advanced many times over the years so has signals intelligence and it's not as useful as it used to be I used to experiment as a kid with my father's Norelco multiple shortwave band radio with Marine channels finding the direction from which a station was broadcasting from was even easy back then all you need is a compass and the Norelco radio which base was on a swivel once true north is established and aligned to the base it's really quite easy

[@HamRadioLiveShow]

This is great! I want to show a part of this clip on my KZbin channel which teaches ham radio as well as inspires people in the short wave hobby. This is so well done… A link will be in the description to the video for sure! All the very best and thank you! Great work! Larry de K7HN

[@neilaspin008]

Is this Damon Albarn?

[@jeffrutledge4824]

Who's to say it's even human communication..

[@allisonschempf2230]

Aliens. (citation needed)

[@julesbegg]

Can any one show me how to start to decript the puzzle at the end of the Broadcast?

[@bilwisss]

we have some near me, i hear them on the walkie-talkie. very much, a still used tool.

[@bilwisss]

@Drifter {{ citation needed }} Drifter replied: "Where are you located? (Just kidding - we know who you are.)"

[@epicstimulus282]

Hell yeah! Love this

[@RikodiusRex]

Why do yall always get the song wrong? Im pretty sure thats a ballet variation that is a solo and its by Tchaikovsky. Its was probably played on a music box with this spinning object inside the box that wears some kind of fluffy skirt and for the life of me i can not remember what that object is... I cant recall the variation but i know its tschaikovski it sounds like act 1 from giselle friends and children

[@jackb.hardtime53]

8 6 7 5 3 0 9

[@doramilitiakatiemelody1875]

3 9 7 1 5

[@VersusARCH]

Let's keep some of the capitalist signals intelligence busy with gibberish, comrades!

[@protiliusproductions]

It has a steady bpm if you hadn’t noticed…

[@LawEnforcer]

They are soo creepy

[@PaulRudd1941]

*THE NUMBERS MASON!*

[@RichMitch]

Hopefully reviewbrah gets to hear this

[@thebatmary5954]

Welcome to Nightvale...

[@thorOdinson-qd6yn]

Dennis prager did a video at the beginning of this it was very intellectual, everytime i watch one of his videos i learn so much

[@Putaspellonyou]

Prager is a fucking fascist and is not an intellectual by any measure...Skip everything from that twat and his organization if you value your soul.

[@marthaj67]

@@Putaspellonyou Grow up. Seriously.

[@Putaspellonyou]

@@marthaj67 Probably older than you and I damn sure know when I see a right-winger trying to pass as legit.

[@warplanner8852]

@@Putaspellonyou..go back on your meds and seek help. You are seriously delusional.

[@sadisticsquirrels2474]

yes

[@jenniferbrewer5370]

I like your channel. You have a sexy voice too, and not just because of the accent.

[@testfortester7131]

Are there modern number stations?

[@florencegomer7937]

Test Fortester ... Yes. And there is a website listing many of them with frequencies and times.

[@lsant1997]

Aight let’s be real. We all became interested in Numbers stations when Black Ops came out

[@ppaattrriicc76]

awesome

[@OtterLakeFlutes]

I've heard numbers stations but, here, it suggested they do it on regular schedules or frequencies... I'm not aware of that. All I know of are retroactive reports and ongoing, random occurrences. I'm such a dumbass for losing track of the couple of recordings I made. Creepy Asian and Hispanic female voices and ice cream truck music intro's.

[@chrisj4910]

Can anyone reccomend a good one for purchase?

[@Putaspellonyou]

#unintentionalasmr

[@Putaspellonyou]

Now do something on the harrowing of the North and the Doomsday Book or the Hundred Years' War effect on Germany. There is a serious gap in knowledge (especially in America) about some of the more troubling and devastating periods of English/European history that AREN'T related to the world wars.

[@allisonschempf2230]

@@Putaspellonyou Thank You!!! I'm American and am fascinated by those topics. I hunger for more knowledge!!!

[@thomasnativo6491]

I just remembered the UVB-76 Hacking EAS

[@thomasnativo6491]

But UVB-76 the Buzzer how's to be one's most of scary sounds ever on Television or Radio for simple unknown messages from Russia to USA to be ready for a strike by Russia to the United States or it could be considered unknown messages or interference from Space back to earth or they could be testing for signal to Milltary and Spies for different Call signs

[@thomasnativo6491]

The Buzzer is ran by Ghosts so it's a Shortwave Radio station ran 4625 MHZ channel . So they say names like Noki ANNA Boris and other names twice and numbers twice but The Buzzer UVB-76 has a looping sound and sometimes it stops and there's a creepy voice by a Male speaking Russian or female

[@thomasnativo6491]

The Buzzer started sounding in the early 1980s like 1982 to 2010

[@thomasnativo6491]

Before the Buzzer there was a Pip and Sqeaky wheel and thats when UVB-76 was born

[@thomasnativo6491]

The Buzzer is located in Moscow Russia

[@Gatheist]

I came here because of an episode of Fringe.

[@donnablack6280]

This makes me think of the Tamam Shud case and the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.

[@VAC2]

They are used.

[@doramilitiakatiemelody1875]

Uvb-76 is not a number station

[@skylined5534]

Not strictly but can and has been used as so.

[@SyzygyStardust]

3 6 9 2 7

[@warplanner8852]

Great gaps of information and a lot of misunderstanding in this program. For example, the Russian Woodpecker was a cold war over-the-horizon radar station opersting near 14 Mhz (the amateur 20 meter band) that often interrupted operations on that band. After the fsll of the Soviet Union, the Russians "confessed" all and shut down operation as they had developed newer technology, etc.

[@DarkHistories]

I do what I can with 45 minutes, no doubt there are gaps though. Numbers stations are fascinating to me and I felt like I did them proud enough, but thanks for filling in :)

[@Thecrazyvaclav]

War Planner I thought the Russian woodpecker was shut down in 1986 because the nuclear power station supplying its power blew up?

[@skylined5534]

@War planner What you wrote is largely conjecture laced with misinformation. For a start the Russians never did and never would have 'confessed' to anything. The video covered it succinctly enough given the amount of information out there, size of the subject and time constraints. About the only part you truly got 'right' regarding the Duga array was the frequency range though it was actually anywhere between 3 and 30 MHz.

[@annoyingbstard9407]

@@skylined5534. Yes. Don’t let his facts get in the way of your conspiracy theory.

[@turbostatic1]

#bansheechapter

[@christopher9727]

John 3:16-21 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. 20 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.

[@mechantl0up]

Seems a silly method of communicating. Encrypted email is all one needs, really.

[@simonh6371]

Hilarious.

[@Duvmasta]

It's "government run" not "government ran"

[@skylined5534]

You're just hearing a southern UK accent. He did say 'run'.

[@Duvmasta]

@@skylined5534 oh sorry

[@smashbatgames]

go to a speech therapist