Shortwave oddity, the Homer Simpson station, frequency #1, 8051.5 kHz, 06 January, 2013, 1654 UTC

[@Antenna101]

Do you think theres actual traffic being sent or its just a publicity stunt being pulled by some pirate?

[@FirstToken]

I do not think there is actual useful traffic. The signals might be some form of propagation test or marker signal, or possibly, as the N&O web site suggests, over the air training of some kind. I am fairly sure it was not a pirate. Of course I cannot say with 100% confidence it was not a pirate, but the chances are very small, in my opinion. Think about the nature of the signals. This signal was heard coast to coast in the US on multiple frequencies in any transmission period. OK, pirates can do that, but relatively few can. Look at the audio bandwidth of the 13570 kHz signal, over 25 kHz wide. Again, pirates might be able to do that, but relatively few. And look at the frequency sequencing transmissions, one frequency every 5 seconds, three frequencies, start over hitting each frequency every 15 seconds. Combined with everything else this looks beyond the ability of all but the most dedicated pirates. And then look at the frequencies hit, and who uses those. One of them lands right on a FEMA frequency, you think FEMA might not get the FCC invovled?

[@ItzBIULD]

​@@FirstTokenI think it's some kind of numbers station, but using the term "what the hell are you using books for" in replacement of numbers for coded messages.

[@FirstToken]

@@ItzBIULD Since we don't know exactly what it is, it is impossible to say for sure, but I would be very surprised if it was anything like a numbers station. The "data" (voice clip of Homer) does not change. The use of multiple frequencies all carrying the same thing simultaneously is not a normal NS habit. And the fact it carried the same traffic several times in a period of several months would also not be very numbers like.