This Threatening Secret Numbers Station Was Decoded - WBNY Rodent Revolution

[@jchoward6451]

I know nothing of the pirate stations, so this was particularly enlightening. Thanks!

[@RingwayManchester]

Wow that’s so kind of you! Thanks so so much!

[@tex1138]

At no point did I have any idea where this story was going next.

[@RingwayManchester]

You and me both

[@wpherigo1]

Tire pressure is a reference to a problem with Ford Explorer SUVs losing stability at highway speeds. Ford attributed this to improper tire pressure.

[@patrickglaser1560]

Firestone was absolved of guilt because Ford reccomended lower tire pressure for a comfortable ride. Firestone reccomended higher pressure.

[@NickTaylorRickPowers]

Is this the ford exploder

[@83Yankee]

@@NickTaylorRickPowers, yes, that’s where the nickname comes from.

[@QuisUtDeus828]

I had an explorer sport in 2011. On my way from San Antonio to Watertown, NY the bearing blew out which ripped the entire wheel assembly off. I had only made it to Waco. Only a couple hours. I'll never buy another Ford

[@robbosmanymusings]

Hi! This is the Scott Robson mentioned at 13:22. I’m sure I did decrypt these back in the day. I’ll try again soon!

[@RingwayManchester]

Hey Scott!! Keep us posted

[@gordslater]

This proves you're only ever 5 persons removed from Royalty (or a Donut/Puzzle Palace watchlist, for that matter)

[@GigsTaggart]

The second one definitely has a repeated phrase. One possibility is "love for all time", or "love for all sites" With such a short repeated phrase it's hard to nail down which of the possibilities it is.

[@robbosmanymusings]

@@RingwayManchester I have re-listened to the mp3 file and decoded the second message as repeating '5 8 2 2 14 1 17 18 1 14 2 4 13 18 3 4' - decodes as 'HELLOMRSMOLINKSI' = Hello Mr Smolinksi - That refers to Chris Smolinski of HFU fame (I am a regular there on board and discord). The first message is still not decoding.. but the letters are a repeat of '11 14 14 1 8 19 18 9 23 13 12 17 7'

[@robbosmanymusings]

@@RingwayManchester I have re-listened to the mp3 file and decoded the second message as repeating '5 8 2 2 14 1 17 18 1 14 2 4 13 18 3 4' - decodes as 'HELLOMRSMOLINKSI' = Hello Mr Smolinksi - That refers to Chris Smolinski of HFU fame (I am a regular there on board and discord). The first message is still not decoding.. but the letters are a repeat of '11 14 14 1 8 19 18 9 23 13 12 17 7'

[@pjosephlthewonder5082]

I remember some of these broadcasts when I was in the Navy. I made no recordings, but I feel I should have. I tried to get a Bunny for President tee, paid for it but never got it. Thanks for the memories. Peace

[@WOFFY-qc9te]

01:38 " Its going to be confusing ", Lewis this is becoming a habit.

[@graemedavidson499]

Last time I was this confused, I had just watched the last episode of Prisoner.

[@321CatboxWA]

Look out for the bouncing beach ball of doom!

[@graemedavidson499]

@@321CatboxWAI’m quite certain, by the end of the broadcast, I’d still not know who was number one!

[@usvalve]

I'm not a numbers station, I'm a free man!

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

*_"I will not be pushed, filed, stamped, indexed, briefed, debriefed, or numbered! My life is my own."_*

[@frazerguest2864]

@@Allan_aka_RocKITEman. YOU are number six.

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

*_"You realize of course THIS means WAR!"_* - Bugs Bunny 😉

[@fuzzydunlop7928]

Fun Fact: Rabbits aren't rodents. That kinda adds an extra layer of humor to this whole thing. Commander Bunny is stolen valor.

[@ZGryphon]

Maybe he was a rabbit leading an army of rats. Wouldn't be the first time a dictator didn't come from the nation he was leading to war...

[@bigdatapimp]

Didn't believe you since they have been rodents my whole life... checked to make sure I wasn't simply remembering wrong. Apparently, it has "changed". The more you know...👍

[@c.ryan.shryock]

You stole my thunder. Apparently, "Lagomorph Revolution" doesn't quite roll of the tongue as easily...

[@Tevruden]

That was my first though! Rabbits are order Lagomorpha, rodents are order Rodentia.

[@katakana1]

​@@bigdatapimp Like how Pluto used to be a planet, it seems. I wonder when you were taught that, from what I can find rabbits stopped being considered rodents early in the 20th century, and I don't think you're that old.

[@N0LSD]

WBNY is actually the callsign of an FCC-licensed FM college radio station, originating from Buffalo State University in Buffalo, NY, USA, and operating on 91.3MHz. It was in operation during the time of this shortwave pirate, and the callsign itself has a storied history in the Buffalo, NY area.

[@RingwayManchester]

That’s true but it’s unrelated

[@KristianWontroba]

@@RingwayManchesterPerhaps so, but the commenter wasn’t necessarily asserting either a causal or even a relational link. Rather, an interesting coincidental and (somewhat tangentially) relevant information set was shared here. Such things I appreciate as they add a bit of spice to a story and as I enjoy to learn novel information.

[@ulflyng]

​@@KristianWontroba yup, fun to know, not nessecary need to know - like these videos

[@dennisgrimm2404]

91.3 kHz is alphanumeric anagram for 3(c) 9(i) 1(a). I grew up local and f'd with pirate radio broadcast, often. Most of these broadcasts are for resistance groups but the #1 intelligence asset recruitment tool. Only top tier code makers and breaker can decode.

[@johnsmith7676]

@@dennisgrimm2404 LEL. Weaksauce troll attempt.

[@b.slocumb7763]

OMG the bunny voice sounds like the guy I call “The Radio Troll” that my dad watches on youtube. He is a radio repair guy and a total wingnut who uses about a thousand annoying sound bytes in every video and has a thing for ventriloquist dummies, and probably garden gnomes too. Talk about a trigger! I can’t stand to be in the house when my dad starts watching his videos (fyi my dad is 82 and very much a stereotype). Ack!

[@Alan-vy5ih]

What's the channels name?

[@b.slocumb7763]

@@Alan-vy5ih I don’t know and don’t want to go looking for it or I might barf. You’ll know right away when you find it though. The guy has an almost cartoony old guy voice and he repairs antique radios. Within a minute he will have either done a stupid skit or will have sound bytes from cartoons and movies and TV kick in, and they will keep happening every ten or twenty seconds. They usually relate to whatever he just said. I really wonder if he has a background in ham radio too and if he could have been involved in that sort of thing. He doesn’t sound mentally stable.

[@allenshepard7992]

"Pinky and the Brian" rodents taking over the world.

[@StuAnderson90]

And the Brian? 😂 " He's not the Messiah he's a very naughty boy"

[@christopherlewis1847]

​@@StuAnderson90Bwian?

[@thes764]

That was the first US pirate I heard here in Europe, Cpt. Bunny with a show called "Monkey Dumbass Teleton". Thanks for covering this one!

[@KeystoneInvestigations]

I'm not a Hare So don't dispair You all may think this is funny The radio is on The message is strong And I'm Commander Bunny!

[@joshwag9136]

Great video. I live in the u.s, and our pirate stations on shortwave were very strange. Usually jokes, and silly inside jokes. We used to have dance music wmpr years ago, the only one that actually had a normal music broadcast was wmpr, and XFM.

[@paulstubbs7678]

Like 'Tire pressure alerts'?

[@christopherlewis1847]

Love these stories. These folks had a lot of fun with their broadcasts. Thanks, Lewis!

[@razatlab100]

"hey hey we're the monkeys" 😂

[@SnabbKassa]

Rejected alternative title for On the Origin of Species

[@gunier.j.kintgenanimations]

People say that we monkey around

[@StalinTheMan0fSteel]

The whole thing sounds like a front page story from the "Weekly World News" tabloid! Like "Hillary chooses Bigfoot as her running mate!" And who could forget..."I was Bigfoot's love slave!" 8-)

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

Hillary would be better off if she chose Bigfoot...🤭

[@HustleMuscleGhias]

And Bat Boy!

[@sinkrust1]

@@HustleMuscleGhias I thought it was "Bat Child"?

[@StalinTheMan0fSteel]

@@HustleMuscleGhias True! I my favorite would have to be "The Alien!" He graced many covers! 😆

[@simonmason8582]

I met Tom Sevart when he was stationed at RAF Chicksands until it closed down in 1997. He is now a friend on Facebook.

[@necademous]

The "Tire pressure" maybe a reference to George Carlin? It was part of a skit about God talking to a TV evangelist in his dreams.Telling him to check his tire pressure in the middle of the night.

[@MrKarlGP]

The entire thing sounds like a Discordian prank lol

[@supermiketully]

I remember when I was a child in around 1995 at the coach bus terminal in Montreal, a pretty woman made a call with public phone, and she played a noise from a hand recorder, that sounded like a modem connecting to the internet but with more tone . It had lasted less than a minute and no talk, she looked at me fixedly when she saw me watching her, before leaving. it was very weird.

[@blackmoon9511]

lol a Blue Box, love it!

[@johnsmith7676]

I remember that day in Montreal, vividly. That was actually my wife... We "worked" together, at the time. She was concerned you had "discovered" her, and recommended action be taken. I told her not to worry about you, that you were no real threat, and to spare you. You're welcome.

[@RowanHawkins]

She was sending a fax, but was all out of toilet paper.

[@Spee2k12]

I am new to your channel, I am very much enjoying it! I have watched many of your videos now, all so fascinating and educational, keep up the great work!

[@RingwayManchester]

Thank you!

[@yakacm]

The tyre pressure thing relates to tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) on cars. TPMS use radio frequencies to transmit the tyre pressure to your cars ECU, to be displayed on the dash. Anyway, they transmit on license free bands, such as 315 MHz which can easily be received with an RTL-SDR.

[@abitofabitofabit4404]

I seem to remember a pirate FM station in Hollywood, FL that upset drivers' keyless entry and/or TPMS systems near the transmitter site. Terrible intermodulation problems I guess.

[@paulstubbs7678]

Crappy receivers and sheer front end overload. I've heard of a few cases where certain models of cars could drive up to a transmitter site, but could never be started to leave, they had to be pushed a fair distance away before they'd start.

[@johnsmith7676]

@@paulstubbs7678 Modern vehicles... Junk. So easy to immobilise.

[@vr6swp]

Reminds me of Dr Demento or Church of The Subgenius

[@SybilKibble]

or Rapid T Rabbit and Friends, who had interviewed Dr Demento on his NYC show

[@Logic44]

1:09 Holy shit, this dude is the Frieza of rodents lmao

[@Bones-Radio]

Love it, these guys are brilliant ! I listen to shortwave for this kind of thing.

[@TheRisenPeopleEire]

"I think pun should mean Punch them in the face" you sir are a legend lol.

[@mattomite9097]

Always love your videos no matter where they take us. This one was wild. Love the graphics of WBNY. Great job

[@justjennie7394]

You have to admit, radio pirates are wicked creative

[@oldfartonabmx2122]

Rabbits top of the rodent hierarchy ? My Jack Russel ate one for breakfast on the weekend...🤣

[@Sonny_McMacsson]

ONE It's about numbers. Let him try to eat 100.

[@josedorsaith5261]

​@@Sonny_McMacsson Have you met a Jack Russel? That's easy for them

[@dafoex]

Gotta have the right tyre pressure just in case you need to quickly escape from the Ofcom thralls! Or, uh, the FCC in Commander Bunny's case

[@rmcrae62]

I just checked my calendar, it's not April 1st.

[@wisteela]

Fantastic. It's amazing they were able keep going for so long.

[@ruperterskin2117]

Cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@lesturner]

I think after preparing the script for this video, Lewis had a long lie down. Great content as ever!

[@RingwayManchester]

You’re right! This one took ages

[@tech34756]

I couldn't watch this episode without constantly thinking of a "The Goodies" episode where they were up against "Big Bunny". Also, I'll be disappointed if "Ozzie Fudd" didn't use "kill the wabbit" as their intro song.

[@professornuke7562]

Invasion of the Moon Creatures is definitely one of the best episodes.

[@gordslater]

@@professornuke7562rumour has it that Mr Ringway is secretly a GrandMaster in Ecky Thump and holds 3 Black Puddin Trophies off t'moor.

[@andrewwyard9678]

Golden, should have been an April 1st special.

[@drakegypsy5151]

could you look into 8365kHz USB? sounds like a cousin of the buzzer

[@christianlainesse4281]

link with Buckaroo Banzai movie? John Lithgow's character quote: "Laugh while you can, monkey boy!"

[@MattSF23]

this is what I was wondering, did their use of "monkey boy" pre-date Buckaroo Banzai's release (summer 1984)? 😀

[@SpikeKastleman]

Beautiful spillway shot! Love it, RWM.

[@chucksayers1248]

how i remember those days. lots pf fun

[@Vtarngpb]

You ever listened to the radio? …on WEED?

[@mrahob275]

Tell Al Fansome to check his tire pressure !!!

[@digitalchaos1980]

1:40 Anti-climb paint. I never knew this was a thing, wow. 🤔 🤔

[@eadweard.]

Evidently the Storror Army is not, in fact, "in da house".

[@gordslater]

It's sticky slimy paint that never really sets hard - the idea is it makes your hands slip and makes a hell of a mess. You can defeat it by dusting it with cement dust over the course of a few days. So I'm told, anyways. Oh and Tufanega is best for removing it from your hands after an initial rub with hand sanitizer gel. My mate told me. Yeah, anyways.

[@josedorsaith5261]

It's like Grease and will stain anything it touches. It's great

[@simonmason8582]

George Zeller and I used to be regular names in Popular Communications and Monitoring Times in the 1980's. He sadly died in a fire in April 2021.

[@rEdf196]

I remember WBNY I never heard it myself I remember many mentions of it in Popular Communications magazine, The Ace. but I did hear many pirates on shortwave 7415 and 6955 kHz in the 1990's. Great memories..

[@CrvrMb]

Hmmmmm. I’m a few hours from Belfast, NY. Might have to take a road trip. 👀

[@Boodieman72]

WBNY is a college radio station at Buffalo State University in Buffalo, NY. Not sure where that fits into the timeframe though.

[@RingwayManchester]

It’s unrelated, but cheers for the tip

[@Boodieman72]

@@RingwayManchester I thought it would be.

[@samiam5557]

LOL sounds like a big joke that grew.

[@stubeedoo8259]

That was the best laugh I've had for a couple of weeks! Thanks Ringway Manchester.

[@Peter_S_]

I saw that opening picture and immediately wondered, Ladybower?

[@RingwayManchester]

Well spotted

[@ek8710]

Just saw your aviation submission on Lucas' channel :D

[@RingwayManchester]

Oh yeah! He did ask, I couldn’t say no haha

[@MrBeaker74]

They were meme's before the Internet. :D

[@MattSmith38258]

Bring from around Belfast NY I barely remember being told of special radio broadcasts as a kid (actual kid in 90s, born in 80s) but radio wasn’t too big other than periods when friends obsesssd about birthday announcements, and brain teasers. Of course school closings too. But if y’all need a local to drop by and look anywhere specific or perform a test, I’d be happy to message me.

[@ianfinn2110]

First like. Love your videos, man! Thank you for inspiring me to pursue becoming a HAM.

[@RingwayManchester]

Legend!

[@StreakyP]

Commander Bunny for president & was cheated out of winning.... Now where have we heard that recently?.... Maybe we have just identified him

[@jheinrichk]

man, that was a weird topic and I appreciate this episode. the whole listening experience from SW to 2m and FM repeaters sounds so strange to me when scanning. I'm newish to RF with my Nooelec SDR, some DIY antennas and whatever free time I can spare for it. I'll come out and admit I'm intimidated by big stuff like towers, cellular equipment (disguised as the ugliest trees in southern California) and such massive structures. I always find myself walking to the opposite side of the street when passing emitter sites and even electrical switch stations. I guess it's like being afraid of the dark or something--which I'm not. All the mmWave stuff at street intersections adds to my sense of unease and fascination.; though, I have yet to blame RF as to the reason for my recent string of R/C airplane crashes haha

[@Level-Limit]

This is weird guys! Nice find! 😮

[@binky_bun]

All the world will be your enemy, Prince with a Thousand Enemies. And whenever they catch you, they will kill you. But first they must catch you, digger, listener, runner, Prince with the Swift Warning. Be cunning and full of tricks, and your people will never be destroyed.

[@brianhebert6152]

@@binky_bun I remember that classic scene from the Watership Down film where Bigwig checks his tire pressure

[@KK-no7be]

Got a question for all the gurus on here. When I was a kid in the 70s, I used to hear a morse code transmission on either MW or LW. As far as I could work out, it was the word LOVE repeated over and over. Does anyone else remember it, or what the signal was for? I've still got the radio, it was a xmas present from my parents in 1973. Cheers.

[@SSJIndy]

Possibly the nav beacon at Love Field Dallas TX? Although these are typically 3 letters

[@gordslater]

@@SSJIndy KDAL's NDB is c/s LV on 275kHz. It's an old field, 1930s, hence the two-letter c/s I thin I logged it once as DX but I may have been at sea or somewhere in CONUS at the time.

[@gordslater]

@KK-no7be give us your approximate location in the world and we can have a think. Nearest hundred miles is close enough to make an educated guess if it's a utility station marker, thought it could well be a pirate/cult station lol

[@KK-no7be]

Thanks for the replies so far. I should have said I'm in England UK. It was quite a good signal, had no trouble picking it up on a small radio.

[@fookingsog]

Would have been cool if Doctor Steel would have had his own pirate radio!!! 😎👍🏻

[@weathercaster]

Ah yes, that time when what began as a silly radio antic became incorporated as cover by a certain group in order to covertly communicate over open airwaves.

[@Hold_My_Pocket]

The money, time and organisation is mind blowing

[@SocialistDistancing]

One difference between this , and other more legit number stations, is the double digits. Mind you, the pad,or code is based on the alphabet and not mathematical. The whole thing reminds me of T C. Douglas and mouseland.

[@MaxWalker-cs5wy]

Hey Ringway Manchester is the plughole at ladybower dam?

[@RingwayManchester]

It is!

[@Allan_aka_RocKITEman]

I do not know what that means, but I know what it sounds like...🤭

[@paulstubbs7678]

Good spot

[@MaxWalker-cs5wy]

@@RingwayManchester I've been up the outlets and looked up the plughole from the bottom obviously the water levels was far below the rim at the time lol Another good dam we used to frequent was dam flask up loxley that has a lovely spillway that looks like a giant staircase when flowing over the dam overflow would make a good reference to your videos as it could refer to the signal waterfall you use in your videos

[@GJP1169]

On no I have a pet rabbit I caught him on my short wave radio talking about over throwing the monkey nation

[@evyatarmery9688]

My head is burning from this video😂 I didn’t understand much of this😂🤯

[@RingwayManchester]

Me too 😂😂

[@johnnorth9355]

Good grief they were consuming some powerful stuff back then ! Not that most would remember now.

[@scottlarson1548]

I didn't know they had color SSTV. It was all black and white back when I was decoding it.

[@user-kn3sv6jg4h]

Blow your mind a bit: They're not kidding about the Rodent Factor. "People" is such a loose term anymore.

[@lagomoof]

This seems relevant to my interests. (Profile pic related)

[@elocemearg]

8:17, 12:40, and 15:38 for the number station bits.

[@leftymclefterson582]

What a legendary story 😆

[@burgesj7]

You make my skin crawl worse than any current 'horror' movie! OMG

[@RingwayManchester]

What me personally? 😂

[@ThreeBeingOne]

Dude, I’m supposed to be working

[@SteamCrane]

Reminiscent of Pinky + The Brain.

[@misterbacon4933]

I love this! ❤👍😀

[@bytesabre]

As everyone with a passing familiarity with Sam and Max knows, Rabbits are lagomorphs not rodents, as some here have already stated :)

[@bytesabre]

Also this is funny as hell

[@kevinjbakertribe]

I am probably being Captain Stupid but what was "tire pressure" (I know - you said don't ask!)

[@RCAvhstape]

Apparently I missed all the fun, wasn't into SW during this time. But it also gives me major Dr. Demento vibes, and I grew up listening to that on rock radio stations. Was where I first heard Weird Al Yankovic back in the 80s.

[@jchoward6451]

Fish heads, fish heads, roly-poly fish heads. Fish heads, fish heads, eat them up ... yum! Doctor Demento was a dose of sanity across the Pacific on those mid-watches waiting for things to break so I could go fix them, listening to AFNG (Armed Forces Network Guam). Him and the Tooth Fairy ... oh, and Chicken Man - can't forget him: He's Everywhere, He's Everywhere! - Thanks for the comment, had a flashback of those crazy times!

[@lawrup]

I wouldn't be surprised if it spewed the words Fire bow tutorial

[@Jor-d2i]

These bunnies must have a lot of spare time unlike other herbivores that spend most daylight hours eating

[@bobsoldrecords1503]

The commander is sadly no longer with us.

[@itechflagstaff]

Thanks!

[@RingwayManchester]

Thank you so much !!!

[@ProfessorBidoof]

at least elmer fudd has a gun. (yes i'm from USA)

[@markrix]

You silly rabbit ❤

[@AlfiesFuntime]

The video compression makes the water look blurred lol

[@AlfiesFuntime]

I realized I'm on 360p lol

[@KS-hj6xn]

The background music at the end is from the Adams Family..

[@SpyStaMia]

7:15 - you mean “crackhead” 😊

[@Jah_Rastafari_ORIG]

There was some sort of clandestine radio something-or-other that I remember from years ago where the alleged perpetrator went by Commander Q-Tip; I'm pretty sure it was something involving teenagers, because the story involved Commander Q-Tip making disparaging comments about women and the women responding with "Commander Q-Tip is a swab!" Again, sorry I only vaguely remember this story; I'd appreciate if anyone could fill in the blanks in my memory of it....

[@monkeymanstones1]

Monkeyboy... Clearly not directed at me...

[@DeplorableprepperNYC]

I would love to listen to these shows is there like an archive

[@КГБКолДжорджКостанца]

Wooooooo another ringway video

[@RingwayManchester]

Hope you enjoyed it!

[@robmurg]

Drone flying is forbidden there, comrade. 😜

[@williambarry8015]

It's either extremely sinister? Or a bunch of super smart ham radio type nerds with too much time on their hands?

[@jordan4786]

Velveteen rabbit reporting.

[@kevinbyrne4538]

The bunnies are winning in my town. The town is overrun with bunnies.

[@HarenunHoppus]

This bunny speaks for me, even if I don’t get it.