Is listening to number stations illegal?

Is listening to number stations illegal?

It would be unwise for governments to admit to the existence of these stations. Most operate illegally, on frequencies reserved for proper radio, emergency services or even air traffic control. They transmit from unregistered transmitters, which because of the nature of radio signals are hard to locate.

Is UVB 76 still broadcasting?

UVB-76. An experimental piece about the Soviet era Russian shortwave military radio station that is still broadcasting. Usually its output is a regular monotone buzz but sometimes it makes brief announcements, such as li…

Can you still hear Number stations?

It may come as a surprise that numbers stations are still in use – but they hold one major advantage. Though it’s possible to guess who is broadcasting, anyone can listen to the messages – so you don’t know who they are being sent to.

Are there any shortwave stations left?

In fact, the BBC World Service no longer beams programming via shortwave to the Americas or most of Europe. “There has been a massive decline in shortwave listenership, especially in Europe and North America,” said Andy Sennitt. “Shortwave is still significant in much of Africa, South Asia and parts of Latin America.”

Is the Lincolnshire Poacher still broadcasting?

The Lincolnshire Poacher stopped broadcasting in July 2008. The last recorded transmission of the station was on 29 June 2008. It is believed that the station’s sister station, Cherry Ripe, began to send broadcasts that used to be intended to be sent over the Lincolnshire Poacher station.

Do spies still use shortwave radio?

Shortwave numbers stations might seem low-tech but they probably remain the best option for transmitting information to agents in the field, some espionage experts suggest.

Why do AM stations power down at night?

Most AM radio stations are required by the FCC’s rules to reduce their power or cease operating at night in order to avoid interference to other AM stations. However, during nighttime hours the AM signals can travel over hundreds of miles by reflection from the ionosphere, a phenomenon called “skywave” propagation.

What is the weirdest radio station?

The Buzzer (ZhUOZ MDZhB UZB76) is an unclaimed radio station formerly located in a swampland near St. Petersburg, Russia. Tuned to radio frequency 4625 kHz, the station broadcasts a buzzing sound 24 hours a day and seven days a week since the 1970s.

Are there really numbers stations?

A numbers station is a shortwave radio station characterized by broadcasts of formatted numbers, which are believed to be addressed to intelligence officers operating in foreign countries. It was first broadcast from Bletchley Park in the mid-1970s but later was broadcast from RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus.

Is short wave radio dead?

Answer: Absolutely! Regular shortwave radio listeners already know the answer to this question. Sure, the landscape of the shortwaves is changing, but it’s such a vast landscape that, even with a few major players dropping out, there is still so much to hear and appreciate.

Why is shortwave better at night?

As it turns out, the ionosphere reflects certain frequencies of radio waves. So the waves bounce between the ground and the ionosphere and make their way around the planet. You can pick up some radio stations better at night because the reflection characteristics of the ionosphere are better at night.

How do station numbers work?

Generally, the distance between two adjoining stations along a route is 100 feet. The first station located at the beginning of the baseline is 0+00, and the next station located 100 feet from it is 1+00. Therefore, a station number of 10+34.05 denotes 1,034.05 feet (10*100 + 34.05) from the starting station.

What happened to Cherry Ripe numbers station?

The schedule for Cherry Ripe. Another well-documented numbers station is Cherry Ripe (aka E03a). Tales of transmissions from Cherry Ripe go back to the early 1970s. The last observed radio broadcast was in December 2009. Rumour has it, that MI6 were responsible for the Cherry Ripe transmissions.

What happened to E03a ( Cherry Ripe)?

Another well-documented numbers station is Cherry Ripe (aka E03a). Tales of transmissions from Cherry Ripe go back to the early 1970s. The last observed radio broadcast was in December 2009. Rumour has it, that MI6 were responsible for the Cherry Ripe transmissions. Broadcasts for this station were first transmitted from Guam.

What is a Cherry Ripe shortwave station?

Cherry Ripe is the nickname of a discontinued shortwave numbers station that used several bars from the folk song ” Cherry Ripe ” as an interval signal. The station, which appears to have commenced transmissions in the late 1960s, is believed to have been controlled by the British Secret Intelligence Service.

Where did Cherry Ripe come from?

It is thought to have originally broadcast from a base on Guam (a US territory), but moved to Australia in 2009. Broadcasts from Cherry Ripe consisted of an electronically synthesised, English-accented female voice, reading groups of five numbers, e.g. “3-5-7-6-1”.