Messages

91

Spy Numbers / Re: Oldest known numbers station/History of numbers stations

« on: November 03, 2019, 0121 UTC »

Cool, I'll have to look up Miller. I know Wiki has stuff but I figured people around here might know even more, much more...

The Enigma 2000 team would certainly have an opinion. Who was first? UK? Germans?

That book on USSR radio is another source I'll have to look at.

So, maybe not WW1. WW2?

I suppose it depends what one means by "numbers station." I know the classic ones are pretty much Cold War entities.

92

Spy Numbers / Oldest known numbers station/History of numbers stations

« on: November 02, 2019, 2153 UTC »

So QST had a numbers station article in the last issue. They started their history with the Lincolnshire Poacher.

Of course there were the Enigma decodes in WW2, in fact I've heard the Germans got lazy and re-used their keys, which is how the UK hacked them.

Does anyone know what the earliest "traditional" numbers station was, using one-time pads or other cyphers?

I would guess it goes back to the telegraph... I said in another thread that Amundsen used a cypher to telegraph his message
after reaching the South Pole. I suppose we could go back as far as John Dee, or the Romans, but so far as telegraphs and radio,
anyone know the earliest? It would have to be pre-WW2. (?)

93

Amateur Radio / Re: 3840 khz Bootlegger Net & Jammers (LSB) 05:30 UTC

« on: November 02, 2019, 2146 UTC »

"As far as the current crop goes, its been a problem going on several years with that frequency of 3.843..."

Colonel, thanks so much for the radio history, some great stories there.

I heard someone (maybe K0AX?) on 3840 say that ten plus years ago, Art Bell was known to hang out on 3840, in the saloon.

But as you say it goes way further back.

94

Amateur Radio / Re: 3840 khz Bootlegger Net & Jammers (LSB) 05:30 UTC

« on: October 30, 2019, 0225 UTC »

"My gf at the time hated HAM radio to a great degree, one night she heard the shenanigans ongoing 3898 and laughed her ass off with me, then she understood at least some of the endearment of HAM radio and the various personalities involved. "

I've had the same thing happen to me ;-)

95

Huh? / Re: R.I.P. Ginger Baker

« on: October 30, 2019, 0218 UTC »

How sad. Strangely, I pulled out Cream's "Wheels of Fire" for the first time in many years this month, not knowing he'd passed on.

I highly suggest side 3, i.e. "Crossroads" and "Spoonfull", live at the Filmore. Incredible improvisation, power, chops. One of a kind.

RIP to one of the greatest rock drummers, and a hugely "colorful" character. There's a very interesting documentary on Mr. Baker; he didn't lead a dull life.

96

General Radio Discussion / Re: Having a radio station and lacking interest

« on: October 30, 2019, 0157 UTC »

I don't know about radio ever "dying", per se. Things change, but the airwaves are still there.

Who knows what the future will bring, and what supposedly old tech could become very relevant.

In a "Road Warrior" scenario, it would suddenly be totally relevant. (Not that I believe that, just saying "who knows".)

Personally speaking as someone who listened way back when, one could postulate that  XFM  and Wolverine produce programs every bit as good as, if not better than, many 1980's stations, with more interesting and varied musical content (to these ears anyway).

I love trying to figure out the theme of the shows, and what the tracks are.

There may be fewer drunken comedy one-off stations these days, but look at the logs.  I seriously doubt it.

As for the lack of political talk, I think the commentators above got it right... politics make it more precarious? I still wonder why more
people don't do it, even once.

97

Spy Numbers / Re: 11635 AM 18:08 UTC Oct 25,2019 Cuban Spy Station

« on: October 30, 2019, 0139 UTC »

Ahhh, good ol' "HMO1".  Previously V01 and V02 w/o the digital.

Great resource to listen to the various stations if you haven't already, lots of history and newsletters too.

http://www.numbersoddities.nl/

Also Priyom, excellent site. The "Enigma 2000" names for the stations (like "HM01" are useful shorthand for talking about the subject, they're nothing official, just useful names. The Enigma newsletter is from a UK point of view, lots of good history and loggings there, interesting cast of characters.

These kind of stations, very roughly speaking, really hit their heyday during the Cold War, but morse versions go back to pre-WW2, at least! Actually, Amundsen used a cypher to telegraph his announcement  after he made it to the South Pole in 1911, and the idea of one-time pads is (AFAIK) way older than that.

Cheers!

98

Shortwave Broadcast / Re: All India Radio

« on: October 30, 2019, 0125 UTC »

Hearing AIR New Dehli tonight (presumed Bengaluru tx)  0122 UTC, presumed Hindi talk and much interesting music, nice to hear them again, SIO 323. The signal is legible.

99

Shortwave Broadcast / Re: VoKorea - 13760

« on: August 24, 2019, 0247 UTC »

The 9435 kHz broadcast was // 11711 kHz this week, don't know if the latter is new freq or not.

100

North American Shortwave Pirate / Re: Re: Nuttin' On Shortwave 6925 AM 0035 UTC 16 August 2019

« on: August 16, 2019, 0203 UTC »

Stumbled on this right before 0200, music was getting clearer and sounded good, even w/ lots of noise. Something with an acoustic guitar after the ID.

101

General Radio Discussion / Re: X-FM Halloween 2018 Gear

« on: August 13, 2019, 1003 UTC »

Josh, I was talking about multitrack mixdown to a final audio product, which in my case has usually been vinyl (33/45 rpm).

I've never done radio shows on FM unless I was a guest on someone's show (last time a few weeks ago).

Nonetheless, as usual, point taken, and warm regards.

102

General Radio Discussion / Re: X-FM Halloween 2018 Gear

« on: August 09, 2019, 2317 UTC »

Great video on the AudioArts restoration. Thrown in the trash! Incredible! People are idiots these days. I find it very hard to mix without faders. Of course I've done it, but the hand/ear synergy is totally different with a mouse or keyboard, you make mucho mistakes.

Looking forward to hearing XFM again, rocking and rolling.

103

North American Shortwave Pirate / YHWH 7470 AM 0328 UTC 9 AUG 2019

« on: August 09, 2019, 0329 UTC »

I think I hear him in his usual "prose style" (?), creeping in under the noise tonight (0328 UTC)...

104

Shortwave Broadcast / Re: Helliniki Radiophonia

« on: July 21, 2019, 0151 UTC »

I heard them last night on 9420 kHz, out in the glorious RF-pollution-free boonies, and enjoyed some of the most fantastically beautiful music I've ever heard. Signal was incredible, 555, I thought it must be a relay from the usual US suspects... Anyhow the music was varied, from haunting vocals to hammer dulcimer to strange stringed instruments. I couldn't place it, I kept thinking "Balkans"... which it is, sort of. 

Introductions via shortwave to music you never imagined possible is an underrated joy of the hobby.

105

General Radio Discussion / Re: BBC Annual Mid-Winter Broadcast to Antartica 2130 utc 21 Jun 2019

« on: June 19, 2019, 1906 UTC »

Keeping with the BBC theme, one really needs to read "The Worst Journey in the World", about the guys who "man-sledded" across Antarctica in the middle of winter, eating blubber and popping coke pills, falling into crevices, and bottomless pits, guided by nothing but the moon (no radios), all for the glory of presenting the Royal Whatever Society with the greatest scientific prize of mankind, an Emperor Penguin egg.