Number station UVB-76 "The Buzzer" is currently down?

Hey everyone,

I've been a causal listener of UVB-76 on 4625 kHz for a few years now. Tonight is the first time that it has been silent for me. I tried to verify that it was actually not operating without finding anything on it's current status. Maybe someone with more experience can verify that it's actually down?

With all the current turmoil in the Ukraine perhaps something is up?

(Looks like the Wikipedia entry has been updated to include that it has been transmitting on another channel since February, I'm currently not getting anything on that channel either)

Online stream

And for anyone that's not familiar with "The Buzzer"

From Wikipedia:

UVB-76, also known as "The Buzzer", is the nickname given by radio listeners to a shortwave radio station that broadcasts on the frequency 4625 kHz. Since February of 2015 The Buzzer has also transmitted on the frequency 3216 kHz. It broadcasts a short, monotonous buzz tone , repeating at a rate of approximately 25 tones per minute, for 24 hours per day. On very rare occasions, the buzzer signal is interrupted and a voice transmission in Russian takes place. The first reports were made of a station on this frequency in 1982. Its origins have been traced to Russia, and although several theories with varying degrees of plausibility exist, its actual purpose has never been officially confirmed and remains a source of speculation.

a reply to: drock905

Creepy. Gets even more so at about 1:30--ETA:www.abovetopsecret.com...

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: drock905

Creepy. Gets even more so at about 1:30--

ETA:www.abovetopsecret.com...

Wtf???

People listen that?

I about ended myself just struggling through those 2 minutes of the YT vid.

a reply to: drock905

Drock buddy, does anything but annoying buzzing go on?

What is that background noise?

It doesn't sound like regular static from the cosmic background.

That was kinda weird.

You should call the Kremlin and let them know their sleeper agents can't get updates.

I called the weather bureau once when the local weather radio went down for a few days. Turned out somebody had bumped a knob and they were transmitting illegally on the wrong frequency. I got some free weather identification books in the mail a couple weeks later. Hey what could go wrong. Maybe you could get some free spy manuals out of it.

a reply to: CraftBuilder

Lol

Super funny

a reply to: infinityorder

No not really. On very rare occasions the buzz is interrupted by Russian voices, sometimes male sometimes female, reciting letters, numbers and words.

Uvb-76 voices

No one knows what it's for but most people believe it's communication to Russian spys currently in the field. Some people even believe it's a fail safe/dead mans switch to launch Russia's ICBMS.

The signal usually becomes active during times of social-political turmoil.

Double post

originally posted by: drock905
Online stream

And for anyone that's not familiar with "The Buzzer"

From Wikipedia:

UVB-76, also known as "The Buzzer", is the nickname given by radio listeners to a shortwave radio station that broadcasts on the frequency 4625 kHz. Since February of 2015 The Buzzer has also transmitted on the frequency 3216 kHz. It broadcasts a short, monotonous buzz tone , repeating at a rate of approximately 25 tones per minute, for 24 hours per day. On very rare occasions, the buzzer signal is interrupted and a voice transmission in Russian takes place. The first reports were made of a station on this frequency in 1982. Its origins have been traced to Russia, and although several theories with varying degrees of plausibility exist, its actual purpose has never been officially confirmed and remains a source of speculation.

It wil just be routine maintenance and using the back up transmitter site with the lower frequency. I've heard it in the UK on my receiver over the last few days using 3216 KHz and the regular 4625. Maintenance and propagation are some of the reasons why the Buzzer goes off, or appears to go off line, now and again. Many new people to the Buzzer tune in on the remote on line Dutch receiver during the day and wonder why they can't hear the Buzzer.

It is just simply down to radio propagation and that is the clue as to the real function of the Buzzer. The frequency used is the clue. It isn't designed to travel thousands of miles but purely for the Russian Military District/Area that is serves. In this case the Buzzer is the High Frequency command and control for the Western Military District. Other Russian Military Districts/Regions have similar command and control networks. See following links for details of the 'Squeaky Wheel' and 'The Pip" They also generate a unique channel marker for the command and control function and utilize frequencies to cover the region. Those units in the specific region have the receiver set up and listen out for when the channel marker is interrupted. The marker stops, the codeword broadcast is made and the markers is switched back on. The listening unit will then look up the radio book and carry out the function that specific codeword equates to. It could be commence a specific exercise, mobilize, increase readiness, etc. It is an effective function that has been used by the Russians for decades. Other Russian command and control networks even use Morse and the Buzzer call sign also has a Morse Code equivalent for use on other networks.

See following for image of a Buzzer receiver set up in a Russian unit in the Western Military District. Also links to audios of the other Russian command High Frequency Voice networks such as the Squeaky Wheel and The Pip.

Link containg Buzzer Receiver image

www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.abovetopsecret.com...


www.abovetopsecret.com...

a reply to: drock905


I do find these things fascinating, but I have always believed that these are not for Human ears, and are probably an early system of remote computer communication.

There are reasons for them still operating, perhaps as a backup should other more modern methods of remote computer communication go down, or simply for intelligence reasons.

If you know your enemy has some intel on what you're transmitting, even when you no longer use that system you want to keep it running to issue false intel and keep your enemy guessing.

Imagine something is planned, and you send out four different messages using four different methods, including this one. Which one does your enemy pay attention to? They have to pay attention to all of them, which takes up resources and might give you the chance of fooling them or simply confusing them a little, buying you time.

I'm pretty sure these systems are now defunct, but it's still useful to keep them going.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: drock905

Creepy. Gets even more so at about 1:30--

ETA:www.abovetopsecret.com...

Yikes, That's a drunken guitarist playing a one note Samba! Let's hope that UVB-76 has gone to the happy hunting grounds, unless of course that is a beacon for an unstable nuke they can't disarm, and when the beacon stops....it means it has gone into meltdown.
Bye Folks!

its been down before for a few days

I've just checked on my radio here in the UK and the Buzzer is still transmitting on the usual 4625 Kilohertz. The back-up is still using 3216 Kilohertz as of 17 GMT.

For those wanting to listen in try the following online receiver in the Netherlands.

websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901...

The Russian Squeaky Wheel command and contol net is currently active on 3830 Kilohertz. Audible at 18 GMT here in the UK.

The Russian Pip command and control net is currently active on 3756 Kilohertz. Audible at 18 GMT here in the UK.

You can listen to these frequencies at the following receiver. Remember that you have to type in the frequency in the 'frequency box'

websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901...

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

a reply to: tommyjo

Thanks tommyjo, you the man when it comes to commo…

originally posted by: infinityorder
I about ended myself just struggling through those 2 minutes of the YT vid.

That's why there is not likely anyone listening to it for signals or communications of any kind, the Human brain would not be able to cope with this over any practical period of time.

If number stations were or are genuine (in other words, not solely for counter-intelligence) it's likely they were (or still are) for communication to encrypted machines, translating the broadcast signal from audio to text. All you would need to achieve this is a receiver preprogrammed to listen for a specific series of tones, and when that sequence is encountered it produces a message for the operator. As the receiving machine is the only one programed to accept that sequence on that frequency, it's impossible to crack that signal without gaining access to that machine.

Of course, unlike modern computers, you cannot gain access to such a machine remotely.

As for why there are occasionally Human voices, this could either be to confuse those who might be listening in, or the receiving station could be programmed to audibly announce these, perhaps letting the operator know to change the coding settings of the machine.

If you think back to WW2 and the enigma machine, this is really just another step up from that. Only in this case there is no way to decode the tones without that one receiving station, and once you have that station there's no need to decode anyway.

If this theory is correct, it's ingenious and is probably still more secure than any other communication method.

originally posted by: Rocker2013

originally posted by: infinityorder
I about ended myself just struggling through those 2 minutes of the YT vid.

That's why there is not likely anyone listening to it for signals or communications of any kind, the Human brain would not be able to cope with this over any practical period of time.

I disagree. All the receiving units have to do is have the receiver on speaker watch. When the unique carrier marker stops that is the signal to listen for a codeword message.

This is nothing unique. For example in the UK the now defunct nuclear warning and reporting system used a broadcast with a marker signal. I used to serve in the Royal Observer Corps before joining the RAF and listened to that annoying signal for many a long shift. See following video showing the WB400 Early Warning Sytem.

On duty in the underground Royal Observer Corps post the WB400 was constantly monitored.

Image Link 1

Image Link 2



See 1:21 and 3:30



As already described in previous posts the Russian use a lot of command and control nets. Today, 24th February 2015, was a particulary busy day on the Russian Air Force strategic command and control Morse Code broadcast. The frequency, in this case 14557 Kilohertz, is kept open with a unique carrier marker. If you thought the Buzzer was annoying then imagine having to monitor, even on speaker watch, this net. I made a few recordings this morning on 14557 Kilohertz. The constant marker is sent on the frequency and only stops when the Morse Code codeword message is sent. After the message is sent the marker is switched back on.

24 February 2015, 0848 GMT

Russian Morse Code Audio Link 1

Codeword message sent.

XXX XXX MSK7 MSK7 82964 KULEK 2797 4746 ASKLETOK 5361 098?
XXX XXX MSK7 MSK7 82964 KULEK 2797 4746 ASKLETOK 5361 098? K

Russian Morse Code Audio Link 2


24 February 2015, 0925 GMT

Codeword message sent.

XXX XXX MSK7 MSK7 59948 PROINSULIA 3028 192 EEEEEE (Error made by radio operator - stops and resends codeword)
XXX XXX MSK7 MSK7 59948 PROINSULIN 3028 1926
XXX XXX MSK7 MSK7 59948 PROINSULIN 3038 1926 K


Russian Morse Code Audio Link 3


24 February 2015, 0934 GMT

Codeword message sent.

XXX XXX MSK7 MSK7 12197 WOLNO WQIK 6731 2058 POMOR 3028 1926
XXX XXX MSK7 MSK7 12197 WOLNO WQIK 6731 2058 POMOR 3028 1926 K

XXX XXX MSK7 MSK7 26873 ARESTEGA 4929 9607 ISIKARI 3524 5558
XXX XXX MSK7 MSK7 26873 ARESTEGA 4929 9607 ISIKARI 3524 5558 K

XXX XXX MSK7 MSK7 83021 WULXTEKS 3697 9881
XXX XXX MSK7 MSK7 83021 WULXTEKS 3697 9881 K

The Buzzer and other command and control networks use the codeword message system known as Monolyth. At the old Buzzer site in Russia some of the old paperwork was found showing diary entries with message formats.

Buzzer Monolyth Message Link

Buzzer receiver image.



The sign reads.

Receiver “ISHIM-003”
Network No.43
Operating Frequency 4625 kHz
Works: Nonstop (or continuously)

You can see the receiver set up on the left with the switch AM. This image was taken in a military centre within the Moscow Military District. The network is listed as "network 43".

The Buzzer even made an appearance on Russia Today. At 01:20 you can here the explanation of the military broadcast. It also includes a visit to the old hosting building before the comms centre moved to new location.

originally posted by: tommyjo

I disagree. All the receiving units have to do is have the receiver on speaker watch. When the unique carrier marker stops that is the signal to listen for a codeword message.

Sorry, perhaps I could have worded my thoughts better, but we seem to agree. What I meant to say is that listening to these constant tones over extended periods of time would not be possible, even after half an hour of that the individual would feel like they were going insane.

It's likely this would be inaudible, or part of background noise in an operations room, but monitored by a computer system listening out for specific cues such as a change in tone or a sequence, which will then alert the operator to listen to the following information.

Interestingly I was watching an old 1980's film last night (The Day After) and the opening parts of the film were seemingly shot in genuine facilities (government backed media). The sounds from a lot of the systems used back then are eerily similar to those heard from number stations, which although not indicative of much is certainly indicative of the era these signals come from.

This is yet another reason I believe these are from the Cold War era, and a method of communicating between computer systems securely over radio transmission. It's likely, in my opinion, that some of these are still operational as either counter-intel, back up systems, or genuinely still used as a far more secure method of communication.

In a world where phones and Internet can both be intercepted and potentially decoded, having a radio communication signal across thousands of miles (potentially used by allied governments through embassies) and all received on stand-alone decoding systems, would likely be more viable than modern methods.

originally posted by: Rocker2013

originally posted by: tommyjo

I disagree. All the receiving units have to do is have the receiver on speaker watch. When the unique carrier marker stops that is the signal to listen for a codeword message.

What I meant to say is that listening to these constant tones over extended periods of time would not be possible, even after half an hour of that the individual would feel like they were going insane.

You would be incorrect on that matter. This is bread and butter to thousands of SIGINTers and I was one of them back in the 1980s during the Cold War. They are designed to be live monitored. Trust me you are not going to go mad having to monitor frequencies with carrier markers/beacons on them for sustained periods. Even if you were assigned to monitor a bank of frequencies on a scan your ear and brain quickly become attuned to when the carrier/marker is switched off/or a codeword message begins. In that scenario you can have the volume quite low. Just like the WB400 for the old UK nuclear warning and reporting the signal is designed to be live monitored. Trust me you are not going to go mad either having this on speaker watch or being assigned to monitor it via a radio set up. The Russians are sticklers for hanging onto such old systems. They are tried and tested methods for command and control. Remember that this is a country that is still hanging onto Morse Code for military communications!