(Source: Gizmodo)
The bizarre, constant audio output of one particular mysterious Russian “Numbers Station” has changed, for the first time in 20 years. This might mean something bad is about to happen, or simply that someone finally remembered to switch tapes.
UVB-76 (real name UZB-76, present designation MDZhB) is NOT a numbers station. In reality it is a combination frequency marker/ signal beacon for the Moscow military region. If everything were to go to hell, you would know because the station would switch over to regular Russian military traffic*. The station has allegedly moved locations more than once, and the people over at PRIYOM.org think it is really three transmitters tuned to the same frequency….also, the buzzer is supposed to be some gadget making noise into a microphone and not computer or electronically-produced bit of noise. What I find interesting is nobody is interested in MDZhB’s sister station “the Squeaky Wheel” (S32), which uses an electronic gadget to make that noise….we don’t even know what designation the Russians give to S38, mainly because they don’t make voice transmissions. All of these Russian freq markers are monotonous to listen to; the real interest is the occasional changes in sound and voice transmissions.
MDZhB/ “The Buzzer”, 4625 khz, AM mode
S38/ “The Squeaky Wheel” 3828.9 khz (at night), 5474 khz (daytime);
formerly 3650, 3815, 5474, 5641
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* People have heard long conversations by phone on “The Buzzer”, which means they can jack the military phone line into the transmitter. I would not be surprised if these stations also can act as repeaters as well.