Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Pete Madtone, who shares the following recording of Cuban Numbers Station HM01 and notes:
Hi Thomas,
I was reading HF Underground earlier and a post on it mentioned that HM01 had gone a bit mad “10345 kHz is HM01 Cuban Lady with what sounds like a cuckoo clock“. Well I got up straight away and tuned in on VE7AV KiwiSDR and here it is in all it’s glory:
It almost sounds a bit reggaeish and even has what sounds like a little drum roll in parts.
If you’re feeling a bit down or tired today please have a listen as this’ll cheer you up!
All the best
Pete
Wow–thanks for sharing this recording with us, Pete! What a mystery behind this numbers station! Was the cuckoo intentionally or unintentionally added to the audio at the studio or transmitter level? What could that signify? Since the audio is tracking with the HM01 broadcast, it seems to be originating from the same transmitter.
Perhaps this adds more context or confusion: SWLing Post contributor Paul Walker has noted a number of audio “shenanigans” from Cuban broadcasts. Here are a few notes from his listening post in Alaska:
- 0320UTC Mon Aug 28 and Cuba is missing from 9700 for the 2nd time in a week, but instead of regular programming they’re broadcasting a horror movie of some kind. I can detect some kind of noise under the movie but it’s like a screech/hum, which is all I heard from 9700 last time it was on.
- I should also add, after the first time i heard 9700 down on 9600, I subsequently heard it back on 9700 again…..so something’s up!
- And now HM01 aka Suzie Cubana on 10345 is broadcasting……. along with Suzie counting down the numbers and the digital data bursts, theres a cuckoo bird cuckooing over the top of that audio.
- In the 0500 UTC, Rebelde on 5025 kHz noted running TV audio too….some English language movie.
- The domestic Radio Rebelde AM and FM web feeds appear to be running normal programming
What do you think is going on?
Picked up on 10345, 10860, and 13435 at various times between 0500 and 0730 on April 10, 2024. Still going on 13435 as I post.
I hadn’t been able to pick her up for several weeks, I’ll have to try with the info you have all provided (thanks).
When the transmission moves, are the sequences repeats of the “enhanced” message, or are they different?
Thanks again.
I was aware that our lady friend had been off for quite a few weeks. I actually spotted the new broadcast Sunday, 8/27 on 11.635 at 1828z until 1913z. This broadcast had the simple 8 tones overriding it. These are not DTMF (touch tone) but simple tones. Again at 1810z on 8/28 on 11.435 at about 1550z until 1610z but this time with a tune sounding like it was from the Andes with brids chirping – very pleasant actually. It moved over to 11.530 around 1700z and at 1711z the 8 tone beeps continued untill 1755. I have a hunch that these overriding tones are coming from somewhere else. The signal here is stronger than the actual Cuban broadcast but the operation seems a bit sloppy. Could this be an attempt at jammimg by some Cuban-American groups? Today I did not pick up any broadcasts but the western side of Cuba had no power due to the huricane. More tomorrow?
It’s a time an frequency station -EG. Cuban version of WWV/H
Ohttps://www.dxing.com/numbers.htm OK ! If You Say So !
I am quite familiar with the voice of the “Numbers Gal”.She has been dishing out the numbers with the same voice for 25 years or so. However,the “cuckoo” audio is a “freebie add-on Or app” that is new to my ears.It may be a break between messages or different agents in the field that a set of Cuban orders/instructions is actually targeted to.Interesting,thanks Paul I guess they’re still out there !
Amazing catch. Thanks for sharing.
It can only be TEOTWAWKI.
I’ve heard most of this myself as well and it’s a real head-scratcher. Last weekend the same thing happened, the movie was Cadillac Man with Robin Williams. This weekend’s movie was definitely something horror oriented, and I think at one point when it was on Rebelde’s frequency there was sex and violence added to the mix, definitely an R-rated film, whatever it was.
In every case it seems like the regular Cuban audio programming is still there, just way down low where it’s barely audible.
When the cuckoo broadcast on 10345 ended the spy numbers broadcast moved to 9330 and it was Spanish programming, but that was probably just WBCQ’s 500 kW broadcast.
Whatever is going on, it is certainly weird. But no one ever said shortwave was boring!