{"id":1966,"date":"2011-09-28T06:51:23","date_gmt":"2011-09-28T10:51:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=1966"},"modified":"2011-09-28T06:51:23","modified_gmt":"2011-09-28T10:51:23","slug":"estonian-engineer-drags-uvb-76-numbers-station-into-the-internet-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2011\/09\/estonian-engineer-drags-uvb-76-numbers-station-into-the-internet-era\/","title":{"rendered":"Estonian engineer drags UVB-76 numbers station into the Internet era"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"It seems there’s no shortage of\u00a0interest\u00a0in numbers stations<\/a> these days. This article, from Wired magazine<\/a>,\u00a0Inside The Russian Short Wave Radio Enigma<\/em>:<\/p>\n

From a lonely rusted tower in a forest north of Moscow, a mysterious shortwave radio station transmitted day and night. For at least the decade leading up to 1992, it broadcast almost nothing but beeps; after that, it switched to buzzes, generally between 21 and 34 per minute, each lasting roughly a second\u2014a nasally foghorn blaring through a crackly ether. The signal was said to emanate from the grounds of a voyenni gorodok (mini military city) near the village of Povarovo, and very rarely, perhaps once every few weeks, the monotony was broken by a male voice reciting brief sequences of numbers and words, often strings of Russian names: \u201cAnna, Nikolai, Ivan, Tatyana, Roman.\u201d But the balance of the airtime was filled by a steady, almost maddening, series of inexplicable tones.<\/p>\n

[…][A]feed of UVB-76 had been made available online (http:\/\/www.wired.com\/magazine\/2011\/09\/ff_uvb76\/<\/a>), cobbled together by an Estonian tech entrepreneur named Andrus Aaslaid, who has been enthralled by shortwave radio since the first grade. \u201cShortwave was an early form of the Internet,\u201d says Aaslaid, who goes by the nickname Laid. \u201cYou dial in, and you never know what you\u2019re going to listen to.\u201d During one 24-hour period at the height of the Buzzer\u2019s freak-out in August 2010, more than 41,000 people listened to Aaslaid\u2019s feed; within months, tens of thousands, and then hundreds of thousands, were visiting from the US, Russia, Britain, the Czech Republic, Brazil, Japan, Croatia, and elsewhere. By opening up UVB-76 to an online audience, Aaslaid had managed to take shortwave radio\u2014one of the most niche hobbies imaginable\u2014and rejuvenate it for the 21st century.<\/p>\n

Today, the Buzzer\u2019s fan base includes Kremlinologists, anarchists, hackers, installation artists, people who believe in extraterrestrials, a former Lithuanian minister of communications, and someone in Virginia who goes by the moniker Room641A, a reference to the alleged nerve center of a National Security Agency intercept facility at an AT&T office in San Francisco. (\u201cI am interested in \u2018listening,\u2019\u201d Room641A tells me by email. \u201cAll forms of it.\u201d) All of them are mesmerized by this bewildering signal\u2014now mostly buzzing, once again. They can\u2019t help but ponder the significance of it, wondering about the purpose behind the pattern. No one knows for sure, which is both the worst and the best part of it.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Read the full 3 page article at Wired.com.<\/a><\/p>\n

New to numbers stations? Check out our previous posts on the subject<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Also, check out UVB-76.net and listen to its live feed.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It seems there’s no shortage of\u00a0interest\u00a0in numbers stations these days. This article, from Wired magazine,\u00a0Inside The Russian Short Wave Radio Enigma: From a lonely rusted tower in a forest north of Moscow, a mysterious shortwave radio station transmitted day and night. For at least the decade leading up to 1992, it broadcast almost nothing but […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[172],"tags":[613,4088,615,614,616,612],"class_list":["post-1966","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-numbers-stations","tag-estonia","tag-numbers-stations","tag-the-buzzer","tag-uvb-76","tag-uvb-76-net","tag-wired"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-vI","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":7138,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2013\/08\/russian-numbers-station-uvb-76-the-most-mysterious-radio-transmission-in-the-world\/","url_meta":{"origin":1966,"position":0},"title":"Russian Numbers Station UVB-76: “the most mysterious radio transmission in the world”","author":"Thomas","date":"August 29, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"James Cook, associate editor, at The Kernal has written an excellent article about the Russian numbers station UVB-76. Those of us who listen to numbers stations are very familiar with this reliable buzzer on 4.625 MHz. Cook writes: The radio signal that occupies 4625 kHz has reportedly been broadcasting since\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"UVB-76-detail","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/UVB-76-detail-300x100.png?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":15406,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2015\/11\/uvb-76-the-buzzer-surfaces-on-6998-khz\/","url_meta":{"origin":1966,"position":1},"title":"UVB-76: The Buzzer surfaces on 6,998 kHz","author":"Thomas","date":"November 3, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"My buddy,\u00a0Andrea Borgnino, recently heard UVB-76 (The Buzzer) on 6,998 kHz with his Elecraft K3 in Italy. Check out this short video: New buzzer on 6998 khz received in Roma @sicral @dxcoffee @SWLingDotCom @LondonShortwave @priyom_org @Spy_Stations pic.twitter.com\/nd5cBkDTEh \u2014 Andrea Borgnino (@aborgnino) November 1, 2015 While the audio sounds identical to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Photo: Andrea Borgnino","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Elecraft-K3-UVB-76-Buzzer.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Elecraft-K3-UVB-76-Buzzer.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/11\/Elecraft-K3-UVB-76-Buzzer.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10526,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/08\/cold-war-echo-rt-investigates-uvb-76\/","url_meta":{"origin":1966,"position":2},"title":"Cold War Echo: RT investigates UVB-76","author":"Thomas","date":"August 14, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Russia Today via YouTube) \"From a lonely rusted tower in a forest north of Moscow, a mysterious shortwave radio station transmitted day and night. For at least the decade leading up to 1992, it broadcast almost nothing but beeps; after that, it switched to buzzes, generally between 21 and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"UVB-76-via-RT","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/UVB-76-via-RT.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/UVB-76-via-RT.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/UVB-76-via-RT.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/08\/UVB-76-via-RT.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":51916,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2022\/02\/bbc-newshour-reports-jamming-of-uvb-76-the-buzzer-with-music-and-digital-imagery\/","url_meta":{"origin":1966,"position":3},"title":"BBC Newshour Reports Jamming of UVB-76 (The Buzzer) With Music and Digital Imagery","author":"Thomas","date":"February 17, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Mark, who writes: Thomas, The morning (EST) edition of BBC Newshour on Wednesday presented a five-minute report on the jamming of Russian shortwave mystery station UVB-76 (The Buzzer) with music and digital imagery. Newshour - Uncertainty over Russian 'de-escalation' near Ukraine - BBC Sounds\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/UVB-76-detail.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/UVB-76-detail.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/UVB-76-detail.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/UVB-76-detail.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":40655,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/11\/numbers-station-uvb-76-a-new-buzzer-twin-on-4810-khz\/","url_meta":{"origin":1966,"position":4},"title":"Numbers Station UVB-76: A New Buzzer Twin on 4810 kHz","author":"Thomas","date":"November 17, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom (DF5JL), who writes: \u00a0 Who doesn't know the mysterious station \"The Buzzer\" on 4625 kHz - but now it gets even more exciting: Because since today \"The Buzzer\" has a twin that transmits on 4810 kHz - fully synchronous. And to make to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/The-Buzzer-Numbers-Station-Waterfall-4810.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/The-Buzzer-Numbers-Station-Waterfall-4810.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/The-Buzzer-Numbers-Station-Waterfall-4810.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/11\/The-Buzzer-Numbers-Station-Waterfall-4810.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":65105,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/01\/uvb-76-plays-swan-lake-and-transmits-cryptic-codes-fueling-speculation\/","url_meta":{"origin":1966,"position":5},"title":"UVB-76 Plays \u201cSwan Lake\u201d and Transmits Cryptic Codes, Fueling Speculation","author":"Thomas","date":"January 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Fred Waterer, for sharing this article highlighting unusual activity from Russia\u2019s shortwave station UVB-76, sometimes known among shortwave listeners as \u201cThe Buzzer.\u201d Known for its continuous buzzing and occasional coded voice messages, the station recently broke pattern by playing music--including Tchaikovsky\u2019s Swan Lake--and transmitting\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/UVB-76-detail.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/UVB-76-detail.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/UVB-76-detail.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/08\/UVB-76-detail.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1966","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1966"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1966\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1966"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1966"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1966"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}