{"id":63613,"date":"2025-08-11T06:40:57","date_gmt":"2025-08-11T10:40:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=63613"},"modified":"2025-08-11T06:40:57","modified_gmt":"2025-08-11T10:40:57","slug":"old-school-static-wins-the-spy-wars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2025\/08\/old-school-static-wins-the-spy-wars\/","title":{"rendered":"“Old-school static wins the spy wars”"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Many thanks to SWLing Post<\/em> contributor Richard Cuff, who shares this Komando.com piece<\/a> on how old-school shortwave number stations remain active in espionage. Intelligence services \u2014 notably Russia \u2014 still send coded beeps and voice-read numbers using one-time pads because radio is simple, anonymous, and hard to trace.<\/p>\n

Sure, we\u2019re all shortwave enthusiasts and many of us grew up with number stations abound, but it\u2019s always great to see popular websites pick up on this. Read the full article on Komando.com.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Richard Cuff, who shares this Komando.com piece on how old-school shortwave number stations remain active in espionage. Intelligence services \u2014 notably Russia \u2014 still send coded beeps and voice-read numbers using one-time pads because radio is simple, anonymous, and hard to trace. Sure, we\u2019re all shortwave enthusiasts and many […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","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":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[3,172,43],"tags":[4088,1012],"class_list":["post-63613","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news","category-numbers-stations","category-shortwave-radio","tag-numbers-stations","tag-richard-cuff"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-gy1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":65498,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2026\/03\/new-farsi-numbers-station-reported-on-7910-khz\/","url_meta":{"origin":63613,"position":0},"title":"New Farsi Numbers Station Reported on 7910 kHz","author":"Thomas","date":"March 5, 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor Richard Cuff, who shares an article from Seth Hettena\u2019s Substack about the appearance of a new shortwave numbers station believed to be broadcasting in Farsi. Numbers stations--mysterious broadcasts that read sequences of numbers--have long been associated with intelligence agencies communicating with field operatives using\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\/2014\/09\/SWLingPost-Spy-Numbers-Station.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/SWLingPost-Spy-Numbers-Station.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/SWLingPost-Spy-Numbers-Station.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10770,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/09\/numbers-stations-featured-in-highbrow-magazine\/","url_meta":{"origin":63613,"position":1},"title":"Numbers stations featured in Highbrow Magazine","author":"Thomas","date":"September 9, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to\u00a0SWLing Post reader, Richard Cuff, who shares this link to a numbers station piece in Highbrow Magazine; one of the more comprehensive numbers station articles I've read in a while. Here's an excerpt: \"Many nights, Spooks turn on their shortwave radios and drift through the frequencies. On any\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Articles"","block_context":{"text":"Articles","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/articles\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"towers","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2009\/11\/grimetonbandw-225x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":34257,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/09\/shortwave-radio-evolves-into-an-iot-network\/","url_meta":{"origin":63613,"position":2},"title":"“Shortwave radio evolves into an IoT network”","author":"Thomas","date":"September 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source:\u00a0Maritime Digitalisation & Communications via Richard Cuff) KNL Networks is building a mesh network of base stations on ships for securely transmitting operational and machinery data to shore Shortwave radio can be used for data transmissions from ships to shore and between vessels as an alternative, or even complementary, service\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\/2016\/12\/Spectrum-Digital-Modes-1024x486.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Spectrum-Digital-Modes-1024x486.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/Spectrum-Digital-Modes-1024x486.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":34153,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/09\/marketplace-time-may-be-up-for-timekeeping-radio-stations\/","url_meta":{"origin":63613,"position":3},"title":"Marketplace: “Time may be up for timekeeping radio stations”","author":"Thomas","date":"September 12, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: Marketplace\u00a0via Richard Cuff) The Trump administration wants to shut down two shortwave radio stations that broadcast time signals from the nation\u2019s master clock. The administration's budget proposal would eliminate nearly $27 million in funding from the National Institute of Standards and Technology\u00a0for the two stations.\u00a0WWV, based in Fort Collins,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/WWV-10MHz-Sign.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/WWV-10MHz-Sign.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/07\/WWV-10MHz-Sign.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":9690,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2014\/05\/wpln-host-bradley-george-attributes-shortwave-radio-to-his-career-and-travel\/","url_meta":{"origin":63613,"position":4},"title":"WPLN host, Bradley George, says shortwave radio shaped his career","author":"Thomas","date":"May 21, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Richard Cuff, for sharing this\u00a0article written by Bradley George of\u00a0Nashville Public Radio: \"From ages 11 to 15, I spent hours hunched over a tiny Magnavox radio, straining to hear the world\u2019s shortwave radio stations. The big dogs of international broadcasting \u2014 BBC World Service,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"SX-99-Dial","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/SX-99-Dial-1024x192.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/SX-99-Dial-1024x192.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/SX-99-Dial-1024x192.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":33627,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/08\/wagm-features-wbcqs-multi-million-dollar-shortwave-station-installation\/","url_meta":{"origin":63613,"position":5},"title":"WAGM features WBCQ’s multi-million dollar shortwave station installation","author":"Thomas","date":"August 17, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"(Source: WAGM\u00a0via Richard Cuff) MONTICELLO, Maine - The town of Monticello will soon be home to one of the largest short wave radio stations in the world, according to those involved. In this week's Aroostook 2020, Newssource 8's Ashley Blackford finds out what this major project could mean for the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Ampegon-Shortwave-Antenna-Tower.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Ampegon-Shortwave-Antenna-Tower.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Ampegon-Shortwave-Antenna-Tower.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63613","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=63613"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63613\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":63614,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/63613\/revisions\/63614"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=63613"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=63613"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=63613"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}