What are number stations? A
"number station" is a type of broadcast sent over shortwave radio.
Many people believe (and there is evidence) that these are
run by foreign intelligence agencies, for the purpose of sending coded
information to agents out in the field. That is the simplest definition
for a rather complex topic.
When is the next numbers station? https://priyom.org/number-stations/station-schedule
What do they sound like? If you hear a numbers station, none of it will make sense. Only the intended recipient of the broadcast can decode or decrypt it, to reveal a message. That is often accomplished using a "One-Time Pad." (Click HERE or HERE to learn more.)
Numbers
stations have been around since World War I, but their usage peaked
during the Cold War era (1960s-1990s.) Originally, a live person would
read the numbers over the radio. Today, numbers stations vary. Most are
recordings of computer-synthesized voices, but there's also morse code,
tones, data bursts, and more.
Many
years ago, enthusiasts created a system called "ENIGMA" to organize and
name the numbers stations. Basically, they're classified by language or
signal: English, German, Slavic, Morse Digital, and Other. Click HERE to view a summary. For more highly detailed summaries and audio samples, here are Priyom's specific pages:
Why do they exist when we have cellular
networks and the internet? The website Priyom.org states it well: "Numbers stations offer a powerful advantage in our
modern world: practically complete anonymity. The recipient of the
message can be almost anywhere in the world, and receive instructions
without fear of being traced through a phone call or internet
connection. All the recipient needs is a shortwave radio and to be in
the right place at the right time."
Radio waves exist naturally, constantly
bouncing off Earth's atmosphere. Shortwave, especially, can be heard
over very long distances. It is simple and inexpensive to use, unlike
modern communication systems which rely on networks, cables, hardware,
software, and so on. A numbers station can be broadcast over shortwave
and heard on a simple handheld radio hundreds of miles away, which is
advantageous in situations where cellular service is bad, the internet
is down, or power is out. Hence, shortwave radio (and numbers stations)
continue to be used as a line of communication by even the most
technologically advanced nations. To learn more about numbers stations, here's where to get started: