Xref: utzoo rec.ham-radio:8583 sci.electronics:5105 sci.crypt:1592 Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cwjcc!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!rutgers!att!ihuxz!parnass From: parnass@ihuxz.ATT.COM (Bob Parnass, AJ9S) Newsgroups: rec.ham-radio,sci.electronics,sci.crypt Subject: Re: Short Wave Numbers "Racket" Summary: spy vs. spy? Message-ID: <4010@ihuxz.ATT.COM> Date: 11 Feb 89 23:26:36 GMT References: <439@brambo.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois Lines: 87 In article <439@brambo.UUCP>, wwg@brambo.UUCP (Warren W. Gay) writes: > There are a number of illegal short wave broadcasts that are apparently > difficult to track down (as to location). These broadcasts consist > entirely of numbers (as far as I have heard at least). Numbers stations may be found on several frequencies, with both males and females speaking in many languages. Some are in Morse Code. They remain the subject of debate among SWLs, and attempts by hobbyists to break the coded messages have been unsuccessful. One prevailing theory is that they are "spy" stations, sending orders to operatives in foreign countries. Another theory is that they are asso- ciated with smuggling activities, like ordering, and arranging for drug deliveries. I agree with the "spy" theory. Monitoring Times reported a few years ago how an SWL traced down the source of one numbers station. Using a Kenwood R2000 shortwave receiver in his car, the SWL found the signals eminated from a U.S. Government facility in Warrenton, VA, opera- ted by an arm of the intelligence community. The FCC won't talk much about these signals, but I bet you dollars to donuts that the NSA, USN, CIA, etc. know exactly what their purpose is, and monitor them (and operate some) closely. At the very least, our government knows the geographic locations of these transmitters. Not all numbers stations are in the same "business." A few of the CW stations actually identify with call let- ters. The U.S. FEMA organization (Federal Emergency Management Agency), operates several stations and con- ducts periodic tests of its communications systems, which would be pressed into service in the event of a war. Their crypto transmissions make for good code practice. 3.1130 WGY912____US: FEMA, wkg "Sunbath", also id'd as "Bluegrass", refer red to this freq as "bravo uniform" (odd, this is a USAF SAC freq), xmsns every 15 minutes, usb, 02/10/87 @0305Z [Mt Weather, VA] (B. Parnass) 3.3797 WGY908____US: FEMA, slow speed encrypted cw 10/18/84, 0437Z [Denver, CO] (B. Parnass) WGY912____US: FEMA, slow speed encrypted cw, purported to be a VIP relocation site in times of emergency, 11/25/86 @0208Z [Mt Weather, VA] (B. Parnass) 4.7810 WGY912____US: FEMA, slow speed encrypted cw in 5 character groups, purported to be a VIP relocation site in times of emerg ency, 11/11/85 @0139Z [Mt Weather, VA] (B. Parnass) 5.1680 call?_____unidentified: several minutes of slow, encrypted cw in 5 figure groups, sounds similar to FEMA broadcasts but wi thout station id, 10/30/85 @0230Z [location?] (B. Parnass) 6.8500 call?_____unidentified: 5 figure coded groups in slow cw, msg bega n with "ATU ATU", similar to FEMA xmsns, cw, 03/28/86 [location?] (B. Parnass) 9.1218 WGY912____US: FEMA, slow speed encrypted cw in 5 character groups, purported to be a VIP relocation site in times of emerg ency, 04/06/86 @1502Z [Mt Weather, VA] (B. Parnass) 10.4940 call?_____US: FEMA, net, test transmission ended at 1930z, usb [location?] (others) 10.8707 WGY912____US: FEMA, slow speed encrypted cw in 5 character groups, purported to be a VIP relocation site in times of emerg ency, 12/25/86 @1640Z [Mt Weather, VA] (B. Parnass) 14.8868 WGY912____US: FEMA, slow speed encrypted cw in 5 character groups, purported to be a VIP relocation site in times of emerg ency, 10/21/85 @1735Z [Mt Weather, VA] (B. Parnass) -- ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bob Parnass AJ9S, AT&T Bell Laboratories - att!ihuxz!parnass - (312)979-5414