Top 10 Creepy Radio Transmissions
10.
The E9 Magnetic Fields Station
Each transmission from this station began with a rendition of composer Jean Michel Jarre’s
“Overture Apregiator.”
From there the statement “Forty Four D” was repeated twice, followed by the statement
“Again, Again.”
Each transmission then ended with a repeat of the same song.
Both of the statements were spoken in Arabic.
Though this station is now inactive, a lot of fabulous folk lore still surrounds it.
Many believe that the origin of the station was an Algerian Intelligence organization.
9.
The Backwards Music Station, aka Whalesong
The Backwards Music Station has been picked up by international short-wave listeners for
decades.
Ironically, it doesn’t actually play backwards music, nor does it play whale songs.
However, typical reports from listeners have likened the sounds to whale mating calls or
records played backwards.
No one knows for sure who’s responsible for the station, but there are a few working
theories.
Some believe that the radio signals originate from U.S. naval bases on the southern coast.
This is because the frequencies are similar to naval frequencies, and some reports have
speculated that the station is in Virginia Beach, Jacksonville or Florida.
Others believe that the radio signals originate from England, where the frequency strength
is relatively strong.
The third theory is that the Whalesong signals are actually transnational communications
that employ LINCOMPEX.
LINCOMPEX is a unique form of signal communications employed by both defense and commercial industries.
8.
Atención Cuban Station
Following the Cold War it was easy to access this station, where the automated voice of
a woman speaks in Spanish.
The woman keeps repeating the same list of Spanish numbers over and over in a monotonous
tone before eventually switching to a new list.
It’s known as “Atencion” because every transmission begins with the Spanish word
“¡Atención!”
Many believe that the station is Cuban in origin, because on multiple occasions Radio
Havana audio sounds would be mixed in with the number repetitions.
This supports the idea that Atencion is a spy station used by the Cuban government,
possibly for communication between Cuban spies living in the U.S. as refugees and their Cuban
counterparts.
7.
The Lincolnshire Poacher Station
From the 1970s until 2008, the Lincolnshire Poacher station was one of the most consistent
stations discovered.
The namesake of this radio station is an English folk song that plays as a signal interval.
The song is followed by a ten-minute call signal.
The creepy rendition of the folk song and the subsequent call signal are produced by
an electronic female voice with a British accent.
The prevailing view is that this station was operated by the British Secret Intelligence
Service and broadcasted from a Royal Air Force base in Cyprus.
Considered one of the last true Cold War relics, the station went off-air without warning in
2008.
The station’s message system was so complicated that for almost 40 years it sent out messages
that could be divided into 200 separate groups, and each group was replayed daily.
6.
Yosemite Sam Station
This station has only been in operation since the early 2000s.
Each broadcast starts and ends with repeated recordings of cartoon character Yosemite Sam
saying “Varmint, I’m a-going to b-b-b-bloooow yah t’smithereens!”
Like clockwork, the Yosemite Sam station starts every seven seconds following the top of the
hour.
The transmission is then followed by a data burst that is repeated in ascending order
over four different frequencies, and 10 seconds go by before the repeat of the transmission.
The complete process takes around two minutes.
5.
U.S. State Department KKN50
Last heard in 1997, KKN50 was run by the CIA, although the station was official operated
for the US Department of State.
It is believed that the station was operated out of the Warrington Training Center in Marshall,
Virginia, though false locations were often given.
The WTC is essentially a transmitter site that was used as a CIA Counting Station for
the sending of transmissions to both foreign and domestic entities.
The station transmitted messages that were a combination of alphanumerical codes.
Though you would be hard pressed to actually understand or decode the messages, here’s
a typical example: “QRA QRA QRA DE KKN50 KKN50 KKN50 QSX 6/10/11 K.” For years, local
residents who picked up the frequency were dumbfounded by the meaning of these codes.
4 The Guineo Cuban Station
Guineo, Cuba has been home to more than one Spanish language numbers station.
Guineo is approximately 15 miles away from Havana, and many believe that it’s where
the Cuban Intelligence Department relays its espionage signals and other information to
its international counterparts.
In fact, one theory is that the Guineo station is where broadcasts to Soviet agents were
once transmitted.
3.
The E10 Mossad Station
Before going off air in 2011, the E10 Mossad station was the most active of all numbers
stations.
It is believed that the station was operated by the Mosssad, which is a department of the
Israeli Intelligence Agency.
Like some other stations, E10 features a female voice reciting phonetic alphabet identifiers.
For example, each signal starts off with a common identifier such as “Echo, Zulu, India,”
or EZI.
After repeating this identifier for three minutes, the signal proceeds into a message
that doesn’t make any sense to untrained ears.
Following this second part more common identifiers are repeated, followed by the phrase “repeat,
repeat.”
The message concludes with the statement “end transmission,” and then the entire complicated
process starts over again.
Confused?
You’re not alone.
2.
The Swedish Rhapsody Station
The Swedish Rhapsody station is actually a German station that transmits an eerie, almost
child-like voice.
It emerged in the 1970s and disappeared in 1988.
Transmissions began with a tune that sounds like a music box version of the first few
bars of Swedish Rhapsody No.1 by composer Hugo Alfvén.
This version plays for five minutes straight, and is followed by three separate five-figure
messages that are repeated three times in sequential order.
Following this intro is three 100-group messages, and one 50-group message, with each group
message being repeated twice.
It’s dumbfounding, to say the least.
1.
The UVB-76 Buzzer Station
UVB-76 is the most famous and elusive station in history.
People believe the radio signal has been in existence since the 1970s, but the earliest
recording was made in 1982.
The station transmits a repeating buzzing sound that plays almost endlessly, only occasionally
being interrupted with an eerie Russian voice that recites a mix of Russian names and numbers.
The purpose of the UVB-76 Buzzer station has never been revealed.
Regardless of events occurring in Russia, including the end of the Afghan War and the
fall of the Soviet Union, UVB-76 has continued to do its thing.
Check out a live broadcast here.