Two presumed parody numbers stations logged

[ChrisSmolinski]

6930 USB at 0328 UTC:
http://www.hfunderpants.com/mypics/6930u_11142011_0328.mp3

6935 USB at 0344 UTC:
http://www.hfunderpants.com/mypics/6935u_11142011_0344.mp3

Thanks to Token for pointing these out.

PLS QSL :-)

[Zoidberg]

11/14/11, 0347 UTC
I got partial copy of this on 6935 USB.  My recording was started late, so I missed the music box intro and part of the sequence of alpha-numerics.  Wasn't able to copy much until after running my recording through noise reduction, and got only partial copy.

2, 2, 8, Quebec, 1, stroke
zero, (sugar?), zero, 9, 1, stroke
2, 4, 6, zero, 1, stroke
(sugar?), 2, 4, 1, 3, stroke
(sugar?), 6, 4, 7, 6, stroke
zero, 9, 2, 6, 2, stroke
(7?), 3, 2, 1, 7, stroke
6, (sugar?), 4, 6, 5, stroke
1, 9, 6, zero, 3, stroke
(sugar?), 4, 9, 1, zero, stroke
6, 3, 9, 1, zero, (stroke?) different enunciation/emphasis, sounded like end of phrase type enunciation)

After this point (52 second mark of my recording), a burst of heavy RFI from street light buried the remainder.  Even with noise reduction it's difficult to make out.

Both versions of this mp3 are only a little over one minute long:

Original mp3 without noise reduction.

Same with noise reduction, a bit clearer.

[Token]

I missed any usable recording of the first transmission on 6930 at 0328, it was just too weak here to really make anything out and I also started listening a bit late.  However, for the 6935 transmission at 0345 I was on a remote Perseus in Washington state and noticed the transmitter hum come up just before the audio started, so I got a complete recording of that transmission both locally and at the remote.  The remote was much more clear.

From Chris's recordings it sounds to me like both messages are identical.  Also, from my recording I am pretty sure there are no letters in the groups, it sounds like all numbers to me.  However, the number 5 has an odd pronunciation, kind of like it is being said "fife-eh".

My recording here (from the Washington state remote): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6aUWchUo6k

I have thrown this one in my logbook as "probable spoof/pirate", but in my opinion it is less sure as a spoof than last year’s "AH7" transmissions.  I was kind of hoping for more of those signals

T!

[ChrisSmolinski]

Years ago, there was a SS/OM station that we nicknamed "The Bored Man", presumably from Cuba. He read off numbers, in a rather laid back fashion. Presumably he was not sufficiently dedicated to the revolution. He'd often make errors, and there would be background sounds, other people talking, etc.

This was certainly a "real" numbers station (as real as any of them are, anyway, if you buy into the opinion that many were sending dummy traffic), but it does show that not all stations have the same formats and production standards as others.

I'm leaning towards this being a spoof, but I'm not 100% sold, only 99%. If it is real, there should be some sort of a schedule, and additional traffic in the coming days/weeks. And it could be "real" in the sense that there is a message being sent, but it's not being directed towards government agents.

Personally I find this kind of stuff interesting to listen to. Certainly much more so than some of the stuff that's been broadcast lately.

[Swede P]

I listened to the recording of the numbers broadcast. I don't think I have heard this before, but beyond that, why is it presumed to be a parody? Perhaps if you could decode a funny message out of the numbers, that would be a give away, but as far as I could hear it seemed rather representative of real broadcasts.

I can't quite make out the accent. Perhaps it is from Venezuela - not sure really.

Of course, if someone on this forum has direct knowledge of this station, he is probably laughing his head off at me right now 

[DavidB]

Years ago, there was a SS/OM station that we nicknamed "The Bored Man", presumably from Cuba. He read off numbers, in a rather laid back fashion. Presumably he was not sufficiently dedicated to the revolution. He'd often make errors, and there would be background sounds, other people talking, etc.

I remember back in the 1980s running across a numbers station (AM mode, female voice, Spanish language) that had weak audio from Radio Havana Cuba's English language service in the background. That probably is a dead giveaway as to its origin and to who's transmitter was being used, though there is always the off chance it could have been a "black" station trying to pose as Cuban.

[Token]

I listened to the recording of the numbers broadcast. I don't think I have heard this before, but beyond that, why is it presumed to be a parody? Perhaps if you could decode a funny message out of the numbers, that would be a give away, but as far as I could hear it seemed rather representative of real broadcasts.

My main reason for leaning towards spoof is the fact that it kind of includes too many features of a numbers station, like it was built from a check list.

- Odd, distinctive, music for lead in?  Check.  Digital readouts on receivers and digital watches/phones, the need for such distinctive music is long past.

- Some kind of identifier at the start, for recipient and source?  Check.  The music itself did not identify the source?  Sure, maybe the recipient needs to be IDed assuming more than one possible recipient.

- None-English/American accent but message in English?  Check.  If this voice is synthesized why not just use an English/American accent voice if the message is in English.  If the recipient is not a native English speaker then why not send it in his native tongue?

- 5 figure groups?  Check.  Well, this one is kind of standard and hard to argue.

- Including something to define the group edges?  Check.  Most stations just allow a pause to identify group edges, this one goes overboard with a stroke between each.  Sure, the stroke (or “oblique”) is used in other stations, but not between each 5f, it seems overkill.

- Repeat the numbers group as a body twice?  Check.  Smart, but again VERY numbers stationy.

- Saying "I'll repeat" or something like that between the two message bodies?  Check.  Again, smart, but very “exemplary” of how a numbers station might sound.

- Include a group size someplace in the message?  Check.

- End message by saying end?  Check.

It just seems like too much for one station in my opinion.  I can think of no other station today that combines all of these features so glaringly.  Most have several, maybe even most in some form, but not all of them exactly like this.  I guess they could have added one more just to make sure, zero’s after the “ende” or something like that.

Yeah, I am not 100% sure either, but I did log it as “probable spoof”.  I also, however, put a copy of the recording in my unidentified numbers station storage folder.

For that matter, did we ever decide for sure that the AH7 station from last year was a spoof?  I don’t remember ever hearing about anyone owning up to it, and there was half a dozen or more messages total sent.  That one could have been real I suppose, but again it just did not feel right.

T!

[Swede P]

Ah, I see. So in short, ironically it gives itself away by trying to be too convincing.

I could buy that.

[Beerus Maximus]

I can't quite make out the accent. Perhaps it is from Venezuela - not sure really.

The accent sounded "German" to me.

[UNID QRP]

I can't quite make out the accent. Perhaps it is from Venezuela - not sure really.

The accent sounded "German" to me.

Possibly German, though it also struck me as similar to the type of English accent that a good deal of people who grew up first learning a Southeast Asian language often have.  It does seem very 'cut & paste', however - almost like it's too good at fitting the format of a numbers station.

FWIW, if it is a fake, it looks as though there may be a spate of that going on - though this time they're numbers stations run (once again) from phone lines rather than over the airwaves.  More on that here.