editor: Ary Boender
Hi, not much to report this month. Don't hesitate to send me your Numbers and Oddities stuff. I will not mention your name when you don't want to be credited, so it is safe to send me your secrets :-)
One new link has been noted in April:
Callsign: RVV, Link-id: 20087, UTC: 14.20, Freq: 13.418 kHz.
The transmissions to VKX on 14605 kHz are now scheduled for 16.10 UTC.
A couple of odd messages to VLB were noted on 17/5: VLB18L36T46 for hours and on 18/5: VLB18P14L36R52 for hours.
The numbers station that uses the 1940's ARRL alphabet has been noted with an increased number of transmissions lately. Id's include 'Susan Adam Robert', 'Nancy Adam Susan', 'Mary Susan Adam' and 'Frank Young Susan'. It is a bit curious that every callsign includes the letter 'S -Susan-' Frequencies: 4130, 5530, 5835, 11000, 14000 kHz. Times: all day on the hour, sometimes also on the half hour.
Channelmarker 'P' has been noted on a new frequency: 4031 kHz
VDE still going strong.
I heard this station back in '82 for the first time and it was reported by other dxers way before that time. I still haven't a clue about the identity of this station. This message was logged by Leif Dehio on 20-4-1995 at 09.45 UTC on 6813 kHz using CW.
VVV VVV DE VDE VDE VDE VVV VVV DE VDE VDE
= = 9T 9T 29 29 6 6 1115 1115 = =
76745 76745 56344 56344 34344 34344 12974 12974 5T345 5T345
54345 54345 12123 12123 98933 98933 45886 45886 32355 32355
65455 65455 23255 23255 87876 87876 34565 34565 4T4T7 4T4T7
78411 78411 21234 21234 32355 32355 87645 87645 29892 29892
65633 65633 34345 34345 54677 54677 65T1T 65T1T 53212 53212
76564 76564 54343 54343 25456 25456 12387 12387 +
The British Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), better known as MI6 (originally Military Intelligence, dept.6), is reportedly responsible for the transmissions of the 'Lincolnshire Poacher' numbers station. The station can easily be identified because of its interval signal. Transmissions start at the hour on three parallel frequencies with a part of the medieval English folk song 'Lincolnshire Poacher'. This is repeated twelve times followed by a five digit identifier number. The actual message begins after a couple of chimes and consists of 5-figure groups. At the end of the transmission there are again a couple of chimes and the interval signal is played six times.
The id-numbers are not unique, I have seen the same numbers being used during the past months. I haven't found a pattern yet. Maybe they are in fact agents numbers instead of message identifiers. The transmitter site is believed to be on the RAF base in Cyprus. The transmissions are always heavily jammed. On 12-5 I monitored the station during the afternoon and evening. This is the result:
| 1500 UTC | 11545 // 13375 // 12603 kHz | id 76728 |
| 1700 UTC | 11545 // 13375 // 12603 kHz | id 59922 |
| 1800 UTC | 6485 kHz | id 00283 |
| 1900 UTC | 6959 kHz | id 79891 |
| 2000 UTC | 6959 kHz | id 49589 |
| 2100 UTC | 6959 kHz | id 26225 |
The following sked has been noted: transmissions on the hour, times:
| 1000 - 1400 UTC | 15682 // 14487 // 16084 kHz |
| 1500 - 1700 UTC | 11545 // 13375 // 12603 kHz |
| 1800 - 2200 UTC | 6485, 6959, 7337, 9251, 10426 11545, 12603, 15610 kHz |
Note: there are always three parallel frequencies.
Although it is in the shops for about a year, I found it only a couple of weeks ago, the 'Guinness Book of Espionage' by Mark Lloyd. It is an informative book and a pleasant one to read. It contains items about spies and their methods, communication, equipment, incidents, several intelligence agencies like KGB, CIA, MI5, MI6 and Mossad. In 256 pages the writer leads you through the fascinating world of espionage. I think that many of the numbers monitors will like this book. The price is GBP 14,99 in England.
ISBN 0-85112-591-3.
Right, that's it for now. Don't forget to write ! See ya next month.