Clear capture of rapid Chinese robot numbers

Update:

The original recording for this was posted to Digg, with one of the comments being:

"The voice sounds like a rapidly processing IVR voice "inaudible option....Dial 5.....inaudible option.....Dial 6" going through over and over. Not sure what it could be used for, almost certainly commercial."

IVR stands for "interactive voice response" pointing to the possibility that this is some sort of malfunctioning telephone equipment being broadcasted.

-----------------------------

Well, this is a case of "back so soon".

I've captured this example 1 notch up from the last recording, with the BFO compensating for the extra 1kHz which is further away from the annoying data beacon.

I'm not even sure if this is a numbers station - until I know otherwise, I'm going to call it a numbers station, because, it sounds like one.

Another possibility is that's some sort of aeronautical beacon, but you'd go flipping insane trying to keep up with whatever is being read out.

Pirates? Drug runners? Pandas? Santa?

It's even more bizarre not knowing what the heck it is...

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• asian
• numbers
• number
• station
• shortwave
• radio
• DX
• spies
• spying
• coded
• communication
• espionage
• chinese
• robot
• VC01
• 7725kHz
• 7.725MHz

[GMSamuelRhine]

whats that screeching sound over it? a jammer?

[MattExzy]

@GMSamuelRhine RTTY

[MattExzy]

@MattExzy Probably not. Haven't heard it since, you can try, but I'll be severely disturbed if I ever hear it again.

[Slasher3231]

This is most definitely a number station. I am currently taking Chinese 1 in school, and I recognize the numbers. I don't get the loud noises. Number stations generally don't use any numbers greater than one digit, each one said is one digit. From what I hear, they are one digit numbers. If the damn beeping would go away, I'd be able to hear much more clearly. The beep sounds odd though, could it be relevant?

[MattExzy]

@Slasher3231 Thanks for the comment. I've only come across this station again since, once or twice around 8Mhz. The beeping noise I think was from an adjacent signal, or it could have been part of a burst transmission, or just some kind of data. I'm still not sure what this is exactly - it's still one of the oddest things I've come across, there's a lot being broadcasted, I guess if it were a numbers station, they'd record it and slow it down, either that, or it's phone equipment gone crazy.

[FirstToken]

This station is sometimes called the "Chinese Robot". The Numbers and Oddities web site has some information on it in the newsletters.

It changes frequency regularly, seldom on one freq for more than a few weeks, although it sometimes returns to a previously used freq.

While no one I know of is sure exactly what its use is the most supported belief is that it is part of a PRC air defense network, there are some interesting audio oddities that could help machine reception of the numbers.

[MattExzy]

@FirstToken Thanks! Wow, almost 7k views, I haven't listened to it since I uploaded it.. too weird, I'll have to see if it's still tuneable.

[LikaLaruku]

I pitty the spy who has to recieve messages spit out that fast. :p

[Arceus9295]

If I called someone randomly on my phone and this happened, I would take a nuke and destroy the phone.

[hungoverjerk]

im assuming this one was either a hoax or some urgent orders o.0

[jason9568]

@MattExzy Not RTTY. More likely SITOR. But easy to be confused w/RTTY.

[AroundSun]

foo five five two foo foo foo chow chow don foo chung yow yow foo foo!...shes probably hot!

[dreammaker182]

@Slasher3231 Japan/China? Really? The Japanese and Chinese languages are vastly different. For one Chinese is tonal...

[Bronyforever]

Nvm thats not a person. :(

[Bronyforever]

She's my new gf

[linutas]

VC01

[calcvids]

@GMSamuelRhine Globe Wireless beacon or something. Definitely a beacon for maritime use.

[JamspongeVideo]

@Slasher3231

It's English. You can quite clearly hear 4 several times.

[picaticatara]

chingchong