Shortwave Blog "Bytes"

Angola on 4949 kHz Radio Nacional heard on 4949.8 at 1813 March 26 in Portuguese. Good signal strength but usual low modulation, talk by male announcer, into local music after 1816. On March 27 I heard them on 7217 at 1936 in Portuguese. Signal fair with soccer commentary, best in USB to escape interference from 7215. Program was parallel to 4949.7, very low modulation. (David Sharp, New South Wales, ADXN via Wolfgang Bueschel/WDXC-Contact May DX News)


Belaruskaje Radyjo on 6010
Brest heard on 6010 2245-2310 March 30. Belarussian music program. Now scheduled 23 hours a day, 0200-0100. Observed on weaker parallel frequencies 6040, 6070, 6080. (Anker Petersen/playdx)

Canada
The scheduled 1700-1759 Saturday Radio Canada International English transmission from Horby on 5850 is not being heard here. BBC WS English heard on the frequency.(David Crystal, Israel, April 26) Not heard here when I checked 5850 April 30 at 1750, just BBC which is from Thailand.(Mike Barraclough, UK/WDXC-Contact May DX News)

Croatia freq change
Croatian Radio via transmitters in Deanovec now scheduled 0459-0758 on 6165, 0759-1358 on 7320, 1359-2028 on 6165 and 2029-0458 on 3985. (DX Mix News)

Deutsche Telekom schedule update
Evangelische Missionsgemeinden in Deutschland is scheduled 1030-1100 Saturday and Sunday on 7370 via Wertachtal, 1500-1528 Saturday on 11695 via Wertachtal and 1100-1130 Saturday on 13710 via Nauen.
Lutheran World Federation schedule is 1330-1345 Sunday on 15160 via Wertachtal Sunday, Nauen other days, 1830-1859 daily on 9655 via Wertachtal.
Missionswerk Arche schedule is 1100-1115 Sunday on 5945 via Wertachtal.
Radio Reveil Paroles de Vie schedule is 1830-1845 Tuesday and Thursday on 15675 via Nauen.
Radio Traumland schedule is 1300-1400 Sunday on 5945 via Wertachtal. (Deutsche Telekom schedule via Michael Bethge via Wolfgang Bueschel/WDXC-Contact May DX News)

Exotic Indonesian DXing
9525.87v, Voice of Indonesia, 1312-1346, May 4. It's Tuesday so it must be "Exotic Indonesia, a network program jointly broadcast live by Voice of Indonesia Jakarta and R-R-I Banjarmasin";
alternating news items from Jakarta and Banjarmasin; editorial; "Today in History"; "Focus"; segment from Banjarmasin about diamonds. The feed via Banjarmasin seemed to be via phone and was weaker than the audio via the studios in Jakarta; hum continues to be strong. The overall audio quality was such that I could enjoy their program, which does not often happen! (Ron Howard, CA/Cumbre DX)

Niger frequency reactivated
La Voix du Sahel has reactivated 9705, heard April 9 2115 to past 2145 with vernacular talks and local tribal chants. On May 1 heard 2150 to close 2301 following short flute interval signal and national anthem. (Brian Alexander, PA/Cumbre DX/WDXC May DX News)

Number Station You Tube videos
Four videos have been uploaded to YouTube showing the actual machine behind all the various East German numbers stations and its operation. This machine pronounces, in a monotone voice, a string of numbers used by intelligence agencies for one-way shortwave radio communication with their agents in enemy countries.

This machine belongs to a German collector who has a vast collection of various spy-gadgets.

There were many machines of this particular model produced in East-Germany for usage within the DDR itself or other communist bloc nations, like the Soviet Union or Cuba. In Germany (east or west) this machine was referred to as a "sprach/morse generator", which is German for "speech/morse generator".

The speed by which this generator pronounces the numbers can be changed which is why sometimes there were seemingly different "German ladies" to be heard, where in fact it was the same voice but played at a different speed/pitch.

The printed circuit boards only contains the voice samples of the lady pronouncing numbers in either German or Spanish depending on which board was inserted.

One of the videos shows how a tape can be used that not only contained the actual message intended for the agent but also the number of times this message should be repeated by the machine.

The four videos show the Spanish voice behind the Atencion Numbers Station, the German Voice behind the East German numbers stations, how to operate the machine manually and how to operate the machine with tape.

They can be viewed at:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=PeterStaal01#g/u
(Mike Barraclough/WDXC)