Continued...

Each broadcast usually starts with a preamble that is transmitted for a few minutes before the message. This gives the intended receipient (and you!) time to tune in the broadcast. This preamble usually contains the address of the recipient, as a number.

After this preamble, the length of the message to be sent is usually given as the number of figures. Then the message begins. Some types of stations repeat each figure, others repeat the entire message after it is sent the first time. Most stations then transmit a word to indicate that the transmission is over, such as "final", used by many of the Spanish language stations.

Times To Listen

Fortunately, some Spy Number Stations have regular schedules. The SS/YL/5FG stations are usually very good about this. Some, like the Lincolnshire Poacher, and the Mossad stations, are almost always on the air, on one or more frequencies. Others, such as the Russian Man, are seldom on the same frequency twice, but instead hop around.

I have a schedule of known Spy Number Station transmission schedules, you can use it as a guide to see what's on. Be aware that it doesn't list every transmission, and that stations eventually leave a given frequency and move to a new one. If you tune around the bands enough, eventually you'll discover a new broadcast! If so, please let me know, so that I can add it to the list. Let me know if it replaces another transmission also.

To be kept up to date with Spy Number Station transmissions, you may want to join the Spy Number Station Mailing List. It goes out weekly, and contains loggings and other information supplied by other subscribers. It's free, and you can join by sending the text "subscribe spooks" to majordomo@qth.net.

Cracking The Code

Can Spy Number Station messages be decoded by the listener? The answer is most probably no. It is believed that a One Time Pad is used, which should make it impossible for a message to be decoded. Here's a brief introduction into the world of cryptography, along with some hypothesises as to how Spy Number Station messages are encoded.