This format is no longer very often.
Listen to an Atencion Station (ENIGMA V2)
This is a copy of The Numbers Racket CD-ROM, which I prepared back in 1998. I am presenting it here, unedited, for historical purposes. Obviously most if not all of the information is 'out of date' today, but think of it as a snapshot of what the Spy Numbers scene was like in the late 1990s.
Like what you see here? Help support my work by taking a look at my software , and buy something of interest :) It's all available for download before purchase, so you can try it out.
Enjoy!
Several variations of the basic format are in use.
Here's a typical transmission of the first format...
Atencion 795 03 Repeated, message will be to 584 03 75 47 Groups will be sent, meaning of 03 is unknown 10238 75612... Message final final End of message Note: Sometimes the second part will be reversed, ie: "47 03" rather than "03 47" Also, it is not uncommon to hear more than one message sent in a broadcast. After the first message ends (with finals), the second will begin, with it's own Atencion preamble.
This format is no longer very often.
Here's a typical transmission of the second format...
Atencion 38952 Repeated, message to 38952 38952 150 Repeated, 150 Groups will be sent 83723 54893 23986... Message final final End of message Note: This format always transmits 150 groups
Here's a typical transmission of the third format, which was first noted on January 1, 1997...
Atencion 72302 51782 41592 Repeated, messages to 72302 51782 41592
72302 Repeated five times
03832 13983 79833... Message
51782 Repeated five times
04383 34932 88939... Message
41592 Repeated five times
49393 63832 12393... Message
final final End of message
Notes: This format always transmits 150 groups per message
Three messages are sent each broadcast.
ZULU KHZ M T W T F S S NOTES
==== ===== = = = = = = = ===================================
0000 10125 X
0100 3389 X
0100 3927 X
0100 6768 X ?
0100 13536 X
0200 5762 X
0200 6797 X X
0200 6983 X
0200 7583 X
0200 7887 X
0200 9260 X
0300 4479 X
0300 5421 X
0300 5800 X
0300 6782 X
0300 6826 X X
0300 6855 X
0300 7555 X
0300 10715 X
0300 13564 X
0400 4329 ? ?
0400 4479 X
0400 5117 X
0400 6768 ? ?
0400 7482 ?
0400 7733 X
0400 8992 ?
0400 9415 ?
0500 4028 ?
0500 6797 ? ?
0500 7726 X ?
0500 8012 X ?
0500 9153 X
0600 4028 X ? ?
0600 6786 X
0600 6795 X
0600 9238 X
0700 5417 ?
0800 6786 ?
0800 6983 ?
0800 8992 ?
0900 7726 ?
1100 4036 X
1500 3245 ?
1600 6855 ?
Listen to an Atencion Station with three messages (ENIGMA V2)
The number of times "final" is said at the end of the broadcast varies between one and three times (though I've heard reports of it being said four times). This is curious. The transmissions are computer generated. The number of times "final" is said should be constant. The only reason it would vary is if someone is making it vary. Why? It must have some meaning. Does it indicate the priority of the message? Additional instructions for decoding?
Listen to the young SS/YL announcer (ENIGMA V2)
Listen to the older SS/YL announcer (ENIGMA V2)
They are believed to originate from Cuba. Much circumstantial evidence exists for this, such as Radio Havana Cuba audio mixing in with the numbers, etc. In addition, the FCC did DF a 5 figure Spanish Numbers Station to Cuba many years ago.
These stations generally tend to have poor technical quality. In addition to the above-mentioned cases of audio from Radio Havana mixing in, they are also known for generally having poor audio quality. Buzzing and hum is often present. Signal strengths are often quite strong however. The times I have checked, I have often (but not always) found signals strengths about equal to Radio Havana. Perhaps this indicates shared facilities.
These stations have occasionally shown a humorous side. Sometimes, raspy morse code is heard just
prior to the start of a transmission. Sometimes, the message "HI DE ?" is sent. A rather humorous
way of not identifying oneself.
Here's an Atencion station with some severe audio troubles (ENIGMA V2)
The following transmission was copied on January 5, 1998 on 7472 kHz at 0600Z:
ATENCION 697 05 ATENCION 697 05 ATENCION 697 05 ATENCION 697 05 ATENCION 697 05 05 55 05 55 05 55 05 55 05 55 65559 49038 32625 61451 53759 86509 50443 56284 75516 71674 54564 37378 27215 45364 59495 74748 45552 51241 45658 49401 67456 34847 35625 14142 56474 83949 45562 37267 15143 56869 54647 82716 15253 65475 48596 90650 50586 89584 73727 61261 56637 23838 48387 27167 16254 67585 89594 09658 56434 90943 94553 76278 12817 26374 98548 FINALE FINALE
The following transmission was copied on January 3, 1998 on 4028 kHz at 0200Z:
ATENCION 96602 03061 06421 ATENCION 96602 03061 06421 ATENCION 96602 03061 06421 ATENCION 96602 03061 06421 96602 96602 96602 96602 96602 88038 90369 99507 35147 56505 86686 97798 23026 64741 40828 63836 53221 20202 98917 00089 59463 49190 23573 73327 54943 14028 28359 13668 05735 96047 558.. 66672 83156 97027 03579 05591 98646 03813 94272 96648 60784 00099 46893 35527 99717 08635 90442 70065 37138 84803 12846 86410 22254 94331 82058 33984 21295 29596 45182 13448 98812 66952 85166 97762 58655 26995 54754 33338 72641 31348 47493 88098 91414 03075 75032 00532 17086 91359 65973 32976 70528 35177 68461 04166 59180 33907 39920 62276 98717 76125 11364 11248 20799 28640 85656 05654 18994 74348 49155 32183 15652 14254 93656 52238 24491 14858 18509 99682 16293 12660 61212 28936 01479 14593 76377 72472 05062 16867 54363 83823 62720 97021 42759 40784 21775 19156 76162 25871 08179 79091 77241 39798 22632 92224 58142 03708 78796 61378 67962 76258 11333 95445 28349 57922 91520 51068 56153 64675 43373 32744 92737 28586 54348 88038 90369 03061 03061 03061 03061 03061 10489 48038 60594 98566 00685 60927 69935 92546 58040 52788 74642 38273 47225 06569 69674 85376 47411 51391 08704 6963. 95950 3.733 97419 84174 44632 69183 35162 49432 47842 08122 70186 57337 59850 65683 63032 75886 61322 07574 84432 47341 40146 84214 37858 34909 36847 62852 90569 44837 15011 99888 23127 17331 67132 51441 69420 85312 09386 98440 38651 43506 93903 83083 74248 29507 37798 74985 97473 08692 48069 29735 13971 22563 95816 85215 36267 26487 81085 23088 47015 09750 40738 33345 71057 39382 87980 80163 14672 92529 .6628 70915 23309 40774 71228 80438 51134 64725 98558 76825 82651 77876 208.. 60202 65696 20873 55832 90429 17556 34626 00232 85796 61001 27816 95841 24855 23864 93684 19452 47328 45267 10716 86042 15570 53937 49366 26717 55645 91896 01967 27844 54037 99879 68019 22208 88989 27398 60192 05648 88031 93764 60014 58579 88859 60649 94929 96924 85841 19290 13234 10489 48038 06421 06421 06421 06421 06421 29670 30622 65831 10446 65564 39624 57689 28106 92137 91813 26932 00216 00892 00880 46863 98848 10736 07919 12996 97085 87139 21744 51997 20715 36346 50162 02699 95403 00048 17968 46579 55546 38052 70349 23341 73025 51028 86107 26420 06939 13082 74062 43185 23105 19834 84118 32312 60410 07059 28210 51104 29559 45133 40155 82303 61986 05590 33840 87053 66871 53094 73897 08409 32083 68318 18546 15186 90606 97136 60070 30231 30771 43886 62784 74295 39542 30343 42444 19718 48440 23906 72874 12427 96871 65880 02935 34037 92891 11178 17862 26572 06660 12165 77688 96984 88472 09306 88891 48426 20928 75592 77264 64137 94451 83192 69559 57318 18759 96029 24087 33435 63703 24229 08549 32546 12086 48413 40943 54495 35286 38317 74408 74546 19008 45416 83328 61171 62184 68972 84116 12383 22463 62832 43973 15753 00278 24407 53836 43406 99342 83955 76589 02096 48399 11576 05430 49922 12391 29670 30622 FINALE FINALE FINALE
This is a copy of The Numbers Racket CD-ROM, which I prepared back in 1998. I am presenting it here, unedited, for historical purposes. Obviously most if not all of the information is 'out of date' today, but think of it as a snapshot of what the Spy Numbers scene was like in the late 1990s.
Like what you see here? Help support my work by taking a look at my software , and buy something of interest :) It's all available for download before purchase, so you can try it out.