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 Obviously most if not all of the information is 'out of date' today, but think of it as a snapshot of what the Spy Numbers scene was like in the late 1990s.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!

Terminology

Terminology

Let's briefly go over some of the abbreviations and terminology used when discussing Numbers Stations. While some Numbers Stations have been given unique names, many are described by the format that they use in their broadcasts. An example might be YL/SS/5FG. What does this mean? The YL refers to the sex of the voice used, female in this case. The SS refers to the langauge used, Spanish. The 5FG refers to the format of the message sent. In this case, the message was broken into blocks of five figures (usually digits, sometimes letters are sent).

Here's a rundown of the different abbreviations used to describe Numbers Stations: 

Sex

OM		Male	(OM is a ham radio term, meaning Old Man)
YL		Female	(Another ham term, meaning Young Lady)

Langauge

CC		Chinese
CZ		Czech
EE		English
FF		French
GG		German
RR		Russian
SS		Spanish

Format

4FG		Four figures
5FG		Five figures
3/2FG           A format unique to The Counting Station. 5FG groups, with a pause between
                the third and fourth digits.
5L		Five letters, usually using the phonetic alphabet.

Other Terms Used:


Count           The number of groups transmitted in a message. The count is usually sent
                at the beginning of a transmission, so the recipient knows how many groups
                are to be copied.
 
Group           A combination of digits transmitted together. For example, if five digits
                are transmitted between pauses, then the station is said to transmit 5
                figure groups, abbreviated "5FG".
                 
Identifier      A number, usually three digits, repeated at the beginning of a transmission.
                It is believed that this number identifiers who the message is for.

Copyright 1997 Chris Smolinski. All Rights Reserved.
Last Update: July 20, 1997.

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.