UVB-76 = The Russian “Ghost Station” Playing Gangnam Style

We’re suckers for weird s**t. And this next thing is pretty weird. There is a Russian radio signal known as “UVB-76.” It’s what’s called a “number signal,” so it broadcasts mostly static, but sometimes numbers, and usually the same numbers. And it is a mystery to all, this particular one. Because no one knows where it comes from.

Broadcasts like UVB-76 aren’t new. They’ve been around since radio’s been around, and it’s probable that they were sending secret codes to spies back before any idiot could pick up radio signals on a mail order crystal set. But this one had been ongoing until 2010, sending static, a foghorn sound, and the occasional slew of code, which might go something like this, “”Ya UVB-76, Ya UVB-76. 180 08 BROMAL 74 27 99 14. Boris, Roman, Olga, Mikhail, Anna, Larisa. 7 4 2 7 9 9 1 4″.

One idea behind this was brought about via the Simpsons, that it’s a “dead hand,” and as long as it’s still broadcasting, everything’s okay. But that’s pretty much bust because there was no nuclear apocalypse in 2010 when, after a bit of action, it went off air.

Cool thing is it didn’t totally stay off air. Recently, the station started playing Psy’s “Gangnam Style.” Of course, you have to take into consideration that Russia loves this song, and they may simply be broadcasting it as a war strategy. But also, the station is broadcasting memes. How the hell is that, right? Well, you catch a visual of radio waves when you use a spectrum analyzer, and someone can hack the signal to make the spectrum look like a meme face. Pro-level stuff; this isn’t typing 58008 in a calculator and flipping it to spell “boobs,” but it is the same principle.

And all of the sudden it’s back to doing its mysterious stuff. No words said (except the codewords.)

So what the hell is this UVB-76 “ghost station”? Who’s running it or is anybody running it at all? And why did it go out? Is this worth going to the Russian Consulate about?

No. Of course it’s not worth going to the Russian Consulate about. It’s just a fun thing.

And please don’t call the State Department. I’m sure they already know, and in the words of Sweet Brown, ain’t nobody got time for that.

But I wouldn’t bring this to your attention if I couldn’t help you experience the Russian ghost station of UVB-76. Aim your clicker below to a live stream of UVB-76.