by Anonymous Coward writes:
on Friday August 11, 2017 @03:27PM (#54993171)
It doesn't run for free. It has power lines that someone pays the bills for the power usage. No doubt Russia has an FCC equivalent that all radio broadcasters must be licensed with. If it isn't officially licensed, then the government is allowing it, meaning the government is ultimately running it.
Surprisingly enough, however, it almost certainly reaches the right conclusion. Look up numbers stations [wikipedia.org]. Probably the thing you are forgetting is that the Soviet military (with a reasonably high proportion of Russian officers) showed very high levels of competence at all sorts of times. Mixed with the kinds of disasters that probably no other military in the world could achieve.
by Anonymous Coward writes:
on Friday August 11, 2017 @03:59PM (#54993363)
The most obvious explanation is it is part of a military strategy to facilitate an insurgency should Russia be invaded.
Basilcy the station broadcasts nonsense on regular intervals so that at any time in the future it can be used by remnants of the Russian military to broadcast coded information without giving away the fact that they started communicating. It also broadcasts a solid tone and heartbeat so they can reduce the likelihood of somone else using the channel and so they can tell if the station is destroyed or deactivated without waiting for the next broadcast. It is also possible but IMO less likely that it is in active use for espionage.
It probably isn't a nuclear deadman switch as those would have been shut down as part of post soviet disarmament. It might have been a decoy deadman switch that no one has the guts to turn off because they can't find the documentation saying where the missiles it controls are and are (because they don't exist) but no one is entirely certain the documents weren't just lost.
It also probably isn't just a random troll as it's continued operation implies that someone with some kind of pull set it up not just a random citizen (they had to make arrangements with the power company at the very least, and likely ongoing matinance given it's age)
"The Buzzer" is a common nickname for a Russian Western Military District commandment network, which operates on the frequency 4625 kHz around the clock. The name comes from its signature channel marker used to keep the frequency clear - 1.25s buzzing tone, followed by a 1.85s pause.
The Soviet (and later Russian) nuclear dead-man mechanism is reasonably well know to the public by now (well such things are hard to verify of course). It includes a lot of sensors designed to detect nuclear detonations on Russian ground, specialized hardened communications lines and hardened bunker(s) that is always active. If sensors detect detonations _and_ the normal chain of command can't be reached the personnel at the bunker(s) is given authority to decide if a nuclear attack have occurred and if ret
The 4625 kHz freq only requires less than 100 watts to effectively reach the entire earth. A 100 watt amp that runs off a 12 volt automotive battery is easily available at any short wave radio store. A simple solar charger and a 12V battery could power the station.
It's been broadcasting since the early 80's. If it was solar powered back then the panels or the place where the panels were placed would be visible on Google maps. It is possible that they have switched to solar since it was first setup, but without any longer interruption of the signal we can assume that it is the same operator now as it was back then. If it isn't connected to the grid it is more likely that it is running from a gas/diesel generator. (And it probably have one as a backup anyway.)
Plenty of unlicensed bands especially for worldwide broadcasting. The NSA and every other government agency in the world have number stations going well back to the Second World War. And even I can find abandoned industrial parks and even residential areas where the power is still on, energy companies can't just be bothered to turn off certain things or engineer a way to disconnect an area of the power grid without affecting surrounding areas and dependencies.
Follow the money (Score:5, Insightful)
It doesn't run for free. It has power lines that someone pays the bills for the power usage. No doubt Russia has an FCC equivalent that all radio broadcasters must be licensed with. If it isn't officially licensed, then the government is allowing it, meaning the government is ultimately running it.
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:1)
Surprisingly enough, however, it almost certainly reaches the right conclusion. Look up numbers stations [wikipedia.org]. Probably the thing you are forgetting is that the Soviet military (with a reasonably high proportion of Russian officers) showed very high levels of competence at all sorts of times. Mixed with the kinds of disasters that probably no other military in the world could achieve.
Re:Follow the money (Score:5, Informative)
The most obvious explanation is it is part of a military strategy to facilitate an insurgency should Russia be invaded.
Basilcy the station broadcasts nonsense on regular intervals so that at any time in the future it can be used by remnants of the Russian military to broadcast coded information without giving away the fact that they started communicating. It also broadcasts a solid tone and heartbeat so they can reduce the likelihood of somone else using the channel and so they can tell if the station is destroyed or deactivated without waiting for the next broadcast. It is also possible but IMO less likely that it is in active use for espionage.
It probably isn't a nuclear deadman switch as those would have been shut down as part of post soviet disarmament. It might have been a decoy deadman switch that no one has the guts to turn off because they can't find the documentation saying where the missiles it controls are and are (because they don't exist) but no one is entirely certain the documents weren't just lost.
It also probably isn't just a random troll as it's continued operation implies that someone with some kind of pull set it up not just a random citizen (they had to make arrangements with the power company at the very least, and likely ongoing matinance given it's age)
Re: (Score:0)
thanks officer
Re: (Score:0)
"The Buzzer" is a common nickname for a Russian Western Military District commandment network, which operates on the frequency 4625 kHz around the clock. The name comes from its signature channel marker used to keep the frequency clear - 1.25s buzzing tone, followed by a 1.85s pause.
Link [priyom.org]
Re: (Score:0)
It probably isn't a nuclear deadman switch as those would have been shut down as part of post soviet disarmament.
Except they destroyed *some* missiles. They still have an arsenal of a similar size to the US.
Re: (Score:2)
The Soviet (and later Russian) nuclear dead-man mechanism is reasonably well know to the public by now (well such things are hard to verify of course). It includes a lot of sensors designed to detect nuclear detonations on Russian ground, specialized hardened communications lines and hardened bunker(s) that is always active. If sensors detect detonations _and_ the normal chain of command can't be reached the personnel at the bunker(s) is given authority to decide if a nuclear attack have occurred and if ret
Re: (Score:0)
Cut the power and see if it's fixed.
Re: (Score:0)
The 4625 kHz freq only requires less than 100 watts to effectively reach the entire earth. A 100 watt amp that runs off a 12 volt automotive battery is easily available at any short wave radio store. A simple solar charger and a 12V battery could power the station.
Re: (Score:0)
It's been broadcasting since the early 80's. If it was solar powered back then the panels or the place where the panels were placed would be visible on Google maps.
It is possible that they have switched to solar since it was first setup, but without any longer interruption of the signal we can assume that it is the same operator now as it was back then.
If it isn't connected to the grid it is more likely that it is running from a gas/diesel generator. (And it probably have one as a backup anyway.)
You don't e
Re: (Score:3)
Improbable but not impossible: the first lightbulb is still running
Re: Follow the money (Score:2)
Plenty of unlicensed bands especially for worldwide broadcasting. The NSA and every other government agency in the world have number stations going well back to the Second World War. And even I can find abandoned industrial parks and even residential areas where the power is still on, energy companies can't just be bothered to turn off certain things or engineer a way to disconnect an area of the power grid without affecting surrounding areas and dependencies.
Re: (Score:0)
Mueller will get there soon.