I’ve written about numbers stations before. They’re fascinating to me. And, although I haven’t heard one in a while, sometimes they even pop up on 30 meters. Supposedly, these transmissions are nearly un-crackable coded messages to secret agents in foreign countries.
Well, if you’ve ever wanted to pretend that you were a secret agent, you’ll want to make sure to participate in this challenge from the Maritime Radio Historical Society. Their web page says,
On January 20 2024, KPH will transmit a coded message consisting of 5-digit groups. The message will be encrypted using typical Cold War numbers station cryptographic procedures. All KPH listeners are invited to try their hand at receiving and decrypting the message. Certificates will be awarded to those who successful decode the message. Additionally, a special certificate will be awarded to the first person to decode it.
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For helpful instructions on decoding numbers messages and related one-time pad procedures, please visit the Mission Critical Information page.
The secret transmissions will emanate from KPH on the U.S. west coast on a variety of frequencies. The CW transmissions will start at 2100Z. RTTY transmissions will follow. Let’s hope for good radio conditions that day.