Could This Short Wave Signal Trigger A Nuclear Armageddon? UVB-76 The Buzzer

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[dogsRichardnBryan]

A dead hand, is when you sit on your own hand til it becomes dead, or rather completely numb, then you pretend you are, ahem, shaking a pair of dice?

[Median]

UVB76 was very active this week (December 2024). I'm glad I came across this explanation, which I didn't see last year and which has the merit of explaining what the Buzzer is. Thanks for your work.

[ahedproductions]

Hello!
The buzzer has a twofold function. For one it reserves a channel, this one everyone got right. The second reason is evading most, but it's very practical - it is an auto-squelch, selcall for the HF. The receivers equipped to be on standby, scattered all over the military districts, have a re-settable, audio controlled, timered squelch. You don't want to sit and wash your brain off in the noise of the radio, waiting for a Monolith message. The buzzer sound resets the squeltch timer and keeps it closed. When the buzzing stops for a while, the timer times out and the radio switches audio on. This is all to it.

[raymondmartin]

In 1960, when I was in 10th grade, high-school. I phoned the USSR's Intourist for some Russian tourist information, answering their phone with an accent, what do you want.
They sent me literature that looked like what you showed the USSR published back in those years.

[nickes]

UVB-76 is what got me interested in numbers stations. So cool you are doing a piece on it. All your previous work is why subbed, and have learned things i would not normally look up. great channel mate.

[AlexWindsor]

SW hobbyists use the buzzer signal to see how good the conditions are for them to pick up stations, which is pretty much what the purpose is for it anyway

[dataterminal]

Have you managed to make it down to Hack Green's Secret Nuclear Bunker in Nantwich?
They have a bunch of radio stuff from both Russia and the UK, well worth a visit. The staff are super friendly and welcome photography. I'm sure if you asked nicely they'd do you an interview and a little tour if you wanted to make a little video about the place and the history it beholds.

[MMIMC]

I sent the Buzzer a QSL card to the Russian bureau. I'm still waiting for a response. 🤣

[Povilaz]

Ah, UVB-76. My morning alarm sound. Love the scanned background images.

[AdamSWL]

Thanks Lewis for going back in time and taking such good photos of the Soviet system.
Another excellent video!!

[MiiaFoxx]

So the exact military purpose of the buzzer is actually pretty well documented on the Russian internet. My Russian is dog shit but the buzzing is in fact a channel marker and the voice messages are in a format IIRC called Monolit and Uzor and they are some form of military instructions that can be decoded in the field by the right operators.

[prowler]

I find it hard to believe that this myth still has a chance to survive despite the large number of videos on YouTube of the buzzer dying, or needing to be 'rewound' after it stops working. Some of these break downs sound pretty amusing too.

[mkdy]

Loved the 1960's artwork on the magazines! Great vid, thanks!

[boilerroombob]

Love the buzzer great video Lewis not as strong as it used to be but still a main part of our shortwave stable x

[Subgunman]

Thank you for taking the time to research this bit of history! I find it very interesting and will have to check it out when I get my HF rig set up again, about a decade ago I spent time monitoring some numbers stations, can’t find my notes as to where on the bands I found a few. Radio China was another broadcaster I listened to, very subtle propaganda, they however get on one’s nerves real fast.

[tomsherwood]

Propagation test sigs in the US apparently consist of a sig that sweeps constantly. You can hear it for an instant when it passes by the frequency that you are on, but the modern ham rigs with spectrum display reveal it as a blip on the screen drifting from low to high till it is out of the display.

[Peter_S_]

That buzzer station reminded me instantly of the baseline to Warm Leatherette by The Normal.

[quik]

Knowing the guy who served there I can say there are like 3 different complexes hooked to a one antenna field. The most primitive of them transmits the buzz and it's just to prevent anyone else from uzing the frequency, tha one doing that has like a 50s era radio equipment that is extremely scary because of the voltages. Considering the Buzzer is located in the Moscow region, I'd assume it's a radio station for the General Staff's backup command post. Rumors are it is also used (or was used) as a berification tool for time or for radio equipment.

[therunt]

I love the way it sounds, like impending doom.

[janetwinslow]

Another fascinating video, and great that you tracked down those mazing old Soviet radio magazines!