The Buzzer (UVB-76, NZhTI) is a shortwave radio signal of Russian origin. The exact purpose of the station is unknown, but it has a confirmed connection to Russian military operations. The Buzzer is operational 24/7 on a frequency of 4625kHz, best heard on either upper-side band or AM. It produces an analog buzzing sound occasionally interrupted by a live voice transmission. The transmissions are always mostly different, and no decryption is known to the public. Most radio enthusiasts that listen to the Buzzer do it for fun, instead of trying to crack any potential codes. When the station was first heard, its callsign was УЗБ76 (UZB76), which got misunderstood as UVB76. The original transmission site was in Moscow, but it is now abandoned. The Buzzer now transmits from slightly out of St. Petersburg, and uses the callsign НЖТИ (NZhTI). Pirates, or people transmitting illegally, like to mess around on the Buzzer frequency. Because of this, sometimes the signature buzz gets turned off and a loud, annoying transmission jammer turns on in its place. Here, I’ll document anything interesting I find on the Buzzer while I’m listening!
Estrelle Skies
The Buzzer
- 20:44 UTC
Pirate playing Bella Ciao on buzzer. Bella Ciao is an anti-fascist song from Italy in WWII, so it’s on theme for a pirate jamming a Russian military station
- Woah, A blog specifically for the Buzzer?
It’s more likely than you’d think 🙂
Anyways, If you’d like to learn more about the buzzer, I recommend Priyom, a website dedicated to odd things on shortwave/high frequency radio. Also shoutout to ABOBA, the radio pirate/pirate group that drew my attention to the frequency. I don’t condone illegal transmissions, but dang getting rickrolled on the Buzzer was hilarious.
Note, I am a licensed amateur radio operator in the US, so this is my obligatory “don’t do radio crimes” post. Transmitting on 4625kHz or other non-ham frequencies is illegal and I highly recommend you know your local radio laws before attempting to transmit anything. Please keep everything legal, though, as my goal in this blog is to expand interest in shortwave radio, not encourage crimes. Do not do radio piracy, go get a ham license. It’s so rewarding to be able to say that you worked for your ability to have your voice on air. If you’re interested in operating a radio, start here. Happy listening and please don’t do anything illegal!