[Spooks] Numbers Stations in Los Angeles and code-burst equipment

[Hugh Stegman]

Nicholas Gessler wrote:

> Thanks to all of you who offered suggestions on picking up
> numbers stations in Los Angeles.  I'll try these out...

Today's 17515 kHz V02a sked is a bit rough.  It started at 1630, and the 
signal strength is down.  There's a hum on the audio, and once again 
today we have the odd cross-modulation situation with World Harvest 
Radio on 17520.  WHRI's modulation is clearly audible on V02a's carrier, 
and if V02a ever gets its audio as good as yesterday, it'll be audible 
on WHRI.

This is too technical for a class of students, but I thought I'd explain 
why it sounds so strange.

Keep in mind that Cuban numbers probably have the worst engineering of 
anything on the air.  No one is quite sure why.  I don't buy the 
argument that Cubans just can't do radio right, because their Radio 
Reloj is the tightest format in broadcasting.  But this particular bunch 
always seems to be on the edge of total chaos.

I don't monitor SK01 any more if it's in RDFT.  DIGTRX is just too 
unstable on this computer.

-hugh