I'll say this man. Your videos are almost perfect. Not too long, not too short, well researched, well spoken. If there was anything I would change, it would be that you have a bigger following and more awesome content!

Hi Lewis. I couldn't call myself a radio enthusiast, but I am a military enthusiast, and your video about Duga (Russian Woodpecker) radar brought me to your channel. There I found out your videos about numbers stations, and become addicted to them. I just wanted to thank you for your content, and encourage you to continue with the numbers stations series, as I consider them extremely interesting. On another note, after watching your video "Everything You Should Know About Secret Numbers Stations & How To Listen" I couldn't get out of my head that Lincolnshire Poacher melody for 3 days, so here we go again...😮‍💨 Cheers from Croatia.

A good read that explains the 5 digit strings themselves is Between Silk and Cyanide: A Codemaker's War, 1941-1945 by Leo Marks.

The voice generator was deffinetly much more sophisticated than generators used for Eastern Europe (and Cuban) operations, it also played midi music.

I used to listen to the Conet Project a lot in uni, I would sometimes try to recreate or reimagine the sounds in my work. Nice to hear a really good description of the station.

Tip top mate, thanks for this. Isn't this bit of nonsensical mystery why so many of us are so drawn to the ether? Fantastic Lewis... 😊 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

As a radio ham, I find your video very interesting. Decades ago, I used to listen to short wave and heard the numbers on many occasions, wondering where they came from and why....2E0BGB...

I use the lil jingle that lincolnshire poacher uses as my notification tone on my phone it creeps some people out but others recognized it and was like heyyyy. good times. keep up the awesome videos man much love from middle of the desert in California

Gotta love how cheery that tune is.

Thanks Lewis. Brings back loads of memories of days when you could hear voice transmissions of all sorts instead of the now terrible cacophony of interference. :-)

Many years spent working in and out at Gawcott TX station normally in the Transmitter hall and Standby generator house and with a few Ariel concrete bases constructed for new H/F antennas. Happy days spent at FCO Hanslope Park. Marc In Bletchley G6XEG

Another fine video, Ringway. I did think a more effective way of jamming would be to re-broadcast one or two older messages over the current one being sent, so that the numbers are jumbled but with the same voice. And listening to it reminded me of the days of the football results being read out for the pools. ( You know I am old) As ever all the best.

I discovered your channel yesterday , I love stuff like this ! I rewatched an old video from Dark 5 that talks about number stations , Lincolnshire poacher is one of them . Number stations are so intriguing and creepy at the same time . I always imaging being alone at night , scanning the frequencies and coming across some eerie message . Love it !

What intrigues me about all this is that if numbers stations such as this one have closed down, what has replaced them?. I cannot believe that the UK, for example does not still have spies operating all over the world, if so, how do we communicate with them?. If digital, and internet systems are easily intercepted, is there some top secret means of communication that nobody knows about?.

Thanks. You got me back into SW after 20 years. The numbers station vids are especially satisfying. In the mid 1980’s I had a Panasonic SW set (I was living in Ontario, Canada at the time) and would tune in to all the hits, BBC World, Radio Moscow, VOA, etc, and was particularly pleased when I came across a numbers station. I remember the Lincolnshire Poacher very well. The Cold War was scary but it made for great radio😂

I just heard this tonight. I thought it wasn’t transmitting anymore, so either I heard a pirate having a laugh…or it’s started up again. I’m brand new to this okay? So I’m sorry I have missing information. I’m in Fort Collins Colorado, and at 3:59 UTC I initiated an ETM scan on my tecsun pl-330 -23 foot wire antenna leading to the indoor ceiling of my home. The scan finished at 4:01 UTC and I began mindlessly scrolling through the ETM memories….and there it was. The infamous song, playing a few times before numbers were read aloud by the very same female voice + inflection. I froze in confusion, failing to write down any numbers, failing to make note of the frequency…just staring at the wall wide-eyed like “wtf this stopped in June 2008” I literally just watched your video on it a couple days prior. I did not have the best signal, it did not come in very clearly. I made the mistake of moving the antenna around a whole lot trying to get a better hold on it, and eventually I could only barely hear it. But it WAS the Lincolnshire Poacher, it WAS the same voice. I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life. I know fakes exist, copycats love their moment in the spotlight. But I also know that the Wikipedia page and everyone else says it stopped in June 2008….so I just HAVE to mention it somewhere, just in case it really has started back up again. So, to make up for my mistake…I will replicate tonight’s scan every single night at the same time, in the same place, multiple different times throughout the day as well. This way, regardless of its validity, I will have more information to share with you. Fake or not, it made my entire week lol what a crazy thing to find…knowing it shouldn’t be there at all… I’d love to chat more with you about this if you would. Been obsessed with your videos lately, and I thought maybe you’d have some tips to help me figure this one out.

Fun fact: My LG washing machine plays The Lincolnshire Poacher when its done..

Enigma of the airwaves. Heh… I see what you did there. The “European Numbers Information Gathering and Monitoring Association” was a group that listened, logged, and shared information and findings about numbers stations.

The song Cherry Ripe has a direct connection with spying through John Buchan’s novel Mr. Standfast. I don’t know whether the Lincolnshire Poacher song has any literary connection…

If you plan to do the whole Enigma catalogue, i will be a very happy boy.

This is probably the most pleasant number station to listen to

You make the best kind of 'stock videos'. Great job man

*Bites tongue* Remembers Cyprus very well.

The ancestry of Lincolnshire Poacher goes back to the mid-1960's.. The orinigal tuning signal was a song called "Kiss Me Honey" by Shirley Bassey. It was later replaced by "Can't Buy Me Love" by The Beatles 73

I rarely comment but I enjoy your content. From NY, USA. Thank You!

A fantastic look in to something that’s held my attention for decades now. And uploaded as I prepare to go to the local club to listen to a lecture about operation boneaparte, and possibly join. Thanks for reawakening a long lost passion Lewis!

Another great video, I think I'm going to buy me a dongle, to listen again. Thanks to this channel. I have a dipole on my roof for testing FM transmitters, there is place for a few extra antennas, thank you so much.

I find myself watching your channel almost every night and learn more each time. So interesting.

My great uncle worked as a contracted electrical engineer for MI6 on Cyprus in the 1980s. I tried asking him about the Lincolnshire Poacher at a family reunion eight years ago, as he's long retired now, but he said he wasn't involved in anything like that, and he was skeptical about the whole concept. Whether he's taking what he knows with him when he goes or honestly didn't know anything about it while working there, I don't know.

Love this subject, I remember these curious transmissions , back in the 70s...on SW frequencies..

Heard it when working on rigs in the Libyan Sahara early 1980s, just across the Med from Cyprus. I thought it might be oil production figures!

A finger of fudge is just enough. Remember the advert? Its tune was the Lincolnshire poacher

Excellent video on this legendary station

Fascinating, thank you!

I was lucky enough to hear this in the late 90s. I had no Idea what it was about. I found this quite spooky and tried to find it again and again... Thanks for the information 👍

The tune from this makes an appearance in one of Big Finish Productions' Doctor Who spinoffs. _Counter Measures_ season 1 episode 2 "Artificial Intelligence". It brackets psychic transmissions by some experimental device with numbers inbetween. I think that episode's writer might have been familiar with the subject.

Once again thank you for such great content

The Iranian jamming is interesting

I'm pretty sure the tune is actually "a finger of fudge is just enough" from the classic 80's advert.

You film some really great shots for the backgrounds.

Would it be possible to put text on screen indicating where each mast or tower is that you're showing during the video?

The muezin's singing is also heard clearly in the background

Another great video Lewis..The Poacher was a very well known numbers station.. Waiting to see Cherry Ripe..regards Ray 2E0KCE..

I feel like it’s the end of the world when I hear this song

I cant wait for Cherry Ripe! I helped edit the Wikipedia page for it, it's actually how I found out about the conet project in the first place.

I believe the curious sounding instrument that played the Lincolnshire Poacher tune was a Calliope. Whether a real or synthesised one was recorded I’ve no idea.

My favourite number station 😊😊😊😊😊

If you listen carefully to the transmission it has breathy note to the female computer generated voice with great inflection on its last number to add a human touch to the sound ....and is almost like a steam fair calliope or calliopet machine speaking .....playing sweet music to the crowds ....and its the name of the greek goddess who did the also sing sweet music..... this coupled with folk songs 1st line of lyrics which states .."when I was bound a apprentice in famous Lincolnshire"...."full well i served my master for nigh on 7 years".....what better choice of song for a field agent when you think of the work of spying or intelligence gathering...often romanticised by Ian Fleming or John le carre ...but probably a tough assignment for an agent who had to endure years serving others under difficulty as the choice of song tune and lyrics clearly shows ......Great vid Lewis as always

Love your videos man, thanks for the entertainment!

It's crazy that some folks still expect you to have footage of supposed top secret locations as though you're James Bond or something. Enjoy the video. It's not that hard. And, you might learn something.

First heard about the Lincolnshire poacher from the Mark Thomas comedy product on channel four back in the 90s.

Not gonna lie I'd give my left bollock for that Conet Project 4 CD set ;D

Thanks!

A good example why the female voice carries better that a male voice. Good one Lewis.....Thank you.

Hi Lewis, great video on E03! My other half used to work for AirTanker and spent time at Akrotiri. Is that your TS-530S? Lovely old rig. 73

Fascinating. Thank you for your well researched and informative videos, Lewis.

I think the Stasi Gongs was the most famous number station. It broadcast on AM … and between the 49 and 41 metre broadcast bands, so you could easily stumble across it. Also quite high powered.

Thanks RM. Another Awesome Look into Number Stations and the Famous Lincolnshire Poacher****

Nice one

I really wanted a TS-530 when they came out.

04:22 "That sounds like my wife!" 😂

Silent Cecil or The Superbike (what I used to call my GSX650F) or Mr Boo's Big Chopper

Superb!

Did you mention The Lincolnshire Poacher is the quick march of the British Intelligence Service?

arrgh....like #9. I was going for 1st like. haha. Anyhoo, here in Canada [70s~80s] there used to be a kids show called "Harrigan". The show's opening theme song was a segment of the Lincolnshire Poacher music score.

Used to hear the Poacher all the time when I was over in England. I even copied the entire messages a time or two.

Thank you!

Thanks again!

Great video! Can anyone advise what was used to generate/automate/schedule the transmissions… were they pre-recorded or was this computer generated?

If only you’d thought to ask SIS for one of their pads!

1:46 no need to make a picture from (at earliest) 1985 looking like one from 1920s :D

4:22 It may be faulty but it seems to do the job.

i really enjoy the secret series :)

Wouldn't it be a little mischievous to broadcast a little earlier or later with your own numbers just to mess with them ? Would be a good gag. OR broadcast between the pauses with your numbers ? That would be gold.

well in general "spy radio" is partly correct but also missleading because number stations are always a mean of communication for embassues and external sources.... every embassy had a shortwave antenna till the 80ties and these antennas exactly dissapearde wiht the end of cynthia CIA, the BND portion of frankfurt antennnas and on british embassis with the end of the lincolnshire poacher......overy good video

I wonder if the people doing live reads actually know what the message says or if they are just reading something handed to them.

Some Secret! Five digit one time pad🤦. Can we say adghvx? Hey folks, we in the U.S. were still using Sigtot until 1925.

not so much of a secret anymore is it

I wonder how the _"Lincolnshire Poacher"_ liked his eggs? {I will see myself to the door now...😉}

Anthrax, ham radio, and liquor.

I had written a comment that would more than likely get a nice nock at my door. So I changed it to this

These numbers stations always remind me of spys and James Bond in Dr. No where england talked to an agent in Jamacia via radio and how once compromised the english govt. changed channels.

T H R E E

I didn't need to know any of that. I did find it interesting though. The mystery of what was it for, who was it for...and what were they up to...all things we'll likely never know.

Lovely radio. Have you done a vidjao about it? Do you lend her out?

What is this song actually? I mean its original name? By the way it is a really bad ear worm. :)

It's uncanny how even with a full explanation of what it is, who made it etc I still find it eerire as f*** when it plays and the voice begins.

One thing you didn’t mention about the Russian woodpecker is that there is a very in-depth movie documentary made about it that basically it’s the reason for Chernobyl crazy watch

Sounds like music on Radio 1 🤡😂🌈