The Squeaky Wheel

Presumed Russian secret radio station

The Squeaky Wheel

* Russia

Frequency| 3363.5 kHz (day)
5367 kHz (night)
Programming
Format| Repeated squeaks, occasional voice messages in Russian
Affiliations| Russian Armed Forces (unconfirmed)
Ownership

Sister stations

| The Buzzer, The Pip
History

First air date

| 2000

The Squeaky Wheel

Distinctive two-tone and three-tone channel markers for the Squeaky Wheel

* * *

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The Squeaky Wheel (a nickname given by radio listeners) is a utility shortwave radio station that broadcasts a distinctive sound. From around 2000 until 2008 the station's attention tone was a high-pitched two tone signal that vaguely resembled a squeaky wheel. From 2008 the channel marker changed to two different tones in a short sequence repeated with a short silent gap. In 2023 the marker was changed to a low-tone pip marker.

The frequencies are 5367 kHz (day) and 3363.5 kHz (night).[1][2] Several times voice messages in Russian military format have been reported. The exact transmitter site is unknown, but is thought to be near Rostov-on-Don, Russia.[2] The signal strength is weak in Central Europe and the signal sometimes even disappears for days in the noise.

Other frequencies observed are 3650 kHz, 3815 kHz, 5474 kHz, 5641 kHz[3] and 4201 kHz

The Enigma designation is S32[2][4] with S indicating Slavic language. However, from 2000 to 2005 it was designated XSW when voice on the station was unknown.[5]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Boender, Ary (3 August 2006). "Numbers and Oddities". Spooks. 107. Archived from the original on 20 May 2008.
2. ^ a b c "Squeaky Wheel". www.numbers-stations.com. Archived from the original on 26 October 2014. Retrieved 25 October 2014.
3. ^ Rogers, B (November 2008). "Mystery Signals of Shortwave". Archived from the original on 19 January 2018. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
4. ^ "MX" (PDF). Numbers and Oddities. 28 July 2011. p. 2\. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 April 2015. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
5. ^ "The Squeaky Wheel". Priyom.org Number Stations Research. Archived from the original on 2 July 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.

## External links

[edit]

* The Squeaky Wheel on Priyom.org
* The Squeaky Wheel

59°44′17″N 30°16′13″E﻿ / ﻿59.7381°N 30.2703°E﻿ / 59.7381; 30.2703