Could somebody listen to Russia, for a moment?

June 5, 2010 10:47 PM

Does anyone have a shortwave radio, or something that could pick up an AM station in Russia?

Ok, so I have some guy I know ranting that rebels have taken over a Russian nuclear missile facility, and people freaking out in another forum because the UVB-76, after 28+ years of continuous broadcast, has gone offline. I think it's all lies and coincidence, but I'm curious because there are a few things that do seem odd.

Anyhow...

If anyone has a radio or something to confirm this, could you do me a solid and see if that station is still buzzing?

Here's a Wikipedia article on the station. I think there's a link at the bottom for frequency, and whatnot. I don't know the first thing about radio transmission, so... sorry I can't answer any questions that may be necessary.

posted by Bathtub Bobsled to Technology (8 answers total)

Actually, the interwebs can do that for you.

Here's a link

The link says 4625 AM, but that doesn't appear on any of the freq meters I see there. Is that the right freq?
posted by sanka at 10:59 PM on June 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

Slashdot seems to be discussing this as well, for what its worth. I figure there's a high likelihood of someone there having some insight.
posted by dantekgeek at 11:02 PM on June 5, 2010

Response by poster: It all seems like a not-elaborate hoax, to me. I just wish someone could pull this up on their radio and tell people to "STFU. It still playing the same damn song."
posted by Bathtub Bobsled at 11:09 PM on June 5, 2010

Response by poster: Dunno. Another site had the freq at 4.625 Mhz.

Oh wait...
posted by Bathtub Bobsled at 11:14 PM on June 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Best answer: Look, I've been watching this too, but it's really the kind of silly bullshit that makes the internet stupid. The source of the "rumor" that UVB-76 has gone offline appears to have been Wikipedia itself - given that there's no mention whatsoever anywhere on the internet that I can find from before the edit was made.

So in order to believe that this inane rumor has any actual basis whatsoever, you'd have to believe that (a) the first person to notice this in Nowheresville, Russia was a diligent Wikipedian and that (b) they didn't talk to anyone else about it online or post anything of substance, but instead popped up a ridiculous "the world is gonna end!" blurb on Wikipedia.

You should note over everything else that the blurb on Wiki that started all of this ridiculous stupidity was really, really dumb. It was obviously an act of vandalism, not an act of reporting.

Please tell the guy you know not to be a complete idiot.
posted by koeselitz at 11:20 PM on June 5, 2010 [2 favorites]

Of course, I should point out that the Dead Hand Russian anti-nuclear counteroffensive device appears to be a real, historical fact. There's a very good Wired article from last year that suggests that it's still around, and being upgraded consistently. But the ideas involved in this silly conspiracy theory – namely (a) that station UVB-76, admittedly unexplained, has anything whatsoever to do with Perimeter/Dead Hand, and that (b) UVB-76 has stopped transmitting, are ridiculous. There are no credible sources for either of these conjectures, and moreover whatever credible sources there actually are make them seem silly and stupid.

The station hasn't stopped transmitting. Even if it had, it wouldn't be some sign of impending nuclear war. Some idiot just had some little fun vandalizing a Wikipedia article, and in the time it took the Wiki people to delete the vandal's little joke there was mystical bullshit afoot on teh intarwebs.
posted by koeselitz at 11:28 PM on June 5, 2010 [1 favorite]

Response by poster: Actually, though... When I look at the time stamp, I noticed that it was posted :10 after the convo. Jerk probably put it up when we told him to put his tin foil helmet back on.
posted by Bathtub Bobsled at 11:29 PM on June 5, 2010

Response by poster: Great info koes. Thank you.
posted by Bathtub Bobsled at 11:31 PM on June 5, 2010