Underground Frequency Guide: A Directory of Unusual, Illegal and Cover Radio Communications

Donald W. Schimmel

Readers who have spent any time at all exploring the shortwave radio dial (DXing, in nerdspeak) have probably heard at least one of the many stations that broadcast, except for the occasional verbal non-sequitur, nothing but an endless series of numbers in Spanish, English or German. What the heck is that about? Hmmm, let’s see . . . there’s no hideous Whitney Houston songs and the voice doesn’t sound like Casey Kasem, so we can pretty much rule out the “American Top 40,” countdown; no one ever says “Breaker, breaker, good buddy,” or “Bear in the air” so it’s definitely not wayward CB radio transmissions. Well, wonder no more! Now there’s a comprehensive (albeit vaguely speculative) guide to the mysterious world of “unusual, illegal, and covert radio communications.” The third edition of Donald Schimmel’s Underground Frequency Guide not only gives all the information available on those “numbers” stations (usually coded espionage messages) but also many other bizarre shortwave anomalies. Find out which weird “beeps,” “rasps” and “foghorns” are the clandestine communications of spies, smugglers or paramilitary guerillas and which ones are still just weird “beeps,” and “rasps” and “foghorns." DB

Publisher: Hightext
Paperback: 200 pages
Illustrated