Truth about UVB (UZB) 76 'The Buzzer'
The Buzzer, Жужжалка, UVB-76 (mishearing of UZB-76), UZB-76 (?-2010), MDZhB (2010-2015), ZhUOZ (2016-)
Frequencies: 4625
Status: Active
Voice: Live male and female operators
Emission mode: USB, often with carrier
Location Audio feed: St. Petersburg, Russia (Communication Hub #60 Vulcan, Staff of the Western Military District);
Broadcast sites: near St. Petersburg, near Moscow
The Buzzer is a common nickname for a Russian Western Military District commandment network, which operates on the frequency 4625 kHz around the clock. The name comes from its signature channel marker used to keep the frequency clear - 1.25s buzzing tone, followed by a 1.85s pause.
The source of its transmissions is the Communication Hub #69 (Iskra), although Communication Hub #60 (Irtysh) is occasionally used. According to our sources, its radio unit is located in the same place as the Sudak communication hub (Agalatovo). There are several kinds of messages, all sent using the circular callsign ZhUOZ, assigned to all military units i the Western Military District:
Monolith type messages - most common one
Uzor type messages
Command messages, such as КОМАНДА 145 (145 indicates a training alert; 45 indicates a real alert) - by this command all personnel should arrive into assigned positions.
This station also has a Morse code version which sends the same messages nearly simultaneously with the voice version. However, its frequencies change seasonally. Channel separation problems have allowed the Morse version to be heard behind the voice one occasionally.
The structure is built using old equipment, which fails quite often. This is especially true for channelizing equipment of relay lines - as a result, we've been able to catch leaked phone calls, which came through the Iskra site, but not through Irtysh. The latter also offers the best audio quality, as it is the newest site among them all, built in 1991. The network is probably organized using the 257Ц2 equipment (комплекс технических средств дистанционного управления связью и обеспечения передачи сигналов централизованного боевого управления Монолит-АС - system for communications remote control and for transmitting central commandment control signals Monolith-AC)
The Buzzer was first reported as early as 1976, and as late as 1982. Prior to 1990, its channel marker was a short, high pitched tone emitted every two seconds. Prior to April 14th, 2009, The Buzzer signal was continuous in the last minute of each hour. Prior to September 2010, The Buzzer was transmitted from former Communication Hub #143 in Povarovo near Moscow, and used the callsign UZB-76. In September 2010, the callsign has changed to MDZhB, and the transmitter was moved to its present locations, and its activity has significantly increased, due to much larger area to be covered (the new Western Military District; The Buzzer formerly served the Moscow Military District) - some facts and faces about The Buzzer site move can be found here (in Russian). On December 28th, 2015, the station adopted a new and still current circular callsign, ZhUOZ.