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Stalingrad clock station – 6911 kHz

Many of the mysterious signals received by shortwave radio enthusiasts are transmitted from Russia, which “offers” us a new station on the frequency of 6911kHz. Little is known about this station, but we can say that it transmits a signal that sounds like the chimes of a large pendulum clock. However, the cadence is not every second but a bit slower, with about 52 or 53 “chimes” per minute. The name it is identified by is Stalingrad Clock station because this sort of ticking reminds one of the “ticking” of the Battle of Stalingrad: during World War II, between the summer of 1942 and February 1943, there were fierce conflicts between the Red Army and the Italian, German, and Hungarian troops for control of the Don and Volga river areas. During that period, numerous horn loudspeakers were installed throughout the city of Stalingrad (now Volgograd), from which Soviet propaganda music was played to demoralize the enemies. From these “horns” also came a sinister ticking sound, which this station resembles.

Its function is probably that of a channel marker, a signal always on air without interruptions, primarily to occupy the frequency and then as a test signal for those who need to receive that frequency, so they can verify the correct reception of the signal. As mentioned at the beginning, Russia also offers us other famous channel markers, such as The Buzzer, The Pip, Squeaky Wheel, The Goose, The Alarm, Air Horn, etc.; this station is probably related to them. So far, no voice messages or other oddities have been heard.

The broadcasts started in March 2024, on the same frequency in the past for a short time, a signal similar to that of The Buzzer was transmitted, probably this channel marker is transmitted at 6931kHz. In Italy, the signal is not very strong, and the best times to try to listen to it are at night. Reception might be possible even with cheap Chinese portable radios, but it is certainly better to try to receive it with rooftop antennas and amateur radio equipment.

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