Youtube hearted comments of Mike Black (@RevMikeBlack).

  1. The next door dad in my small southern town was a retired USAF Colonel who piloted a downed B-25. He was taken prisoner by the Germans but managed to escape into Denmark. He was picked up by the Underground and was back in England in six months. He was a cool guy and the Danish Resistance were incredibly brave men and women.
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  2. I am a South Carolina native, working on my seventh decade of life. I'm also an active, mainstream Christian. This guy is by far not our only deceased religious broadcaster. A radio evangelist in our northeastern city of Greenville has been dead for over fifty years, yet his family keeps him on shortwave and they continue to solicit donations. I hear him regularly. Also, you can still hear South Carolina native Reverend Ike selling his "prosperity packages," even though he has been gone thirty years. Yes, the small state of South Carolina is big on the religious airwaves!
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  3. I'm sorry that young shortwave listeners (if there are any) don't have the listening opportunities that my generation did during the hottest part of the Cold War. Soviet sphere propaganda and spy number transmissions were a constant source of listening enjoyment. Practically any radio would do, too. I used a tube driven Zenith Transoceanic. It was great!
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  4. I would be interested in a video about civilian enthusiasts' attempts to decode number stations. I have seen online groups who publish daily LISTSERVs of the previous night's transmissions, then try to solve them like puzzles... without using one time pads. I don't know how successful they are, but it's interesting to watch them try.
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  5. Again, your drone work is excellent. The shot of the plane flying by the antenna is most impressive! Thanks.
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  6. Thirty years ago I visited friends in Annapolis, Maryland USA to set up a big hi-fi audio system and especially to go fishing. Annapolis is home to the US Naval Academy and many naval operations. My friends, all native to the area, gave me a driving tour of the city. I saw antennas like I've never seen before or since. The strangest antenna system, so they told me, was for communicating with submarines. After seeing all the antennas that day, it occurred to me that it must take a huge amount of electricity to keep all that equipment running.
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  7. Good to see you back, Paul. Hope you're doing ok. Keep up the good work!
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  8. This is a good general introduction to number stations. New shortwave listeners will be amazed that they can find number stations using an inexpensive pocket radio they may already own. Thanks!
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  9. I think you did a great job clarifying some of the common misunderstandings about the Woodpecker receiving antenna. Too bad we don't have detailed imagery of the transmitter, but much of that info may still be classified in one way or another. I've always wanted to visit the exclusion zone and see the big antenna, as well as Chernobyl itself. I think the antenna is amazing. Sadly, it looks like I may never get an opportunity due to regional instability.
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  10. There are two conservative talk format FM radio stations where I live in the USA. The dominant of the two stations, operated by humans all day, runs flawlessly 24/7 and pulls in impressive advertising revenues. The other is primarily robotic and often goes haywire at night and on the weekends. Sometimes it goes dark and stays off for hours. Sometimes it plays two adverts or programs simultaneously, which is incredibly hard to tolerate more than a few seconds. I know one thing: I'd rather be the sales manager for the first station than the second.
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  11. I've really enjoyed this circular listening station series. I'm also amazed that I knew nothing about this, even though I've been an avid radio listener for six decades. I was born in the 1950s and grew up in Cold War America, five miles from a US Air Force Base. I knew plenty of guys in the military, both officers and enlisted personnel, who had been to war or had worked in intelligence of some kind. In discussions about communications, these antennas were never mentioned. I think one big reason may be that the people chosen to do those jobs are very loyal to their oaths of secrecy until death.
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  12. Thanks again for more great number station info. Can't get enough! I would add that I've really enjoyed the "substitute" antenna drone videos. Some of the footage is quite impressive. As I don't like being in high places, I find the views to be very interesting... something I'll never see in person. Since the number stations typically broadcast from clandestine locations anyway, it's nice to watch "antenna candy" while listening to the spooks.
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  13. I never bought into the dead hand theory. Nobody's that crazy, not even the Soviets. I always assumed The Buzzer was some sort of "reference tone." The Soviet RADIO magazine graphics are really cool. I hope you'll still share your own antenna images. Thanks.
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  14. I remember listening on my Transoceanic tube powered shortwave radio when I was a child. I thought it was the sound of helicopter radio transmissions from our soldiers in Vietnam. It's amazing what children can imagine.
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  15. Incompetent? HMO1 is my favorite! I live on the American east coast. You can pick it up on a pocket radio. If you're a SDR user, the best reception is on a receiver in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I find it interesting that it's easier to receive HMO1 in the northeast USA than it in south Florida, which is only 100 miles from Havana.
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  16. Very interesting presentation. There's nothing like going outside and testing one's theories. Of course, that's easy for me to say because where I live it rarely falls below freezing and it never snows. It takes real commitment to do what you do. I follow North Korea news daily. If their last payload ever actually worked, I'm sure it didn't last long. The North Koreans are talented thieves but they are weak innovators.
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  17. The close up drone footage of the windmill hub was most impressive. Thanks for sharing!
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  18. Although I understand why licensing of radios and television sets was implemented in the UK, the whole idea of pay radio sounds strange to those of use who grew up in America. The rule of thumb here is that if it's coming through your airspace, then you're free to listen... unless, of course, you're using equipment designed to illicitly decode secure government, military or financial communications. You can get in a lot of trouble for doing that and rightfully so.
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  19. I'm glad to see that the Russians still have the same "pride of place" that they did during the Soviet era. Nothing says "welcome to our community" quite as well as a stripped, abandoned car.
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  20. Great job. That intro was most impressive. Very artistic, creative and fun. One question: Do your eyes always glow in the dark or was that done exclusively for this episode? 🤣🤣🤣
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  21. Very interesting presentation. The Russian TT remains a formidable weapon. I find it interesting that both the TT, derived from the Browning 1905, and the western (Browning) Model 1911 have been in service for a century and both remain effective combat weapons. Of course, the Tu-95, the B-52 and the C-130 are still flying, even though all three are as old as the hills.
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  22. I've noticed the price drop at my local Myrtle Beach SC Lowe's, even though we have a tremendous amount of new home construction underway. That's good news because I can get back to work on my gazebo project.
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  23. More number stations? Can't get enough. Thanks!
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  24. Great video. Solid research and impressive imagery. Keep 'em coming!
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  25. After all, who doesn't love a little Spy vs. Spy?
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  26. I wonder how much electricity is used to power the transmitters under those antennas? It must be a huge amount.
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  27. Fascinating story. I hope they make it work.
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  28. I have a few DPRK English language broadcasts in my collection, but I haven't heard a new one in a long time. They're getting slack with their press releases as well. Too bad, because they had some of the best propaganda since the Soviet Union. Nobody calls me a capitalist American running dog anymore. It makes me miss the good old cold war days.
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  29. I miss Cold War shortwave radio. It was amazing what you could hear.
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  30. Excellent analysis. Thanks!
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  31. Very well-produced and informative.
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  32. I've had bad luck with several items like compressors & car battery chargers and the return process wasn't so great either. I think HF gets ripped off a lot by dishonest buyers who buy an item, use it three days, then take it back for a refund. To me, that's morally and ethically wrong, but HF accused me like everyone else. Hand tools are a different matter altogether. I have the complete line of hand wrenches and impact sockets and I think they're awesome. They fit perfectly and feel great. You're wasting your money if you buy those items anywhere else.
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  33. Hustler? It's definitely a poor choice for a brand name.
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  34. This is probably not the case, but the "stepping" sound is very much similar to that of a pulsar neutron star.
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  35. I would buy one, but the zoom indicator in the center of the image is a deal-breaker. I would want the binoculars for doing nighttime art photography. The zoom indicator ruins the photos. Why would the makers design it that way???
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  36. Before knowing that authentic Ryobi rechargeable tools come only from Home Depot in my area, I bought a "new" Ryobi impact wrench from Big A. Upon arrival, it fell out the box in pieces with no factory wrapping, manuals or accessories. It definitely wasn't new, but it may well have been stolen. There are hundreds of similar sellers on that site, all of whom use the same verbiage snd imagery. I got a full refund and learned a valuable lesson. Buyer beware!
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  37. That's one of the most frightening aviation recordings I've ever heard. However, all those hours in the simulator really paid off here. Even though the pilot was seriously distressed, his training kicked in and got him home safely. I can only imagine how distressed the air traffic controllers were as well. Will the entire recording be made available, too? Thanks for sharing.
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  38. I've never heard of these circular antennas before. What a fascinating design. When I first saw the photos, I thought "Duga UK" or the "British-American Woodpecker." From a distance, these antennas bear a strong resemblance to everybody's favorite huge antenna in Ukraine.
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  39. Another great episode. Thanks!
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  40. It would look awesome on my farm. It would make a great tent.
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  41. I lived through the Johnson presidency. Yes, he was a dishonest man, but he still loved America. I don't think LBJ holds a candle to Joe Biden. Biden doesn't love anyone but himself. Biden probably thinks HE won a silver star in WWII too
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  42. Queen Elizabeth using the handle Miss Liz sounds a bit far-fetched to me. Prince Charles and Princess Margaret were both young and adventurous during the CB era, so their participation is plausible. Princess Margaret would still do it because that's the way she rolls.
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  43. You really should be more careful. ManBearPig lives in lava caves.
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  44. I keep both soda and halon fire extinguishers in my home. Better safe than sorry.
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  45. One day we're going to learn that The Buzzer is being caused by an electric can opener. (A vague reference to Big Bang Theory.)
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  46. Very good!
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  47. It's interesting how technological innovations become historically attached to specific wars. Crimean War: First use of photography. World War I: First use of powered aircraft. World War II: First use of atomic weapons. Now in the Russia-Ukraine war, we are seeing the Internet being used as an effective, lethal weapon.
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  48. Blink three times if JB/BO is holding your pets hostage. We'll send help.
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  49. This stuff is getting out of hand. It's time for it to stop.
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  50. I noticed the digital chatter on The Buzzer last week. I've seen imagery in the buzzer as well, most recently a message suggesting that Russia should go have sex with itself. I assume the Ukrainians are behind it.
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  51. This is a great follow-up to your previous story. Thanks.
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  52. Spooky stuff!
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  53. Is that your Minkee? Does your Minkee have the proper li-sanze?
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  54. I find it interesting and saddening that very expensive radio installations often become worthless the moment the technology moves forward. Most of them aren't even recyclable except for the steel in their antennas. The law of the jungle definitely applies.
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  55. Beautiful location! Do they need someone to live at the transmitter and keep the grass cut? I'll volunteer!
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  56. Spy vs Spy! I love it when spooks have a go at each other on the airwaves. Although the Cold War was an awful time for the world, the constant flow of propaganda and spycraft was fascinating. I wish I had made more recordings back then.
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  57. The V28 announcer was very energetic. Nobody likes a slacker communist.
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  58. As a pastor and police chaplain, I've had to deal with suicides. They're always mysterious. Even worse, persons who commit suicide are really good at hiding their intentions once the decision has been made. If you think a friend or loved one is planning suicide, don't mess around. Call a family doctor or the police. (A doctor can order a "72 hour hold" in my state.) The person may hate you for doing it, but they'll still be alive.
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  59. I've always thought that the cages are the most interesting features of the Woodpecker receiving antenna, but I've never heard a reasonable explanation of their purpose. I'd love to own one if they weren't coated with uranium dust.
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  60. Although I haven't tried it yet, I've read that discone antennas are good for SDR.
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  61. Enjoyable as always. It got a bit hairy when the two ships passed in the canal. That's the sort of thing that could go really wrong, really fast.
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  62. The Buzzer may not be a dead hand switch, but that would make a good plot for a James Bond film.
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  63. I've heard Firedrake several times, always jamming Falun Gong broadcasts. It's really obvious when you see it on a SDR waterfall display.
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