NTFZh

NTFZh is a Russian military communications station identified by its distinctive channel marker and associated message traffic.

Overview & Location History

The station was initially suspected to be operating from the Leningrad Oblast, with early direction-finding estimates placing the transmitter somewhere between Saint Petersburg and Kirov. Further TDoA investigations later suggested a possible location near Lodeynoye Pole (Лодейное Поле), potentially associated with the 334th Radio-Technical Regiment (Military Unit 96848). This attribution remained unconfirmed.

As of 01/09/2026, the suspected transmitter location and associated personnel have been revised. The station is now believed to be operated from the 270th Communications Center (Military Unit 36203) in Nizhny Novgorod (Нижний Новгород), Russia, along with updated personnel and organizational attributions. This new attribution remains a working assessment rather than a definitively confirmed identification.

Since relocating, the station has exhibited unusual activity, including propaganda broadcasts and digital modes such as CIS-12 and various modems.

Message Format

The station transmits several types of military communications, including Monolith and Uzor messages, alongside its proprietary format.

A typical NTFZh message follows this structure:

NTFZh NTFZh (Callsign)

52106 (Unit ID)

4584 (Frequency)

LoremIpsum (Coded Message)

1730 0308 (Hour and Date "HH:MM - DD:MM")

These elements generally correspond to the station identifier, recipient callsign, Russian military unit identifier, operating frequency, message content, and transmission time/date.

Example of a Message with the NTFZh own format:

NTFZh NTFZh 52106 4584 LoremIpsum 1730 0308 (X2) — Priyom

Technical Specifications

Operating Frequencies

The station has been observed operating on a wide array of frequencies, adapting to propagation and different transmission sites:

Primary active frequency: 4844 kHz (suspected to be primarily used for nighttime operations)
Frequently active (Non-primary):
- 5368 kHz (Generally active during the day; suspected to be tested as a future primary daytime frequency)
- 7134 kHz (Mainly used during the day, but occasionally active at night; this frequency notably appeared following the station's relocation to the 270th Communications Center)
Historical / Periodic / Alternate frequencies: 3862, 4316, 4584, 4744, 4761, 4770, 4774, 4781, 4804, 4955, 5071 kHz

Signal Characteristics

Modulation: Normally transmitted in USB, occasionally with the carrier suppressed, or featuring a residual/full carrier characteristic similar to H3E.
Bandwidth: Approximately 200 × 3500 Hz, combined with a very high AGC level.
Markers: Utilizes multiple channel-marker configurations, with patterns varying between transmissions and rarely remaining identical. Simultaneous multi-frequency markers (e.g., 4770 and 4774 kHz) have also been recorded.

Recent Notable Activity & Anomalies

Based on recent observations (July – September 2026), the station has exhibited highly unusual behavior and operational instability:

Music & Anti-Pirate Jamming: Following a pirate attack on 4844 kHz in late August 2026, the station utilized high-power jamming featuring iconic Russian songs, notably the rock version of "Red Army is The Strongest" by LYUBE.
Digital Modes & Telemetry: Aside from standard voice messages (Monolith, DLYA in Morse) and pip markers, the station has transmitted various digital modes, including RDFT, RTTY, and a CIS-12 (T-230) modem. A 3-tone clock has also been recorded in the background of transmissions.
Inter-Station Activity & ROJY: The station frequently interacts with or is observed alongside other military stations—most notably ROJY, which has been logged operating directly over NTFZh frequencies.
Multi-Site Transmissions: Observations indicate the use of multiple transmitter sites simultaneously. Signals have been logged switching between the main TX, an older location, and a secondary location suspected to be in the Southern Military District of Russia.
Equipment Malfunctions: The station frequently suffers from technical issues, including severe 50 Hz ground loops, marker instabilities, and unintentional transceiver noise (open microphones).
UVB-76 Emulation: The station has occasionally adopted marker styles identical to the legacy UVB-76 markers from the 2005-2010 era, as well as deep low-tone buzzer sounds.

For detailed, daily logs of these events, see NTFZh:Activity.

Connections with NZhTI (The Buzzer)

NTFZh has periodically displayed links to NZhTI (The Buzzer, operating on 4625 kHz). July and August 2026 saw several notable interactions, including two-way communications and network checks:

NZhTI Connection Event	Description
NTFZh microphone leak	Microphone Leak: NTFZh leaked audio (possibly via phone line) requesting Komanda from NZhTI under the callsign Vulkan for 4625 kHz.
UVB-76 old marker usage	Legacy Marker: NTFZh utilizing a historical UVB-76 marker format exactly on the hour (HH:59).
NTFZh Calling TOD3	TOD3 Transmission: NTFZh specifically calling out TOD3 traffic in a Monolith message.

Page Metadata

Last Updated: 01/09/2026 - 22:54 UTC+2