Aperture Science Radio

Radios can be found through the Aperture Science Enrichment Center. On March 1st, 2010, a Portal update expanded its role within the game.

Overview



 * Always set on 85.2 FM, playing an upbeat, instrumental version of "Still Alive" when switched on, they can be found in Relaxation Vaults or maintenance areas.


 * On March 1st, 2010, Portal was updated to now have a total of 26 radios playing in the Test Chambers, always in an area more or less difficult to reach (but given to the player by the music playing), and with a red sprite added to the switch. The radio transmission frequency is also said to have been changed "to comply with federal and state spectrum management regulations". In-game, the radio must each time be moved in a particular spot of the Test Chamber. When doing so, the music will be scrambled by interferences, Morse code or other interferences will be heard, and the red sprite will turn green. To be made in each Test Chamber, finding all radios and jamming the transmission will unlock a new Achievement, "Transmission Received", although its description is simply "..?".


 * The radio will disintegrate when brought through an Aperture Science Material Emancipation Grid. Originally, the music would merely stop when doing so. After the March 1st, 2010, more sounds can be heard (this is "dinosaur_fizzle.wav").


 * These new radios do not appear when first playing Portal, and their presence in the Test Chambers is likely non canon, as they were likely added to the game as a new viral campaign to promote future games in the Half-Life and Portal series, much like ApertureScience.com.

Sound transcriptions
The sounds added in the March 1st, 2010 update can be found in the folder "ambient" in the Portal sound files. They all bear the prefix "dinosaur". They include "dinosaur1" to "dinosaur26", used for each changed transmission, "dinosaur_noise.wav", for when the music is scrambled, and "dinosaur_fizzle.wav", when the radio goes through a Material Emancipation Grid. Most sounds from "dinosaur1" to "dinosaur26" contain a hidden image that can be viewed in an SSTV software (similar to Judith Mossman's transmission), the others contain Morse code.

List of appearances

 * Portal