So the radio towers, not the satellite arrays, that are dotted around. I extend the satellite dishes to extend the range of the tower or something. Is this actually helping me in any way?

Also, when I go back to one it seems that I have to extend them again as they've reset. Surely they should just stay doing what they're doing (if in fact they're doing anything).

They allow you to tune into distress signals and radios not previously available.

The distress signals arent associated with any quests, but lead you to pretty cool areas with some nice stories dotted around the wastes, plus loot. Note that some of these locations are pretty f'n tough to find...

I was wondering this too. I noticed that is you listen to the random "distress" signals or ones like the "raider signal"/" family distress" etc they actually do play something but they are unintelligibly quiet and mostly muffled by the static/howling wind even when standing at the base of the tower you just activated.


I thought maybe if you extend all the towers the signal will become clear?

The closer you get to the signal the more clear and loud it becomes. It does that to guide you to the location. They never are too far from the radio tower that opens them up.

See I thought so because I saw the loading screen tip about radio signals but I always thought it got quieter as I moved away from the tower.


Guess I just had the whole concept confused from the start. I'm gonna go do all of these at once now I guess. Thanks!

Probably originally meant as some sort of telecomms device e.g. either Surface to Surface or Surface to Space

I'd imagine the dishes themselves do little these days, but extending the tower means it is acting as a relay for the various transmisions in the area.

Why does it reset? Its broken perhaps and will default back to an unpowered state over time - that might explain why the various distress messages often lead to corpses and no one was rescued from their various predicaments.

PS I know not all the messages lead to corpses - but hey spoilers y'know (-;

Pro tip: if you're crouching(sneaking) while listening to the radio signal, the game will give you a signal strength update every ten seconds or so. Sneak a couple feet in one direction and wait until the signal strength notice pops up, if it went up keep going in that direction, otherwise turn around.

They are some of my favourite random quests, discovering the various stories behind them (some are quite grim BTW), good fun to discover them all though!

Even when it is super clear, you usually have to find a hatch leading to the HAM radio that you cna turn off to remove the distress signal. This is not always the case, but usually is. The Hatches are tough to find, look at weird places like shrub. One that I found particularly tough to find was a Ghoul filled Trailer Park (can't remember the name).

Anyways, I wouldn't feel embarrassed if you had to resort to guides at times...

And as WiggyDiggyPoo has just stated, some of the stories they lead you to are very grim but interesting!

The Ghoul filled trailer park is a good one, more than 1 secret/story in what is a very unasuming location.

Huh. I didn't know that. No more bumbling around this way and that way to keep track of the signal.

Up in the far north east-ish area I managed to find one location but there was one that I just couldn't find. I'll try sneaking this time

I was assuming that they also boosted my recruitment signal as well.

Local Map is your friend.

If it was actually readable.

That's what I thought was happening.

It clearly shows doors on it when you are close.

Ooh I never noticed that thanks! Going to see if that's true when I play it today!

In either case I've found all the locations and so it's too late for me.

I just wish they would stay deployed.

Once you find all the signal origins there is really no more use for them.