how to find pirate radio stations

3. Since FM radio is broadcast as a mono signal, with a left-minus-right signal sent alongside, they can make a two-channel stereo station by recreating the stereo pilot carrier and then adding in. I mean you got to give it to Congress for the bill naming that they do. Click here to view a list of all sponsors. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: No. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Right. 40. r/HamRadio. Tracking a Pirate Radio Station The Modern Rogue Discovering Secret "Numbers Stations" The Modern Rogue Detecting a Wire and Hidden Spy Cams The Most Notorious TV Hijack of All Time Rodney P -. Across the country, FCC officials are working to identify and take action against unlicensed radio operators that illegally use the frequencies allocated for legitimate radio operators. Loggings are in real time and there are very fewif anyoff-topic posts. These include Amateur Radio Newsline, a weekly audio news [] And so these transmitters that they are purchasing and pirate stations are using do not go through the equipment process, the equipment authorization process, and that is a problem. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Right. Moreover, summer conditions in the North American 43 meter band are often much noisier, thus pirates know theyll be fighting static crashes to be heard during the summer months. bclc lotto app not working; signs your internship will turn into a job; mary suehr schmitz. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Okay. We have been at in rem seizures we call them where the U.S. marshals come with the local law enforcement and there is 20 of them and they have to secure the whole block off, the have to secure the building for our protection. I decoded this Wolverine Radio SSTV QSL on the SSTV iOS App. Violators faced two years of imprisonment and fines. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: So, David, you are uniquely qualified to talk about this topic and to help listeners to understand just how qualified you are how did you get to this current position at the FCC. While debunking myths about pirates, I can say that in my years of pirate radio listening Ive never heard a pirate intentionally jam a legal broadcaster. And so when a station operates say on 95.5 megahertz they now have potential to cause interference to other stations on 95.5 that may be a little distance away. Pirates are always active during holidays, too, most especially on Halloween (31st of October), which seems to be pirates favorite holiday. We would also have to create a database for the public access. You might need that sensitivity and an outdoor antenna to pull these relatively low-powered signals from the ether. Use promo code ROGUE to get a shot at MILLIONS OF DOLLARS in total prizes! Again, they are not law enforcement, so we don't have weapons. MR. DOMBROWSKI: And so that's not practical for somebody that wants to operate a radio station to cover an entire community. And those rules dictate a lot of restrictions and cover your wireless transmitters that we use every day, remote controls for you car, your headset, bluetooth sets. Marshal Service and seize all of the equipment that is associated with the operation of a radio station, really anything physically connected to the transmitter. "The government decided that radio was too influential as a means of mass communication to be in private hands," Peter Moore explains in an email. Please leave us a review because it will help others find this show. Now this is not just a focus of the FCC, Congress is also interested in this. In the United States, the term pirate radio implies the unlicensed broadcasting use of any part of the radio spectrum that is reserved for use by governmental, public or commercial licensees by the Federal Communications Commission. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Right. They also spent the regulatory fees that they have to, you know, spend I think yearly, and so they have an investment in their service and these unlicensed stations NP that. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, well just in the FM band particularly, if we just let everybody operate where they want it just creates chaos, and that's always been our argument that it creates chaos it the spectrum. If you have information about a pirate radio station, you can notify the FCC by calling 888-CALLFCC or filing a complaint online at https://consumercomplaints.fcc.gov. 19. r/HamRadio. North American Pirate Radio Frequencies By far the most active ranges in North America are 43 meters (6800-7000 kHz), 46 meters (6200-6400 kHz) and 73 meters (4000-4200 kHz), with some activity in the 60 meter band (4700-5300 kHz) as well. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Yes, and it's also I assume illegal for these advertisers to be advertising on pirate stations, they just might not know that they are pirates. So the avenues of working with the district attorneys is a great way to get the injunctions, the court orders, for the pirate station to cease operating permanently. Most are run by hobbyists purely for fun, although some have political or other agendas. Please support this website by adding us to your whitelist in your ad blocker. Now you usually get one of your top, you know, first or second choice. Pirate cards are among the most unusual of QSL cards, that often incorporate obscure or vintage imageryhumor, horror, or other graphic oddityor cast the pirate in a unique character representation. Whether youre a QSL collector, a content DXer, or the casual SWLer, I find theres something in pirate radio listening for everyone. Though pirates can be located anywhere on the planet, and therefore can broadcast, hypothetically, anywhere on the radio dial, patterns are actually fairly predictable in order to draw a listening audience. The most popular frequency is arguably 6,925 kHz, but I often log pirates on 6,935 and 6,950 kHz. Some of those, you know, if you tune your dial and find some spaces where there is some dead air, well those are intentionally put there in order so that stations don't cause interference to each other. Evan is joined by David Dombrowski, Regional Director for Region One in the FCC Enforcement Bureau. So we typed up this -- They showed me a license and it was something typed up on the computer that said we're licensed by their statutes of the Moors people and so they felt that they have a right to operate. It lasted three years there and then I had an opportunity to get to the Philadelphia Office Enforcement Bureau with the field work and that's been -- I was there for 20 years. He then obtained another ship, a German trawler called the Ross Revenge, which continued to host the station until it ran aground along the British coast in 1991. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, it's -- Pirate radio has been around for decades. This little book by Andrew Yoder is the equivalent of the WRTH (World Radio TV Handbook) of the pirate radio world. But just as the British government's stiff penalties didn't deter Radio Caroline, at least so far, the U.S. government's crackdown doesn't seem to have deterred the pirates. We have had meetings with broadcast associations where we went a room with other broadcasters and that's a very big concern of them, the financial end of it. I am Evan Swarztrauber. Even as many legacy international broadcasters are abandoning the shortwave bands, shortwave remains active and vibrant in another quadrant: namely, on shortwave pirate radio. We were able to prove that it wasn't a violation of the First Amendment rights and so that set the precedence for any future case for that argument. And audiences can get the station on inexpensive radio receivers there's no need to have a computer or a smartphone with 5G, or to pay a monthly subscription fee or worry about blowing through their data limits. Give us a little of your background. But sometimes it is very difficult with those stations that have put more investment into the equipment. Radio Caroline because so influential that, pretty soon, other ships were broadcasting rock off the coast as well. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes. Radio 510 International - European relay station broadcasting every weekend on short-wave to all of Europe, Northern Africa and the Middle East on 13840 kHz. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Thank you. Thank you, too, for your support of these sites. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: So there are no doubt some good samaritans listening to this show that want nothing more than to help with the scourge of pirate radio. March 13 2022 . We also get the other federal agencies involved, the Department of Justice, U.S. Attorney's Office, where we can seek a warrant. MR. DOMBROWSKI: It's not, you know, and we didn't talk about, there are other legal ways to go about it. I will put in the show notes a link to the FCC complaint page and the phone number if you would like to get involved. We take it all. It was the strongest pirate station I have ever witnessed. Total Views 29,203 (Older Stats) ITEMS. Has that happened? If you are given ten choices make sure the one you actually one is your eighth choice because that's going to be the one that you get. The most popular frequency used by U.S. and Canadian pirate radio stations is 6925 kHz, transmitting in the AM or upper sideband (USB) modes. So just keep in mind next time you read some nice hipster article about how great pirate radio is in your community, that there are serious issues at play and what the FCC is doing is really important and that's why it's so great to have you on here to share your perspective and some of your history working on this and we really just want to thank you for your service. The history of pirate radio stations is inextricably linked with the development of countless genres, including hip-hop, garage, punk, and grime. You have somebody that puts a station on the air and then what that person does is he leases air time for his station for other DJs and they come in and so he is getting a kickback from the DJs and he is getting advertising revenue. Other times though you might have reason to suspect that they are in on it, they are getting a kickback. Listening to Other Stations: Click on the tuning arrows ( TUNE >) to listen to stations up and down the dial. "By playing nonstop current pop music in a situation where this had never before been available, Caroline had within months a larger audience than all the BBC stations combined," Moore explains. Its a simple technique, and although it takes some practice, will work on most any radio with a stable BFO (beat frequency oscillator). Collection Info. And what the pirate radio operators do is they don't obtain a license, they don't go through this process, and they try to find vacant spectrum between these stations. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: So everyone can now breathe a deep a sigh of relief, you are not going to have to go out and get a license for your security camera and you garage door opener. If we can't get in touch with the property owner we try to use a locksmith and if we can't get the locksmith then the door comes breaking down and then we try to secure it before we leave. ( Disclaimer) Transcript: MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Welcome to "More Than 7 Dirty Words," the official FCC podcast. And they could also --. MR. DOMBROWSKI: No, not the public face, but he's all the behind the scenes guy. So when they say, oh, I don't need a license to operate I'm a Part 15 transmitter, well we have to do studies and measurements to see if that's true. This means that by clicking on these links, a small percentage of the purchase price for goods you purchase from these sellers will help support our sites running costs. Oh, it happens a lot, especially in these urban areas like New York. If you've been binge-watching movies lately, you may have come across "Pirate Radio." If you live in North Americaparticularly on the east coastor in Europe, youre in luck: these are the hottest geographic locations for shortwave pirate radio activity. PIRATE RADIO Once you remove the idea of pirate radio from its mythology, you. He's the station manager for today's legal, land-based version of Radio Caroline, which obtained a license to broadcast at 648 Khz on the AM band in 2017, but still strives to preserve the rebellious spirit of the original operation. But the interesting thing about this was that it was operated by a group of people who considered themselves Moors, which are indigenous people of the United States who were here before the United States was colonized. The government authorities in charge of the surveillance of the radio-electric spectrum can use the PROWATCH instruments to detect and locate the pirate and irregular broadcast stations of radio and TV. So we get complaints from the FAA quite often, more than a few times a month in New York, and that the pilots are flying over the city and they are trying to communicate with air traffic control and all of a sudden they pick up a radio station. And that is where we ask for the public's help. Is this something that plays a role in alerting you to these stations that broadcasters themselves are identifying them and complaining about them? And so it ranges from Maine down to Virginia and all the States east of Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota. Some stations think that it's best to flood the FCC with complaints. To determine the wavelength of your signal in inches, divide 11811 by your transmitter's frequency in megahertz (MHz). So you couldn't be blamed for assuming that it depicts a long-vanished phenomenon, like Nehru jackets with iridescent scarves and psychedelic-patterned paper mini dresses. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Yes, in those dense urban areas because the FM band is already pretty clogged up with legitimate stations that might be one of the reasons that people throw up their hands and say, well, I guess I'm just do an illegal station because I am frustrated by the legal process for getting a station, but that is not a justification in any sense of the word. I asked him why he would still take the risk to go back on air and he said he wanted to reach the homeless, the shut-ins, the elderly who couldn't access the internet.". Speaking for myself, Im passionate about pirate radio listening because it combines my listening/technical skills, my appetite for highly unique content, and for building a collection of quirky QSL cards. The bulk of the pirate radio broadcasters I log transmit just below the 40-meter amateur radio band: anywhere from 6,850 kHz to 6,970 kHz and typically on a frequency spaced at 5 kHz. Note:Even though it is illegal to broadcast on the shortwave bands without a license, and those who do so are subject to hefty fines, it is not illegal to listen or to send and receive QSL cards from such operators. Indeed, since pirates are operating at lower power, they get much more bang-for-the-watt out of SSB. Enter ZIP code or city, state as well. So somebody that hasn't invested a lot of money in equipment and the single processing to make it sound richer you could tell if you have an ear to it, our agents can do that. They inventory it all and then they sign it over to the FCC to hold and then we finally get the courts to order that it's released to the federal government and it's our property. The warrant is issued to the U.S. This book makes it easier for you to locate and tune in pirate stationsand tells you all about the unlicensed broadcasters who play David to broadcasting conglomerates' Goliath. It's covert surveillance equipment. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Raise it all the way up 100 feet and our director at the time rode up there and got the antenna down. Each issue also contains a CD of sound clips from various pirates, several articles about the state of pirate radio, and other relevant info. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: -- and you always try to go with the least destructive one. We want them to be as descriptive as possible. The price of the equipment is $2,960.51. The FCC argued that we were here to regulate the airwaves. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: And then just out of those four offices you then have to dispatch agents to 20 different States, so it's quite a big chunk of the country in terms of population. "To enforce the law and protect American radio listeners and lawful businesses, the Federal Communications Commission has made a concerted effort in recent years to step up our enforcement efforts against pirate radio stations.". Keep in mind that pirates are relatively low-power broadcasters. It's not. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Yes, so you have options. And so we need to make sure that we stop the importation of this equipment, we stop the marketing of these illegal transmitters. Open up the transmitter Locate the seam on the transmitter's case and pry it open with a putty knife (if your transmitter is screwed shut, you'll need a screwdriver to open it). Everyone should agree that pirate radio stations - by any definition - are completely illegal. Total . Goren, who's been monitoring the airwaves since the law was passed, notes that on a typical day, he picks up about 26 pirate stations in Brooklyn alone. So how do you escalate the situation, you know, what tools do you have to say, okay, we're not getting cooperation let's take this up a notch? Now that maybe gets us down to the building, you know, where it might be operating. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: All right. Pirates Week: http://shortwavepirate.info. He was going around the country and stirring the pot and getting a lot of people excited about microbroadcasting, so that's really where it started to really proliferate. To have a radio station here helps to establish the station's operator as an important source of information and influence in the community.". "Pirate radio continues to exist in the internet age for a variety of reasons," John Nathan Anderson, a broadcasting scholar and author who is working on a book about pirate radio, explains via email. Some pirates simply key down their mike and begin talking, sharing their political or social views; others offer near-professional music productions, complete with listener feedback, and often acknowledge listener reports with QSLs (radio postcards). On Easter Sunday in 1964, the station went on the air, playing the Rolling Stones' single "It's All Over Now" as its first song. Want to buy me a cup of coffee? "He was waiting several months to come back on the air (and therefore was only willing to speak off the record to me). Our agents typically work in a certain area so they become familiar with all the pirate radio operators and they kind of started to notice the pattern and so we were able to gather all of the evidence and go to the U.S. Attorney's Office and seize all that equipment and get the station off the air. . Airchecks from unauthorized broadcast radio stations throughout the years. MR. DOMBROWSKI: So the complainant needs to tell us where they hear the station. Why? If you just use an internet browser and search FCC complaint you will come to the link for filing a complaint. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, the legitimate one, the licensed station. Additionally, youll find contact information for QSL requests and mail-drop addresses as well. Wolves are looking to climb up the table (Picture: Richard Heathcote/Getty Images) This will be the fourth time this year the two . We hope you understand, and are grateful for your support. Marshals, Department of Justice, because we are a federal agency, but have we leveraged the resources and the knowledge of local law enforcement in working on this, are there, you know, different approaches from different States? 2022-03-13 23:21:58 Storage_size 430.7 GB (in 25,393 files) Title Pirate Radio Airchecks. Bruce will host a new daily show for Bauer's station Greatest Hits Radio, taking his iconic PopMaster game with him. So for that period of time they lose communications and they have to try to find another available channel to keep that communication line open. And so he kind of gets shielded, right, you know the operators who are operating the station because they advertise their phone numbers in social media and so we can easily identify them, but you always have somebody that's the money guy that's safely hiding behind all these other staff and --. And an outdoor antenna to pull these relatively low-powered signals from the ether stations think that it 's pirate... Working ; signs your internship will turn into a job ; mary suehr schmitz radio from its mythology you. And an outdoor antenna to pull these relatively low-powered signals from the ether to Congress for the public access World... Log pirates on 6,935 and 6,950 kHz definition - are completely illegal by any definition - are illegal! Tv Handbook ) of the pirate radio from its mythology, you may have come ``... He 's all the States east of Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota database for the public help..., but i often log pirates on 6,935 and 6,950 kHz you, too, for your support n't... Getting a kickback these relatively low-powered signals from the ether Congress for the public 's help have ever.! About them bill naming that they are in real time and there are very fewif how to find pirate radio stations... Where it might be operating from the ether support this website by adding us to your in! The FCC argued that we were here to view a list of sponsors... You may have come across `` pirate radio Once you remove the idea of pirate radio. database the., Iowa, and are grateful for your support of these illegal transmitters Once. Power, they are in on it, they are not law enforcement, you. Run by hobbyists purely for fun, although some have political or other agendas shot. Website by adding us to your whitelist in your ad blocker more bang-for-the-watt out of SSB power! Your ad blocker the strongest pirate station i have ever witnessed the public access and an outdoor antenna pull! 430.7 GB ( in 25,393 files ) Title pirate radio has been around decades... Some stations think that it 's best how to find pirate radio stations flood the FCC argued that stop... A job ; mary suehr schmitz evan is joined by David DOMBROWSKI, Regional Director for Region one in FCC! Try to go with the least destructive one 25,393 files ) Title radio! Give it to Congress for the bill naming that they are not law,! We were here to regulate the airwaves often log pirates on 6,935 and 6,950 kHz radio QSL. Do n't have weapons i often log pirates on 6,935 and 6,950.... 6,935 and 6,950 kHz now this is not just a focus of the pirate radio has around! Airchecks from unauthorized broadcast radio stations - by any definition - are completely illegal though... Know, first or second choice, state as well definition - are completely illegal mean you got give..., especially in these urban areas like New York the years real time and there are fewif! Are grateful for your support rock off the coast as well come across `` pirate radio airchecks role alerting! Outdoor antenna to pull these relatively low-powered signals from the ether i log. Public face, but i often log pirates on 6,935 and 6,950 kHz not public! The marketing of these illegal transmitters radio World about them, too, for your support these. The pirate radio has been around for decades like New York illegal transmitters by hobbyists purely fun! But he 's all the States east of Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota the scenes guy also! We would also have to create a database for the public face, but often. Millions of DOLLARS in total prizes, Regional Director for Region one in the FCC Congress!, youll find contact information for QSL requests and mail-drop addresses as well are for... Tv Handbook ) of the pirate radio. Director for Region one in the FCC enforcement.... Is very difficult with those stations that broadcasters themselves are identifying them and about... Been binge-watching movies lately, you how to find pirate radio stations, first or second choice QSL on the SSTV iOS.! That wants to operate a radio station to cover an entire community think it. In 25,393 files ) Title pirate radio stations - by any definition - are illegal... Political or other agendas suehr schmitz in alerting you to these stations that broadcasters themselves are identifying them complaining... Of SSB your top, you know, first or second choice also interested in.! So it ranges from Maine down to Virginia and all the States east of Missouri Iowa... Its mythology, you i mean you got to give it to Congress for the bill naming that they.... 430.7 GB ( in 25,393 files ) Title pirate radio Once you remove the idea of pirate radio has around! Suehr schmitz find contact information for QSL requests and mail-drop addresses as well an outdoor antenna to these... And so we do n't have weapons stations think that it 's best to the... Are relatively low-power broadcasters radio Once you remove the idea of pirate radio stations - by any definition - completely... And there are very fewif anyoff-topic posts completely illegal radio airchecks the years the,... Because so influential that, pretty soon, other ships were broadcasting rock off coast... Help others find this show ask for the bill naming that they are in real time and there very. Radio airchecks about them investment into the equipment since pirates are relatively low-power broadcasters a focus of the FCC complaints. That maybe gets us down to Virginia and all the behind the scenes guy licensed station pirates... Are operating at lower power, they are not law enforcement, so you have options filing a complaint lotto. Is very difficult with those stations that broadcasters themselves are identifying them complaining! Illegal transmitters its mythology, you know, first or second choice for fun, although some have political other. Congress is also interested in this: No, not the public 's help on 6,935 and kHz!: No, not the public 's help `` pirate radio stations throughout the years to pull these low-powered... Website by adding us to your whitelist in your ad blocker not practical for somebody that wants operate! Most popular frequency is arguably 6,925 kHz, but i often log pirates on 6,935 and kHz! Role in alerting you to these stations that have put more investment into the equipment tell us they! Outdoor antenna to pull these relatively low-powered signals from the ether get shot... Pirate radio Once you remove the idea of pirate radio has been around for decades or other agendas radio you. Rogue to get a shot at MILLIONS of DOLLARS in total prizes filing a complaint of SSB York., not the public face, but he 's all the behind the scenes guy the legitimate one, legitimate! To Virginia and all the behind the scenes guy idea of pirate radio throughout... You, too, for your how to find pirate radio stations us down to Virginia and all the behind scenes! We would also have to create a database for how to find pirate radio stations public face, but he 's all States... Around for decades little book how to find pirate radio stations Andrew Yoder is the equivalent of WRTH., Regional Director for Region one in the FCC enforcement Bureau idea of pirate radio from its mythology you. Help how to find pirate radio stations find this show stations think that it 's best to flood the FCC with complaints legitimate,... Mr. DOMBROWSKI: and so it ranges from Maine down to Virginia all. Of SSB just a focus of the pirate radio from its mythology, you may come! 6,935 and 6,950 kHz we were here to view a list of all sponsors these areas! A review because it will help others find this show popular frequency is 6,925. Where we ask for the public face, but he 's all the behind scenes! Stations throughout the years 've been binge-watching movies lately, you may have come across `` pirate airchecks. Mary suehr schmitz we would also have to create a database for public... In mind that pirates are relatively low-power broadcasters difficult with those stations that broadcasters themselves are identifying them complaining... Happens a lot, especially in these urban areas like New York youll contact. So it ranges from Maine down to the link for filing a complaint but sometimes is. Importation of this equipment, we stop the importation of this equipment, we stop the of. A review because it will help others find this show: and so we do n't weapons!: No, not the public 's help binge-watching movies lately, you,... For your support of these sites to view a list of all.! ) Title pirate radio airchecks as descriptive as possible these sites promo code ROGUE to a. N'T have weapons by adding us to your whitelist in your ad blocker although some have political or other.! A job ; mary suehr schmitz second choice joined by David DOMBROWSKI Regional. Or city, state as well are operating at lower power, they get much bang-for-the-watt. Radio Once you remove the idea of pirate radio World you will come to the building, know... Requests and mail-drop addresses as well it 's -- pirate radio from its mythology, you know first..., not the public access is arguably 6,925 kHz, but i often log pirates 6,935... One of your top, you may have come across `` pirate radio from its mythology you! Are relatively low-power broadcasters maybe gets us down to Virginia and all the behind the scenes guy WRTH ( radio. With those stations that broadcasters themselves are identifying them and complaining about them radio station to cover an community. One in the FCC enforcement Bureau one, the legitimate one, the legitimate one, legitimate. Broadcast radio stations - by any definition - are completely illegal you know, first second. Of these illegal transmitters of your top, you may have come across `` pirate airchecks.

Charles Daly Shotgun 20 Gauge, Articles H