Much pirate radio any more?

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f2shooter

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Evening all,

I'm just getting back to tuning around the HF or shortwave bands and it's been a lot of fun so far. One of the places I used to go was at 6.925 just to listen in on what the pirates were up to. Sometimes a lot of fun and others, well.... I know most activity was found on Saturday nights and holidays like Christmas but having been away from it for a couple of years I wonder is there much of this activity still going on? There was nothing there tonight and maybe it's moved elsewhere. I found plenty of other broadcast and amateur activity but that frequency was all static. Thanks.

Rick H.
 

ka3jjz

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It has indeed moved from 6925, and you need to be careful as a couple of religious yahooes have moved into that range as well. Also check as the Extreme Shortwave Listening Facebook group...Mike
 

f2shooter

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Yeah I've found a couple of the religious groups out there, seems like they have always been around SW. One I've bumped into already is an older guy out of South Carolina, I remember him from a while back and he is still as depressing as ever. I haven't run into Melissa Scott yet but I am sure we still all owe her money. Also a few conspiracy theorists. Haven't found Alex Jones yet. I'll check those two places, thanks for the leads!!

Rick H.
 

Token

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And right now, 2330 UTC, Dec 17, 2017, Moonlight Radio is on 6925 USB, while CLever Name Radio is on 6940 USB. Both being received, although not super strong, here in the Mojave Desert, however also being reported on the East Coast.

T!
 

ka3jjz

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Yeah, don't just look at 6925 - you have to hunt around or belong to a list (like HF Underground) to find them. I've also seen them reported on the high side of 6800 khz, and a few other places beyond 6 Mhz.

Mike
 

RFI-EMI-GUY

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If you go to the FCC's Enforcement Bureau website you will fond a map showing the enforcement activity against Pirate Radio stations. There are 100's of them. I think 600. Mostly these are FM pirates. But if you look for enforcement activity against caller ID spoofers, you will find little. In my entire adult life I have heard maybe 3 FM pirates and a handfull of shortwave pirates. With the exception of the hip hop FM pirates, Most have been very good. One in Miami "Analog Ray" was excellent. Which brings me to my point. I have heard at most 10 pirate stations in my lifetime, yet in the past 5 years I have been deluged with scamsters using spoofed telephone ID's sometimes three a day. You would think the FCC would have set their priorities to eliminate caller ID spoofers. You cannot tune them out. I called and asked to talk to the head of the enforcement bureau to learn what their priorities are and post a blog about the subject. But she refused to call me back.
 

ka3jjz

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I just picked up something very weak on 6925, nothing yet on 6940. Poor weather here now though so I am not expecting much.

Rick H.

Unless you're in a good sized winter storm (at least here in North America), terrestrial weather has little effect on HF. However ionospheric weather is quite another issue. According to Spaceweather, we're in a solar wind stream which is causing an erratic G1 class geomagnetic storm, and the solar flux is pitifully low (71). Taken together, propagation isn't all that good right now...Mike
 

f2shooter

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Mike I can't argue with you there, not getting much but my antenna needs improvement. Makes me wonder how things are on 10m. RFI Guy I get spoofers all the time, got three yesterday, and I don't answer them. If it is not in my phone library then I don't know who it is and do not answer them ever. I foolishly answered one from my area code yesterday, they were trying to raise funds for injured cops (yeah right) and kept wantimg me to say the word 'yes'. Been through that one before, it is almost a joke with me. I don't know that I have ever heard an FM pirate but I've never looked for one. HF has been busy in the past and I've heard quite a few, used to read about some of them in Monitoring Times. I will be nosing around to see if I can find the Cuban numbers broadcasts just for fun. I don't speak Spanish though. Then again I don't speak Chinese or Korean either. There are broadcasts out of China and Cuba in English or used to be.

Rick H.
 

f2shooter

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FWIW I was able to pick up something on 6945 a little later this afternoon, I didn't note the time but it was some sort of rap, it went on and on and on and on, very profane. I'm glad my Mom wasn't visiting because I would have been embarrassed for her to hear that crap. I'm sure it will get better.

Rick H.
 
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