Pirates on 6955

Status
Not open for further replies.

frankdrebbin

Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2010
Messages
147
Location
SoILL
So years ago I could catch pirate stations on 6955 KHz and then I think they moved but I can't remember where. Is there a certain frequency range now they broadcast on as I do not hear them anywhere now. I miss Pop Comm for that info. Unless the FCC managed to shut them all down.
 

krokus

Member
Premium Subscriber
Joined
Jun 9, 2006
Messages
5,964
Location
Southeastern Michigan
So years ago I could catch pirate stations on 6955 KHz and then I think they moved but I can't remember where. Is there a certain frequency range now they broadcast on as I do not hear them anywhere now. I miss Pop Comm for that info. Unless the FCC managed to shut them all down.
One of the many things I miss, from PopComm. I have not heard about pirates in awhile.

Sent using Tapatalk
 

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
25,361
Location
Bowie, Md.
Pirates often use the 6700-6950 range or thereabouts. They are frequently reported on the HF Underground site and also the Extreme SWL Facebook page.

Mike
 

Token

Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2010
Messages
2,379
Location
Mojave Desert, California, USA
So years ago I could catch pirate stations on 6955 KHz and then I think they moved but I can't remember where. Is there a certain frequency range now they broadcast on as I do not hear them anywhere now. I miss Pop Comm for that info. Unless the FCC managed to shut them all down.

6925 kHz is now probably the most used single frequency by North American pirates, but it is common to find them in the 6800 - 7000 kHz range, with the more active region being 6900 - 6975 kHz. Most are in USB, but AM and, less often, LSB can also be found. At least one even transmits in C-QUAM stereo, at times.

You can find them active most Friday and Saturday nights. Many of the "regular" stations also include SSTV images at some point in their programs.

Up until just a short while ago it was common to hear more than a dozen on any Friday or Saturday night. However, after the public release of the TDOA functionality of the Kiwi SDR network (the extremely useful ability to geolocate a transmitter based on the differing time of arrival at multiple receiver locations) North American HF pirate activity decreased. Many of the operators became concerned that people could now find the pirates general location and either track them down themselves, or turn it into the FCC. The activity is still relativley low compared to what it was a year or more ago. Will it ever ramp back up? I don't know, but I have my doubts.

T!
 

GB46

Active Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2017
Messages
820
Years ago I used to hear lots of chit-chat between the skippers of fishing boats off the Pacific coast in that frequency range, presumably using illegally modified ham rigs.
 

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
25,361
Location
Bowie, Md.
Actually you can find pirates on just about every day, it just depends on how propagation is serving you and your setup and whether you're in the right spot. I used to see messages on the Extreme SWL facebook page practically daily about pirates, but it seems to have dropped off somewhat lately. This and the HF Underground site will fill you in about when/where pirates can be found.

Mike
 

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
25,361
Location
Bowie, Md.
And since Token mentioned SSTV, one of the more highly regarded pieces of free software to copy many SSTV modes (there are quite a few) is MM-SSTV by Makoto Mori JE3HHT. If you are into chasing pirates, it's worthwhile to keep this handy.

Mike
 

frankdrebbin

Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2010
Messages
147
Location
SoILL
I think 6925 was the last frequency I was hearing them on although not much was there. I don't spend as much time as I would like pirate surfing to hear more of them. They are quite entertaining especially around Halloween they had all kinds of crazy stuff out there.
 

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
25,361
Location
Bowie, Md.
Just by way of example, an individual in Maryland using a skyloop logged these even during daylight hours - with the fall/winter, there's somewhat less D layer absorption, so short skip is possible. Not only was 6955 USB logged, but he had 6940 USB, 6770 AM, 6879 USB, 6950 USB, 6925 USB and 6879 USB. All of these were over the weekend on the Extreme SWL Facebook page...Mike
 

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
25,361
Location
Bowie, Md.
Just remember tonight and tomorrow night will be prime for pirate activity - as an old friend of mine would say 'If one were to know such things'....Mike
 

k9wkj

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2015
Messages
426
Location
where they make the cheese
just tuned 6955 at 00:25 utc and heard ghostly sounds and howls
at the bottom of the hour it went to a gal singin blues
ohh and its SSB not AM why waste all those carrier watts!
 

frankdrebbin

Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2010
Messages
147
Location
SoILL
I will try to listen next weekend when I get time. It's hard for me to take the time to sit down and twirl the knob anymore.
 

K2RNI

Member
Joined
Jun 1, 2016
Messages
281
Location
Kingman, AZ
6925 kHz is now probably the most used single frequency by North American pirates, but it is common to find them in the 6800 - 7000 kHz range, with the more active region being 6900 - 6975 kHz. Most are in USB, but AM and, less often, LSB can also be found. At least one even transmits in C-QUAM stereo, at times.

You can find them active most Friday and Saturday nights. Many of the "regular" stations also include SSTV images at some point in their programs.

Up until just a short while ago it was common to hear more than a dozen on any Friday or Saturday night. However, after the public release of the TDOA functionality of the Kiwi SDR network (the extremely useful ability to geolocate a transmitter based on the differing time of arrival at multiple receiver locations) North American HF pirate activity decreased. Many of the operators became concerned that people could now find the pirates general location and either track them down themselves, or turn it into the FCC. The activity is still relativley low compared to what it was a year or more ago. Will it ever ramp back up? I don't know, but I have my doubts.

T!

That had nothing to do with it as the FCC has already had that capability for decades and they just don't care if you're not interfering with anything, nothing ever happened. There's just not as much interest in HF as years go on. Everything interferes with it easily, audio is bad from shifting propagation, propagation never consistent and always having to change frequencies throughout the year. Heck even people in north korea hate HF and just listen to high power medium wave stations to secretly get outside information.

Besides making and hunting for low power pirate beacons is more fun and interesting and there are plenty of those to go around. https://www.hfunderground.com/wiki/High_Frequency_Beacon
 
Last edited:

ka3jjz

Wiki Admin Emeritus
Joined
Jul 22, 2002
Messages
25,361
Location
Bowie, Md.
Let's stay on topic here - this thread is NOT about freebanding. There are other forums for that elsewhere. Keep it on pirate broadcasting,

Onward

Mike
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top