FCC CB Enforcement Action

[kb6lpm]

"With a pair of heavy duty..........
zircon encrusted tweezers in my hand.....
every other rancher would think....
I was mighty grand!!!"
(sorry! I just HAD TO!!!!!)

Yippie ka yay

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

More here!

11 Meter Repeater

In the 1980's I was a member of a radio group in So Cal known as "Pirate Radio Group"... the group was founded by Laszlo "Larry" Hirsch, WA6SWG/SK, an engineer from TPL and Pathcom/Pace. The system used a primary transmitter located on Palos Verdes penninsula @ 100 watts output F.M on 27.275 (ch...

forums.radioreference.com

 

[prcguy]

I always wondered what became of that system? It was so long ago and I relate the story of such a repeater system to others and they question the validity of such a claim. I sometimes question myself, was that really a thing or am I imagining this as something that wasn't real....
Actually as I remember it, that was indeed a thing. As a matter of fact it was both a fairly sophisticated, especially for that time. Yet on the other hand it seems as there were other parts of it that were kludged and fairly low tech.
It was ahead of its time in the way that it was linked with multiple reception sites and voter repeaters. It had a multitude of inputs and links to numerous VHF and UHF even rumoured microwave frequencies . Networked systems were not common like today. Parts of the system was fairly crude in the fact that it used as some of the inputs, common consumer electronics as certain components such as 49mHz band walkie talkies and cordless phones for their basic hardware.
The main part of the repeater was operated on Citizen Band FM . I think that the output was channel 14 .
FM operation on CB was definitely a very unusual mode back then. Export radios were just barely hitting the scene and only a very few had FM. The main repeater was located on Palos Verdes and had a large high gain 11 meter array.
I always wondered more about this infamous system. How long did it operate? How many people actually accessed it? Who actually utilized it? What happened with it?
I held a Technician license and the system held less appeal to me.... I imagined it to be likely a similar if not the same cast of characters from the 147.435 odd split repeater shenanigans....

I'll try and fill in some info on the CB repeater but its been a long time ago and my memory of some details is fading. First off Larry was a talented engineer who designed a number of CBs for both Fanon/Courier and Pace in the 1970s. I met Larry when we both worked at Pace Communications and he became a good friend of mine. I also supplied a number of components to his CB repeater project and connected him with the repeater site owner where the CB repeater operated for awhile until the FCC shut it down. I still remember the phone call from the repeater owner who was worried about getting fined over the ordeal.

The best repeater site used was at the top of Palos Verdes, CA in a very expensive neighborhood that covered much of Los Angeles and Orange county, CA. At times that side was transmitting upwards of 300 watts but I can't remember what antenna was used but it was either a Big Stick or an aluminum 5/8 type. Another site was in the mountains above Malibu, CA and I believe that came after the FCC raid in Palos Verdes. I had loaned Larry a nice 460MHz helical/circular polarized antenna for a test and that became the main Malibu receive antenna for the GMRS/FRS inputs and I never got my antenna back..... The repeater was first on air from Larry's house in Lomita, CA and I remember running over there right after the FCC busted him at his home and he gave me a great description of a station wagon the FCC was using with a computer connected to a modem and a cell phone and from that the FCC could control a multi high site receiver system that would give bearings on whatever frequency was requested with results sent to the car. This was mind blowing to hear about in the early 1980s.

Larry's CB repeater was capable of full 27MHz full duplex with an input in the 27MHz freeband range and the output was on a regular CB channel, maybe 14 and usually in FM mode. There was a large multi section helical resonator for the 27MHz receiver and the 27MHz input was not always available, it depended on the repeater location and if there was space for a separate receive antenna, etc. There were inputs on both the 49MHz cordless phone band and also in the GMRS/FRS range. I believe the transmitter changed here and there but was basically a CB that was modified for FM. The 300w amplifier was a Skipper 300 series and I think it had a remote control shut off as I remember he was worried it would burn up and if the repeater was getting too much use he would turn it off. At other times and other sites I believe it used one of his home made 50 watt class solid state amplifiers.

To officially use the repeater Larry would have you become a member of the Pirate Club and you were issued a Pirate number. Then you were given info on the various input frequencies and access tones and also connected with people that could supply commercials radio that would do 49MHz or GMRS/FRS freqs.

Its sad that this CB repeater became an obsession and basically took over Larry's life where he ignored many everyday things in life and spend most of his time working on it and trying to keep some version of it on the air. Eventually he was divorced from his wife and ended up moving to Ventura, CA then a few areas where you go when you got nothing. He would call me every now and then either looking for some piece of equipment or he would dial me by accident then get surprised by my voice then cuss me out for not being the person he thought he was calling. Then we would settle into a nice chat.

The last time I heard from Larry he was living in a So Cal desert town, Twentynine Palms if I remember and he was looking for a high power 2m rig and Yagi to see if he could get into the infamous 147.435 repeater in So Cal. I was considering packing up a bunch of stuff and going to visit Larry but sadly never got around to it. A few years later I learned of his tragic death where he was run over by a bus while in a cross walk in a wheel chair.

If you search on WA6SWG or Larry Hirsch CB repeater you will find write ups and FCC info on his CB repeater.

 

[RFI-EMI-GUY]

Fascinating story. The world would be a very boring place without people with creative obsessions.

 

[slowmover]

A Visit To W6AM

Photos from a visit to W6AM in 1986

www.qsl.net

Palos Verdes and some history (Don Wallace).

On-air 70-years (pre-WWI).

Over a dozen 1,000’ rhombic antennas at one point. Literal miles of wiring.

 

[slowmover]

I'll try and fill in some info on the CB repeater but its been a long time ago and my memory of some details is fading. First off Larry was a talented engineer who designed a number of CBs for both Fanon/Courier and Pace in the 1970s. I met Larry when we both worked at Pace Communications and he became a good friend of mine. I also supplied a number of components to his CB repeater project and connected him with the repeater site owner where the CB repeater operated for awhile until the FCC shut it down. I still remember the phone call from the repeater owner who was worried about getting fined over the ordeal.

The best repeater site used was at the top of Palos Verdes, CA in a very expensive neighborhood that covered much of Los Angeles and Orange county, CA. At times that side was transmitting upwards of 300 watts but I can't remember what antenna was used but it was either a Big Stick or an aluminum 5/8 type. Another site was in the mountains above Malibu, CA and I believe that came after the FCC raid in Palos Verdes. I had loaned Larry a nice 460MHz helical/circular polarized antenna for a test and that became the main Malibu receive antenna for the GMRS/FRS inputs and I never got my antenna back..... The repeater was first on air from Larry's house in Lomita, CA and I remember running over there right after the FCC busted him at his home and he gave me a great description of a station wagon the FCC was using with a computer connected to a modem and a cell phone and from that the FCC could control a multi high site receiver system that would give bearings on whatever frequency was requested with results sent to the car. This was mind blowing to hear about in the early 1980s.

Larry's CB repeater was capable of full 27MHz full duplex with an input in the 27MHz freeband range and the output was on a regular CB channel, maybe 14 and usually in FM mode. There was a large multi section helical resonator for the 27MHz receiver and the 27MHz input was not always available, it depended on the repeater location and if there was space for a separate receive antenna, etc. There were inputs on both the 49MHz cordless phone band and also in the GMRS/FRS range. I believe the transmitter changed here and there but was basically a CB that was modified for FM. The 300w amplifier was a Skipper 300 series and I think it had a remote control shut off as I remember he was worried it would burn up and if the repeater was getting too much use he would turn it off. At other times and other sites I believe it used one of his home made 50 watt class solid state amplifiers.

To officially use the repeater Larry would have you become a member of the Pirate Club and you were issued a Pirate number. Then you were given info on the various input frequencies and access tones and also connected with people that could supply commercials radio that would do 49MHz or GMRS/FRS freqs.

Its sad that this CB repeater became an obsession and basically took over Larry's life where he ignored many everyday things in life and spend most of his time working on it and trying to keep some version of it on the air. Eventually he was divorced from his wife and ended up moving to Ventura, CA then a few areas where you go when you got nothing. He would call me every now and then either looking for some piece of equipment or he would dial me by accident then get surprised by my voice then cuss me out for not being the person he thought he was calling. Then we would settle into a nice chat.

The last time I heard from Larry he was living in a So Cal desert town, Twentynine Palms if I remember and he was looking for a high power 2m rig and Yagi to see if he could get into the infamous 147.435 repeater in So Cal. I was considering packing up a bunch of stuff and going to visit Larry but sadly never got around to it. A few years later I learned of his tragic death where he was run over by a bus while in a cross walk in a wheel chair.

If you search on WA6SWG or Larry Hirsch CB repeater you will find write ups and FCC info on his CB repeater.

Been wondering if this approach isn’t being used in Florida. I hear those ass-clowns every day, all daylight hours on AM-19 whether I’m south of San Antonio or north of Minneapolis.

Others doing paid interference come & go, mainly, some earlier in day and some later given their locale and map movement.

.