Time for the pirates!

[ka3jjz]

You can expect an upswing in pirate activity as we get closer to Halloween. If you've never chased pirates before, this wiki will help. The last page will tell you the various places to find up to date logs of activity.

Pirate Radio New Listener Guide and FAQ - HFUnderground

www.hfunderground.com

Let the hunt begin......Mike

 

[jwt873]

By coincidence, I was listening for pirates just last night around 0100 UTC. Tuning between 6.000 and 7.000 Mhz. No luck. Will give it a shot again tonight.

 

[ka3jjz]

If you don't hear something with your own setup, use a web radio - and be sure to keep your eyes peeled on the various forums listed in the Pirate wiki....Mike

 

[timhir25]

How would I listen on the computer. Could you provide a link for the web radio?
Thanks
Tim

 

[ka3jjz]

This is part of the FAQ I referred to earlier;

Internet Receivers - HFUnderground

www.hfunderground.com

Mike

 

[timhir25]

Thanks Mike,
I have my computer on the web sdr network. I didn't know anything about this.

 

[ka3jjz]

Just by way of explanation, the Perseus listing is for those running the Perseus SDR on a network, the Spyserver listing is similar, but for those folks using Airspy SDRs on the Spyserver network, and SDR Console is for those folks using this app, usually with a SDRPlay device. Sadly that one seems to have more down nodes than those that are up

The Kiwi network, WebSDR and Global Tuners are probably the big 3. This is the DXer's 'secret weapon' - if a station isn't audible at that person's location, chances are there is a web receiver on one of these sites that can hear it....Mike

 

[jwt873]

Got one! 30 Nov 2020.. 00:15 UTC on 6955 Khz.

Tuning around I came across a Slow Scan TV signal on 6955 Khz. I thought it might be a utility station. By the time I got hooked up to decode the signal, it ended and the station switched to music. They've been sending an SSTV image between each song... Havent' managed to decode a signal yet. Can't seem to detect the format they're using... Will post one if I manage to.

Not a bad signal here in MB Canada. S5 to S9 with a bit of noise.

 

[jwt873]

Managed to grab a couple of SSTV images from the Pirate station.. They're 320x256 images. Quite a bit of noise. Just 'funny' memes, no station ID or anything.

Here's one: (Damn Skippy - It's Friday)

 

[jwt873]

Here's one more image.. Most of the SSTV images the station is sending has 'Skippy' in them. Did a Google for "6955 Skippy", and turns out it's a known pirate running as Skippy Radio.. Or at least it's known as Skippy Radio

( I decoded a couple more images that I can't post here on RR - Not family friendly )

 

[ka3jjz]

If you are wondering about software to copy Slow Scan TV (SSTV) that too is covered in the FAQ linked in the first message.

Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

Ballsmacker Radio on 6960 and 3480 Khz AM. Playing the Monster Mash. A bit weak but there on the Alexandria Va. Kiwi. A bit better using SAM

Mike

 

[ka3jjz]

Radio Nova 4970 (yes in the 60 meter band) USB still going at this writing. Heard on the N4TVC Kiwi. ID per HF Underground board

Mike

 

[spacellamaman]

You can expect an upswing in pirate activity as we get closer to Halloween. If you've never chased pirates before, this wiki will help. The last page will tell you the various places to find up to date logs of activity.

Pirate Radio New Listener Guide and FAQ - HFUnderground

www.hfunderground.com

Let the hunt begin......Mike

Thanks! I always forget about this every year. maybe not this one

 

[kruser]

Been hearing X-FM on 4185 AM for a while this evening.
Good signal into the St Louis MO area at present. 0125 UTC

 

[ka3jjz]

Even the Venezuelan 'pirate' on 6906 is in there, not a bad signal into the N4TVC site. Didn't measure the exact frequency - it's rarely on exactly that frequency....

 

[eorange]

Heard a mostly unintelligible voice and some screaming on 6925 LSB earlier tonight.

 

[JerryX]

Got one! 30 Nov 2020.. 00:15 UTC on 6955 Khz.

Excellent catch with your time machine! I'll make a note on my calendar to listen for this one in a few weeks.

 

[krokus]

I use this app to connect to web connected radios, and it works fairly well.

Pocket RxTx Lite - Apps on Google Play

You can now take you HAM transceiver in your pocket

play.google.com

 

[ka3jjz]

It's that time again - around Turkey Day is one time pirates start coming alive. Be sure to check these frequency ranges for activity...

• 3200-3500 Khz (this is relatively new, no doubt taking advantage of the lower freqs due to winter in the Northern Hemisphere)
• 4000-4200 khz
• 5100-5200 khz
• 6200-6450 khz for many Europirates, some Latin American pirates too
• 6700-7000 khz

The hunt is on...Mike

(Edit) see this thread for an offsite wiki for where you can find reports of activity

Wiki for pirate radio

Some of you know that I have been rewriting (or in some cases writing) wikis for other applications. I built both the UDXF Gateway and the SW Radiogram wiki (which are both hosted here), and now I've overhauled the wiki on the HF Underground site for pirate radio. You can find it here...

forums.radioreference.com