Join. I mean are there tell-tale signs or are some of these stations so sophisticated that it's really hard for the average person to distinguish? Total . MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, it may not start to cause interference as soon as you open up and out of the box and operate it, but over time with the heating up of the electronics inside it starts to malfunction and cause what we call spurius emissions where signals are operating outside your intended band and cause interference to other radio services. Carl McIntire, a fundamentalist preacher who briefly broadcast fire-and-brimstone sermons from a converted minesweeper off the coast of New Jersey, as this 2014 NJ.com article details. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: All right. 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. Our agents are pretty smart on the tricks. If we get that information we have a vehicle, it's called a direction-finding vehicle and it has specialized equipment in it. That doesn't prohibit somebody from filing an anonymous complaint, we still take those. "Pirate Radio" is a period piece, set in a time when the Rolling Stones' "Let's Spend the Night Together" and the Who's "My Generation" were still scandalous and controversial rather than nostalgic anthems for today's aging baby boomers. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Pirate radio. There were helicopters flying over and taking videos, so we got on a little TV, and that helps to go a long way when we get a little media coverage. MR. DOMBROWSKI: A lot of these stations are streaming at the same time so it really boggles my mind why an FM station that's unlicensed, you know, has its stream content and then also it's broadcasting over the airwaves. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Well they had their antenna up really high. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: We're not using an FM spectrum for this podcast. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: They could stream it just like this podcast we're doing. A lot of times the studio is not co-located with the transmitter. An excellent and active pirate radio forum hosted by Chris Smolinski. Listening to pirate radio is perfectly legaland frequently an ear-opening experience. And then they said to me well here is ten jobs that you potentially could have which one is your top choice? Do a little pirate radio hunting yourself. We call them Notices of Apparent Liability where we will fine the operator. If you live in a geographic hotbed of pirate activity (again, eastern/central North America and Europe) you might find a portable radio ample for hearing a number of pirates. I mean they have a significant financial investment in their stations, they have gone through proper FCC process, and now they are competing for listeners with stations that did not go through that process, did not necessarily bear the same financial burden to get up and running, and they are not maybe just competing with listeners, as we have mentioned we've been competing with, they are competing with advertisers as well. Is this something that plays a role in alerting you to these stations that broadcasters themselves are identifying them and complaining about them? It could be harmful if we let a pirate radio station operate because sometimes they cause interference to other services, like aeronautical communications. Click here to view a list of all sponsors. The U.S. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Right. 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. Additionally, we always try to include links to other retail options if they are available, as we support and freely advertise independent ham radio retailers. 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. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes. MR. DOMBROWSKI: There is a variety of pirate radio stations out there. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: And we talked a little bit about why this is a problem. "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. If you've been binge-watching movies lately, you may have come across "Pirate Radio." So we have had the most success in getting stations off the air when the district attorney is involved, because the U.S. Attorney's Office when we do the in rem seizures, they have a lot of case work and very high profile cases so there is a little reluctance sometimes because of the case precedence for the U.S. attorneys to take on our cases. MR. DOMBROWSKI: So this equipment helps us track us down. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes. And an overall limit of $2 million. 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. And as a bonus, Radio Caroline still exists though, ironically, it's gone legal. They can be highly entertaining or thought-provoking, and thus are, themselves, a unique art form. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: There is not a sign on the box that says illegal pirate radio transmitters. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Yes. They are very low power and the range of them are very small. It is illegal for companies to market equipment that hasn't gone through what we call a certification process, equipment authorization process, where they get a company to look at their transmitter to make sure it complies with our technical rules and doesn't have potential to cause interference to other radio services. To track pirates, you'll need a radio with both AM and SSB modes. That's part of it, right, and you rely on some cooperation in some instances to get it done. Thank you, too, for your support of these sites. And that's it, we will catch you next time. I am Evan Swarztrauber. 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. Want to know why the usually run them out at sea. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, there was a case back in the 1990s, late 1990s. And while pirate radio stations can be found across the radio spectrum, especially on AM and FM in urban areas, in this primer Ill be focusing on those that inhabit the shortwaves. So we have a lot of those stations operating, so it's big revenue for them. Ive noticed increased pirate radio activity during the winter months, as well. 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. Broadcasting at 250,000 watts, XERF was five times as powerful as the most high-powered Top 40 AM stations on the West Coast. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Do the pilots only complain if it's a song that they don't like? Answer (1 of 14): Why I am qualified to answer this question. Ex-Beatle George Harrison was sufficiently appreciative of Radio Caroline's mission that he even wrote a sizable check in the early 1970s to help keep the ship in operation, according to Ray Clark's book "Radio Caroline: The True Story of the Ship That Rocked.". 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. Enter a location to find a nearby pirate radio stations. About Google Maps. MR. DOMBROWSKI: And let them know. Now when we talk about enforcement actions, you know, I'd like to kind of paint a picture for our listeners. We try to interview them. Other times though you might have reason to suspect that they are in on it, they are getting a kickback. I am a Philadelphia native, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and I graduated Temple University and my first job was the FCC right out of college and interestingly --. Jason Scott Archivist. But please note that we will never create a post and product link explicitly to receive a commission. Total Views 29,573 (Older Stats) ITEMS. And they come -- I've worked with them when they have bulletproof vests on and automatic weapons. Please support this website by adding us to your whitelist in your ad blocker. It helps to show that -- That's a deterrent in itself right there when you get media coverage. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: So what is the current state of pirate radio? We take it all. March 13 2022 . 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. And one of the reasons that they are causing harmful interference, in particular to the FAA operations, is because they are not tested, right. 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? MR. DOMBROWSKI: Hometown. 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. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, well, you know, they operate in the AM band so it sounds really distorted when you are trying to listen to FM radio on an AM radio. 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 also would be required to file a report to Congress annually on our enforcement activities in pirate radio. Whether youre a QSL collector, a content DXer, or the casual SWLer, I find theres something in pirate radio listening for everyone. MR. DOMBROWSKI: So some States have laws on the book that prohibit pirate radio operation, States like New Jersey and New York and Florida. Most are run by hobbyists purely for fun, although some have political or other agendas. What's more, pirate radio stations gave us access to some of the most pivotal figures in UK music . Give me an address or an intersection in the town that you are picking it up on. Radio and electronics were my hobbies. Enter ZIP code or city, state as well. And you have tools to escalate the situation. It's something we have been doing as long as the equipment has been available we've always had pirate radio operators. Now that maybe gets us down to the building, you know, where it might be operating. We also recommend that the complainant contact the station that they are getting interference to --. It's not. Sometimes we find stations that just access the rooftops without anybody knowing and put the transmitter kind of hidden in a wall somewhere or a crevice and the antenna on the roof and remain anonymous for months without anybody knowing that the station is there. Searching for an FM radio station on your car radio is quite easy. 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. Do you hear it any other time, you know, at night time? In January, President Donald Trump signed into law the Preventing Illegal Radio Abuse Through Enforcement (PIRATE) Act, which gives regulators the ability to hit pirate stations with fines of up to $2 million, according to this summary from Radio World. 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. More areas, more just the urban areas. Be careful to. They lose advertisers because of it, they lose coverage area because of it, and it all comes down to dollars and cents. Friday March 17, 1989 5:00 am. . 123. 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). Many of you have suggested in the past that the SWLing Post join an affiliate links program. One of the first pirate radio operators we know of was Ronan O'Rahilly. VIEWS. Now I know that finding pirates is reasonably achievable; at least, it is possible to know roughly where, and generally when, to find them. Enter the dawn of pirate radio. 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). The price of the equipment is $2,960.51. 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. MR. DOMBROWSKI: Yes, we have a lot of stations in New York, in particular. To have a radio station here helps to establish the station's operator as an important source of information and influence in the community.". The reason is, no matter what time of the year it is, no matter what the space weather (yes, I said space weather) or conditions of the ionosphere are--FM stations are relatively few, local, and always broadcast in the same spots on the FM dial. Pirate radio broadcasting on shortwave radio in North America is mostly done in a frequency range just below the 40 meter amateur radio band, from about 6815 kHz to 6970 kHz. Unlike major broadcasters, many pirates dont stick to AM as a preferred mode. MR. DOMBROWSKI: It is. I was still a teenager. As soon as there were laws on the books, there were pirate radio stations on the air. Created on. I received this QSL from the amazing Radio Ronin Shortwave shortly before he received the knock from the FCC and stopped transmitting. We have had cases where we have gone in on in rem seizures and found drug paraphernalia inside the building and so that becomes now a law enforcement issue and they take care of that, they handle that situation. Not all the illegal stations are pirate stations! But they secure the property for us so that we feel safe going in there and then we help them identify what equipment we need to seize. Note: This podcast was recorded on June 21st. Some pirates have even shown in in the SWBC bands, including 49, 31 and 25 meters. Yes, they come with weapons. Before we talk about where to hunt pirates, however, we need to talk about the necessary equipmenti.e., your radio and antenna. MR. SWARZTRAUBER: Right. We also had a case in Queens, New York, where several pirate radio stations got involved together and they were using each other's equipment in order to change location to avoid detection. Many of our links now function as affiliate links. Where the "modern" history of pirate radio seems to begin, though, is in the 1960s when pirate radio operators would get on the air to spread their music to a wider audience. Are people generally cooperative or are people just like I have no idea what you are talking, I have never seen anything, what is this, I don't want to deal with this? MR. DOMBROWSKI: Well there was a version of the bill that passed the House first and now there is a similar bill being considered by Senate. So what is pirate radio? 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. Dont believe me? Stations such as Weekend Rush, Kool FM, Pulse and Innocence wanted to represent the streets and promote local scenes.. 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. So we eventually went to the courts and fought. He got the craft back and kept at pirate radio for nearly another quarter century. The British government, though, didn't appreciate what Radio Caroline and other pirate broadcasters were doing. A lot of stations conceal their antennas, they hide behind things, they take the antennas down during they day, so they try avoid detection. 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. 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. Do you hear it on the weekends or is only a station that operates during the weekends? This article originally appeared in the February 2014 issue of The Spectrum Monitor Magazine. MR. 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