What's the "best frequency" to broadcast?

[Charlie Foxtrot Mike]

Take this question as it is, please . A question of a newbie. Today I was searching for a Xtal on a store near here and then as I didn't find the one I wanted (6.925), though he had thousands, started to ask myself : Must that freq be? Why?  Why not?  Which one then? Are freqs used as a kind of tradition or as a result just after moving away from the big stations?  A simple question for a simple answer.  Danke.
Charlie F. Mike

[ff]

Take this question as it is, please . A question of a newbie. Today I was searching for a Xtal on a store near here and then as I didn't find the one I wanted (6.925), though he had thousands, started to ask myself : Must that freq be? Why?  Why not?  Which one then? Are freqs used as a kind of tradition or as a result just after moving away from the big stations?  A simple question for a simple answer.  Danke.
Charlie F. Mike

There is nothing special about 6925.  These days it is the unofficial frequency that most North American listeners monitor.  In years past the "magic" frequency has been 6955, 6950, 7415, 7350...  And tomorrow it could be something else.  Most rigs that you build will need a crystal somewhere in the 6000-6990 KHz range (stay clear of the 40 meter ham band!!!!!).  Let that be your guide - today.  Tomorrow is bound to be different.  And if you stay at this for awhile you'll see the "official" frequency change again and again, usually because "legitimate" users start using the area.  Pirates and their small power need clear spots to operate in and the clear spots move from time to time.  Your operating frequency will also need to move in order for you to be heard. 

North American listeners generally watch 6800-7000 and European listeners generally watch 6000-6500.  Of course you could be a "whack job" like me and operate anywhere and everywhere - but I'll tell you from firsthand experience - your feedback from listeners will be far, far, FAR less than if you stay within the areas that pirate enthusiasts monitor.  Only you can determine WHY you want to pirate, and then operate accordingly.  If you have access to "thousands" of different crystal freqs locally then you are indeed more fortunate than you think.  I have searched, scavenged, begged, borrowed, and paid through the nose at times - for nearly 40 years - to amass my crystal horde.  I need to put a worthy young pirate in my will to pass them on to when I die and take that ultimate skywave ride to the home receiver...

[Charlie Foxtrot Mike]

Man, that was deep.    A wide and clear explanation, with an epic and poetic ending. Cool!
Well, it was really a bit of logical stuff about moving away on the band and still staying a bit close. The guy told me that crystal can be modified to get the freq you need. In fact I found days before a link to an Argentinian guy who do that, asking about 40usd per crystal. The crystals from my friend's store are a lot but many with 3500,7000,27000,6000,13000+(cant remember exactly) and some others I didn't see. I'll take a second look and note some. Salud!
Charlie F. M.

[John Poet]

The "best frequency" is one that will do the job for your particular situation.  In your particular case, I would argue that this is NOT "6925".

If you want to try to reach North America from the southern tip of South America, and you're not really trying to have regional coverage in your part of South America, it would probably be more efficient for you to use a frequency just outside the 20-meter amateur band (below 14 MHz or above 15 MHz), using single sideband mode (SSB), than using any frequency in the "standard" pirate bands, because of the distance involved.  The noise floor is less at these higher frequencies and sideband mode (usually upper sideband for pirate operators).  If it were me, that is where I would operate.  Even then I suspect it will be difficult.  But most amateur transmitters manufactured from the 80s on should be able to cover that range and mode with little to no modifications.  

Your particular situation is completely different from most of those using this board, regarding any transmissions to North America.  Trying to be heard from your location on 6925 kHz would be virtually impossible (with any regularity), because of the distance and interference from the pescadore fisherman who now also inhabit that frequency range.

Even operating outside the pirate range, there are ways to inform potential listeners of your frequency-- by posting notices on this forum, and using the chatrooms.  

[uhf35]

I think that a good question is: how many watts? and, what kind of antenna do you use?

I'm in east of Argentina. SW pirates and "Usual" frequency, does not "exist" here.

Here, the crystals are manufactured by request and are cheap in most of cases, other times I take it from unusable devices, computer motherboards, power supplies, and others.

I try from 2003 with 9825 (fine tune) /9830 (native freq.) KHz (yes, in 31 meters broadcasting band! only in daylight period. by night RCI turns on and   ) The only antennas that I can physically build on my location are 40 meters wavelenghts or lower, but, 7164,112 KHz (crystal that I have) is amateur "hot" spot.

I also have 3579,545; 4000; 4318,18; 4620; 6000; 6200 (made by Western Electric for US Army ); 6250, 14xxx (I lost it ); 15623,3; 24000


subir foto

I think that if you try to make regional (US interstate broadcasting), must seeking coverage through NVIS (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Near_vertical_incidence_skywave) focus below 10 MHz and with a chord antenna. Otherwise, go above 10 MHz to achieve significant long distance jumps.