Pedregal Radio 6969.5 USB 0100 Daily

[DonMooreDXer]

6969.5 Mexico Pedregal Radio *0102-0115* 22/Oct USB w/ man reading Spanish marine weather for southern Gulf of Mexico with lots of long pauses. I first saw a report of this from Rafael Rodriguez in Bogota in the Spanish Facebook group Cadena DX. He says that according to some Mexican amateurs, this is a Mexican amateur operating out-of-band and reading official weather reports from Boca del Rio (Veracruz) and the Yucatán and sometimes also from the Mexican Navy. This is a service for fishing boats in the region. Neither I nor Rafael have heard an ID but the Mexican amateurs told Rafael that it IDs as Pedregal Radio. Daily or near daily. If an amateur goes out-of-band and plays rock music we call that a pirate broadcaster. So if one goes out-of-band and plays maritime weather forecasts, doesn't that make him a pirate utility station? (Don Moore, DXPedition near Oil City, Pennsylvania)

[ChrisSmolinski]

Looks like it's been logged at least twice before here on the HFU, both times in the Peskies board, which is probably the right spot?

https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,168398.0.html

https://www.hfunderground.com/board/index.php/topic,169847.0.html

[DonMooreDXer]

I wouldn't put this in the same category as peskies. Those are just fishermen chatting on the radio. This guy is taking on the role of the coast guard and putting out a regularly scheduled weather report. Aside from being illegal (out of the ham and marine bands) he's doing exactly what numerous marine stations around the world do.