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What are the chances of getting caught on FM with one watt?

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jordan:
Suppose I broadcast an hour-long bluegrass music show using a blank frequency in the Knoxville area.  My transmitter puts out only one watt.  I would not be causing any interference to any other station or service.  I would simply be playing music from some of the current bluegrass bands (Flatt Lonesome, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Trinity River, Mountain Faith, Sierra Hull, Balsam Range, etc.).  What would be the chances I would get caught by the FCC?

atrainradio:
From experience, extremely slim chance if you do not interfere with anyone and play clean music. The biggest thing is DO NOT INTERFERE.

John Poet:
Practically NIL the first few times, operating for only an hour with one watt... unless the FCC were already in town monitoring the airwaves as you did it. 

FCC enforcement actions are dependent on a pirate's repetition and predictability (operating on a predictable schedule).  If they can't make a reasonable prediction of when you'd be on, they aren't going to send anyone.

Before that can even happen, someone would have to make a complaint to them about you.

The chances of getting caught go up with repetition, hours operating, predictability, power level and probably the worst factor--- publicity.  With only one watt on FM, you aren't as likely to generate much notice as opposed to using 10 watts or 100 watts...

There aren't any FCC field offices remotely near you, but others should check the list
http://freeradiocafe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=3389

Njmikec:
The other thing to look out for would be harmonic transmissions above and below your chosen frequency.  Not sure of the quality of equipment you are using but the Chinese stuff you can get on eBay is famous for this kind of interference.  A wrongly placed harmonic in a Police, Aviation or Armed Forces band will get you attention quickly.

EliteData:

--- Quote from: Njmikec on December 01, 2015, 1819 UTC ---The other thing to look out for would be harmonic transmissions above and below your chosen frequency.  Not sure of the quality of equipment you are using but the Chinese stuff you can get on eBay is famous for this kind of interference.  A wrongly placed harmonic in a Police, Aviation or Armed Forces band will get you attention quickly.

--- End quote ---
thats exactly why you build or obtain a high quality RF pass-band filter with high attenuation outside of the pass band (ex. 87-108Mhz), i would use one regardless of circumstances especially with the chinese made stuff since they have little effective to absolutely no band pass filters built on them but then again, if youre operating with relatively low power such as 1000mW and an ERP at the tuned antenna that isnt much higher than that, the harmonics generated would be very low in the first place.
its operating at elevated power levels is where you have to begin worrying about it.

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