1710 UNID oldies 0136 UTC 7/17/2017

[Kilokat7]

Back again tonight, same time as last night.  S6-S7 over the summer static:

0136z: Fats Domino - Ain't that a shame
0141z: Elvis - Heartbreak Hotel
0150z: Patsy Cline - Walkin' After Midnight
0153z: Gene Chandler - Duke of Earl
0208z: Percy Sledge - When a Man Loves a Woman
0211z: garbled and distorted audio
0212z: open carrier and back into the same music set
0306z: audio dropped to open carrier after an hour of solid audio, no announcements ever heard

[Kilokat7]

Posted a video here: https://youtu.be/oBA5NwGBMi0

[ChrisSmolinski]

Very interesting! I will have to give 1710 a try, but between the summer static and TIS station(s), I am doubtful. Are ops using 1710 due to inertia, or because various consumer radios pick it up, vs the more clear 1720 ?

[skeezix]

I've been tuning here in the evenings on & off hoping to hear it, but so far nothing.


I figger that 1710 because no broadcasters (but there are TIS) and receivers go there, where 1720 consumer receivers don't go there so their audience would be more limited. But it also depends on who the pirate wants to target. Or for other reasons (their xmtr won't go to 1720).

[ChrisSmolinski]

I checked 1710 last night (but well before you reported hearing the station) and here the frequency is effectively blocked by TIS station(s). Hudson County was quite strong. Actually I have what sounds like a TIS now on 1710 as I type this (1320z).

MW propagation seemed to be pretty good last night, I had solid copy from the TIS in Quakerstown PA on 1620 for several minutes.

1720 would be the logical choice for reaching the MW pirate radio hobbyist market (all three of us), but as you said, the broadcaster may have other motivations (general public) or transmitter restrictions.

[Kilokat7]

I have to believe that most of the allure of setting up shop on 1710 is attracting a different crowd of listeners, in addition to "all three of us".  1710 is relatively open and clear here, and I suspect it is in many parts of the country.  The PA/MA/NJ TIS stations on 1710 are only heard in the Midwest using serious equipment and never on the car radio or portable AM radio.  With enough signal on 1710, I think it could really "get out" during the winter months.  Driving home from a soccer game last night, I dialed up to 1710 and found this one playing oldies again.  No specialized DX equipment needed.  Of course, how many people these days are tuning around the AM dial in their car looking for different or new content?  Probably not many.  Instead of three, maybe an op can expect to double that number to six   I don't know, but it's always a rush catching a pirate on MW, especially on the car radio while driving down the highway!

[ChrisSmolinski]

I have to believe that most of the allure of setting up shop on 1710 is attracting a different crowd of listeners, in addition to "all three of us".  1710 is relatively open and clear here, and I suspect it is in many parts of the country.  The PA/MA/NJ TIS stations on 1710 are only heard in the Midwest using serious equipment and never on the car radio or portable AM radio.  With enough signal on 1710, I think it could really "get out" during the winter months.  Driving home from a soccer game last night, I dialed up to 1710 and found this one playing oldies again.  No specialized DX equipment needed.  Of course, how many people these days are tuning around the AM dial in their car looking for different or new content?  Probably not many.  Instead of three, maybe an op can expect to double that number to six  

Yes, 1710 is probably fairly open in the Midwest, and much of the country. For now, anyway. I have to expect that since the FCC has been granting licenses for 1710 in the northeast, this will continue and expand. Here in the Northeast, 1720 would be the place to go. Of course there may be the "no stations on 1720 so no listeners on 1720 so no stations on 1720..." problem. Which I think also applies to west coast SW pirates and listeners.

I don't know, but it's always a rush catching a pirate on MW, especially on the car radio while driving down the highway!

Indeed! For several years, there was a semi local MW pirate on 1610 that came on between Thanksgiving and New Years, playing Christmas music. "The Wedge". I could hear it here at home fairly well, and even on the car radio. It was fun to listen to. Sadly I've not heard it for some time.

The only other MW "pirate" I recall hearing is one from Baltimore that was actually from a school. "The Claw" ?? I think they had a misunderstanding regarding Part 15 / Carrier current regulations    Only heard them for a few weeks IIRC, I think they got a clarification from the FCC.

The local college in Westminster, McDaniel, used to have a carrier current operation on 1620 that I could hear up here (10 or so miles away) that might also have been somewhat generous with FCC regs. I have not heard it in a few years, I am not sure if it is even on the air anymore.  Back in the 1980s when I went to U of MD, there was a carrier current station, and it was tough to even pick it up in the dorms on campus.  Next time I am in town I will give 1620 a listen and see if it is still on the air.

[skeezix]

1710 here is usually open. I can frequently just barely detect a carrier, a couple of times I've heard W807.

There's someone around here that fires up on 1690 and streams the "Real Oldies Station."

Aside from those, the only other I've heard around the top part of MW was Dr Benway years ago on 1720.

[Kilokat7]

Benway was heard well on 1710 too back then, if I remember correctly.  I think he received reports from across the US and into northwestern Canada.

[BDM]

Hearing it now at 02:40. 96 Tears by Question Mark and the Mysterians. S7 to S9 at times, can't believe I'm actually hearing it through all the noise, considering a good lightning storm is only 20 miles away to my east

[BDM]

CCR - Green River now, hit a peak of 10 over. This is off my loop, tough to hear off my long wire or dipole

[Josh]

A number of antique radio aficionados use a small am tx to send old time sigs to their behemoth zeniths and philcos, so don't be surprised if/when you find them. They typically look for the clearest band segment and might not be using a strictly part 15 antenna or power level.

[Pigmeat]

A number of antique radio aficionados use a small am tx to send old time sigs to their behemoth zeniths and philcos, so don't be surprised if/when you find them. They typically look for the clearest band segment and might not be using a strictly part 15 antenna or power level.

It's funny you mention that. Boomer told me he was inspired to build the Grenade after reading of an old guy in I believe the Carolina's, who built a small tube AM "phono oscillator" to listen to music out in his workshop. It was being heard up and down the East Coast. The FCC df'd the signal and discovered the thing was outputting about 5 watts out of a short wire antenna. Everyone had been telling Boomer not to mess with low power tx's on MW and SW, it wasn't worth it, but reading about the old guy had shown him that if you could do that with 5 watts and crappy antenna, 10 watts and good one just might do the trick.

Mine was built sometime in the '92-94 period and still kicks out full power, a mighty 14 watts! Thanks Boomer!

[Josh]

You can work the world with 14 watts!