Messages

1

General Radio Discussion / Re: Last FCC Bust of a SW Pirate?

« on: April 08, 2024, 1957 UTC »

It seems like every week in the FCC Daily Digest I read about one or several FM pirates in the US getting busted.  Anyone know the last time a shortwave pirate got busted in the US?  Interestingly, the PIRATE act, which was passed in 2020 and the FCC has been using to levy exorbitant (and arguably unrealistic) fines against operators and landlords defines pirate operation within only the AM and FM broadcast bands, and not shortwave.

I think that you missed the point of the Enforcement Action.
Broadcasters pays to be on 88 - 107 MHz and you don't!
When a broadcaster complains about harmful interference - it is because the broadcaster doesn't want other people competing with his legal licensed station.
On the HF bands - it would be hit or miss, because first, it requires a lot more power than 100 watts SSB - on the ham bands for people to hear you because on the HF AM you must use brute force to get your signal to be heard more than just a couple of miles away with Amplitude Modulation.
Tests were conducted using a horizontal dipole antenna at a low level in the 1930's and they just didn't work well.
So anything you do on HF that involves construction of a Vertical Radiator - tower antenna hot stick, would be visual as well as audio - aural.
The way they get you is when you have a obnoxious electric bill.
The Electric company turns you in to the FEDS and they come looking to see what kind of grow house you are running.

2

MW Loggings / Re: WFAN 660 AM (New York) 0957 UTC 3 MAR 2024

« on: March 07, 2024, 1830 UTC »

It sounds to me as if you are desperate for something to listen to, and your equipment is sub standard - so broadcast radio seems to be the only thing it picks up...

3

10/11 meters / Re: 27.7000 SSTV and others 1750Z

« on: March 07, 2024, 1828 UTC »

I was not aware that the rules were changed to allow Slow Scan Television on 11 meters...  Not that it is the Citizens Band because the Citizens Band does not go that high up in frequency...

4

10/11 meters / Re: WWV's 25MHz signal?

« on: March 07, 2024, 1826 UTC »

On a good day - clear across the world.

10 MHZ at night you can hear both the WWV signal and the KHWWV signal from Hawaii - the Hawaii signal is faster than the Colorado signal - so you hear the one before the other.

5

Amateur Radio / Re: Paul Harvey's "If I were the Devil", 7200 LSB @03:45, 04:00, and 04:15 UTC

« on: March 07, 2024, 1808 UTC »

Amateur Radio - using a FM VHF radio repeater, the repeater owner owns the equipment - hence if there is a problem, the repeater owner can ban the user, report the offender to the ARRL and inform the FCC and ask for relief.
On the HF Bands no one owns any frequency - so as long as you don't talk about sexual acts or private personal body parts, it really is not against the law to talk, since the information on the frequency is not disseminated for use by the general public.
The FCC could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars to catch these people , but the fines are never paid or collected and lenient judges usually lets them off with not much more than a warning, so the 'fcc doesn't care one way or the other.

The Offenders are usually X cb radio people that at one time got a license but never had a use for it so they degraded to the point of where they returned to where they came from, just on a different frequency.  40 meters daytime probably gives you the biggest bang for the buck!

If you don't like what they are doing and you find their actions offensive, then go to their house, cut their coax, tear down their antenna and kick their ass..

Me personally, I just turn the big knob.  You Can't Fix Stupid!

6

10/11 meters / Re: 11m Band Activity 30 JAN 2024

« on: January 31, 2024, 2259 UTC »

where is the recording?

7

10/11 meters / Bootleggers with illegal cb radios

« on: January 31, 2024, 2257 UTC »

I have been hearing them on 28.305 Mhz - but it doesn't sound like single side splatter.
The signals are about 40 kc's wide and appears to be coming out of Texas.
Dumb rednecks - truck drivers - that have their Galaxies tuned as far sound into the ham bands as they will go.

8

10/11 meters / Texas Freebanders on 28.305 MHz SSB

« on: January 10, 2024, 1836 UTC »

It sounds like FM, but they are using their class C amplifiers and their signals are 40 kcs wide.

Truckers talking like idiots, and no one has an amateur radio License.

I reminded them twice that 28 MHz is an amateur radio frequencies and requires a license.

9

Amateur Radio / Re: Ham Operator Faces Fine for Disruptions to WARFA Net

« on: August 29, 2023, 1755 UTC »

Excuse my ignorance, what does "WARFA" stand for?

We Are Retxxded F'n Azholes.

Mike and I wrote letters to the FCC pleading for assistance / enforcement of W6WBJ and got it.

One week after Crowell was removed from the air, the WARFA people told Mike - we don't need your help anymore, you aren't BLACK, please go away, this is our net.

10

10/11 meters / Re: 11m Band Activity 24 AUG 2023

« on: August 29, 2023, 1749 UTC »

Lunacy, I wouldn't bother with those crazy people on 11 meters...

Who the heck are you going to talk to with nothing but a handheld radio?  It's range is probably 3 or 4 miles FM if you were standing on top of a mountain on a good day.

11

Amateur Radio / Re: Will SSB Radio Return To The US Naval Academy? HAM FREQ´s involved.

« on: April 10, 2023, 1643 UTC »

Actually 14.300 serves no legitimate purpose.
Just a bunch of cb'rs that are too scared to call cq and actually make a qso.
So they hang out on one frequency, thank the net control station for being there, because it gave them one person they could work without having to physically exert themselves and then they can blabber about how great their radio equipment is, how loud the net control station is, how glad they are that someone is monitoring the frequency all the time.
The maritime people doesn't even consider 14.300 MHz to be of any service to them, unless all other forms of communications has failed.
And I doubt that any rich person that owns a boat but does not hold an amateur radio license is going to waste precious resources on a quality HF amateur radio when that money could be spent on a new cell phone or a sat phone that gives them global communications both night and day.
We are just kidding ourselves if we think that some person sitting in his hamshack in OHIO is going to rescue someone in the INDIAN OCEAN.

12

Group W Bench / Re: NASA needs help

« on: March 01, 2023, 0738 UTC »

NASA no longer exists - it is now the National Space Force..  AKA - CIA

13

General Radio Discussion / Re: Another radio store closes its doors.

« on: March 01, 2023, 0732 UTC »

The problem is not the cost of the lease, but the internet and the cheap hams has killed the brick and mortar stores.

I have bought all of my radio equipment from HRO and have had nothing but good experiences.

The problem is - the new millennials has the mindset that they want everything as cheap as possible and will shoot themselves in the foot to save $5

I predicted this 12 years ago on QRZ dot com and everyone told me to shut up!

14

VHF/UHF Logs, including satellites and radiosondes / Work the ISS

« on: March 01, 2023, 0728 UTC »

https://www.amsat.org/track/satloc.php?lang=en&satellite=ISS

I missed the first couple of passes tonight.

Next pass is 7:39 UTC

15

10/11 meters / Re: 10m/11m Band Activity 28 Feb 2023

« on: March 01, 2023, 0726 UTC »

The problem with 11 meters is that it is unlicensed.
The people there do not work it as a hobby.
No one seems to be interested in working DX.
The lunacy - the crazy people seems to dominate the band when it is open.
It is ok, if all you want to do is look to see if the band is open.
The sheer number of operators is outstanding.
Back when there were few band openings, I used it as an indicator - is 10 meters open, or are the hams just lazy.