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Author Topic: Longwave Pirates?  (Read 5952 times)

Offline Capt. Kidd

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Longwave Pirates?
« on: February 15, 2018, 0627 UTC »
Is longwave pirate radio a thing? I’ve found a few cases on the internet but I can’t find a case of a regular broadcast.
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Offline ChrisSmolinski

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #1 on: February 15, 2018, 1151 UTC »
Is longwave pirate radio a thing? I’ve found a few cases on the internet but I can’t find a case of a regular broadcast.

if it's not already, it's going to need to be soon, the way solar conditions are going  ;D
Chris Smolinski
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Offline ulx2

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #2 on: February 15, 2018, 1345 UTC »
Two Dutch pirate stations: Radio Luxemburg and Radio Zwarte Panter are broadcasting from time to time on long waves now (usually on 261 kHz):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFVFtr-r7_Q
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5o0H2ZxkUU
« Last Edit: February 15, 2018, 1403 UTC by ulx2 »
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Offline ThaDood

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #3 on: February 15, 2018, 1802 UTC »
I've heard of a few low-fers that have done higher power experiments, with longer than 50ft antennas, in the license-free 1750M Experimenter's Band, 170kHz - 190kHz, And, I've even done Carrier-Current there, where 10mW will carry a long way on the power lines, with those NBFM Intercoms, but in North America the LW band seems pretty pirate-free. Probably, since no one believes that there's be an audience down there.
I was asked, yet another weird question, of how I would like to be buried, when I finally bite the big one. The answer was actually pretty easy. Face-down, like a certain historical figure in the late 1980's, (I will not mention who, but some of you will get it, and that's enough.) Why??? It would be a burial that will satisfy everyone: (1) My enemies will say that it will show me where to go. (2) On the same point, I can have my enemies kiss my butt. (3) It will temporarily give someone a place to park a bicycle. See??? A WIN / WIN for everyone.

Offline redhat

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #4 on: February 15, 2018, 1848 UTC »
There is an incentive for folks in Europe to do so; LW is a standard broadcast band and is in a lot of cars and stereo systems.

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Offline jFarley

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #5 on: February 15, 2018, 2201 UTC »
A good freq range for this would be between 285 and 325 kHz.   ;D
Joe Farley, Near Chicago
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Offline Azimuth Coordinator

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #6 on: February 15, 2018, 2218 UTC »
What kind or range would you get at 190 khz ?  and what power is needed ?  and where am I going to put a 2400' antenna ???


AC
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Offline Pigmeat

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #7 on: February 16, 2018, 0056 UTC »
I used to get emails from a guy in Western Europe about doing it after I posted a link on the original FRN ,circa 2001, of a schematic for a one-watt ssb/cw transmitter for the experimental LF band. He had some wild ideas for antennas. I heard from him maybe 4 times and he disappeared.

Offline Capt. Kidd

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #8 on: February 16, 2018, 0101 UTC »
What kind or range would you get at 190 khz ?  and what power is needed ?  and where am I going to put a 2400' antenna ???


AC
That’s probably the biggest deterrent for this. You would need a huge antenna and a lot of power to load up the antenna. I suppose you could build the mother of all loop antennas.
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Offline didu heardat

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #9 on: February 16, 2018, 0113 UTC »
well

Offline redhat

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #10 on: February 16, 2018, 0113 UTC »
Electric fences anyone?

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Offline didu heardat

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #11 on: February 16, 2018, 0120 UTC »

Offline didu heardat

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #12 on: February 16, 2018, 0121 UTC »
Electric fences anyone?

+-RH

pee wee has used a fence before

Offline Pigmeat

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #13 on: February 16, 2018, 0305 UTC »
I've clamped on to a strand of barbed wire fence as a ground plane for verticals. Works fine if you've got a tuner. There was someone I heard about who hooked into a guardrail for a SW tx and was well heard, but I don't recall who it was. That RF has to go somewhere.

Offline KaySeeks

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Re: Longwave Pirates?
« Reply #14 on: February 16, 2018, 0320 UTC »
When I was 14 or 15 years old, I made a fantastic LW TX from my Radio Shack 150-in-1 Electronic Project kit.
http://thenetworkgarden.blogs.com/photos/uncategorized/2008/05/30/150inone.jpg

I was shooting for the MW band but when I first turned it on, it was apparently operating in the LW band and soon figured it out when I dropped some capacitance in the tank circuit and I got it into the MW band and could finally hear it. In any case, once I got it going, I dropped it down to LW later (to avoid daytime MW interference) and got strong enough to be heard on the old Phillips radio on the other side of the house that could tune LW.

I WAS A LW PIRATE, HEARD IN TWO ROOMS OF MY PARENTS' HOUSE.  ;D

No QSL cards issued though.  :P
Just somebody with a radio, a computer and a pair of headphones...