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Author Topic: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?  (Read 7075 times)

Offline Bowman1

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What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« on: June 07, 2012, 2049 UTC »
Back in the spring of 1993, I managed to pick up WKIK out of Jacksonville (?) on an old Hallicrafter's SX-73. Later on that year, I got my first verification from WLIS: We Love Interval Signals. The QSL had charicatures of goose-stepping Nazis on it, with the caption: "Always the first order of the FCC: SEIZE THE RADIO STATION!" It got printed in George Zeller's Monitoring Times column later, which was a huge rush for me back then.

What was your first pirate, and what radio did you hear them on?
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Offline ChrisSmolinski

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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #1 on: June 07, 2012, 2145 UTC »
I'm pretty sure it was Radio Confusion back in 1978.
Chris Smolinski
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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #2 on: June 07, 2012, 2234 UTC »
First "pirate" was way back in the mid 70's some kids in my home town setup a few watts on 1610khz, and played radio everynight as "WSUE"

A few years passed when I heard Wolverine Radio---in 2010.

Fansome

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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #3 on: June 07, 2012, 2302 UTC »
In the mid-70s, when I was living in Pasadena, CA, there was a local college that ran a pirate FM station during finals week. They called themselves "KCAL". They started the week by playing "Ride of the Valkyries", and then anything that the DJs felt like for the rest of the week. It could be heard for maybe a half-mile around the campus. I visited the studio a few times; it was always filled with exhausted, drunken students who had been dragooned into manning the transmitter. I was appalled.

Offline Sealord

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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #4 on: June 07, 2012, 2314 UTC »
WSKY in 1993 :)

1st QSL was from 6YVOS for their Jerry Garcia tribute show in 1995.

These stations were all heard on a Grundig Satellit 500.

Went back and looked at the log sheet from that night, the UTC times look later than I thought they were, but then again I could have been an hour off.  I should add that these are possibly not the first pirates I ever heard, but the first ones I ever logged.

01-02-93

7415 Mhz

05:10z WSKY
05:25z WMAD
06:10z Voice Of Garbage
06:18z Voice Of The Night with a call in # 713-780-1799

I have written down '(WCYC)?', but no time given; the two 'Voice' stations also had a QSO going at one point IIRC.
« Last Edit: June 10, 2012, 2132 UTC by Sealord »
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Offline jFarley

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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #5 on: June 07, 2012, 2337 UTC »
KQSB.  1982 I think.
First QSL was TCS 1983.
« Last Edit: June 08, 2012, 2245 UTC by jFarley »
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Offline Jolly Roger

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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #6 on: June 08, 2012, 0424 UTC »
Voice of Laryngitis. What a way to start, a TRUE classic. Still have the QSL. Next was TNFM. A true Canadian classic.
Please QSL to MaplRadio@gmail.com

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Offline Andrew Yoder

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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #7 on: June 08, 2012, 1342 UTC »
#1 WRAM, May 1983
#2 Radio Clandestine, July 2, 1983
#3 KQSB, August (I think) 1983
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Offline John Poet

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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #8 on: June 08, 2012, 1632 UTC »
It was either 'Free Radio North America', or 'WART' on shortwave.  I can't recall for sure, I heard them both within a month or two.... but I kind of think WART was first.  As I was already broadcasting TCS, I was much more focused on broadcasting than listening.

'WART' was more well-known as an AM pirate broadcasting to New York City.  I caught them on shortwave, called his announced loop number, and recognized him as someone who had called The Crystal Ship's telephone loop number a few weeks before.  Off-air he offered to do some work on our Knight T-150 transmitter which was having all kinds of fits, and did a great job on it for us, correcting many errors which the original kitbuilder had made, as well as replacing some aging parts.  WART used a Johnson Valiant II on both shortwave and the top of the AM band at that time, around 1620.

'Free Radio North America' was on Thanksgiving Day 1982.  They were quite powerful, broadcast station quality.  Unfortunately, it is said that they were busted within a week, and never replied to my reception report.


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Offline Zoidberg

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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #9 on: June 08, 2012, 1830 UTC »
Probably WGOE in Virginia, somewhere around 1590 or 1600 AM, early 1970s when I was visiting relatives in that area.  At least I think it was a pirate.  Sounded scurrilous enough.   :o
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Offline DimBulb

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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #10 on: June 08, 2012, 2214 UTC »
Logged Pigmeat Radio on the FRN on 3/16/2007 (said he was only running 10 watts)

Logged Take It Easy Radio on #pirateradio on 3/17/2007

I don't remember what inspired me to listen for shortwave pirates (or what inspired me to choose my ID).
« Last Edit: June 08, 2012, 2218 UTC by DimBulb »
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Offline moof

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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #11 on: June 08, 2012, 2219 UTC »
Radio Wolf International 1990 I think on or near 7415 on a DX440.  I still have the QSL in an envelope and in the last year figured out who they were and we have even emailed a couple times. Very nice guy.  Amazing for me because I am not antisocial, just almost completely asocial, autistic-y, R. Crumb-ish.  Or robot-like or self-centered if you listen to my ex. :D

Offline myteaquinn

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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #12 on: June 09, 2012, 0158 UTC »
I'm not sure which was my first pirate heard but I do remember my first pirate QSL; The Voice Of Syncom.
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Nella F.

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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #13 on: June 09, 2012, 2029 UTC »
My first pirate catch was Radio Doomsday in March of 2002. No qsl. 26 minutes later good old Alan Maxwell boomed in. 6.950usb for both that evening. 1st. qsl from a pirate, too: "KIPM official QSL  #6_ _", the one with the kid's brain exploding out the top of his head.  
sooo many memories... ::)

Offline textim

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Re: What was the first pirate station you ever logged?
« Reply #14 on: June 10, 2012, 0509 UTC »
The first pirate I ever heard was the Voice of Ganymede.  I don't recall the year although I'm reasonably sure it was pre-1979.  I had an old National receiver that I had picked up at a hamfest, with a hunk of wire strung up around the room.  I had their QSL as well, but it was lost long ago during one of many changes of residence.  I wish I still had it, as well as that old NC-2-40D receiver!
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