Pirate radio stations

[Everglades W68]

No, its not like, "AARG, I'm on the radio, mateys!" I'm referring to unlicensed radio stations.

We get pirate radio stations all the time here in South Florida.

Somebody sets up an unlicensed transmitter and begins broadcasting (as opposed to low signal strength little local stations which are allowed). Of course, it bleeds over into adjoining stations. The latest one was 91.1 FM broadcasting Caribbean music in the Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Boca Raton area. It showed up two weeks ago and has disappeared in the last few days.

I just wonder if this occurs much in the rest of the country.

[speedracer95v6]

Never really heard of that phenomena here.

[hawgs]

I've nevre heard of that. You pick up some weird stations when you get close to Mexico though.

[user1101]

I've built them before. The FCC prohibits FM exciters that emit a field strength in excess of 250 microvolts/meter at a distance of 3m from the transmitter. That's roughly equivalent to a quarter mile radius with a well-placed antenna. Anything stronger, and you run the risk of getting a knock on your door.

But you can still pick up a full 1 Watt transmitter if you want to do some serious broadcasting. Couple that with an impedance-matched log periodic antenna, a high point in town, and an mp3 collection, and you've got yourself a radio station. F clearchannel, right?

I broadcast my mp3's throughout my apartment complex - which is quite nice when i'm washing my car and such. You just have to be careful to disable the transmitter if your computer is being used for other things.

[MustangEater8251]

Originally posted by user1101:
You just have to be careful to disable the transmitter if your computer is being used for other things.

Don't want your neighbors listening to the porn you are watching?

[user1101]

Originally posted by MustangEater8251:
</font><blockquote>quote:</font><hr />Originally posted by user1101:
You just have to be careful to disable the transmitter if your computer is being used for other things.

Don't want your neighbors listening to the porn you are watching? </font>[/QUOTE]If they heard me listening to Mustangeater's Mom Does Dallas, I might be violating some local indecency ordinances.

[speedracer95v6]

That sounds neat. Where would i go about getting FCC legal broadcasting equipment?

[TealV6]

We have them in Detroit. Most are running 1watt transmitters, but range is still very limited.

As for getting legal equipment, expect to shell out some serious coin. It's not just the equipment that is expensive, but the license and headaches of dealing with the FCC.

Steve

[user1101]

It's virtually impossible to get a broadcast license anywhere near an urban setting. Landing one in a rural area is difficult but doable. A broadcast quality antenna runs 5 figures.

Decent FCC-legal transmitters start around $100 with a cheapie whip antenna. That's what i run. A quarter-watt system is more than enough to cover an entire house and yard without a hint of static. A 1 Watt transmitter is well above the limit of what the FCC allows for non-permitted devices.

[token sebring]

Anyone remember the movie Pump Up the Volume??

[wannabe]

Originally posted by speedracer95v6:
That sounds neat. Where would i go about getting FCC legal broadcasting equipment?

You're better off getting a ham radio license.

[Everglades W68]

Last week, I'd get 91.1 steel drum music when I tried to listen to NPR on 91.3.

[Turbo V6 Camaro]

yeah the radio are exposed to follw the 75 HZ barrier bettween staions, if the osilator vary any more then 150 HZ (75 each way) they have to fix it. you can ealy figure out what channles have nothing on them and in what F you can trasmit with out hurts another staion,

[Everglades W68]

Re: Pirate radio stations

We still get pirate radio stations here. One big one is based somewhere near Sunrise Boulevard and I-95 in Fort Lauderdale.