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The Pirate Station returns..

H

HippieGuy

Every year around this time, "Kids FM', makes an appearance in West Cobb. Coming in on 95.3, it has kid announcers, a 60's song list where each song seems to send abruptly after 30-60 seconds of play time, which is then followed by a, "you're listening to Kids FM', immediately followed by another 30-45 second partial song.

I live in west Kennesaw off Mars Hill Rd/Stilsboro. The last couple of years you could pick it up clear with what seemed to be a radius of 3 miles or so.
Have not heard it yet this year at home. But yesterday while driving thru the Marietta Square, it came on, but seemed to cut out as I drove West towards home.

Obviously a pirate station of some sort, but made me wonder if it is mobile, since I now heard it a bit further east than the usual zone.

Anybody have any info on this?
 
Please don't take this the wrong way, but I'm really curious about something. How did you know to tune your radio to 95.3 if there's not usually anything there?
 
Because every year in the beginning of November, for at least the last 5, it comes on very strong, tho limited in radius. Closer to Thanksgiving up to New Years they play childrens Christmas songs. It sounds almost like a Disney program..then after Jan 1, each year, it goes silent.

To answer your question, I listen to WSB 95.5 in the car...I was listening when 95.3 bled thru, recognizing it, I tuned in better thinking whoever it is had extended the listening radius further east...since I usually picked up 5 miles further west. But as I said above, I am not getting it home this year, which is why I was thinking 'mobile transmitter'.
 
HippieGuy said:
Because every year in the beginning of November, for at least the last 5, it comes on very strong, tho limited in radius. Closer to Thanksgiving up to New Years they play childrens Christmas songs. It sounds almost like a Disney program..then after Jan 1, each year, it goes silent.

To answer your question, I listen to WSB 95.5 in the car...I was listening when 95.3 bled thru, recognizing it, I tuned in better thinking whoever it is had extended the listening radius further east...since I usually picked up 5 miles further west. But as I said above, I am not getting it home this year, which is why I was thinking 'mobile transmitter'.
Click to expand...

Now that makes sense. I'm always amazed at how many people stumble across clandestine broadcasts. But, if it was on a station adjacent to one you're listening to, it's not a mystery.
 
I often thought that if you were going to be a pirate, mobile would be the way to go.
 
The Kennesaw Charter Science and Math Academy is running this station. I saw something about it on their facebook page.
 
I guess that makes sense. If 'kids' were to do it, who better than a tech charter school.

I did check their website and saw no mention of 'Kids FM'. If it is them, they would not do this without a license would they???
Maybe it is a LPFM?
Radio-Locator shows the 95.3 freq vacant....a mystery.
 
Even a part 15 transmitter, if it has a good (high) antenna, can get some distance. How does the audio sound? Is it "decent" or muddy?
 
Audio is very decent...programming is the problem. Have no idea why all songs are less than a minute, ending abruptly to be followed by the ID, 'KidsFM', followed by another quick ending song
 
The only reason that I can think of for only playing partial songs is to get around paying royalties. No payment is required for partial songs.
 
If it is a school than shame on them. A part 15 transmitter would not have a field strength that high that far away, so it sounds more like an unlicensed transmitter. Second, for the operator to knowingly operate it adjacent to the number one listened to station in Atlanta (95.5) than they are BEGGING for an NAL, and I hope they get it.

Why did they NOT get a legit LPFM license...or for Christ's sake, at least put it on some unused channel not smack up next to a big stick..oh that's right, the turds at Radio Assist Ministry aka Turdwater Broadcasting sucked up all the empty channels. Oh well, there's the Internet. It's legal.

I just don't understand why people do crap like this and then whine like babies when they get caught. What did you expect to happen? They are as bad as the illegal felon aliens claiming "rights". You bootleg and stick out like a sore thumb you deserve what you get. I have no sympathy and operating outside the law as a school is a POOR EXAMPLE for children to follow.
 
Might be one of those 7W Chinese transmitters available on Ebay. They have 50us pre-emphasis which is why I asked about the audio. The internet is part of the problem. There are sites that will tell you how to put it all together. But broadcasting is probably legacy technology by now. Can't hear them in the spagetti junction area.
 
Having had one of those "CZE" transmitters on my bench, aside from the pre emphasis being off for US use, the thing was a spur generator that started around 55MHz all the way up to 500MHz. The worst output I have seen, and no modulation limiting.

I agree the "roll your own" instructions on how to put up such a station are all over the web, but like anything else, just because there is a web page about it does not make it right.

I have a good mind to be a good radio tech/ham and reach out to them, the last time I discovered a pirate in Smyrna, the guy blew me off. So I stuck the E.B. on him, along with Cox Engineering (his 20 watt bootleg transmitter was wiping out Kiss 104 from 1/2 a mile away on a good receiver).

He learned the hard way.
 
Overheard this pirate clear as a bell at Kennestone Hospital in the green parking deck tonight, bleeding over 95.5. they must be running some power. They are just asking for an NAL.
 
Power indeed. Since I posted this, I have picked them up at the house...West Cobb, on the Paulding line..I am off Mars Hill and County Line Rd...this is more powerful than years past where I'd lose them a mile from home.

They must really be 'testing the waters'. What I don't understand is, why only transmit this time of year, each year. It is not like they are playing Christmas Holiday music..

Maybe they know this is the time of year when most FCC inspectors take a vacation (a joke)
 
Must be running more than 150Khz bandwidth to be splattering into the adjacent channel. As for an NAL, I've heard stories of the FCC walking into a pirate facility (run by a minority entity) in NC, and their only concern was EAS equipment, and then walking out. This happened 10 years ago.
The partial songs are probably edited from other on air broadcasts.
 
kf4rca said:
I've heard stories of the FCC walking into a pirate facility (run by a minority entity) in NC, and their only concern was EAS equipment, and then walking out. This happened 10 years ago.
Click to expand...

I want to hear this story! A pirate with an EAS. The FCC walking into a pirate station and not issuing warnings and or fines.
 
Got the Anritsu Spectrum Master analyzer out and I'm making up a dipole to d/f 'em. The rooftop whip antenna on my vehicle could only tell me approximately where it is in a quick drivearound. They have a really nasty-looking and hot spur on the 95.5 side of their signal. Modulation is only 60-75% or so though. I suspect it is somewhere on top of or on the south face of the hill at the North Loop. Lots of condos and the like on the south face plus the two towers... It has a big null to the north towards Town Center, probably terrain shielding. I heard it this afternoon at Paces Ferry/I-75. Sitting indoors in my home office at the moment 95.3 is -86dbm and 95.5 is at -81dbm. [ Sorry, couldn't resist playing with the analyzer tonight and this thread got me interested <grin> ]
 
Today, I drove from my house, West Cobb on the Paulding County line. I was able to carry the station down Dallas Hwy, down 120 towards I-75. Drove south on I-75, stayed with me until the Delk rd exit, where I began to get static, as I drove further south, the interference got, as I suspected it would, annoying so I turned it off.

I did hear a new "id" today. Along with the usual, "Kids FM 95.3", they added, "..broadcasting from the technology center"..don't know if that even exist, or used to throw off people.
A mystery...but it will go off air, as it does each year, on or about New Years.
 
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