How Many Of You Folks 'Count' Pirates or LP-15 Stations as officially 'Logged' ?

[Steve Green NEPA]

A gal we know from downstate PA once asked about a station called WNAR on 1620. The place turned out to be a Part-15 hobbyist and his wife. WNAR covered her area quite well.

Back around 1970 there was a Brooklyn NYC pirate station called WFAT, on that same 1620. They were heard far and wide. Dunno about priorities, but I have them as an official 'dot' in my old AM station catalogue.

More legally, I caught a Talking House station on 1610 from Pottsville PA while driving, and considered them to be an authentic 'newie'.

'WEJP' 1460 was a local southern Queens NYC signal I logged one night. I called my DX buddy. We both lived 'inland', north of JFK Airport. He said he was getting them real loud on 730, lol ! Go figure! It took me and him ten minutes to DF and locate the station. S'sposedly they got out to Rockaway at night, across Jamaica Bay. I'll try to include a map.

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Some entrepreneur on Staten Island reportedly set up a borderline-legal string of AM stations and simulcasts on the X-Band some time back. It had to've been a predicament for some to determine which xmtr they were hearing. But R. Reloj in Cuba sorta does the same thing, eh ?

Would you folks count these as official entries on yur DX list ?
I mean, a lot of us count AM stations broadcasting local Friday Night sports games, the official FCC rules disregarded,. That means those places are pirates, no ? That status -- that standard of legitimacy -- has to be of a sort of sworn DX Hobbyist decision.

 

[CTListener]

Anything I've ever heard over the air (no SDRs) on AM, FM or shortwave counts in my very unofficial list of countries and/or states heard -- that includes LPFM, TIS, translators, pirates, amateur radio operators, utility stations, you name it. Whether some club or organization doesn't recognize such transmissions is of no concern to me.

 

[davideduardo]

Just as a logging or Veronica or Caroline from ships off of England or the Netherlands, those are all stations with transmitters and signals and to me they count.

Heck, Radio Martí is not "licensed" but it sure is a radio station.

 

[ZantennaG1]

I have two spots in my log.

The first is for stationary Part 15ers that will sometimes act like a station. They get more credit in my book. Locally, that's 90.7 for me, who was running sports programming today, but normally runs a conservative talk format, and has local Cheyenne ads.
A few months ago, there was a fairly persistent religious broadcaster on 89.5 that was always in the same spot, but now they've disappeared.

The second is for the micro car-transmitters. They are most common at Albertson's (grocery store), Applebee's, and at certain offices across town. When I visit these places, I make a point of checking for these car transmitters, and I've heard anything from Spanish, to Country music, to Hip-Hop. Because they aren't usually making any attempt at "Broadcasting", and they usually fleeting, I only make a slight note. Although, I had come across someone who was rebroadcasting an actual on air station with their car transmitter.

 

[tvnut]

If it’s on the air and I hear or see it, I count it.

There’s a pirate on 87.9 in my town now, been on for months. Gets out a couple of miles. The church a block away used a micro-transmitter for car reception of parking lot services high on FM during Covid-19 and may still. It doesn’t get much farther than my property. Way back I heard a pair of pirates on AM. Counted them all.

 

[asugeorge1]

I would count it, as would I count the local drive-in movie theater’s FM signals. I always thought the people who lived right by a drive-in were lucky since they got to listen to first-run movies for free. Bonus if you could actually see the screen from your house and listen at the same time!

 

[boombox4]

I've counted TIS's and would count a pirate if I heard one, whether on MW or FM. Some of them could be great catches, so why not count such stations? The only pirates I've heard were on HF -- a few pirate SWBC stations and a handful of 'ham pirates' from SE Asia that used to make it over the Pacific in the early morning.

 

[davideduardo]

I've counted TIS's and would count a pirate if I heard one, whether on MW or FM. Some of them could be great catches, so why not count such stations? The only pirates I've heard were on HF -- a few pirate SWBC stations and a handful of 'ham pirates' from SE Asia that used to make it over the Pacific in the early morning.

And there are stations that are not "licensed" but are perfectly legal: the armed forces radio stations of the US and a number of other nations are examples. Some civil war radio stations from rebels in nations like Cuba, Colombia and El Salvador are great catches and worthy of counting.

 

[gr8oldies]

I count anything that's unusual (except car transmitters), including the former Alex Jones pirate on 87.9

 

[cyberdad]

I count anything that's unusual (except car transmitters), including the former Alex Jones pirate on 87.9

I've never kept a log, except for the one in my head. But my view is if someone is broadcasting a signal for something other than personal use (such as a car transmitter), you can claim it as a valid catch. In my opinion, if you hear a pirate, you absolutely should claim it as a valid catch.

 

[gr8oldies]

I've never kept a log, except for the one in my head. But my view is if someone is broadcasting a signal for something other than personal use (such as a car transmitter), you can claim it as a valid catch. In my opinion, if you hear a pirate, you absolutely should claim it as a valid catch.

I thought I was the only one. My log is mostly in my head as well. When I was much longer, I kept one which I wish I still. If it's interesting to me, that's what matters.