• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Another Pirate Station in San Francisco

M

MR5229

Has anyone noticed a new pirate station on 102.5 FM in San Francisco? I think it started recently and it's possibly broadcasting from Twin Peaks, just like Pirate Cat had previously. I suspect because the pirate's signal is really powerful. It makes it all the way to the East Bay and drowns out/interferes with the legal 102.5's. The pirate plays some sort of Spanish format (not sure exactly which one specifically). The sound quality is horrible, so that's a giveaway that it's a pirate. It's pretty annoying because I'm one of the people that listen to 102.5 KDON and KSFM in the Bay Area. I know that 102.5 from Salinas/Sacramento are not within the protected contours of the East Bay, but this still annoys me, as reason stated above. My reasoning about the signal being from Twin Peaks is as follows...

1. The signal doesn't make it to San Bruno, as I was there yesterday. That indicates the signal is shielded by San Bruno Mountain.

2. When driving on the S-Curve of the East Span of the Bay Bridge, the legal 102.5's return briefly, as Yerba Buena Island provides shielding from San Francisco. At the point where Twins Peaks is visible again, the pirate's signal overwhelms the legal 102.5's.

3. I live on a hill that is shaped in a way that is shielded from Berkeley and Oakland, so I know it's not a Oakland/Berkeley pirate station.


I wonder if the FCC knows or even cares about this pirate station. From what I've read on these boards, the FCC is notoriously slow in investigating and shutting down pirates.
 
I found the pirate station on 102.5 in San Francisco on Saturday. Very strong signal.

Also heard another low power pirate on 88.1 in the Marina but it was captured by the religious station in the valley as I drove to Pacific Heights.

There used to another pirate on 93.7 for a long time but has been missing recently.

A few days ago there was another pirate on 107.3 but it also is now gone.

I guess the FCC is cracking down on these guys after the closure of Pirate Cat.
 
Edward4u said:
I guess the FCC is cracking down on these guys after the closure of Pirate Cat.
Click to expand...

Pirate Cat doesn't appear to be totally shut down. It's on from time to time with a weak signal in SF, but it is there.
 
I LOVE PIRATE STATIONS !!!!!! AMERICAN RUNS ON PIRATE STATIONS !!!!!!!
 
rapking said:
AMERICA RUNS ON PIRATE STATIONS !!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Hey, it's your prerogative to love pirate stations, but how does America (no "n") run on pirate stations? I don't get that one.
 
These are merely unlawful stations. A real pirate station broadcasts from a ship offshore, like Radio Caroline did in the 60's. Had a buddy that was on Caroline, and got deported from England. Arrr!
 
Hi Folks:

Listened to the station today. I enjoyed it. It's sort of a "Cumbia" format from what I can tell. Reminds me of KLOK 1170 from a few years ago.

Mike
 
rickradio said:
rapking said:
AMERICA RUNS ON PIRATE STATIONS !!!!!!!
Click to expand...

Hey, it's your prerogative to love pirate stations, but how does America (no "n") run on pirate stations? I don't get that one.
Click to expand...

He actually thinks it's our nation's economy. The scary part is...one day he might be right.
 
Is 104.1 a pirate station? I was driving in the Berkeley/Oakland area and I turned to 104.1 and there was uncensored rap playing. I was happy to hear it but surprised at the same time.
 
Scroby said:
Is 104.1 a pirate station? I was driving in the Berkeley/Oakland area and I turned to 104.1 and there was uncensored rap playing. I was happy to hear it but surprised at the same time.
Click to expand...

Ah yup. Sounds like Dunifer's "Free Radio Berkeley"
 
I noticed, but not in a good way. I use a RocketFM transmitter to send audio from my computer around my apartment. Seemed that 102.5 in SF was the only clear frequency that I could find. Now, I'm over powered by this new pirate station.

I'm currently trying 99.3 (but it's a bit noisy).

Anyone happen to use a similar FM transmitter and have a suggestion?
 
Use a sideband hash channel on an HD signal 106.9 use 106.7 or 107.1. Use the HD station that is farthest away from your location. All over the Sacramento area I use 107.1 for my Sky-Fi 2 satellite radio and it works great, but the transmitter in the sky-fi 2 is most likely stronger than your RocketFM transmitter maybe even more overpowered than it ought to be.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom