Arrrgh, mateys!

[Radio-X]

So, I'm in the land of the fun and the sun known as Ft. Lauderdale. I really have no clue how to track down any pirate radio stations (I have no intentions of turning anybody in...as others probably have already)

My current "equipment" while I'm down here is a decent walkman and the radio on a 1999 Chevy Malibu. Any clue how I can make either of these into a directional antenna so I can figure out where some of these pirates are transmitting from?

Thanks,

Radio-X

(P.S.: Is it me, or has the radio dial become clearer down here recently? I used to have a difficult time picking up Palm Beach stations here, now most come in pretty well!)<P ID="signature">______________
I wasn't born in the south, but I got down here as fast as I could...
</P>

 

[RadioGuy2004]

Depends on what West Palm stations you refer to, and where you are in Broward County.

Here's what comes in for me in Central Broward on FM:

88.1 WAYF
89.3 WRMB
90.7 WXEL
92.1 WRLX (spotty from first adj. interference from 92.3 in Hialeah)
92.7 WAVW (Stick's in Pt. St. Lucie, licensed to Stuart, full C2)
94.3 WZZR (since upgrade to C2 at 50KW, from WPB outskirts, licensed to Riviera Beach, can usually hear from Hollywood/North Dade, spotty as you go west)
95.5 WLDI (had a CP to lower their height from 975 ft to 926 ft a couple of years ago)
97.9 WRMF (since '85, comes in as a local - Broward's within its' protected contour)
98.7 WKGR (from Martin Co., full C1, licensed to Ft. Pierce)
102.3 WMBX (from Martin Co., full C1, licensed to Jensen Beach)
103.1 WPBZ (from Martin Co., C1 at 90KW, licensed to Indiantown)
104.3 WEAT (like 'RMF, since '85, comes in as a local - Broward's within its' protected contour)
105.5 WOLL (since upgrade to C2 at 50KW from WPB outskirts, licensed to Hobe Sound)
106.3 WJBW (moved from 99.5A, c3 at 19KW; licensed to Jupiter, spotty in Broward from 2nd adj. 106.7 Ft. Lauderdale)
107.1 WAOA (Melbourne, with big time tropo, comes in spotty - C1 at 100KW)
107.9 WIRK (C1 power with C2 height, from WPB, 5-7 in reception on scale 1-10 in Broward)


Am I missing any?

**Yes....the PIRATES! Thought you wanted extra stations to DX from Lauderdale.

Those are all over the dial, from 88.3 straight across to 107.1. Just drive around and you'll find them.

Though take into consideration there are a number of legal Part 15 stations in operation down here, so don't confuse them with actual pirates.

Might even find a few LPFM's we don't know about.

Sorry, folks. I'll go back to sleep now.

<P ID="edit"><FONT class="small">Edited by RadioGuy2004 on 12/07/05 03:52 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[radiofish]

It's difficult to find pirates with a directional antenna and a typical radio because once you are close enough to the pirate, the RF is strong enough to penetrate the receiver even without an antenna.

The best thing is to get some foil and a digital tuning (preferably) pocket radio. Drive toward the suspected pirate and use the scan feature on the car radio back and forth and find a north-south, east-west block (about 2-5 miles wide) where the pirate station "locks" onto the tuner. Then head toward the center of that square with the pocket radio tuned in. Use it with the antenna minimized, and set it on the floor of the car so it has little or no reception. Then, criss cross the area again and the pocket radio reception will be narrowed down to a few blocks. Wrap the pocket radio partially in foil, so you barely get reception, then criss cross again and find the block where you just get reception. Look for an antenna on a mast, or on top of a 2+ story building. When you think you've found it, wrap the pocket radio completely in foil and drive by it. You'll get reception across only a 30-100ft path in front of the pirate antenna. Also note, you can no longer tune in the third, second, first adjacent and co-channel stations (a loss of reception of 3-4 legitimately licensed stations, that pay license fees, or are supported by donations from their listeners, that you can't hear because somebody is broadcasting illegally) You've now found it. Write down the address and call FCC at (305) 994-1642.

> So, I'm in the land of the fun and the sun known as Ft.
> Lauderdale. I really have no clue how to track down any
> pirate radio stations (I have no intentions of turning
> anybody in...as others probably have already)
>
> My current "equipment" while I'm down here is a decent
> walkman and the radio on a 1999 Chevy Malibu. Any clue how I
> can make either of these into a directional antenna so I can
> figure out where some of these pirates are transmitting
> from?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Radio-X
>
> (P.S.: Is it me, or has the radio dial become clearer down
> here recently? I used to have a difficult time picking up
> Palm Beach stations here, now most come in pretty well!)
>

 

[Radio-X]

> The best thing is to get some foil and a digital tuning
> (preferably) pocket radio. Drive toward the suspected
> pirate and use the scan feature on the car radio back and
> forth and find a north-south, east-west block (about 2-5
> miles wide) where the pirate station "locks" onto the tuner.
> Then head toward the center of that square with the pocket
> radio tuned in. Use it with the antenna minimized, and set
> it on the floor of the car so it has little or no reception.
> Then, criss cross the area again and the pocket radio
> reception will be narrowed down to a few blocks. Wrap the
> pocket radio partially in foil, so you barely get reception,
> then criss cross again and find the block where you just get
> reception. Look for an antenna on a mast, or on top of a 2+
> story building. When you think you've found it, wrap the
> pocket radio completely in foil and drive by it. You'll get
> reception across only a 30-100ft path in front of the pirate
> antenna. Also note, you can no longer tune in the third,
> second, first adjacent and co-channel stations (a loss of
> reception of 3-4 legitimately licensed stations, that pay
> license fees, or are supported by donations from their
> listeners, that you can't hear because somebody is
> broadcasting illegally) You've now found it. Write down
> the address and call FCC at (305) 994-1642.
>

Thanks for the help. I tend to think that others have probably told the feds about these, but I get real P.O.'d when an illegal pirate:

A) Broadcasts commercials
B) Broadcasts an 8 minute commercial stopset
C) Sounds like crap
D) Illegally broadcasts on a licensed signal nearby (91.7)

Other than that, they're OK...

I may go out and hunt some of these commercial pirates, though I lack the guts to drive around for miles in SoFla traffic. At the least, I'll let the feds in on the stations I can get here in Dania Beach...maybe I'm the only person who has actually gone this far in trying to report them

Radio-X
<P ID="signature">______________
I wasn't born in the south, but I got down here as fast as I could...
</P>

 

[Radio-X]

> Depends on what West Palm stations you refer to, and where
> you are in Broward County.
>
> Here's what comes in for me in Central Broward on FM:

That's kinda where I am (Dania Beach)

> 88.1 WAYF
yep...city grade on Walkman
> 89.3 WRMB
nope...PIRATE
> 90.7 WXEL
yep
> 92.1 WRLX (spotty from first adj. interference from 92.3 in
> Hialeah)
yep...though I listened much more in the Planet Radio days
> 92.7 WAVW (Stick's in Pt. St. Lucie, licensed to Stuart,
> full C2)
nope...PIRATE
> 94.3 WZZR (since upgrade to C2 at 50KW, from WPB outskirts,
> licensed to Riviera Beach, can usually hear from
> Hollywood/North Dade, spotty as you go west)
This one comes in very well on my Walkman to my suprise
> 95.5 WLDI (had a CP to lower their height from 975 ft to 926
> ft a couple of years ago)
nope...PIRATE
> 97.9 WRMF (since '85, comes in as a local - Broward's within
> its' protected contour)
comes in well
> 98.7 WKGR (from Martin Co., full C1, licensed to Ft. Pierce)
comes in on car radio
> 102.3 WMBX (from Martin Co., full C1, licensed to Jensen
> Beach)
nope...PIRATE
> 103.1 WPBZ (from Martin Co., C1 at 90KW, licensed to
> Indiantown)
yep...love the BUZZ
> 104.3 WEAT (like 'RMF, since '85, comes in as a local -
> Broward's within its' protected contour)
yep
> 105.5 WOLL (since upgrade to C2 at 50KW from WPB outskirts,
> licensed to Hobe Sound)
Nope...PIRATE
> 106.3 WJBW (moved from 99.5A, c3 at 19KW; licensed to
> Jupiter, spotty in Broward from 2nd adj. 106.7 Ft.
> Lauderdale)
PIRATE!
> 107.1 WAOA (Melbourne, with big time tropo, comes in spotty
> - C1 at 100KW)
PIRATE!
> 107.9 WIRK (C1 power with C2 height, from WPB, 5-7 in
> reception on scale 1-10 in Broward)
Does pretty well
>
> Am I missing any?
>
> **Yes....the PIRATES! Thought you wanted extra stations to
> DX from Lauderdale.
>
> Those are all over the dial, from 88.3 straight across to
> 107.1. Just drive around and you'll find them.

see my above rants

> Though take into consideration there are a number of legal
> Part 15 stations in operation down here, so don't confuse
> them with actual pirates.

> Might even find a few LPFM's we don't know about.
>
> Sorry, folks. I'll go back to sleep now.

Thanks for the help...

Radio-X<P ID="signature">______________
I wasn't born in the south, but I got down here as fast as I could...
</P>

 

[peppertree]

Or you can call the licensed station that is being interfered and ask how much they will pay you to "eliminate" the problem?

Or if you are a funloving kind of guy, you can get rid of the "problem" gratis and do it just for fun. Six big guys with some heavy pipes should do the trick. An ax for putting the transmitter "out of commission" should be useful.

This was written in jest, but I wish there was a legal way for the licensed station to put an interfering pirate out of business quickly. They should at least be able to find them and send the police out to arrest them and confiscate the equipment.

In my neighborhood, if a party is too loud after 10 PM, the police are called and make sure that there is no noise. Why should a pirate not have the same treatment if it is making noise over a licensed broadcast?

I am in favor of NON-interferring pirates. But one who crosses a licensed broadcast should have his lights shut out.

> It's difficult to find pirates with a directional antenna
> and a typical radio because once you are close enough to the
> pirate, the RF is strong enough to penetrate the receiver
> even without an antenna.
>
> The best thing is to get some foil and a digital tuning
> (preferably) pocket radio. Drive toward the suspected
> pirate and use the scan feature on the car radio back and
> forth and find a north-south, east-west block (about 2-5
> miles wide) where the pirate station "locks" onto the tuner.
> Then head toward the center of that square with the pocket
> radio tuned in. Use it with the antenna minimized, and set
> it on the floor of the car so it has little or no reception.
> Then, criss cross the area again and the pocket radio
> reception will be narrowed down to a few blocks. Wrap the
> pocket radio partially in foil, so you barely get reception,
> then criss cross again and find the block where you just get
> reception. Look for an antenna on a mast, or on top of a 2+
> story building. When you think you've found it, wrap the
> pocket radio completely in foil and drive by it. You'll get
> reception across only a 30-100ft path in front of the pirate
> antenna. Also note, you can no longer tune in the third,
> second, first adjacent and co-channel stations (a loss of
> reception of 3-4 legitimately licensed stations, that pay
> license fees, or are supported by donations from their
> listeners, that you can't hear because somebody is
> broadcasting illegally) You've now found it. Write down
> the address and call FCC at (305) 994-1642.
>
> > So, I'm in the land of the fun and the sun known as Ft.
> > Lauderdale. I really have no clue how to track down any
> > pirate radio stations (I have no intentions of turning
> > anybody in...as others probably have already)
> >
> > My current "equipment" while I'm down here is a decent
> > walkman and the radio on a 1999 Chevy Malibu. Any clue how
> I
> > can make either of these into a directional antenna so I
> can
> > figure out where some of these pirates are transmitting
> > from?
> >
> > Thanks,
> >
> > Radio-X
> >
> > (P.S.: Is it me, or has the radio dial become clearer down
>
> > here recently? I used to have a difficult time picking up
> > Palm Beach stations here, now most come in pretty well!)
> >
>
<P ID="signature">______________
[email protected]</P>