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Bradenton Pirate ? 99.9 Freedom FM

He didnt have a realistic grip on much from what I gathered. He has a web deal I tried to watch but couldnt stand the lack of content, production or the lack of proper attire.

Back to the real thread 99.9 pirate is still on the air.
 
He didnt have a realistic grip on much from what I gathered. He has a web deal I tried to watch but couldnt stand the lack of content, production or the lack of proper attire.

That's him. :)
 
Druid, you're right. Pirate is a negative term. Unfortunately, there are some clowns out there who give low-powered operations a bad name. For quite some time here in Bradenton we had a bozo transmitting Haitian programming at 96.3. Sometimes the modulation was so low all you could hear was almost nothing. At other times, he was so over-modulated he would be splattering all over second and third adjacent frequencies. He overemphasized his bass and was so distorted at times as to be unlistenable. These are the guys who need to be taken down.

[There is another side to this guy's story, however. He seemed to be trying to be a real service to the community. I heard Haitian church services on Sundays, talk shows with Haitian community leaders and newsmakers, etc. All this little operation needed was some technical help.]

The other side of the "pirate" coin is made up of operations like 99.9 and the now non-existent 96.1. Both showed some sense of technical priority. I've heard 99.9 only once since he is located outside the area I usually travel but 96.1 had updated weather forecasts and current airport temperatures every half hour around the clock. There were short newscasts every hour from 6:00 am until midnight, longer in morning drive. There was specialized programming on Sunday mornings. PSAs every hour. These are the kinds of stations that should have been covered by the LPFM concept but the lobbying of the commercial radio groups turned it into the same quagmire that exits between 88 and 92 mHz. (Some of those stations are great, most are trash.) We don't need translators at all, and we certainly don't need any more LP stations operated by churches and universities. What bull!

The commission should set aside one or two frequencies, hold transmitter powers to something like 10 or 20 watts, hold antenna height to (as an example) the 30 feet you can get out of the mast you can buy at ACE Hardware, etc. Since most areas see unlicensed operations rarely near to each other, a license might not even be required so long as proper technical rules are met.

Just an idea. Something needs to be done because what we have now between LPFMs and translators is a big crock full of it.

Just sayin'.
 
The commission should set aside one or two frequencies, hold transmitter powers to something like 10 or 20 watts, hold antenna height to (as an example) the 30 feet you can get out of the mast you can buy at ACE Hardware, etc. Since most areas see unlicensed operations rarely near to each other, a license might not even be required so long as proper technical rules are met.

Just an idea. Something needs to be done because what we have now between LPFMs and translators is a big crock full of it.

Agreed. 87.9 would be a good start since it is FM Channel 100. Even limit the power to 5 watts with an antenna height of 30 feet would satisfy neighborhoods and small communities at leat in the car.
 
Five watts would not be enough in most circumstances. Just being able to hear a signal in the car doesn't cut it. The station would have to be able to city-grade an entire subdivision or definable neighborhood or it's of no use.

If someone is in the car, almost by definition they're in motion. They'll be able to hear you for all of ... well ... a matter of seconds before they're out of range. Useless.
 
Five watts would not be enough in most circumstances. Just being able to hear a signal in the car doesn't cut it. The station would have to be able to city-grade an entire subdivision or definable neighborhood or it's of no use.

Depends. If you're in a small town like this one 5 watts could be very entertaining. :)
 
The technical problem with all of this ,especially in this area, is to many stations. The noise level is so high even 100 watt ERP LPFM will struggle to cover enough ground to generate enough revenue to pay the tower rent.

I was a big proponet of contour based "small" class A, if 1500 watts would fit then fine.

and If a full "C" did not build a "full" C facility why allow it to keep the protection. (this alone would open up ALOT of oppurtunities)

It seems under the guise of spectral effiency true contour based allocations would make everyone almost everyone happy. Ill even cut the politics of who gets it and in what order. Current AM Licensee's are first, LPFM First Community Service is second (Or no other interest in any other media), Translator converts to LP are third, and lastly Translators in the true sense.

Translators were NEVER meant for primary service yet most treat them like that. Under that line of thinking since LPFM is a primary service it should have equal ERP requirements right?

Sorry for the mis spellings and ranting, its very annoying all of the politics in something that should be very technical
 
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