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Pirate in OKC @ 105.7

R

rpmoose

I heard a pirate at 105.7 just after midnight near the State Capitol, and as far away as Mercy HOspital. It was a southern gospel format. Not a bad idea on where to hide a pirate these days.
 
Re: KTTL flipped

Correction, it wasn't a pirate. KTTL in Alva has flipped to some non-commercial religous stuff. Listening to the 30 or so station IDs at the top of the hour is almost amusing. The audio is horribly low and the stereo pilot light was absent.

Suffice it to say, I've heard several pirates with much better audio.
 
Re: KTTL flipped

> Correction, it wasn't a pirate. KTTL in Alva has flipped to
> some non-commercial religous stuff. Listening to the 30 or
> so station IDs at the top of the hour is almost amusing. The
> audio is horribly low and the stereo pilot light was absent.
>
>
> Suffice it to say, I've heard several pirates with much
> better audio.
>

Yet another high power commercial station that has turned into nothing but a translator... I love the Lord with all my heart, but the radio demon in me just can't stand to see what is happening to the local stations that are selling out to K-Love... Jimmy Swaggart... others....

Could they not find some way to serve the community with local programming? Are these the same people that have KALV 1430 AM?
 
Well, I found KALV... shows up as "DKALV I can't tell exactly when the licensed was deleted for this facility on 1430 in Alva, but they filed a renewal 3 months ago on July 20th!

As far as I know and can tell, KTTL is not and was not associated with KALV 1430.
 
I've always wanted to apply for a license on 105.7 and 106.3 first from midnight-5am here in OKC, be denyed, of course, then put a pirate up on OU's channels after the sign off and challenge the FCC to come give me grief over it. Since they aren't utilizing the spectrum allocated to them, I think it would be a fun challenge to their stupidity in court. I mean, if you're using type-certified equipment transmitting within normal halo of coverage, and on when they AREN'T, how can the government say you're causing harmful interference to licensed stations? Effectively they are hording the channels and only using them for their convience. With that being said, it's perfectly legal for them to do that, but it SHOULD be perfectly legal for anyone who first sees fit to ask to use them when they won't.

:)
 
What consitutes a Pirate?

Okay...I'm still in OKC.
So I'm curious as to what constitutes a pirate station?
Is it blocks or miles? I know there is part 15 but where does the FCC draw the line Technically.
If your not broadcasting next to or on any major signals in town and you keep your wattage below normal
Meaning under a watt I don't believe anyone is going to create a stir with it. At least it hasn't happened
to several of the signals that I know of around town. Including Norman.

s
 
Part 15 FM:

Limited by field strength, which is 250mv/3m

Part 15 AM:

Limited by power, 100mw ERP
 
I just wish they would go to a smooth jazz format or UAC. It is a waste of signal not to broadcast 24 hrs.
 
Microbroadcasters

I think there is also something there about not using an antenna. ;D
Anyone else dabbled in neighborhood microbroadcasting?

ss
 
Part 15 FM: Limited by field strength, which is 250mv/3m
Click to expand...

Having been once served with a notice of unlicensed operation for running a Ramsey FM100B (1/4) watt FM tranmitter I now have a part 15 FCC certified FM transmitter. The effective range is about the same as a cordless phone. I thought I was perfectly legal with that Ramsey Fm100B with the whip antenna but that turned out to be about 2000 microvolts over the limit. The agent who paid me a vist was quite nice and, at my request, measured my Sirius radio with the FM modulator. It was emitting about 50 microvolts at about 5 feet.

Part 15 AM rules allow for more coverage.

I wish the FCC had a class of service that would let people operate FM up to a mile or so but until that day..... it's a possible $10,000 hit to the wallet if you don't play by their rules.
 
Wow...a 100A with a whip is definitely over the limit....lolololo
I am using a Ramsey as well. The FM30 I have is Part 15 Legal and works great for the neighborhood
here. Literally you can drive in the neighborhood and it pops in free and clear. And then when you leave it fades. Sometimes though (with atomospheric conditions) it goes for about a half mile or so.

This all really started when I needed music to listen to. Music that mainstream radio simply doesn't play anymore. So while it takes me 3 hours to mow my entire yard I'm able to listen to the station wirelessly
without lugging around CD's or an Ipod.

Being a radio vet myself, this has been a terrific hobby of mine for almost a year or so.
This microwatt radio station is handled by SAM2 software and has over 1200 songs rotating complete
with Neighborhood sweepers, weather & updates on events. I even have the capability to go live at anytime.

Key is: Stay off the main freqs, Keep your wattage down and keep family friendly programming.

Other than that, TLR is Alive and Well
 
There is still a pirate @ 107.1 in NW/NC Oklahoma City. It is airing an internet stream for some tin-foil hat wearing type of group out of Texas.
 
Whew....thank god you said that. Your on the wrong side of town. ;D
 
The FM30 I have is Part 15 Legal and works great for the neighborhood here.
Click to expand...

Sumrzz, the FM30 is not part 15 legal. It does not have an FCC certification number. I had a nice long chat with the FCC agent about Ramsey and none of their stuff is Part 15 legal. Ramsey's documentation would have you think it is legal to operate but it's not. Of course if you reach just a few blocks you are not likely to be busted. I sure would like to know who ratted me out just to ask why they complained. Too much competition with my low power oldies? :)

I was using the Ramsey FM100B, the one with the whip antenna then I got tagged. Now I use the Panaxis ACC100 transmitter with all the range of a cordless phone. Needless to say the thrill is gone when the signal won't even cover my 2 acre lot.
 
Jimbo I hate to hear that. Probably the 100 was your first mistake. Then to top it off with a whip
I'm sure you kicked out some major illegal wattage.
The FM30 that I use is small enough to cover a few blocks but that's it. Having worked in radio myself for
many years, I have met the FCC on several occasions. They simply won't come in unless you are blatantely
illegal. Key is, be small enough for the neighborhood, but not big enough to become a distraction to normal terrestrial radio listening habits or FCC intervention. They simply won't waste their time on the microwatts.
 
According to the Ramsey web site the FM100 that I had and the FM30 both put out 25mW. I was using the telescoping whip antenna and not an external outdoor antenna. At most I had a range of 1/2 mile on the car radio with the FM100. Regardless of the lack of wattage in your cottage the FCC will come to your door if someone complains. Maybe someone who works in local radio lives in my neighborhood. :(
 
Well your definitely an exception.

What frequency were you on? Did you say you where you doing an oldies format?
Are you in a heavily populated area like a housing addition?
Did your radio station sound like a radio station?
Just curious. These are some important factors to consider.
 
KTTL 105.7(the station originally mentioned) is now dark, and for sale.
 
Well your definitely an exception. What frequency were you on? Did you say you where you doing an oldies format? Are you in a heavily populated area like a housing addition? Did your radio station sound like a radio station? Just curious. These are some important factors to consider.
Click to expand...

I was (still am) on an vacant freq allocated to the area due to be auctioned in the next year or so. The format is 50's to 70's oldies. I live in a lightly populated with houses on 2 to 10 acre lots. It definitely sounded like a radio station, I spent some coin on a good automation package for the PC. I even went to the effort of recording 12 hours of time checks to air when the automation called for them (just like the old Drake-Chenault automated formats). That was a fun week recording "it's 12:19, it's 12:20, right now it's 21 minutes after 12........" Strictly g-rated material. The FCC agent who drove off with my Ramsey complimented the sound I had going. So my best guess is that someone from local radio drove past and caught the signal and knew what range Part 15 FM should really cover and decided to file a complaint. The FCC certified Part 15 FM xmitter won't even cover my 2 acre lot. It has a range of about 125 feet or so.

If high speed broadband ever gets out my way I'll get the 'station' on the internet. For now it's a fun way to listen to my MP3 collection around the house with timechecks. I need to sit down and record temperatures and become a real time and temperature operation.
 
Well it definitely sounds like you had it going on. So did the FCC just show up one day?
Did they enter your house? It definitely sounds like someone turned you in that works in radio.
A regular Joe could care less and wouldn't bother because they don't have time to look for the number or report it online.
I had to back my transmitter down a bit recently because I felt like I was getting out
a little too far for some odd reason. I guess the atmospheric conditions changed things up so I
cranked it down to half the power. I monitor pretty regularly on distance to make sure the signal falls
apart when you pull out of the division. But as you said, if someone still wanted to call the FCC they could.
But on A wimpy signal such as this, why bother at all.
Take the equivalent of cordless phone range, multiply it times 10 and that's my signal. WOOOPEEE! ::)
 
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