Possible pirate: 88.3 Homewood/Hoover area

[ChadStevens]

Someone is relaying XM's hiphop "G-Unit Radio" uncensored on 88.3 from somewhere in Homewood, Hoover, or possibly Vestavia or Mountain Brook. (Not exactly the "'hoods" one might expect hardcore rap to be coming from, mind you.)

Signal is strong near Exit 255 of I-65 but I could weakly pick it up at Brookwood Village Mall. Anyone else hearing this?

 

[genotx]

> Someone is relaying XM's hiphop "G-Unit Radio" uncensored on
> 88.3 from somewhere in Homewood, Hoover, or possibly
> Vestavia or Mountain Brook. (Not exactly the "'hoods" one
> might expect hardcore rap to be coming from, mind you.)
>
> Signal is strong near Exit 255 of I-65 but I could weakly
> pick it up at Brookwood Village Mall. Anyone else hearing
> this?
>
It could actually be someone's home unit. I have Satellite radio and when I have the home unit turned on you can pick it up for about a block surrounding my house. I guess I have my own pirate station too at 88.1


Enjoy.

 

[ChadStevens]

> > Someone is relaying XM's hiphop "G-Unit Radio" uncensored
> on
> > 88.3 from somewhere in Homewood, Hoover, or possibly
> > Vestavia or Mountain Brook. (Not exactly the "'hoods" one
>
> > might expect hardcore rap to be coming from, mind you.)
> >
> > Signal is strong near Exit 255 of I-65 but I could weakly
> > pick it up at Brookwood Village Mall. Anyone else hearing
>
> > this?
> >
> It could actually be someone's home unit. I have Satellite
> radio and when I have the home unit turned on you can pick
> it up for about a block surrounding my house. I guess I have
> my own pirate station too at 88.1
>
>
> Enjoy.
>
Could be. I did consider that, except that the signal was audible for such a distance, almost two miles. I've heard it sporadically while driving through the area.

 

[macradiofm]

If it's a part 15 compliant transmitter they are getting good range.
But they shouldn't be simulcasting XM. Even part 15's are being required to pay the rights holders.
So the station you pick up is probably someone's 100mw transmitter on steroids!!





Vern




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[DeadElvis]

> If it's a part 15 compliant transmitter they are getting
> good range.

If they are getting that kind of range, they can't be Part 15 compliant.

Part 15 deals in Field Strength, not output power. On FM, that limit is only 150 mv/m @ 3m. See 47 CFR § 15.109(a). That really isn't much; most engineers will tell you that's about 20 mw into a no-gain antenna (a dipole, for instance). That ain't gonna get you 2 miles.

And, even if they radiation levels were acceptable, that is only half of the test. Under no circumstances may a Part 15 station cause "Harmful Interference." See 47 CFR § 15.5(b). If the station is carrying 2 miles, I have trouble believing that the interference would not be harmful to some licensed operator.

And, the copyright issues are complicated. It's really beyond the scope of this list, BUT, most true Part 15 uses would be fine. A signal that gets to the levels of a pirate would not.

DE