• You can now help support WorldwideDX when you shop on Amazon at no additional cost to you! Simply follow this Shop on Amazon link first and a portion of any purchase is sent to WorldwideDX to help with site costs.

Andrew O. Turner

  • Thread starter FCC Recent Releases -
  • Start date
F

FCC Recent Releases -

Guest
Proposed a monetary forfeiture in the amount of $15,000 to Andrew O. Turner for operating a pirate radio station on 95.9 MHz in Miami Gardens, Florida

Continue reading...
 

They have the "I ain't never 'gon git caught" mentality.

They think the FCC doesn't exist, or only cares about when Miley Cyrus plans to ride another wrecking ball nude.
 
I have never figured out the guys that pirate on FM... to crowded and they are just asking to get caught
It's exactly that mentality that is the reason they do it. They figure the band is crowed and if they operate some what normally (bogus commercials and such) no one will notice.
 
Actually the pirates feel that the FCC is restricting the Freedom of Speech Most are contrarian conformists. If they thought they would never get caught, they wouldn't lock their doors and operate in "broad daylight" Most don't do that.

Some even obtain amateur radio licensing so the FCC has something to take away. Fines are not the first whacking (generally) - its a cease and desist order in your mail box, confiscation of equipment, and for first time offenders a fairly hard slap on the wrist. When a pirate receives this letter, it's either time to move locations or stop. For those who continue the broadcast is when the FCC takes notice.


Proving, in a court of law, that it was YOU (not you, the pirate) was the offender takes more than a pass by with a yellow van. They (the FCC) has to build a case against the offending radio station. Just like any charge, they must fill in all necessary information to secure a conviction.

Some get bused quicker because of crappy transmitters that spur right up in the Aircraft Band. That will get the FCC's attention in 1 second. So will "content" such as bad or offensive language that upsets citizens. Some listeners just call the FCC to lodge a complaint of content not ever knowing they just finked on a pirate station - stating the process of investigation.

If you want to pirate FM - Use a good TX such as a Bext P10 with low pass filter. Don't cuss or be offensive, degrading the FCC, talk of reform, and how your(pirate not you specifically) freedoms are being violated will not help a pirate stay on the air longer - and listeners don't care about the FCC or freedom of speech. Generally people want to be entertained not part of a "movement".

If found personally talking like a freedom fighter only causes a drop in listener-ship.
Just play Freebird and Stairway to Heaven - instant listeners.

Or better, obtain a LPFM license.
 
Now that I have an SDR and panadapter, it's obvious to me that the FCC can see these guys' transmission EASILY.

A buddy of mine was a radio engineer and d.j. for many years, and he was a little nervous about putting one of the small FM transmitters up in his house for fear that it would have too good of a range. He said the FCC played hardball with offenders... and now I see he was right.

73,
Brett
 
Now that I have an SDR and panadapter, it's obvious to me that the FCC can see these guys' transmission EASILY.

A buddy of mine was a radio engineer and d.j. for many years, and he was a little nervous about putting one of the small FM transmitters up in his house for fear that it would have too good of a range. He said the FCC played hardball with offenders... and now I see he was right.

73,
Brett


With a decent antenna and a good elevation you would be AMAZED how far even 10 or 20 watts will carry on the FM band. Do NOT ask me how I know this. :whistle:
 
  • Like
Reactions: Grogan and 2RT307
With a decent antenna and a good elevation you would be AMAZED how far even 10 or 20 watts will carry on the FM band. Do NOT ask me how I know this.

Local FM station put up a translator at 10 Watts on a rather large mountain overlooking a city ~100 miles to the south. Allegedly the FM stations in said city complained to the FCC when the ratings showed that 10 Watt translator dominating the morning drive time.

Of course I heard it from my local FM station, so you may want to chase that with some sodium chloride.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LeapFrog
If you want to pirate FM - Use a good TX such as a Bext P10 with low pass filter. Don't cuss or be offensive, degrading the FCC, talk of reform, and how your(pirate not you specifically) freedoms are being violated will not help a pirate stay on the air longer - and listeners don't care about the FCC or freedom of speech. Generally people want to be entertained not part of a "movement".

If found personally talking like a freedom fighter only causes a drop in listener-ship.
Just play Freebird and Stairway to Heaven - instant listeners.

Or better, obtain a LPFM license.

Sounds like you have experience in pirate radio operations...
 
Sounds like you have experience in pirate radio operations...

Not really. LOL I worked in commercial broadcasting and we had a REALLY bad TX problem one time. Long story short to avoid bad memories, we ran two days with 12 watts from the exciter feeding the three bay antenna at 180 feet above the ground on a 600 foot hill. Coverage was amazing.
 
  • Like
Reactions: LeapFrog and 2RT307
Back in my days the pirate radio stations would move around often. Often working out of temp high rise buildings.

The legendary Radio Caroline started off as a pirate station operating on a ship . Funnily enough after getting caught and fined eventually, it had so much support and funds that it went legal on air.
 
A college buddy ran a station called "Free Radio Berkeley" back in the 90s. Figured out that feds only work from 8 to 4 weekdays. Put his station and some gel-cell batteries in a backpack, hiked up into the Berkeley hills and went on the air Sunday nights only, when a local station signed off. Advertised his phone number and street address. When the feds would show up to visit Monday, there was no transmitter, no antenna. Just a rented desk, phone and PO box. Nothing to confiscate, or make field-strength measurements. Got away with it for a while, but eventually the FCC got tired of looking like monkeys and fined him 20 grand. The "free speech" angle got him a standoff in federal court. Didn't help the FCC that their big-time DC lawyer patronized the female judge and pi$$ed her off.

Hint: they never collected. Did put him off the air. Went into the business of selling pirate-broadcast transmitters for almost 20 years. Never did get any 'static' from the FCC for that.

Go figure.

73
 

dxChat
Help Users
  • No one is chatting at the moment.
  • dxBot:
    Tucker442 has left the room.
  • @ BJ radionut:
    LIVE 10:00 AM EST :cool:
  • @ Charles Edwards:
    I'm looking for factory settings 1 through 59 for a AT 5555 n2 or AT500 M2 I only wrote down half the values feel like a idiot I need help will be appreciated