View Full Version : Just got busted
Death to me
2003-03-29, 00:13
My friends, Pirate radio station got busted a few days ago. We had some good shows on it. It took the FCC five years to find us.
We got away this time, with no fines or anything. I think we will lay low for a year, then start it up and a new frequency.
Unless you guys have any better advice.
Barroom_v3
2003-03-29, 03:32
make it mobile the next time?
push_a_long
2003-03-29, 04:59
Yeah make it mobile. People round my neck of the woods set up a pirate station on a boat just outside NZ teritorial waters (12 miles)and got away with it for years.
EuphoricGenius
2003-03-29, 06:00
hey i live by edison in nj, what frequency were you on?
Death to me
2003-03-29, 20:46
It was my friend. It was 104.7
[This message has been edited by Death to me (edited 03-29-2003).]
lifejunkie
2003-03-30, 00:40
You were broadcasting in the commercial FM range?
Holy shit.
I always though pirates used shortwave and such.
push_a_long
2003-03-30, 10:38
Where I live it's legal to broadcast on commercial Fm if the transmitter is under 10 milliwatts or something like that, the same power as a cordless phone the range sucks though. Only about 1km.
Death to me
2003-03-30, 17:50
The station my friend had was around 35 watts
Acuracura
2003-03-31, 08:12
quote:Originally posted by Death to me:
My friends, Pirate radio station got busted a few days ago. We had some good shows on it. It took the FCC five years to find us.
We got away this time, with no fines or anything. I think we will lay low for a year, then start it up and a new frequency.
Unless you guys have any better advice.
my advice would be to pay for a commercial licence or get off the air
bangbangbooty
2003-03-31, 14:29
quote:Originally posted by Acuracura:
my advice would be to pay for a commercial licence or get off the air
My advise would be, to be more careful when you set the station up again.
If the frequency is in the Public Commercial radio band and is not in use, then i see no problem with it but unfortunately the FCC does.
You must change the location fairly frequently if you don't want to be detected. Seriously if they took 5 years to find you, then they wern't looking. The equipment the FCC or radio inspectors use is brilliant.
Technically one way to avoid actual apprehension is to use a portable repeater with the output in the FM 88-108Mhz band but have the input on a CB or FRS frequency.
This way you are transmitting on a legal frequency from your location, but your transmission hits the input of the repeater which in turn re-broadcasts your station on an illegal frequency at a higher power output. You can even transmit to your repeater when mobile and your station will have a consistent range without fluctuation.
About the worst that will happen is your repeater will get found.
<rant>
What i do however have a problem with is people who jam the fucking police and emergency services frequencies.
I have to use the police network when responding to incidents etc. But when some jackass is playing music while someone is trapped in a car either dead or critically injured it's not good.
We even had a clasic case when two out of banders were having a conversation on the police repeater input frequency. They were totally oblivious to what they were doing. Nobody was in simplex range of them to "inform" them they were jamming the network and obviously they couldn't hear the repeater output.
So classic case of what not to do, and i would advise anyone who is going to "test" equipment out of band make sure the frequency isn't a repeater input.
Cheers and Happy DXing
Death to me
2003-04-01, 02:07
Ha Ha, my Friend just got a letter from the FCC, i'll read it tomorrow and tell you what it said.
Death to me
2003-04-04, 19:14
okay basicly the letter just confirmed, the station, the address, the user. It said that the fines can range fro $10,000 - 100,000. Basicly it just talk about the exact laws that were violated.
It also calls for a letter to be written back to them on why the pirate station was created, and if you dont give them a letter you can get in more trouble.
bangbangbooty
2003-04-05, 16:52
Find out exactly what evidence they have against the station.
I may be able to give you some assistance, that could be contained within the response letter which could cushion the blow somewhat.
Death to me
2003-04-05, 19:18
Well they said there wouldnt be a fine, becuase he was under 18, and it was a first time offence.
Heiko Palm
2003-04-18, 01:42
quote:Originally posted by Death to me:
My friends, Pirate radio station got busted a few days ago. We had some good shows on it. It took the FCC five years to find us.
We got away this time, with no fines or anything. I think we will lay low for a year, then start it up and a new frequency.
Unless you guys have any better advice.
The FCC has authorized LPFM for awhile now. The license is cheap and you should have no problems. Now to pay the artists the royalties, "mechanical rights".....and try a Quad Antenna for a greater db gain.
timebombzine
2003-04-21, 02:19
the whole point in pirate radio is not to pay the FCC a licence because of their censorship. It's to circulate information and music that would otherwise not be heard. It's a way to combat censorship, paying for a licence would mean the requirement to censor "subversive" content.
havocdaemon
2003-05-04, 07:21
Yeah, dont let em get you down. I wouldnt even wait a year. Just be really careful next time, and be prepared to lose your equipment on occasion. Move it constantly. Maybe even kill it off totally for a day or so every so often. Keep things random and well hidden.
I would have a pirate radio station myself, but the only thing people want to hear in my area is country, rap, or pop music. Or information about wheat...none of which I would care to play http://www.totse.com/bbs/biggrin.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/biggrin.gif)
archaic999
2003-05-16, 04:51
I would purchase the license, follow the protocol and then play whatever the hell I wanted. If your paying the bills, it is very hard to shut you down, look at howard stern. They have their policies, but they cannot violate your rights to free speech + with a legal underground radio station you could make a lot of $$
Death to me
2003-05-18, 00:11
quote:Originally posted by archaic999:
I would purchase the license, follow the protocol and then play whatever the hell I wanted. If your paying the bills, it is very hard to shut you down, look at howard stern. They have their policies, but they cannot violate your rights to free speech + with a legal underground radio station you could make a lot of $$
Yea but then look at Opie and Anthony...they had a game called Sex for same, and a couple had Sex, in a church, and they got kicked off radio.
TrineonX
2003-05-18, 19:26
I think that they got kicked out by the station, not the FCC, but I'm not sure. Either way, the FCC does have a right to block free speech on the airwaves, because supposedly the government "owns" all radio frequencies, who they bought them from I'm not sure.
Its irritating that the government thinks it has a right to control what floats through the air.
Next thing you know we'll be paying nitrogen taxes.
TrineonX
2003-05-26, 04:59
Actually Kalifornia is trying to pass an e-mail tax "to stop spammers". Odd how a state several billion in the debt wants to tax all legitimate e-mail users in an effort to get rid of spam, don't you think?
mindfuck
2003-05-31, 17:49
quote:Originally posted by Death to me:
Yea but then look at Opie and Anthony...they had a game called Sex for same, and a couple had Sex, in a church, and they got kicked off radio.
The FCC didnt kick them off, they were fired by their radio station.
IHateMarsians
2003-06-16, 20:07
quote:Originally posted by mindfuck:
The FCC didnt kick them off, they were fired by their radio station.
Happen to have a lake nearby? Use a decent powered primary transmitter, and put a VERY high powered repeater in the bottom of the lake (preferably a rather shallow spot). The Fucking Commies Commission will trace it down to the middle of the lake and'll be scratching their heads.. The drawback: Cost, building a waterproof transmitter with enough battery to last any decent time probably isn't cheap. And second, range: Water absorbes radiowaves like a mofo.
Hope I helped a teeeny bit. Good luck!
notahick
2003-06-19, 04:23
you could try using several repeaters/transmitters spread over a large area. That would make yo specificallly harder to find especially if you used some sort of logical pattern that would throw off the triangulation (key word) equipment. You could also try hiding the transmitters, maybe by commandeering metal on the outside of building such as the lighting rods on a large building
boomgetchopped
2003-06-19, 15:40
lol my dads the fcc comissioner in buffalo. where do u live? He just made a bust last night.
Death to me
2003-06-24, 03:46
I never said O&A were fired by the FCC.
Pythagorus1
2003-06-25, 16:56
Pay for the bills and shit then, make a company policy thing saying you can say whatever the fuck you want and that if someone like the government has a problem with it, they are violating your civil rights for free speech. Even though they say they own every radio station, who cares, if they censor what you have to say, and you put it out there before hand that there will be explicit language then there shouldn't be a problem. censorship on the radio just seems like another form of communism.
this thread is like 10 decades old
LeggoEggo
2003-07-05, 22:17
Can you buy the equipment to do the radiostation thing? Why is it ilegall? What did you say or play on it? How did your friend get caught?
Death to me
2003-07-08, 15:46
quote:Originally posted by Blank':
this thread is like 10 decades old
word...i think this was one of my first topics on this board
LeggoEggo
2003-07-08, 23:50
Would someone please answer my question?
the meth god
2003-07-15, 17:47
next time build a command tower on top pile sand bags all around it.on the top arm yourself and friends with ar-15's, sks's,mini 14's,and grenade launchers,and dig in.then never let em take you alive.Peace out
quote:Originally posted by LeggoEggo:
Can you buy the equipment to do the radiostation thing? Why is it ilegall? What did you say or play on it? How did your friend get caught?
No, you have to walk 10,000 miles in snow with one shoe on to India and then build it... http://www.totse.com/bbs/rolleyes.gif (http://www.totse.com/bbs/rolleyes.gif), stated in this thread, I dont know, stated in this thread.
puff_puff_pass
2003-07-17, 03:14
ha ha ha
opti7storm
2003-07-24, 14:00
how do i get into this shit??? like where do you go... wat do you buy
Death to me
2003-07-25, 00:29
Damn, this thread is 4 months old.
NightVision
2003-07-29, 19:54
quote:Originally posted by IHateMarsians:
Happen to have a lake nearby? Use a decent powered primary transmitter, and put a VERY high powered repeater in the bottom of the lake (preferably a rather shallow spot). The Fucking Commies Commission will trace it down to the middle of the lake and'll be scratching their heads.. The drawback: Cost, building a waterproof transmitter with enough battery to last any decent time probably isn't cheap. And second, range: Water absorbes radiowaves like a mofo.
Hope I helped a teeeny bit. Good luck!
it also bounces off water... i got 10 miles with cheap frs on a lake 1nce
Intangible
2003-08-01, 16:41
Gratz on getting away for so long lol
Nargodath
2003-08-04, 11:10
This is going to sound like an urban legend, but here goes. An uncle of mine grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania which contains a college of some repute. Said college posessed a radio station and some adventurous staffers. One connected a cable from the transmitter to some railroad tracks which are on a major Eastern Seaboard route. After some time, the station received a letter or phone call (i cant remember which) from someone in Florida who had heard the station while near railroad tracks. This would be an interesting way to boost your reception area...
any one is it legal in oz
Death to me
2003-08-24, 04:23
I dont think it's legal there. Hey is this the longest running thread? I think it is.
ArgonPlasma2000
2003-08-28, 22:22
ok, whoever said to buy a liscence or get off, fuck you! I dont take kindly the government bull shittin me with their bogus taxes and crap like that. Screw Amerika, I want to live in the good ol US of A where what i say is said and nobody can do a damn thing about it like my Constitution and my God grants me. I can fully understand that you should not go on medical and law enforcement channels and would discourage anyone broadcasting on there without good reason or being it their business. Screw the FCC also, any of you pigs out there want some of my pirate tesla coil radio? Try and stop me, i dare you.
Also, the government is totally violating everyones rights by buying all radio frequencies. Whos selling them?
So, in order to fuck them up bad, ill go and buy earthquake or maybe scalar frequencies for a dime, whatcha gonna do FCC?
Bottom line: I hate the FCC and all its related task forces (AKA regulatory commisions).
lifejunkie
2003-08-29, 00:53
quote:Originally posted by Nargodath:
This is going to sound like an urban legend, but here goes. An uncle of mine grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania which contains a college of some repute. Said college posessed a radio station and some adventurous staffers. One connected a cable from the transmitter to some railroad tracks which are on a major Eastern Seaboard route. After some time, the station received a letter or phone call (i cant remember which) from someone in Florida who had heard the station while near railroad tracks. This would be an interesting way to boost your reception area...
I don't believe the story.
1. If the railroad track was isolated from ground, you would never be able to get a good standing wave ratio match.
2. The tracks are not isolated from ground (Except around crossings) and you would wipe out the transmitter in short order.
Mr.SlippyFists
2003-09-21, 23:00
lol 104.7 is the "party station" here. Q104.7 is like BET radio, hella good rap music
lifejunkie
2003-09-22, 14:20
quote:hella good rap music
That is an oxymoron.
mayor of monkey town
2003-10-06, 05:42
too true -
nice work staying up for 5 years though, im sure how long most stations stay up for but 5 years is a long time...
There was a band that i picked up in the car one say that were broardcasting themselves from somehere - just some dj's making tunes, they sounded like the streets though
Billy Idol
2003-10-12, 21:16
quote:Originally posted by Acuracura:
my advice would be to pay for a commercial licence or get off the air
Right. Like he can afford the liscense. I would never pay for one. Screw that. Who the hell should have the right to controll the airwaves. It's everyone's electromagnetic spectrum. I bet it was the fucking USA's idea. Man, I hate those capitalist pigs.
[failure]
2003-10-26, 02:11
quote:Originally posted by lifejunkie:
That is an oxymoron.
A solar powered flashlight or a screen door on a submarine.
Now that is an oxymoron.
TheBigCHeeze
2003-10-26, 04:00
quote:Originally posted by SEN D-F:
Its irritating that the government thinks it has a right to control what floats through the air.
Next thing you know we'll be paying nitrogen taxes.
well, there was an agreement in the young years of the US that said that the national gov't could control all things that went beyond state borders, but only state gov't could control what happens within their state borders. radio waves travel beyond state borders, they control it as per this agreement. but its still gay.
[This message has been edited by TheBigCHeeze (edited 10-26-2003).]
LSA King
2003-11-23, 05:40
What good would pirating a radio signal do (stupid in this subject)? How would they ever catch you?
lifejunkie
2003-11-23, 20:11
They would stumble upon it, or someone would complain.
Them they would triangulate the source.
I'm not sure I understand what you are asking.