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KB2VXA > TECH 16.09.04 04:23l 49 Lines 2238 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 28226_WT3V
Read: GUEST OE7FMI
Subj: Re: PA7KK > sneaky aerials, pirates
Path: DB0FHN<DB0MRW<DB0RGB<OK0PPL<DB0RES<ON0AR<7M3TJZ<JK1ZRW<WB0TAX<N4GAA<
N1URO<KD1KU<K1UOL<WB2QJA<KC2COJ<WT3V
Sent: 040916/0153Z @:WT3V.#CNJ.NJ.USA.NOAM #:28226 [Lakehurst] $:28226_WT3V
From: KB2VXA@WT3V.#CNJ.NJ.USA.NOAM
To : TECH@WW
Hi Henry and readers,
Pirate Broadcasters used to be all over the bands in great numbers and
some of the better ones were quite entertaining and amusing. They were
very creative with programming, nothing like it on legal stations who
kowtow to governments and sponsors. One extremely popular US frequency
was 6955 since the international radiotelephone stations abandoned the
top of 41M. I had some tapes of them (lost over the years) that would
crack you up, the "commercials" and satire was brilliant.
Well, all good things come to an end, as in Europe the FCC cracked down
and wiped them out. There for a while was a small group who monitored the
frequency and on rare occasions would briefly quip back and forth on SSB
like timid Hams without legal ID. I don't know if any pirates are still
around, haven't tuned across any in several years.
A few of the more astute have become Internet Broadcasters carrying on
the tradition but it just isn't the same as pulling weak signals out of
static, an adventure in itself. One of the famous ones was Radio New York
International, WRNI broadcasting offshore from a freighter oddly enough
named Caroline, probably an off hand tribute to Radio Caroline. Now Alan
Weiner does it legally with WBCQ in Maine, supported by brokered air
time. Mostly it's nonsense during the week, but on weekends the "pirates"
rock! I remember the personalities from the old days and little has
changed, they crack me up as always. Like Radio Caroline and other
ex-pirates they have an Internet feed, all you need do is search out the
URLs and have a player that handles mp3 streaming audio. Oh, WBCQ uses
compatible Thompson mp3Pro which gives better high frequency response in
the same bandwidth, cool.
Stealth antennas are now domain of hams living in rental properties while
the pirates are on the Internet, alive and well.
73 de Warren, KB2VXA@WT3V.#CNJ.NJ.USA.NOAM
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Message timed by cesium laser: 02:02 on 2004-Sep-16 GMT
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