Pirate Radio

[KB9BVN]

I have QSL cards from the 1980's from East Coast Beer Drinker, K9-DOG, Voice of the Night, and a few others I can't remember off the top of my head.  Back then they seemed to congregate around 7415 Khz...nowadays they are more 6925-6980 Khz...usually on weekend nights, and almost ALWAYS on holiday weekends.  One of the DJ's on K9-DOG was a guy named "Radio Animal" and a young guy named Lad was on VotN quite often.   Are those guys still around?

[KB9VGE]

Right now doing legal broadcasting on a 50KW short wave station in Monticello Maine on Friday nights.

*You're* Fred Flinstone ?!?!?!
You have a great show.  I heard a (I think) repeat awhile back soliciting reports and I almost did, hoping for a qsl & a mentioned bumper sticker (does the station really have any??), but being a repeat (from Im not quite sure when), I didnt.   Makes me want to make darn sure I catch this weeks show!

[KA1PPV]

Long long ago in a galaxy far far away I logged a few pirates when I was a full time SWL.  The first, in 1970, was one of the most famous, Radio Nordsee International, broadcasting on the 31mb with 10kw in International waters off the coast of the UK.  The next one was in 1987.  Alan Weiner had Radio New York International on board a ship in International waters just off the East coast.  Picked him up on 1620 khz (which was out of the BCB at the time) and even got a QSL card! I think that I still have about 2 hrs of air check from them.   Avast... those were the days.

[KC4MOP]

Thanks Mike for the comments. I am Fred Flintstone...And I sent a PM about the bumper stickers.

Allan has quite a speckled past for his love of radio and his off shore broadcasting. Interesting book someone wrote for him. "Access To The Airwaves". I remember seeing something about a pirate ship being put off the air during the 1980's on the "NEW" CNN all news cable station. He always does things in a big way. I think he purposely picked or requested 7415 for WBCQ to snub his nose at the pirates and 'their' frequency. But the US Gummint and the coast guard (?) needed that freq. this past Winter and asked Allan to move...QSY. 7.490 is a much better freq and no competition from Radio China.
The magic of radio is still out there. It's a shame that the big power houses are shutting down, because of money shortages. The internet would be the first thing to go, if there was a major catastrophe on Earth.
Fred

[W7ASA]

Radio receivers are - for all intents and purposes- not traceable, so naturally, politicians prefer to have their peasants tied to the easily controlled and traced internet and cellphones. No I.P. address, no MAC address, no 911 proximity fix 'for your safety' and no back doors to turn your radio into a surveillance device...
  It's something to consider.


Millions listened to "illegal" shortwave in the Soviet zones of occupation during the Cold War and largely got away with it, because of the untraceable nature of radio.  To be busted, you generally had to be ratted-out.



ZUT de Ray