More Pirate Busters

[engineer]

From another board:

After just over a week of co-channel interference to WMKL inflicted by a pirate radio station, the North Miami Beach Police Department promptly took a pirate radio station off of the air this morning. The location was found in about 30 minutes using a field strength meter. The transmitter (RVR) was hidden inside a fabricated box in an elevator service room on the rooftop of a 10 story condo building. The program audio was fed in via a cable modem run in from the outside. A high-end sound card produced a processed stereo signal complete with RDS ID. The box was completely screwed shut, had air vents covered with mesh painted grey and with fans on the inside. Power was stolen directly from a disconnect box. The antenna was a Dominator type antenna fed with about 12 feet of 1/2" coax.

Pictures and coverage map:
http://www.callfm.com/pirates/antenna1.jpg
http://www.callfm.com/pirates/antenna2.jpg
http://www.callfm.com/pirates/piraterack.jpg
http://www.callfm.com/pirates/stealingpower.jpg
http://www.callfm.com/pirates/insidethebox.jpg
http://www.callfm.com/pirates/insidethebox2.jpg
http://www.callfm.com/pirates/insidethebox3.jpg
http://www.callfm.com/pirates/freq.jpg
http://www.callfm.com/pirates/fwd.jpg
http://www.callfm.com/pirates/map.jpg

The FWD power was 946 watts (transmitting on WMKL's co-channel frequency of 91.9 MHz).

Doing the math:
946 watts FWD power: -0.24 dBk
Antenna gain: 3 dB (http://fmbroadcastantenna.com/dominator.html)
Line loss for 12 feet of 1/2 foam coax: 0.1 dB
ERP: 2.66 dBk
ERP: 1.85 kW
HAAT: 39 meters

Pirate station 60 dBu population: 837,793 persons (54 dBu population: 1.62 Million)
WMKL 60 dBu population: 265,422 persons (50kW)

Interference area population: 145,087 persons (or 55% of WMKL's 60 dBu population)

Harmless fun, right? Or is it "free" speech?

[genlock]

That much work was not done without the knowledge and permission of building
maintenance and management. A close examination of the computer will tell
what IP number sent the audio. Somebody bought the equipment and antenna.
There would be records of that. I'll bet that the person who ran the station
had something to do with the cable company. This is no more a free speech issue
to broadcasting than a person setting up shop as a pirate air traffic controller or police dispatcher.
Fry them.

[Ace Purple]

Pirate broadcasting in the state of Florida is a felony charge. They take radio piracy very seriously there.

[philo]

The FCC by means of a federal prosecutors is the only agency in the US that can charge someone with radio piracy, or interfering with another licensed broadcaster. The Communications Act of 1934 preempts city or state from writing or enforcing laws with respect to rf broadcasting.

If the FCC with a federal marshal and a federal warrant doesn't go after them, it doesn't count.

There could be state laws (theft of services) and city code violations. But they would have nothing to do with the broadcasts.

[ashton]

FWIW, nice rig. My first paying gig was with a station that didn't put as much effort into it.

[Big Media]

FWIW, nice rig. My first paying gig was with a station that didn't put as much effort into it.

When I worked at WMUL, it was only marginally better.

[Hoosier Daddy]

If you add an amplifier to the set-up, you'd have a Clear Channel station.

[Ace Purple]

The FCC by means of a federal prosecutors is the only agency in the US that can charge someone with radio piracy, or interfering with another licensed broadcaster. The Communications Act of 1934 preempts city or state from writing or enforcing laws with respect to rf broadcasting.

If the FCC with a federal marshal and a federal warrant doesn't go after them, it doesn't count.

There could be state laws (theft of services) and city code violations. But they would have nothing to do with the broadcasts.

Interesting -- there seems to be some disconnect between that and what Florida is doing, as noted in the first line of this news story:

State agents arrested a North Miami-Dade man Wednesday and charged him with operating an unlicensed radio station out of a room he rented from a corrections officer.

Also noteworthy is the last line:

He is charged with a third-degree felony and faces up to five years in prison if convicted.

If the 1934 Communications Act forbids states from putting such laws into effect, could there be a legal challenge to one of these cases using the Comm. Act as a defense?

http://www.redorbit.com/news/business/5 ... index.html

[AmpedNow]

That eMachines looks like my old PC, just a little bit newer...

What I don't understand is why did they choose a co-channel with a 50kw NPR affiliate in the same market? They were asking to get busted fast.

Why didn't they choose a precious white space, or at least check the RL maps to see which station they would cause the least interference with. They might have lasted a little longer that way.

Any word of what format they were?

[engineer]

The FCC by means of a federal prosecutors is the only agency in the US that can charge someone with radio piracy, or interfering with another licensed broadcaster. The Communications Act of 1934 preempts city or state from writing or enforcing laws with respect to rf broadcasting.

If the FCC with a federal marshal and a federal warrant doesn't go after them, it doesn't count.

There could be state laws (theft of services) and city code violations. But they would have nothing to do with the broadcasts.

Disagree in part. A fully licensed HAM with a general ticket was arrested in Virginia and his equipment seized for interfering with a state police tactical radio channel. Police in Florida have been shutting down pirates for several years. A few years back NYPD busted several FM pirates. A pirate FM in North Carolina was arrested by a local Sheriff for interfering with a fast food drive through two-way. There may be thousands of new local and state laws that probably conflict with the CA of 1934. Many jurisdictions have passed anti-terrorism communication laws authorized deep inside the patriot act. During a declared emergency, local and state officials can choose to silence any signal they want in the name of homeland security. Some jurisdictions use HAMS as a secondary network, but only certain ones may operate by permission. You have very limited protection when you hold a federal license to broadcast. You have zero protection when you broadcast without a license or interfere with someone else. At one time radio and TV stations were exempt from just about every local or state law, code, tax, permit or fee. Just about the only one I know that still has an exemption is the International Building Code for a permit. The NEC, Life Safety, and Fire Codes must be followed. The IBC will eventually drop the exemption for radio and TV. A few years back in Radio World there was an article about fire inspectors shutting down a transmitter site for electrical violations.

[Dave Harman]

It's hard to believe that the FCC is serious about controlling pirate stations when there are licensed broadcasters in WV operating at up to 50-percent over licensed power, and nothing is done about that.

[engineer]

It's hard to believe that the FCC is serious about controlling pirate stations when there are licensed broadcasters in WV operating at up to 50-percent over licensed power, and nothing is done about that.

That is exactly why chief operators and engineers should be licensed. Deregulation hurt the technical aspect of radio. Proofs, first and general licenses, and many other things are no longer required. I would not risk my GR license to operate a station 50 percent over power. Have you reported this station to the FCC? The inspections I have been through in the past five to ten years usually include two things: EAS system and checking output power (am or fm).

If my employment depended upon operating over-power I would find somewhere else to work.