Re: Radio...

[Lionel Peterson]

>From: Ethan O'Toole <ethan@...>
>Date: 2008/05/16 Fri AM 09:36:18 EDT
>To: The Rescue List <rescue@...>
>Subject: Re: [rescue] Dayton Hamfest

>Anyone ever run a shortwave pirate station?
>
>Seems like more fun than normal 2 meter repeater action.

I guess it could be, but there would be a lot of challenges (aside from the illegal nature of the broadcast), namely securing SW equipment (broadcast band equipment is much easier to get, AM & FM), arranging a suitable antenna, and balancing the need to maintain some sort of schedule and not being predictable enough to attract the attention of the FCC. I had thought about the idea (I've always been interested in radio since I went to summer camp Shaw-Mi-Del-Eca[0] in West Virginia (over the hill from The Greenbriar Resort, the off-site recovery site for US Gov't in case of attack[1]), and they had an AM carrier current transmitter[2]...), but my thought never went beyond the theoretical...

Lionel

[0] http://johnbrashear.tripod.com/shaw-mi.html
[1] http://www.avhub.net/congressionalhideawaygreenbriar.htm
[2] http://johnbrashear.tripod.com/wlcr.html
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[Bill Bradford]

On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 09:24:59AM -0500, Lionel Peterson wrote:
> >Anyone ever run a shortwave pirate station?
> >Seems like more fun than normal 2 meter repeater action.
>
> I guess it could be, but there would be a lot of challenges (aside from
> the illegal nature of the broadcast)

On that note, can you guys take any discussion of violating FCC rules to
private email?  I hate to have to ask you, but you know how it goes.

Thanks.

Bill

--
Bill Bradford
Houston, Texas
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[wa2egp]

> I guess it could be, but there would be a lot of challenges (aside from the
> illegal nature of the broadcast), namely securing SW equipment (broadcast band
> equipment is much easier to get, AM & FM), arranging a suitable antenna, and
> balancing the need to maintain some sort of schedule and not being predictable
> enough to attract the attention of the FCC. I had thought about the idea (I've
> always been interested in radio since I went to summer camp Shaw-Mi-Del-Eca[0]
> in West Virginia (over the hill from The Greenbriar Resort, the off-site
> recovery site for US Gov't in case of attack[1]), and they had an AM carrier
> current transmitter[2]...), but my thought never went beyond the theoretical...
>
> Lionel

Depends.  There are a lot of old AM "boat anchors" that can pump out about 100 watts or more on the short wave bands.  A dipole antenna could be enough.  How much coverage (and notice) is the deciding factor.

Bob
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[Bill Bradford]

On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 10:47:48PM +0000, wa2egp@... wrote:
> Depends.  There are a lot of old AM "boat anchors" that can pump out
> about 100 watts or more on the short wave bands.  A dipole antenna could
> be enough.  How much coverage (and notice) is the deciding factor.

Please take discussions about violating FCC rules to private email.
Thanks!

Bill

--
Bill Bradford
Houston, Texas
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[Ethan O'Toole]

> Please take discussions about violating FCC rules to private email.
> Thanks!
> Bill

The FCC only handles America.

--
05 REM Signature
10 PRINT " Ethan O'Toole "
20 PRINT " FLICKR ", " http://www.flickr.com/photos/ethanotoole "
30 PRINT " YOUTUBE ", " www.youtube.com/user/telmnstr "
40 PRINT " HOMEPAGE ", " users.757.org/~ethan "
RUN
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[wa2egp]

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Ethan O'Toole <ethan@...>
>
> > Please take discussions about violating FCC rules to private email.
> > Thanks!
> > Bill
>
> The FCC only handles America.

Bill's in America.  Bill speaks, we listen :)

Bob
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[Ethan O'Toole]

> Bill's in America.  Bill speaks, we listen :)
> Bob

Oh yea. I'm in America too! And I've already met the FCC agent :-) I miss
our radio station :-(

I've actually got a HAM radio too! I just never use it. A few friends got
their licenses, and they don't use theirs either. As a hobby, is it not
dying? I see the use, but it seems like there are more efficent ways of
communications now.

DSTARS seems neat but waaaay too expensive.

--
05 REM Signature
10 PRINT " Ethan O'Toole "
20 PRINT " FLICKR ", " http://www.flickr.com/photos/ethanotoole "
30 PRINT " YOUTUBE ", " www.youtube.com/user/telmnstr "
40 PRINT " HOMEPAGE ", " users.757.org/~ethan "
RUN
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[wa2egp]

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Bill Bradford <mrbill@...>

>
> On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 10:47:48PM +0000, wa2egp@... wrote:
> > Depends.  There are a lot of old AM "boat anchors" that can pump out
> > about 100 watts or more on the short wave bands.  A dipole antenna could
> > be enough.  How much coverage (and notice) is the deciding factor.
>
> Please take discussions about violating FCC rules to private email.
> Thanks!
>
> Bill

Sorry.  I posted that before I saw your "request".

Bob
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[Patrick Giagnocavo 717-201-3366]

Ethan O'Toole wrote:
>> Please take discussions about violating FCC rules to private email.
>> Thanks!
>> Bill
>
> The FCC only handles America.
>

That's what you think.

--Patrick
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[Bill Bradford]

On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 10:22:59PM -0400, Ethan O'Toole wrote:
> The FCC only handles America.

Yes, but I don't want to get caught up in any charges of "facilitating",
etc.  Discussion is fine, just please move it to private email.

(I hate that I have to make this request, in this "post 9/11 world"
 blah blah TERRISTS DIRTY NUKE BOMB UZI NAPALM NSA LINE EATER [0] etc)

Bill

[0] http://catb.org/esr/jargon/html/N/NSA-line-eater.html - if we'd only
    known how close to the truth it actually was..

--
Bill Bradford
Houston, Texas
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[James Fogg]

> I've actually got a HAM radio too! I just never use it. A few friends
got
> their licenses, and they don't use theirs either. As a hobby, is it
not
> dying? I see the use, but it seems like there are more efficent ways
of
> communications now.
>
> DSTARS seems neat but waaaay too expensive.


Instead of the Industry defined DSTAR, try Echolink, the open source
radio VoIP system. From a PC you can link to node 1118 (K1JY-R) and hit
my local repeater (I'm KB1QFF). I often monitor it since it's the only
UHF machine I can hit here in the mountains of NH.

Echolink can also work in the reverse (radio to PC), or radio to radio
for tricks like repeater linking.

You can also remote-base your home radios.

You can also get on a repeater with echolink and use the DTMF pad of
your radio to raise an ad-hoc link another repeater. Using a radio and a
local echolink repeater you could dial 1118 and link my local machine
and we'd chat radio to radio with a VoIP link.

Some hams have a cute email sig that says "if it were just about talking
I'd be using a cell phone". The hobby isn't dead, but the hobby is
mostly about technical exploration.
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[Lionel Peterson-2]

On May 16, 2008, at 11:37 PM, Bill Bradford <mrbill@...> wrote:

> On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 10:22:59PM -0400, Ethan O'Toole wrote:
>> The FCC only handles America.
>
> Yes, but I don't want to get caught up in any charges of  
> "facilitating",
> etc.  Discussion is fine, just please move it to private email.
>
> (I hate that I have to make this request, in this "post 9/11 world"
> blah blah TERRISTS DIRTY NUKE BOMB UZI NAPALM NSA LINE EATER [0] etc)

Right after you hit send, the magic box in the secret closet deep  
inside MAE East lit up like a Christmas tree!

Tee-hee!

Lionel
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[wa2egp]

> Oh yea. I'm in America too! And I've already met the FCC agent :-) I miss
> our radio station :-(
>
> I've actually got a HAM radio too! I just never use it. A few friends got
> their licenses, and they don't use theirs either. As a hobby, is it not
> dying? I see the use, but it seems like there are more efficent ways of
> communications now.
>
> DSTARS seems neat but waaaay too expensive.

Ham radio is not dying as you put it unless people with licenses don't get on.  The numbers are down but there are many competing communication forms, whether they are more "efficient" or not, I can't say because I don't know what you mean by efficient.  (See the morse vs. test messaging video from Leno)  I think it is more fun.  Right now the sun spot cycle is at a minimum so DX is not as common but give it a few years if that's your thing.  These days mobile is about 99% of my operating but I'm working on a portable setup for the summer (a few camping trips are planned).  I favor the HF bands and tend to use low power.  

I would never try to get away with violating the FCC rules.  Not worth it.  Screw around on the ham bands, the hams will be the first to find you and report you to the friendly candy company.  You violated the rules and lost your equipment.  Oh well.

Bob
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[Lionel Peterson]

>From: wa2egp@...
>Date: 2008/05/17 Sat PM 09:35:09 EDT
>To: The Rescue List <rescue@...>
>Subject: Re: [rescue] Radio...

<snip>

>I would never try to get away with violating the FCC rules.  Not worth it.  Screw around on the ham bands, the hams will be the first to find you and report you to the friendly candy company.  You violated the rules and lost your equipment.  Oh well.

Back in the '70s on "11 meters" we used to have "Antenna Parties" at offending stations... I never participated, but heard of a couple while I was in CA. Usually it was for running a "foot warmer" or pointing your cubical-quad "moonrakre" beam at a local users station and blasting them...

Lionel
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[wa2egp]

-------------- Original message ----------------------
From: Lionel Peterson <lionel4287@...>

>
> >From: wa2egp@...
> >Date: 2008/05/17 Sat PM 09:35:09 EDT
> >To: The Rescue List <rescue@...>
> >Subject: Re: [rescue] Radio...
>
> <snip>
>
> >I would never try to get away with violating the FCC rules.  Not worth it.  
> Screw around on the ham bands, the hams will be the first to find you and report
> you to the friendly candy company.  You violated the rules and lost your
> equipment.  Oh well.
>
> Back in the '70s on "11 meters" we used to have "Antenna Parties" at offending
> stations... I never participated, but heard of a couple while I was in CA.
> Usually it was for running a "foot warmer" or pointing your cubical-quad
> "moonrakre" beam at a local users station and blasting them...
>
> Lionel

We had "membership drives" when we found some one on the ham bands that didn't belong there.  A bunch of us would meet over their house and offer to help them get their ham license.  I know that sounds like something else :) but we would just inform them that the FCC really does not like illegal operating but if they actually wanted to get their license, we would help them with the code, theory and rules.  If nothing else, having a bunch of people showing up at your house sends a message that if amateurs can find you, the FCC certainly can.  BTW, we used to have transmitter hunts on 10 mtrs.  Two rules; don't violate any laws and don't cross state lines.  :)

Bob
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