posted 10-23-2005 22:49         

Use of cb channels and FRS (family radio service channels, aren't they relatively new) are also for unlicensed individuals. It's time to break away from the concepts of the past and embrace new ideas and ways of thinking for the betterment of mankind. And what is it going to hurt? If you want to hear pirate stations broadcasting, you can easily tune into those frequencies. If you don't ever want to run across pirates, then you can easily avoid them by not tuning in to those frequencies.

posted 10-23-2005 23:35            

[This message has been edited by DJboutit2 (edited 10-23-2005).]

[This message has been edited by DJboutit2 (edited 10-23-2005).]

posted 10-24-2005 02:37            

quote:

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Originally posted by KLS WV:
I wonder why the FCC can't set aside some shortwave frequencies to be used by pirates.

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Power & Money.
Government bureaucracy by their nature will not give up power to regulate, couple that with the $ of the special interest groups such as the ARRL.
Relax. Submit. Do not question authority- or else.

RD

posted 10-24-2005 03:29            

quote:

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Originally posted by Ragnar:
Power & Money.
Government bureaucracy by their nature will not give up power to regulate, couple that with the $ of the special interest groups such as the ARRL.
Relax. Submit. Do not question authority- or else.

RD

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posted 10-24-2005 06:49            

The 'war' against shortwave pirates is, for the time being, OVER. For the time being, we have WON. The opposing team hasn't taken the field in six years. The games have been forfeited. We all broadcast with impunity, whenever and wherever we wish, with little worry. Such being the case, there's little point to wish for any such 'legal' band.... and if one was created, I'm sure the power levels allowed would be negligible.

For my own part, I'm not primarily doing this now as any kind of fight against the FCC. We fought that fight in the 80s, and we won it. Now the agency is only a shell of what it was then. I brought The Crystal Ship back primarily to make a statement against the George Bush administration through civil disobedience, and the existance of any such 'legal' band would make little difference to me now, although it'd be nice for the hobbyists I guess.

If they suddenly made my operations legal on 6854/6875 kHz, no doubt I would move at least some of them to where they were not legal. Even during such programs that contain no political content, I am making a deeper statement by the mere airing of them (or so I like to think).

------------------
The Poet
The Crystal Ship
tcsshortwave@yahoo.com

posted 10-24-2005 16:28         

However, I don't think we can get too comfortable and operate with any level of comfort. Somebody is going to get their attention, and they'll need to make an example of someone and whomever is easiest to catch, will be it. I'd still look out the window, while the transmitter is on.

Simple fact, as has been mentioned, is that there is no power or money in pirate or hobby broadcasting. There is no lobby and no voice in front of congress to plead the case. As as Poet pointed out, even if there were, how many of us would go over power and out of band? Of the Pirates I know, I doubt many would stay in the band, assigned.

posted 10-24-2005 21:40            

quote:

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Originally posted by Al Fansome:
It's ok, Ragnar. A simple, painless operation, and all of that bitterness drains away. I had it done at the local FCC office, and it only took about an hour. I'm much happier now.

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I really shouldn't post after the third glass of wine.
(insert your comic quote here on frontal lobotomy / bottle in front of me)

Seriously, as I see it for all reasonable purposes radio is dead. There I said it. It is no longer the standard for the relay of information. It has been eclipsed by the television and lately- the Internet in all its subdivisions. As usual the Government is one step behind, still trying to regulate the TV, give them time & they will turn their attention to cyber space. They have left behind the radio spectrum, as the masses no longer have interest in it. The only exceptions are Broadcast radio, where "special" interests still have a business model & will use the power of the government to protect it. The last exception is the Ham community where hobbyist will lobby their government representatives to protect their interests, ie amateur spectrum.
In conclusion, if a pirate stays away from broadcast interference, & keeps out of the ham bands there is little threat of government involvement and I don't see any change in that in the near future.
OK, I have had my bimonthly rant- carry on nothing to see here.

posted 10-25-2005 18:01         

Operating as a pirate needs to remain difficult. Pirates should really want to be pirates before they get on the air. They need to be motivated and sincere about the process.

Obviously that flys in the face of the "Freedome of Speech" battle cry, but it's my opinion on the matter.

posted 03-13-2006 12:57            

RD

posted 03-13-2006 22:48         

If the FCC were to open up any portion of spectrum allowing a signal of sufficient power to cover more than a furlong and allowing modulation better than 2.5khz wide AM, it would certainly require all sorts of regulations. They would require licenses, forms up the ying yang, and fees to go along with each, quotas to insure an equal distribution among ethnicities, and all the content would be censored. They just don't have the means to handle that now. CB required licenses once upon a time. After several million people bought CB sets they decided they just could no longer manage it and dropped the requirement. If the public was allowed to broadcast in a "new" FM band conglomo would certainly try to block that effort too. Clear Channel would flip out.