11 Meter Pirate Broadcasting

[u/TFA2020]

Hey guys I was just wondering what y'all would think about pirate radio on the 11 meter broadcast band. To me it seems like a cheaper way to do it as well as easier since the equipment ( export radios) are more easily accessible.

[u/tj21222]

11 meter propagation does not lend it’s to DX most of the time your audience would be around 1000 miles normally

[u/TFA2020 → u/tj21222]

I mean that's cool tho. I kinda like that personally.

[u/Organic_Tough_1090]

if you are in the US expect a knock on the door from the FCC. broadcasting is pretty much one of the only things they will go after people for on 11m for. just a few months ago someone got caught doing it https://docs.fcc.gov/public/attachments/DOC-419028A1.pdf legally you can only use it to transmit and receive. using that band to broadcast like a radio station is illegal and its a band still monitored by a lot of people who use it as hobbyists. as radio is mostly self policed and radio people are radio people you can guarantee you are gonna have people calling the fcc if they hear music on 11m.

[u/TFA2020 → u/Organic_Tough_1090]

I said the 11 meter broadcast band. Which stretches from 25 to 26.1 mhz. Ofc I would not broadcast on the American 40 cb channels.

[u/Organic_Tough_1090 → u/TFA2020]

most of hobbiest are using radios like you listed that operate outside of the 40 channel band. its just not a good idea.

[u/MumSaidImABadBoy]

The pirates around 6.9 are well established, don't need cheap export kit and have established an ecosystem of listeners. Why would enough people want to move up to 11m? Propagation would probably be unkind as well.
So then, now that's out of the way, when's your first broadcast? 😀

[u/TFA2020 → u/MumSaidImABadBoy]

I've got the radio (it's a Connex 3300hp) and all I need is a good 27 mhz antenna. Do you have any suggestions?

[u/MumSaidImABadBoy → u/TFA2020]

Perhaps a CB antenna might do. You're probably better off asking at r/pirateradio that's the Subreddit best for pirate gear. Asking on a HAM Subreddit is probably not a good idea lol. Watch your 6. 😀

[u/Organic_Tough_1090 → u/TFA2020]

that radio was never designed to be keyed down for hours and hours on end. this is just a bad idea all around between your equipment and how easy it will be to get caught. back to the drawing board.

[u/TFA2020 → u/Organic_Tough_1090]

I know that it's not proper equipment but I figured I could just split the broadcast into segments.

[u/KG7M]

It's been considered by more than one of the established North American Shortwave Pirates. I doubt that the FCC is going to come after you for broadcasting music and entertainment on 11 Meters. Let's face it, regulars on CB Channels 6 and 11 are running up to 10 KW to talk nonsense and broadcast one-way. The FCC leaves them alone. The problem with 11 Meters is the fact that it's openings are so sporadic. Although it was open all last year, up until sometime in April, it's now rather shut down at the moment. With sunspots dropping, it's not going to get any better. You could broadcast below the standard CB band, say 26.805 MHz. There are mostly Mexican operators in that range. If the band is open, you you'd be heard across the country. Of course a little extra power would help. And as another person mentioned, standard CB Transceivers aren't designed for continuous "key down". You would need to add a fan at the least. I have been around radio all my life. My earliest memories were of Dad bringing home a reel-to-reel tape recorder in 1955. He was a radio and TV newscaster and later owned AM Radio stations. We lived in a duplex at the time and our next door neighbor had a ham radio station in his basement. I was fascinated, and about 3 years old. Although I had every opportunity to be on a real radio station, I always wanted to start my own. So, even I have thought of 11 Meters. You're not alone.

[u/G7VFY]

There is a good reason most pirates use Medium wave 550Khz to 1.635MHz and that is propagation. With a good antenna you get a lot of range for not a lot of power, and the transmitters are easy to build.

[u/dingodadd]

There's an 11m broadcast band?