THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO OPERATING A PIRATE RADIO STATION ---------------------------------------------------------- Revision 2 (March, 1994) PREFACE In a world of increasing regulation and control, deviance from established modes of behavior is tolerated less and less. New ways are constantly being discovered by the government to discourage such behavior. In addition to being regulated by the government, much of the broadcast community is controlled either directly or indirectly by a small group of people who use them to further their own agendas. Pirate radio is controlled neither by the government nor by special interests and so enjoys an unencumbered ability to present alternative expressions to its listeners. The operation of a pirate radio station is likely to create some controversy if its audience is substantial enough. This controversy is likely to attract the attention of the authorities who are less than amused when people exercising their First Amendment rights present ideas not approved of by the establishment. Thus, it behooves those who would operate a pirate radio station to prepare for the inevitable attempts by the law enforcement community to apprehend the responsible individuals and to shut the operation down. This exposition is written with the goal of making law enforcement's objectives just a little bit more challenging to realize. LIST OF TOPICS I. Station Operation II. Avoiding the Authorities III. Dealing with the Authorities Appendix A Recommended Equipment Appendix B Sources of Equipment and Additional Information I. BASIC STATION OPERATION Careful choices regarding station locations, duration of broadcasts, time of broadcasts, and frequency of broadcasts need to be made in order to minimizes the chances of being caught by the authorities. Under no circumstances should you ever attempt to operate a pirate radio station from a building you regularly frequent (e.g. home or office). This is asking to be caught. You should choose between operation from a vehicle or man-portable operation. If you choose to broadcast from within a vehicle, several factors should be considered when choosing a broadcast location. Obviously, greater elevation relative to your surroundings will result in superior signal propogation and thus better coverage. However, you must also keep in mind at least two other important details. The location you broadcast from should not arouse the suspicion of any passing vehicles, police or otherwise. This can be accomplished in several ways. A location that is well hidden from all other vehicles and far enough away from any buildings that might be occupied is one way to avoid unwanted attention. In many cases, it may be more practical to find a location that is visible to other vehicles or people but does not arouse suspicion. For instance, in addition to having the potential to be a great transmitting location, overlooks are often frequented by sightseers both during the day and evenings. Regardless of where you choose to broadcast from, think about where you would go should the need for a hasty retreat ever become necessary. In order to locate "undesirable" radio transmissions, the authorities will utilize direction finding (DF for short) radio equipment. DF equipment utilizes a highly directional antenna coupled to a tuner and a field strength meter. After the desired frequency has been selected with the tuner, the operator rotates the DF antenna until he obtains a peak reading on the field strength meter and then notes the heading the antenna is pointed in. Next, a vector is drawn on a map beginning at the operator's current location and extending in the direction of the DF antenna's heading. Assuming the "undesirable" radio transmission hasn't moved, successive readings from different locations should intersect at the origin of the transmission. In practice, because of limitations on the accuracy of the equipment, it is not possible to precisely determine the location of the transmitter from the first set of readings. Usually, a second, and often third set of readings will be necessary before the location of the transmitter can be narrowed down sufficiently to allow a ground search for it. In order to thwart DF equipment, you must be willing to either limit the length of your transmissions such that the authorities have insufficient time to locate them, broadcast from a location the authorities will be unwilling or unable to search, or operate from a mobile vehicle. Each of these approaches involves a different set of tradeoffs. If you are fortunate enough to live in a location with significant areas of forestation nearby, these can often be ideal locations from which to stage your broadcasts. At nighttime, the authorities are very unlikely to venture into the woods in order to locate a pirate radio station. They are far too vulnerable in such situations and generally will not pursue a suspect unless the odds are overwhelmingly in their favor. Rather, they will cover any obvious means into or out of the woods (such as trails) or any roadways in the general vicinity of the broadcasting and search any suspicious individuals or vehicles they discover during a period of time following the broadcast. By taking a few simple precautions, broadcasting from within a forested area of reasonable size can be the best alternative to mobile operation or severely time-limited broadcasts. Before selecting a location to broadcast from in a forested area, it is important to visit the location during the day. This will give you the opportunity to check out the potential site in detail and scout around for the best ways to get to the site and to get away from the site quickly should the need arise. You should pick a location not too close to any roads or paths and make sure you will be able to find it in the dark. Relatively high points with a line-of-sight to your listeners are other important things to look for. You should also think about where you is going to put your antenna. Is there a tree nearby that will make an ideal placement? Can you climb it at night without risk of falling? How much coax will you need to reach the antenna from your broadcast location? After finding a good location to make your broadcasts from, there will be a strong temptation to use that location over and over again for future broadcasts. Unless you wants to be caught, resist this temptation. The authorities may have located a site you have used previously, and could be lying in wait nearby for the next time you are scheduled to broadcast. Also, when you have finished your broadcast and are packing up, keep in mind that anything you leave behind could help the authorities in their quest to find you and bring you to "justice." Assume the authorities will scour the area shortly after you leave it so make sure nothing is left behind for them. If there are smooth surfaces around, don't forget about fingerprints. Either wear gloves during your broadcast, or spray everything you might have touched with degreaser before leaving. II. AVOIDING THE AUTHORITIES (Detection and Evasion) Once the authorities become aware of your operation, they may attempt to apprehend you in the middle of a broadcast. In order to accomplish this, they must first find you and then capture you. Proper preparation and planning will make these tasks much more difficult for them. The authorities rely heavily upon radio communication. As a result, it pays to purchase a decent scanner and become familiar with their operating procedures. Lists of frequencies used by law enforcement in your area are available at Radio Shack and other stores. Books are also are available which list federal frequency assignments. You should spend time going through such books and making a list of frequencies you think may be used in the event a search for your station were to be conducted. Don't forget to include mutual-aid frequencies in your list as they are often used when different enforcement agencies want to coordinate with one another. You should spend some time in the general area you will be broadcasting from listening to the scanner to determine which frequencies on your list are appropriate to listen to and prune the remainder from your list. While it is generally better to leave a questionable frequency on your list, irrelevant channels may reduce the probability you will hear something important on another channel. Whenever possible, you should take along someone you trust to your broadcast site and have them stand patrol. They should wear dark (black or camoflage) clothing and locate themselves where they have a good view of any obvious routes of approach to your broadcast area. A pair of walkie-talkies is ideal for keeping in touch if you will be separated by more than a few tens of feet. Keep in mind that your transmissions could be monitored so watch what you say. Don't use names or other information which could give away your identity or location. If you are using flashlights, purchase some red tailight tape at an auto parts store and cover the lens with it to reduce your chances of being seen and to maintain your night vision. If there are just a couple of obvious routes leading to your broadcast location, you might consider setting up perimeter alarms along these routes. Various party noise-makers are commonly available at toy stores which make a bang when a string to which they are attached is pulled. Using some thin wire, tie one of these noise-makers between a pair of trees through which the route you want to alarm passes through. Make sure the wire is obscured as much as possible to minimize it's detection by any intruders. Make sure you set such alarms far enough away to give you enough time to make your escape but close enough that you will be able to easily hear them. The key to successfully escaping from the authorities can be summarized as follows: DON'T PANIC. Remaining calm is essential. You should plan several routes of escape beforehand and consider what you will do with your equipment. If time allows, you will want to pack it up and take it with you. If time doesn't allow, hiding it may be your best option. This might be as simple as covering it with something to camoflage it. Or, perhaps you found a good place to set it up that already takes advantage of natural cover and it is pretty well hidden to begin with. Assuming you are operating at night, it helps enormously to wear dark clothing and remove any shiny objects such as jewelry or watches to your pockets. You will likely become aware of the authorities designs for you through one of two means. You will hear evidence of a search in progress on your scanner or you will detect their physical presence. In the former case, you may have enough time to pack up your equipment and make a cautious escape. You might decide instead to leave your equipment hidden somewhere and come back later for it when it's safer. Plastic garbage bags are ideal for protecting equipment left in the woods for a few days. In the latter case, remaining calm and using your head could make the difference between being caught with your pants down and just having a close call. The instinctive reaction to the presence (impending or actual) of the authorities is to flee. The authorities know this and if they are even marginally competent will have taken steps to maximize their chances of capturing individuals employing this method of escape. Unless they have obviously seen you and are actively pursuing you, you should stop and force yourself to look around and consider what options are open to you. Approximately how many people are after you? Are they far enough away that you can move away from them without them seeing or hearing you? Perhaps it would be best to try to remain hidden until they are far enough away that you can better risk slipping away? Unless you are certain that your vehicle has not been detected by the authorities (because it was extremely well hidden, or parked with a number of other vehicles, for instance), then do not approach it after your presence has been detected. It is quite possible that the authorities will have discovered it and left someone behind to watch it. By itself, the vehicle is little more than weak circumstantial evidence to connect you with any crime, but if you are caught returning to it (especially with equipment), you will be screwed. You should have thought previously about other means of getting home if there was trouble and proceed with those plans. III. DEALING WITH THE AUTHORITIES (What to do when you get caught with your pants down) Getting caught is always something you should strive to avoid, but the smart pirate will be prepared for it anyway. Knowing what to do and what not to do can make a big difference in terms of how much trouble you could get in if you are caught. If you are caught by the authorities, you should not automatically assume that they are aware of your activities. Chances are, they are interested in you for something completely different -- trespassing, suspicious appearances, etc. Be calm an cooperate with the authorities but don't admit to doing anything illegal, especially broadcasting. If they question you about the presence of antennas of radio equipment, tell them that you are an amateur radio operator. If they ask your what you are doing with the equipment, you should tell them you are doing some experiments in radio wave propogation. With any luck, that will satisfy their curiosity about the radio equipment. At some point, you will learn why they have stopped you and it will become clear whether they intend to arrest you or let you go. As soon as you discover that they intend to arrest you, there are only four words that should come out of your mouth from that point on. "I want a lawyer." You should say nothing else until you has contacted a lawyer and discussed your situation with him. If they don't arrest you, you should calmly leave the area and be prepared to lay low for a while. You should consider ending your broadcasting activities for a while, or perhaps broadcasting from another county with a different set of authorities. If nothing else, you should consider using a different vehicle to do your broadcasts from (or go man-portable) and stay away from the location where you were originally hassled. If you have made an attempt to evade the authorities prior to being caught and the authorities are aware of this, you should expect a lengthly interrogation and search. Again, you should be calm and cooperate physically unless you enjoy pain. It may help to tell the authorities that you were unaware of their identity and were startled by them and so ran away. If this can be told in a convincing manner, it may go a long way to convincing the authorities that you have nothing to hide. Even if they find the broadcasting equipment, you should not admit to violating the law. You can again claim that you are an amateur radio operator conducting experiments in radio wave propogation. Unless they have prior knowledge of the presence of illegal broadcasting activities, there is an excellent chance the authorities won't be able to determine that you are using the radio equipment to make illegal broadcasts, and so will continue to look for other indication that you have engaged in other illegal activities. Eventually, they will have to decide whether they are going to arrest you or let you go. Once again, if they decide to arrest you, only four words should be spoken from that point until you have had the opportunity to discuss your case with your attorney: "I want a lawyer." If they let you go, you should calmly collect your equipment and leave the area. If they want to keep your equipment, you should ask for an itemized receipt and express your objections to their confiscation of your private property. They will probably insist on keeping your equipment, but you should insist on getting a receipt for it from them if you ever want to see it again. If a representative from the FCC is present along with the authorities, it is a good bet that they know what you are up to. Still, it is very important to not admit to doing anything illegal. You should tell the authorities that they are free to inspect your "amateur radio" equipment (unless you are in your home and they don't have a warrant, they are free to do this anyway, but by telling them this you are showing them that you are being cooperative). If they try to con you into admitting guilt by asking you questions such as, "Are you aware that operation of this equipment is in violation of FCC rules?" don't answer the question. Unask the question by saying something like, "This is amateur radio equipment." which sounds like an answer, but isn't. If you can't think up anything like this, inform the questioner in a polite but firm manner that you cannot help in with his questions at this time and then stick to your guns. It's probably a good idea to carry the name and phone number of an attorney specializing in criminal law with you whenever you are involved in such activities. Attorneys are very useful when it comes to reducing the police's likelihood of violating your civil rights and they can arrange to have you bailed out promptly as well. Appendix A - Equipment List for Portable Operation Power: A number of factors go into the selection of a power source. Transmitter power and maximum duration of broadcasts are the primary factors. Portability, expense, and reusability are other factors. Most pirate radio transmitters are going to be battery powered, and so the rest of this section will discuss issues involved in selecting a battery power source for your operation. The storage capacity of batteries is commonly measured in amp-hours (abbreviated AH). AH ratings are usually measured with a 20-hour reference point. If a battery is rated at 20 AH, this means it can deliver 1 ampere into a load for 20 hours. If it's rated at 10 AH, it can deliver 1/2 ampere into a load for 20 hours. If a higher load is placed on the battery, its AH rating will generally decrease. For instance, a battery rated at 30 AH at a 1.5 ampere load (20 hours of operation) might only be rated at 24 AH if an 8 amp load is placed on it (24/8 = 3 hours of operation). In order to determine how many amp-hours of energy you need for your operation, we're going to make use of two formulas. The first states that power is equal to the product of voltage and current. The second states that energy is equal to the product of power and time. We're also going to assume that your transmitter is 50% efficient (1/2 of the power it consumes makes it to the antenna). 1. Multiply your output power by two to obtain an estimate for the amount of power your transmitter consumes from it's power source. 2. Divide the number computed in step 1 by the battery voltage (typically 12 volts) to obtain an estimate for the amount of current your transmitter consumes. 3. Multiply the number computed in step 2 by the maximum number of hours you want to be able to operate your transmitter before recharging or replacing your battery. 4. If the number of hours of operation you desire is significantly less than 20 (as would typically be the case), add about 20% to the number computed in step 3 above to account for the reduced rating of the battery under a higher load. The number computed in step 4 above represents the smallest number of amp hours you need from a battery to achieve operation of your transmitter for the specified amount of time. If you require less than 5-10 AH or so of energy, one excellent power source to consider are sealed lead-acid gel-cells. These are available from a number of distributors (DigiKey, for instance) for under $25 or so and can be recharged hundreds of time with an inexpensive automotive battery trickle-charger (don't use more than 1 amp of charging current and stop charging when the battery voltage rises to about 13.8 volts or the battery starts to get warm). If you require between 10-25 AH or so of energy, a power source worth considering are motorcycle batteries. These are available from motorcycle stores and even Sear's automotive centers for under $50. They can also be recharged with an inexpensive automotive battery trickle charger. One down side to these batteries is their liquid electrolyte. They can leak electrolyte if they are not kept upright or subjected to a lot of shock. The electrolyte is corrosive and will damage whatever it comes in contact with. If this is a problem, sealed lead-acid gel-cells are still available at these higher energy densities for a few dollars more but are generally a bit heavier than their liquid electrolyte cousins. If you require more than 25 AH or so of energy, you're looking at automotive batteries. The cost is under $75, and they are available with energies from 30 to over 100 AH. You could also run a couple of motorcycle batteries in parallel to double the energy rating, but that is usually not as cost effective as getting an automotive battery. Even better are the deep-cycle marine batteries which can be drained and recharged many more times than an equivalent automotive battery. Expect to pay a bit more for these batteries, however. If you are running more than 15 watts or so of output power, make sure you use heavy wire to connect the power amplifier to the battery with and keep the length of wire as short as is practical. 16 gauge wire should be sufficient if you keep the lengths short for power levels up to 50 watts. For more than 50 watts or power cord lengths of more than a few feet, use 14 gauge or thicker wire for optimum performance. Failure to do this will result in significant voltage drops occurring in the power cord which will reduce the voltage available to the power amplifier and reduce its power output. It is advisable to buy a cheap analog voltmeter that can be clipped onto the battery during a broadcast to monitor its condition. Any sudden drop in voltage across the battery indicates it is discharged, and measures should then be taken to end the broadcast or use another power source. Digital voltmeters are harder to read from a distance or at night and are more expensive. Transmitting Equipment: Obviously, you'll need an FM transmitter. A number of kits are available. Kits that run off of 12VDC are most convenient owing to the ready availability of 12 volt batteries. Ramsey sells an inexpensive transmitter (the FM-10a) that is a suitable transmitter. For a bit more money, Free Radio Berkeley sells a much more powerful kit. And for still more money, Panaxis Productions sells a PLL-controlled kit. If you want your signal to propogate for more than a few miles (more than 1/2 a mile in the case of the Ramsey kit), you will need one or more power amplifiers. Free Radio Berkeley sells amplifier kits, and Panaxis Productions sells plans for amplifier kits. In addition, the Ramsey PA-1 2-meter amateur power amplifier can be easily modified for operation on the FM broadcast band. See the FM-10 FAQ for details. Antennas: A good antenna is absolutely essential to getting the most out of your transmitter. Nothing can affect your signals propogation so dramatically as the antenna. Just replacing a 1/4 wave ground plane antenna with a 5/8 wave ground plane antenna can increase your range by 40%! Some of the factors you will want to consider when selecting an antenna include whether your station is operating in a man-portable environment or from a vehicle. Also of great importance is where your listeners are relative to you. If they are all roughly in one direction away from your transmitting location, you can utilize a beam antenna with a lot of gain that will really boost your signal. If they are all around you, however, you will probably want to use an omnidirectional antenna such as a 5/8 wave ground plane antenna to reach the most listeners. A detailed discussion of antennas is beyond the scope of this exposition. The ARRL publishes a book titled _The ARRL Antenna Book_ which provides a wealth of information on designing and building a wide variety of portable antennas (both omnidirectional and beam) suitable for use on the FM broadcast band. Whatever antennas you wind up using should be checked with an SWR meter for proper operation. The SWR meter is connected between your transmitter and antenna and will tell you if your antenna is resonating on your transmitting frequency. If it is, you will get a low SWR reading (less than 2:1). If the reading is greater than about 2:1, your antenna is probably improperly adjusted and you should adjust it before you begin using it. Radio Shack and amateur radio stores are good sourced for SWR meters. Some of the more expensive models also read power output, though these are usually only accurate on amateur bands. Make sure you purchase enough coax cable to allow you to place your antenna a reasonable distance from your transmitting equipment. RG-58 is adequate for short runs of cable (say, less than 25 feet), but higher quality cable such as RG-8X (mini-8) or RG-8 should be used if longer runs are needed. Some people swear by Belden 9913 which is even lower loss than RG-8, but it is expensive and unnecessary for cable runs of under 100 feet or so. Audio: Some radio stations will want the ability to broadcast prerecorded material from a tape or CD as well as live material from a microphone. A mixer is an essential piece of equipment for such operation. Small, battery powered mixer decks are inexpensive and available from Radio Shack. By connecting them between your microphone, CD player, tape player, and transmitting equipment you will be able to switch between any of several sources or mix them together. If you want to use a portable CD player, bear in mind the expected battery life of a fully charged cell, and make sure you bring an extra if you plan a long broadcast. Likewise for a walkman. Also, you will need an assortment of patch cables to connect your CD player, walkman, microphone, and mixer together. Once again, Radio Shack is a good source for premade cables of this type. Miscellaneous: It is advisable to bring along an FM radio. This will allow you to monitor your transmissions to make sure you are getting good modulation and you are tuned to the frequency you want to be. To check your modulation, tune between your operating frequency and the frequency of another local station and compare volume levels. When the average volume level is about the same, you're modulation is probably about right. A piece of foam or other material upon which to place electronic equipment to keep it away from dirt and rocks is advisable. It is also good for sitting on. Strong, thin cord is handy for tying up your antenna in a nearby tree or other tall structure. Headlamps (head-mounted flashlights) are invaluable for nighttime broadcasting. Purchase some red taillight-repair tape at your local auto supply store and cover the lens with it to turn the beam red and thus preserve your night vision. Don't forget to bring along a bottle of water and some snacks to eat during your broadcast, especially if it is to be a long one. Security: Buy yourself a decent scanner. Then, get a copy of local, state, and federal frequency assignments for your area. Program the scanner with the local police, sheriff's department, mutual aid frequencies, and anything else you think might is relevant. Spend some time monitoring the authorities to become familiar with their operating practices on the radio. A partner can be an invaluable aid during a pirate radio broadcast. Make sure he is someone you can trust! While one person operates the radio equipment, the other person can monitor the scanner and watch the perimeter for intruders. Walkie Talkies are an ideal way for the DJ to stay in touch with his security. CB walkie-talkies are OK for short range broadcasts, but 2-meter or 70-centimeter amateur radio "HTs" are much better albeit more expensive. Most of these can be modified to operate outside of amateur bands where you're less likely to be monitored and have significantly greater range than CB walkie-talkies. Plus they're smaller physically and require smaller antennas than the CB walkie-talkies. Appendix B - Sources of Equipment and Additional Information FM-10 FAQ - This file contains a wealth of information on modifying the Ramsey FM-10 transmitter, modifying the Ramsey PA-1 RF-amp to work on the FM broadcast band, making filters, and more. It is occasionally posted to the usenet newsgroup alt.radio.pirate, and is also available for anonymous ftp from dg-rtp.dg.com in the fm10 directory. Ramsey Kits - These are available at many electronics stores. They are best purchased locally with cash, but if you can't locate one nearby, you can order them direct from Ramsey at: Ramsey Electronics, Inc. 793 Canning Parkway Victor, NY 14564 (716) 924-4560 FRB Kits - Free Radio Berkeley sells FM transmitter and amplifier kits and are rumored to have AM transmitter kits in the works. If you are local to the SF Bay Area, your best bet is to contact them directly and arrange to pick up a kit in person. If you deal with them via mail, you may have to wait several months before your kit arrives. Free Radio Berkeley 1442A Walnut St., #406 Berkeley, CA 94709 (510) 464-3041 frbspd@crl.com Panaxis Kits - More expensive than the Ramsey and FRB kits, but very good quality. They sell PLL-controlled transmitters for the best frequency stability possible. They also sell many other kits. Unfortunately, if you live in the U.S., they won't sell you RF amplifier kits, but will sell plans for them. Panaxis Productions P.O. Box 130 Paradise, CA 95967-0130 (916) 534-0417