What a dump that place is.
The 'resident' of the falling-down shack with his grey shirt and bad haircut wasn't very good at acting dumb. Too bad the inspector had to put up with such beer-induced behavior.
Just some good ole redneck boys wasn't doing any harm. Except for the pirate radio operation.
@wefr Lol.
I thought that the FCC inspector handled the situation very well. But he also had some muscle with him.
While I didn't watch the entire video (it was too painful to listen to those guys who ran/owned the station), I also noted that there was no footage taken inside the 'studio', showing the transmitter. Or antenna.
The FCC as well no longer publishes field strength of a busted station, or any information about it, really, other than it exceeded the limits. It would be interesting to see if this was a case of someone purchasing an Amazon special that is purportedly certified, or just a plain out and out way illegal transmitter. I suspect the latter, because as Carl indicated, they seemed to know they were doing a no no.
@artisan-radio Yeah would have been interesting to see what they were using.
They may not have been allowed into the "shack" to video it and just turned it off themselves.
I consider it interesting because these guys were running a real pirate radio station and most likely knew it. While you can't compare them (obviously) to some who operate much like a commercial station, none the less they were pirates.
It's not likely that they would be operating something that carries a Part 15 certification sticker, such as the Retekess TR-508. I have to wonder what the FCC agent would have done if that were the case, however. Would they have still been busted, even though the FCC has tacitly approved the device by issuing the certification (even though it obviously operates well above FM field strength limits for Part 15, particularly in high power mode)?
On second thought...
I disagree with myself.
Earlier in this thread I criticized a station spokes-person for the color of his shirt and his hair-grooming. Neither of those things are covered by FCC regulations and amount to civil liberties.
I made a disparaging remark about the shack without knowing its history or purpose, and at the most am curious about it. Where can such a shack exist without being condemned by the local zoning board? It is worth wondering about the electric power being turned on in the ramshackle structure, indicated by the running fan in the open-air window. Are water and gas also supplied to the place? Is it in fact a residence? Or is it a work shed for some kind of industrial site.
I have mixed feelings about radio piracy and in the final analysis think I should reserve comment when it gets discussed. Whereas the airwaves are said to 'belong to the public' the contradictory truth is that the public is mainly allowed to 'listen to the radio' but not allowed to function as a radio station with the exception of licensees who are mainly required to be rich and otherwise free to avoid providing anything useful to the listener. Unused frequencies are expected to be left inactive and not allowed to be claimed or utilized by squatters with no license who are denied a license upon application because they lack the backing to 'buy' their way in. On top of all that, most pirate operations do not provide anything useful or necessary to the general audience except that drinking beer and broadcasting is fun, although getting up on top of a high building when intoxicated is very hazardous. This time I didn't reserve comment, but from now on I will.
I think the RF spectrum belonging to the public is an assumption but where is the wording in law that it is true and not just what some of us think(but not me)?
I think the governments of countries including Canada and the USA "own" and regulate the airwaves and decide who can use them and make them pay big time in the form of an exorbitant cost to do so. Maybe government is considered us, the common people, so the assumption the airwaves belong to "us" but all of "us" don't have access to use them.
I think that they belong to the people that pay huge$$$ for licenses, and the government that has to oversee it and keep order as important communication can't be interfered with but definitely not belonging to the public as we the public think that means.
As for what transmitter they were using and if it was a part 15 certified Retekess CZH 05B I don't think so. They would have been arguing and showing the agent the part 15 certification number but they weren't. The "resident" refused to show the agent the transmitter, etc. If it had a certification with a part 15 number he would be showing the agent the transmitter as there would be nothing to hide. The guy also asked a legit question about what was the reading and the agent should have had that info. You are entitled to know that. That's the evidence. I think that this video wasn't recent. But they were polite, cooperated, but knew it wasn't legal. No way it was a Retekess TR-508. I think they had a lot more power than that. But again this video may have been before the TR-508 got certified.
Probably bought a transmitter off ebay. I've seen several on there from 20 watts up to around 1,000 watts.
Member Mark asked this question: "I think the RF spectrum belonging to the public is an assumption but where is the wording in law that it is true and not just what some of us think(but not me)?"
From my own memory I think the 'wording in law' stating the radio spectrum as 'belonging to the public' is found in the 'Communications Act of 1934', but my hardbound copy of the document is scattered somewhere here in the Internet Building where I live with my part 15 transmitters. I'll probe the internet to see what I can find.