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HOW TO BE A RADIO PIRATE?
This section tells you exactly how to go ahead setting up your own
pirate radio with all the tips learned from bitter experience.
First of all here's a list of main things you'll need. So you want
to be a radio pirate? Read on...
What you'll need
A. A group of committed people who get on with each other and have
plenty of time and energy.
B. A programme, presuming you have something worth saying or
playing. You don't even need a studio to start off with. Just
borrow someone's stereo and a microphone and start making practice
recordings onto good quality cassette tapes.
C. A Transmitter. Ideally over 10 watt power, but 5 watt is fine
for local broadcasts, or when using an aerial with 'gain' . You
can't buy one over the counter in Britain, but here are some
alternatives:
I) Buy one from another pirate (beware of rip-offs).
II) Buy one over the counter abroad. In Italy for instance you
can get a high quality 50 watt transmitter over the counter for
?200. You can buy kits in Belgium, France, Netherlands, USA,
etc. You then have to smuggle it home.
III) Build your own. A hobbyist can build a low power FM
transmitter easily. Try to interest radio hams or dissident
engineers. It's almost essential to have at least one person in
your group with some technical know how.
IV) Get one built to your specification. There are a few
electronics engineers about who will build them for a reasonable
price.
D. Antenna. You can adapt a design yourself from an antenna
handbook (e.g. The 2 Metre Antenna Book). Or use one of our ready
made designs. Look out for aluminium tubing or struts which make
good building material.
E. Odds and ends. You'll need basic tools (soldering iron,
multimeter, SWR meter), a cheap cassette deck, probably one or two
good car batteries, a roll of co-ax cable for the aerial, a radio
to listen in on, etc. Also start reading Amateur Radio Handbooks
and all relevant writings.
VHF: Pros and Cons
First lets deal with FM (Frequency Modulated) broadcasting, which
is probably your choice. The advantages of FM are many. The
transmitters are small and quite cheap. Reception tends to be
either very clear or non-existent. Its excellent for music and for
recording off and can quite easily be adapted to transmit stereo
(impossible with AM). A major plus for the pirate is that its easy
to hide and transport the gear, aerials are comparatively small
and can be made collapsible. It's also possible to put in a
vehicle, even an bicycle and go mobile, albeit with a smaller and
changing reception area. The average 5 to 20 watt transmitter
would be in a metal box no bigger than 12" by 6" by 3" in size,
and weigh no more than 8 lbs with the rest of the gear (but not
including the battery, if you're using one), The aerial is not
only shorter but more efficient and of course more practical than
the long and tricky procedure for MW aerials. Also low power FM
transmitters ('rigs') can be tuned to slightly different
frequencies, on MW you're stuck on one, unless you get a new
crystal.
The disadvantage is that VHF-FM is essentially a 'line of sight'
communication, which means your reception area depends crucially
on the height of your aerial above large blocking objects. This is
no problem if you can get up on a hill, or a tower block but it
does restrict the choice of broadcasting sites, making you easier
to find and trap. With local broadcasting you have more choice of
sites. In very hilly area, unless you can get up on a mountain,
you'd better choose MW, also if you want to broadcast scattered
communities over a wide area. Distance covered with an FM rig
depends as how much height as on power. A 40 watt rig on a 15
story tower block should cover a 15 miles radius if there are no
blocking objects. A 4 watt rig should go 5 miles from the same
height but if you build a directional aerial with 'gain' you can
multiply that power many times. You don't really need a big
expensive and hard to build transmitter. Also don't assume a 100
watt rig is ten times as powerful as a 10 watt one, it doesn't
work like that.
To sum up, FM broadcasting is the ideal for the guerrilla or
community pirate, cheap, mobile and adaptable. another advantage
is that there's loads of room on the FM broadcasting band, it's
literally half empty. On MW its pretty crowded, and at night
you're likely to be blotted out by continental interference.
The Broadcasting Site (FM)
TOWER BLOCKS
In cities tower blocks have been an ideal answer for good coverage
and wide reception and are especially favoured by commercial
pirates (who often use a link transmitter from the studio to the
tower block so as to go live). A further advantage is that there
are usually electric sockets in the lift or heating rooms on the
roof, so you can just plug in provided your gear is so adjusted,
rather than lug car or lorry batteries about. This is 'Stealing
Electricity', of course. If you're caught broadcasting the
electricity company could bring this additional charge, though in
practice we've never heard of it happening. The advantage to
sticking in car batteries is that you can conceal your rig
anywhere on the roof, rather than having it right by the plug
socket, though in a surprise raid your aerial cable will lead them
straight to it anyway.
To get onto the roof of a tower block you need a crowbar, or
better, a key. The 'Fireman's keys' have to be standard for all
blocks, so once you have one you can get onto most roofs easily.
Try asking other pirates, or possibly a friendly caretaker or
fireman. Or you can break the door, steal the mortise lock, get
keys made up for it, then replace it, such keys may not fit all
roofs.
When on the roof BE CAREFUL (sudden gusts of wind can blow you
over the at this height!) and always wear soft shoes and keep
quiet. Lots of people have been busted simply because the tenants
below heard them and called the police. Its useful to dress like a
repair person, and claim if seen or challenged, to be a lift
mechanic. The main problem with tower blocks is that, if raided,
you can easily be trapped (see how to get away with it).
MEDIUM SIZED BUILDINGS
If you're a local station, or have a high power rig or an aerial
with gain (or if you're just testing) you don't need to be on a
tower block. Any building higher than most others will do, and you
can increase your height for instance by mounting your aerial on
top of high, well secured scaffold pole (note: there must be a
wooden or plastic section between the pole and the actual aerial).
The advantage of lower buildings is that you can multiply both the
available sites for broadcasting. You will have to switch sites as
often as possible. Also you will have more escape routes and 'bolt
holes' than on a tower block. Unfortunately this may also mean you
have to watch more potential approach routes by the police and
DTI, and you'll need more lookouts if you're planning to save the
gear when attacked.
BROADCASTING FROM HILLS
If your town or city has hills this is a good option, the higher
the better. You can use a piece of derelict or common land, or at
night you can use parks, cemeteries or even allotments. A better
option is if there are hills outside the built up area, then use a
field or wood away from houses. If you use the directional aerial
you can cover the city just as well. This was done by Andromeda
Radio, to good effect, they used to cover most of Manchester from
a high hill outside, using a mere 4 watt transmitter with
directional gain aerial. If you can get up into mountainous area
you're even better off and can adopt classical guerrilla tactics,
often see the enemy coming distances away, and be very difficult
to stop.
On a hill within the town or city use good lookouts, escape
routes, CB's etc. and have regular 'escape drills'. Best place for
aerial is a high, easily climbable tree. If its not too obvious
leave it up there and have a spare ready. An added problem with
hills is that you normally have to lug at least one car battery
about, which is terrible if you have to climb fences, ditches etc.
at night, something like a pram or shopping trolley can help. You
can't leave the batteries on site as they need re-charging for
your next broadcast. So mains electric is a big help if you can
run a lead from somewhere. Outdoors all your gear must be in
waterproof cases, or covered with a tent or tarp. Tents are good
if you can pretend to be camping. Take care also of yourself and
your group. Hot drinks, food, waterproofs, short shifts for
lookouts etc. are good ideas. It gets boring after a few hours.
CB's are excellent, but get ones with earphones if possible to
avoid noise.
If on a hill you can also use ordinary house, flat, squat or
derelict, and just set up your aerial as high as practicable on
the roof. Its better to get a place, by squatting or if you're
rich, by renting, specially as a broadcast site, no-one likes to
live under constant threat of the police storming in. In practice
you may have to use someone's house, then don't use it too often.
If you must use your own house DON'T leave dope, stolen goods,
false ID's or other naughties lying about. It is possible to run
your antenna cable from your house to the aerial on another roof,
and whip the cable off quick if they come, but this would only
work once, and you lose output power with every extra metre of co-
ax cable going to your aerial. More of this in the 'How to get
away with it' section. NEVER have your studio at the broadcast
site. They'll confiscate the lot, under the new laws.
OTHER POSSIBLE BROADCASTING SITES
FESTIVALS, especially large free festivals are an excellent and
common broadcast site. A small 4 watt rig will do fine. Set up on
a high ground in a tent or vehicle and invite the festival goers
to protect you from possible police attack, much more unlikely in
these circumstances. If possible make a live studio in a tent,
caravan or truck and get everyone involved. Try to get mentioned
in pre-festival publicity, or do your own, so people will bring
radios. This is pirate radio at its best.
DEMOS, especially long ones, like blockades for e.g. of Nuclear
Stations or War bases, can be equally worthwhile. In this context
the pirate can be perfect medium for discussion, information and
warnings of police movements, as well as for entertainment and
music.
BARRICADED SQUATS OR SQUATTED VENUES are another obvious and much
underused site for the guerrilla pirate, especially during big
meetings or gigs, which you can broadcast live from the roof. This
has been done successfully for instance in Amsterdam and Berlin.
OCCUPIED FACTORIES or industrial areas during strikes and disputes
provide an excellent and often missed opportunity for the more
political pirate group, and can provide vital communication for
mobilising, publishing and gaining support. There have been many
such opportunities in Britain over recent years.
SIT-INS and protest occupations are another good possibility,
which we don't think has been tried. Especially occupations of
high towers, buildings or pylons for publicity. But in this
situation capture is pretty certain, therefore a small disposable
transmitter would be ideal. A good strategy is for everyone to
deny using it, and to use any following trial for more publicity
e.g. on the lines that the army etc. and the police are already
hogging most of the airwaves.
'NO-GO AREAS' are a step up from occupied factories. We know for
instance that nationalist pirates broadcast from Free Derry and
parts of West Belfast when they were 'no-go areas' to the state.
Of course there are no true 'no-go areas' in Britain, but there
are plenty of inner city estates where the police rarely venture,
especially in the evenings in the riot session, for fear of
'concrete rain' or worse from the roofs. A high block on such area
could be an excellent site, especially if you can tip off the
local youth to lend a hand. Whenever major rioting begins large
areas are suddenly devoid of police, till they can group in
numbers and re-take the area. This is another opportunity for 'on
the ball' local pirates. By monitoring police radio, runners, and
phoned in reports such 'uprising radio' could be a brilliant aid
to the fighters on the streets though you would need good
security, disposable transmitter, quick getaway routes, disguised
voices etc.
LIBERATED ZONES! (Let us know if you find one!) Practically every
guerrilla or Nat. Liberation movement, be they right or left wing,
has their own pirate radios, which are often crucial influence in
such wars, broadcasting from freed zones or neighbouring
countries. But you're not likely to come across this in Britain.
INTERNATIONAL WATERS is of course a favourite site, but out of the
question for the small 'do it yourself' pirate.
How to set up your gear (FM)
BEFORE YOU GO
Before getting out you had best brief anyone, especially
newcomers, on what will or might happen. Talk about getting
caught, for instance have good excuses made up for being at or
near the site. If you are planning to give false names, for
instance, you'll need an address where someone will confirm you
live, otherwise you might have troubles getting bail if you were
arrested. In this case keep your first names the same to avoid
being caught out.
Make out a standard 'check list' of all you need, and go through
it before you get out. It's surprisingly easy to find yourself on
top of a tower block, or climbing some tree, only to discover that
your cassette deck lead is at home five miles away.
HERE'S A SAMPLE LIST OF THINGS YOU NEED
Transmitter (TX), TX main lead or 2 clip on battery leads
(large and well insulated), TX lead to cassette deck if
not attached, cheap cassette deck plus mains lead or 2 clip ons
and 6 volt bike battery, charged up 12 volt car battery if not on
mains, antenna (check you have butterfly bolts if collapsible),
the co-axial cable (with plug attached and clips or attached
to aerial), fused plug board (if on mains), programme tapes
(rewound to staring position), small FM radio receiver(s) to
monitor broadcasts, CB's for lookouts, plastic 'gaffer tape',
soldering iron and solder in ease of broken leads, torch, warm
clothes, munches, bus fare
ON THE WAY
Ideally you need four people, at least two. Carry the gear as
inconspicuously as possible, in holdalls or plastic bags. The
antenna is a problem. If it's a big long one make it collapsible
using butterfly nuts in assembly. Or try to keep it somewhere
close to the site. On arrival at the site, especially if you've
used it before, send an empty-handed scout ahead, to be sure the
police and DTI aren't waiting for you and all is clear. Check also
you're not followed.
SETTING UP
In the case of a tower block you should have been there beforehand
and have either a key or a broken lock to get straight onto the
roof. Lock the door quietly behind you. If there's two doors onto
the roof have access through both. Take your gear to a lift /
heating room and find a plug in wall socket (if on mains). Check
it works. Wear gloves when handling gear, and clean it regularly
with cloth and alcohol. They don't usually bother with fingerprint
evidence, but they might start. The antenna must be cleaned
regularly anyway for good transmissions. Set up your antenna as
high as possible, if possible on top of an extension pole or
length of scaffold pipe. Often there's a pole already, left by
earlier pirates. Attach the antenna securely, with bolts or strong
gaffer tape, to a length of wood, then the bottom of the wood to
the metal pole (if there). The antenna must NOT be touching or
blocked by metal. The co-ax cable can be soldered or bolted onto
the antenna, or attached with strong, rust free car battery clips.
The clips are recommended for fast dismantling and for testing and
developing antennas, mark clearly which goes where. The co-ax
cable should not be longer than absolutely necessary, you lose
power with every extra foot, and should be good quality and well
insulated. Your lookouts should already be on station, with
torches or CB's, one at the foot of the tower (preferably sitting
on a car or flat) and one on the roof. Keep low and quiet and wear
soft shoes. (In one court case Eric Gotts (head of DTI squads)
claimed he recognised an Our Radio member from the ground, 18
stories up, at night. The judge accepted his word.)
When the antenna is up securely, lead the co-ax back and plug or
screw in to the back of your transmitter . Now plug the TX to the
cassette deck keeping the two as far as possible apart, if
possible blocked by something solid, like a wall, to avoid
interference. Keep the audio lead well away from the power leads.
Interference between leads can often cause loss of power and / or
'Sprogs' (unwanted signals on the wrong frequency). You can go so
far as to block leads from each other with bricks.
Plug in the cassette deck and the TX to your plug board (or
connect to batteries) and switch on. If you have that facility
just switch on the exciter stage of the TX first for testing, no
need to alert Big Brother prematurely. Go on the other end of the
roof with your radio receiver and tune in. Then adjust the
modulation on your TX, in relation of other channels, to get the
best sound. If this is OK but there's unusual knocking or
crackling sounds try moving the cassette deck further from the TX,
or raise it above ground if possible. Try further separating or
screening the power lines from the audio lines.
You may well find that you have sprogs (harmonics or spurious
signals) all over the waveband. Check for this. If so check
reception with your lookout 100 yards away, normally such sprogs
disappear by that distance and you're OK. But if your signal is
still spread all over further away switch off and clear off. Your
TX is fucked up and needs difficult repair or tuning you can't do
on the site. If you find you're interfering with fire, ambulance
or pigs, stop, before they come after you. Most pirates are very
careful not to do this.
When all checks are OK, insert your programme tape, switch off,
and wait for the agreed time to begin. With practice you can
easily set it all up and test it in 10 minutes, but it's good to
allow a half hour and to be methodical and cool. Never, for
instance, switch on your TX without the antenna attached, you'll
blow it. The amp stage of your TX should get quite hot when
drawing the power , if not its not working. With bigger
transmitters you may need also a small electric fan to cool the
heatsinks on the power transistors. Once you're on air its good to
go and phone friends for reception reports further afield.
Broadcasting.... How to get away with it
KNOW YOUR ENEMY
On a tower block, in London, the DTI squads can tell where you
are, within 20 metres, less than 10 minutes after you switch on.
So they can bust you any time. In the case of new pirates the
procedure is to monitor you for a while (in case you're just
messing about) before busting you. It could easily be a few months
before your first attempted bust. If you play anything but
straight music they will record and keep all your programmes for
possible further use against you (though voice print's aren't used
in court). In other cities they are generally slower to get after
you. In smaller towns they don't have permanent staff so they have
to come specially, depending on your usual broadcasting time, so
switching your time is a big advantage.
The detection squads are now directed by the Home Office through
the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and are officially
responsible for stamping out 'radio interference'. They have re
cently been recognised and upgraded with fancy new equipment.
Their HQ is at Waterloo House by Waterloo Bridge and they have
several other fixed triangulation stations in London, for instant
tracking. They use also mobile detection vans and lots of unmarked
cars and have a depot in East London for vehicles and gear. We
don't know where they keep their extensive horde of stolen
transmitters prior to disposal. They also have their own radio
frequencies, they used to be (and still may be) using around 88
MHz, just off the commercial FM waveband.
The DTI squads are not supposed to arrest you, so they have to
bring the local filth along on busts, which makes them a lot
easier to spot and makes them less flexible, as they often have to
wait till the cops have the time free.
For large rich commercial pirates the game is to have plenty of
transmitters lined up, and not to try to save them if the police
and DTI raid. They often use remote links and can often switch on
and off using timers or radio signals, so they don't have to go
back and change tapes and no one need get caught in the act (but
recently the DTI have cracked this by raiding the 'live studios'
and nicking everyone and everything).
But for small community / political pirates with only one or two
transmitters its essential to save the gear if at all possible. At
the same time its now always cheaper to lose all the gear than to
get caught and pay the fines. Nowadays even for the small pirate
it may be more advisable to put energy into money raising and mass
producing cheap transmitters than into trying to save the gear
when they're hot on your trail (though you need to guard anyway
against the curious and rip-offs by other pirates.)
PRECAUTIONS
Don't walk and boast unnecessarily about your sites or studio.
Work on a 'need to know' basis from the start. One method is to
keep programme makers separate from your broadcasting team, tapes
can even be delivered to a 'dead letter drop' for instance. But if
you can really trust each other its better if everyone takes a
turn at broadcasting, otherwise the broadcasters can both get
pissed off and become a power elite ('I'm not transmitting this
crap!').
Don't, of course, broadcast your location, real names or
addresses. Don't give your phone number either, certainly in
Britain, the days of phone-ins and instant access to pirates are
numbered. If you're really into phone-ins, get a phone in a false
name at a temporary address or squatted flat (NOT your studio).
Tape the calls and check you're not followed there. For letters
use a box address (e.g. Wuppertal in Germany) and assume all mail
is read, or use a forwarding address. When travelling to sites
vary your means of transport.
The raid..... Saving the gear
A.) HIDING IT ON THE SITE
Some pirates have tried building the transmitter into walls,
parapets, roof, chimney stacks etc. You can conceal it under water
tanks, central heating or lift machinery. Better still have it
hidden in a legal or squatted top floor flat (possibly 2nd to top
would do) concealing your co-ax cable either up the side of the
building, by boring a hole in the roof, or by running it up
ventilation or 'stink' pipes. Another variation is to have your
tape player in a flat, and a long concealed audio lead to the TX
on the roof. The possibilities are endless, and most have been
tried. On one occasion Our Radio tried the 'dummy transmitter'
trick, with it's own dummy aerial, leading the hounds to one end
of the roof, while they left by another door. Inside the
transmitter box was a can of beer and a 'Booby Prize' note. In all
these cases you still need to at least remove your co-ax cable
before the baddies arrive, or of course it'll lead straight to
your TX.
B.) LOOKOUTS
You need two, preferably three, and take it in turns, and if
possible also monitor police and DTI radio channels. You can use
torches or signals from ground to roof. If on CB's turn them very
low or use headphones, and use codewords, they're very public.
Watch out for cars and vans with too many aerials, electrical gear
in the passenger seat, hanging around trying not to look
suspicious, police cars passing several times etc. Keep an eye on
nearby tower blocks or anywhere they may observe the roof with
field glasses. A raid is usually obvious, two or three cars with
uniformed police accompanying them (though piggies may be also in
an unmarked car). They usually try and rush in a side or a back
entrance, so watch out... it's quite embarrassing to have all your
friends nicked, and you still standing out front yawning! Usually
they take the lift (sometimes using a 'fireman's key' to bring it
down fast) and often send a few young ones up the stairs.
C.) CAT AND MOUSE
This involves moving and hiding the gear, in flats, stair
cupboards, lift shafts, hanging out windows, disguised at
something else, etc. Normally they have no case if they can't find
it, but under the new laws they might try to do you anyway if
you're caught. If your lookout system works you have at least 2
minutes warning before they reach the top of the tower block. You
can delay them by switching off the power in the lift room, but if
doing this be quite certain you're not trapping anyone, which is
difficult. You can call the lift immediately, and if you get them
first jam the doors open. You should practice for quick
dismantling and packing of the gear in advice. Sometimes its
easier to leave the antenna and build a new one.
A good simple 'Cat and Mouse' is to run down several flights of
stairs with the gear, hide it in a good spot (the ideal is the
flat of a 'neutral' friend) and turn into a 'normal' citizen. If
you're stopped have a good excuse for being there.
Cat and Mouse is a good system to start off with. But remember
they have done it 1000s of times before. When they become
determined to bust you you'll need more and more determined people
and new broadcasting sites to stay ahead. After a certain point
they're sure to catch you, as they learn more about you, your
faces, your habits, your tricks, and as they put more and more men
on the case. If you want to get away with it its time for a
complete change of tactics.
D.) DISAPPEARING
When the DTI are really on your tail one thing you can do is take
a weeks rest, then come back with a different name, style and
timing. Of course this fucks up your efforts to make a name for
yourselves and gain a regular audience, but at least you're still
on air, with maybe a few months grace before they start after you
again. Also change your frequency and voices on tape if possible.
E.) SWITCHING
In theory this is a good system, but you need a big team, your own
transport, and two or three transmitters (on the exact same
wavelength). The idea is this... as the police and DTI close in on
one location, the signal switches to a second site. Either you're
using links, or have copies of the programme tapes. The team at
the first site evades the police and sets off a 3rd site and sets
up. If they go for the 2nd site you switch to the 3rd site and
carry on etc. When combined to Cat and Mouse tactics this can make
you difficult to stop. The problems are, if you're using tower
blocks your choices are limited... If you set up say 5 miles away
your reception area may be completely different, and you'll need
plenty of dedicated people ready to wait night after night to play
games with the police... And when they become determined they will
still get you. We know of one South London pirate, who used
switching with apparent success, then one night all 3 of their
transmitters were seized within 15 minutes!
Switching would work better when combined and varied with other
methods of getting away with it. Particularly if you're doing a
local station, where you don't need so much height, and have lots
of more choice of broadcasting sites.
F.) GUERRILLA RADIO
This is one of the main ideas this text is trying to promote.
Guerrilla, or Hit and Run radio is the war of the flea. First of
all you can reduce the risks of getting caught drastically by
broadcasting not a fixed times or a fixed name, or by doing it
only for 1/2 hour periods. The problem of course is that your
audience is also random and small. The guerrilla idea is to get
together quite a few stations, broadcasting on the same frequency
with cheap, mass produced transmitters, thus forming one big loose
station which listeners would have a good chance of finding on
air, while being very difficult for the DTI and police to stop.
BREAK-INS
Break-ins are a higher and riskier form of guerrilla radio, as
used in Britain by Radio Arthur and Radio Wapping. The idea is to
grab your audience by broadcasting on top of a legal station. The
sentences are much higher but there's little chance of getting
caught if your break-ins short, say for five minutes, on top of
the news or advertising of a major station. You're taking
advantage of a quality of FM broadcasting that the stronger signal
tends to 'win', blotting out the weaker one completely. With a
small transmitter you'll only win for a short distance, but even a
few hundred yards could cover a whole high density estate. For
break-ins strength of signal is the main factor, a big powerful
transmitter (100 - 200 watts) tuned exactly to the required
frequency so you can break in for your message on the most popular
channel on prime time. For break-ins all precautions should be
doubled, also be sure to clear right away from the area as soon as
you've finished, and don't use the same time or broadcasting site
again. It's as simple as that.
Break-ins are also easily possible on TV, but only over the sound.
Break-ins are more common in countries where pirates have been
repressed, e.g. in Germany or the Eastern Block, and are ideal for
announcing, demonstrations etc.
There is another and better way of doing break-ins on FM, which
may have been used by Radio Arthur. This is to use the VVHF
microwave transmitter, beaming your signal at the microwave dish
receiving the signals of a legal station from their studios. Their
dish then picks up your signal, and providing you're close enough
to be stronger than their signal, you get re-broadcast by their
main transmitter, thus giving your break-ins perfect coverage
throughout their reception area.
However, we don't have technical plans to build such tricky VVHF
transmitters, and it would be quite expensive. Though this type of
break-ins is possibly at present. (To stop you fast they'd have to
switch off the entire station.) They will probably make it more
difficult by using access codes to receiver dishes, as its already
done to avoid piracy of satellite dishes. NOTE: Don't play around
with microwaves, they can be dangerous!
GOING MOBILE
In theory this is an ideal way of getting away with it, but there
are quite a few problems. If you're going in a vehicle you can use
ordinary car cassette player, but you are better off having a
separate 12 volt car battery to power the transmitter. One problem
is with the aerial. If you use a bigger, more efficient one it
will be very obvious, one possibility is to have it under a
tarpaulin on a roof rack. A bigger problem is height, unless you
can park or drive up and down on a high hill, your coverage will
be badly blocked. And then of course your reception area will vary
radically if you're driving any distance. Not much use for gaining
or developing an audience. The main advantage is that you will be
much more difficult to stop.
Going mobile is more practical as a publicity stunt, or possibly
for local broadcasts. To a small extent, having a bigger TX will
compensate for lack of height. Going mobile is good for
broadcasting at random just for the hell with it.
Doing break-ins in this way would be great fun in the rush hour
traffic.
LINKS, TIMERS, SQUARE WAVES
These aren't for the shoestring pirate, though you can build them
cheap if you have the know-how. As we said earlier links often
prevent you being busted personally, if you can afford to lose the
gear, and allow you to do live programmes. All it involves is
using a receiver instead of a cassette deck, then beaming up your
signal from your studio, or whatever, using a small UHF
transmitter (e.g. on 370 MHz) or adapted cordless telephone, or an
FM exciter on a different frequency (or even an ordinary phone
line, though sound quality suffers). You also have to make a small
directional high gain antenna. If you're using a low power link
and a narrow beam its highly impossible for the DTI to trace you,
and it was assumed to be safe to link from the studio. But
recently studios using links have been raided, in a few cases,
with every bit of equipment, furniture, record collections etc.
seized under the 1984 laws (e.g. a raid on Radio Horizon's studios
in late 1895 when over ?20000 worth of gear was 'stolen' legally).
This may not however mean that the DTI's new gear can detect
links. It's just as easy to find your location by gossip, phone
taps or just by following you. Links can make you personally safe,
if they can trace you one you could always use two, or three, or
.... what they don't and can't do is protect your transmitter, its
main advantage is that it allows you to go live from the studio.
To protect yourself you might as well use a timer to switch the
gear on and off remotely. Timers are pretty easy to build, and you
can buy kits, but good ones are hard to find 'off the shelf' as
they can obviously be used to make bombs. A good one to buy is the
plug in variety, used for fooling burglars when you're on
holidays, or by landlords to deter squatters. For remote switching
you can also make sound activated switches, via a radio link, or
'square wave' switches, via a phone line. What none of these
devices can do however is to turn over the tape, so you still have
to go to the site to do this, unless you want to broadcast for
less than an hour.
CONFRONTATION
A good trick if you can get away with it. The DTI and police (they
normally only bring a few) are wide open to attack (the mouse
becomes the cat!) when coming to get you. The problem is that in
future you'll have to change your station name, frequency, even
your radio voice and they'll always be on your trail. The good
thing is that if pirates start attacking them they have to bring
many more police with them, and can only do it when spare police
are available. Also they are always looking over their shoulders,
and have to be more careful with their surveillance work.
One way to hit back, on tower blocks, is to trap them in the
lifts. The lookouts signals up when they're in and you throw the
main power switches in the lift room. Be careful you don't trap
residents as well. Then you take your gear down the stairs,
beating up any of them you meet on the way, and make off. Their
cars are also vulnerable, usually they're parked unguarded around
the corner. If you're going to attack them directly make sure
you're well masked and tooled up and have enough skill and numbers
to get past them. Go straight for the police officers and disable
them before they can make their 'officer in distress' call (take
or smash their radios, or have someone jamming their frequencies).
Other direct ways of hitting back are attacking the DTI at their
bases, attacking their vehicles at the depot, obtaining home
addresses / phone numbers of chief officers and harassing them
etc.
Remember they have the entire state apparatus backing them up, any
form of direct attack should therefore be anonymous and never
spoken of or boasted about later (or before!).
When the lookout signals a raid or anything very suspicious (e.g.
a cop car cruising too close too often) immediately switch off,
dismantle the gear and move it (switch off the TX first, then the
tapedeck. DON'T rip out the aerial when the TX is still switched
on!)
Building your pirate station
We're not talking here about commercial pirates, where its just a
matter of having good financial backing, popular DJ's and hit
records, plenty of ads, jingles and news replayed from legal
stations.
We're talking about the 'do-it-yourself' community or political
pirate, starting from square one, and doing something worthwhile
and original. The truth is that most commercial pirates, in their
effort to offend nobody and build towards a possible licence,
practice heavy censorship and are often as boring, banal,
repetitive, capitalist, sexist, elitist and even anti-democratic
as the legal ones, though there are few exceptions. Such pirates
are obsessed with keeping their technology secret and attacking
the competition at every opportunity.
Smaller, non-commercial pirates are in a different situation and
can only survive and develop by co-operation, with the eventual
aim of breaking the state and commercial monopoly of 'Her
Majesty's' airwaves.
YOURSELF
First thing you need is an interest in sound, and something worth
saying or playing. Get a hold of a mike and a cassette deck and
play around with it. Record yourself, record any and everything.
Listen and record off the radio, off TV, off people's stereos, in
the street. Play back your results, see where you went wrong, and
try again. Note down your results and ideas and discuss them with
others. Read everything you can find about sound and recording and
think about why you want to be a radio pirate. Join the Free The
Airwaves campaign and read their 'Radio Crimes' bulletins.
THE GROUP
You need to find more people with similar ideas, and not just
'hangers on'. You need to get to know each other well, find out
who you can trust, and ditch those you can't. Members should be
prepared to share in the tasks, risks and finances equally
according to their abilities (in practice this rarely happens).
Hold regular meetings, just keeping in touch can be a problem in
big cities. Go for maximum openness so everyone knows what is
going on. Beware of the power freaks, ego trippers, party builders
etc. who are sure to turn up sooner or later.
A good point to start is with fund raising, arranging gigs, jumble
sales, meetings, sponsored events or whatever, which can cement
your group, attract more people, and advertise your station. How
you do it depends a lot on the type of project you're doing. If
for example you're planning a minority language station (and
there's millions in Britain who have no radio in their first
language) you'll want to advertise widely through ethnic
organisations. If you're a 'revolutionary' group planning to claim
responsibility for armed actions you won't want to advertise at
all. Minority music stations are the most common. But we'd advice
you to widen and deepen your group, or join with others, if you're
going to build and maintain the commitment (and cash) to keep a
station going. Many music stations get backing from clubs, and are
the platform for the disgustingly egotistical and inane DJ's who
work in those clubs. Such solid backing is a good idea however. If
you're running a station, you'll be hard pushed to fund a raise as
well. If you see your station as a part of a wider movement (e.g.
anti-war, women, gay, anarchist, animal rights etc.) you should
try to get regular backing from that movement. Another good trick
is to siphon off small amounts of cash regularly from council,
charity or student union funded bodies which your members are
involved in. What you need is income, not a lot, even ?20 a week
would do if regular. If some of your members have good jobs they
might be able to do it, otherwise you could be tied in with a
money making co-op or small business. One example of this is the
squatters pirates in Amsterdam, who can get a small regular income
from a fund raised by a small tax on drink in squatted pubs and
cafes.
OPEN ACCESS
Once your group is going well, and you've started to make tapes
and get the gear and cash together, you should think seriously
about teaming up with other groups who you broadly agree with (or
don't disagree). For example at the moment (late 1986) there are
dozens of such groups who have failed to get Community Radio
licences and are dying to get their stuff on air, though afraid to
'go pirate' in their present hostile climate.
The idea of 'Open Access' is to share a frequency, studios and
even transmitting gear to start with, with different groups. The
advantages are obvious... more money coming in from more sources,
less equipment needed to begin with, a pooling of technical
abilities, more political clout, more participation, bigger
audiences etc. A good way to approach this idea is by having
public meetings, contact Free The Airwaves campaign etc.
The problems come with co-ordination, political rivalry, possible
infiltration and the sharing of tasks. For an Open Access grouping
you need regular democratic meetings of all involved (at least
monthly) and insist on full attendance. You need a few good people
who are into organising it and making it work. Another problem is
with broadcasting. You should aim for everyone having their own
gear and broadcast team as soon as you can, so you will be more
difficult to stop by the police and DTI. So you should insist on
every group producing tapes providing at least two trusted people
regularly both to the broadcast team and to work on the technical
and backup side of it (building, repairing, purchasing etc.).
Open Access station depend on co-operation, if you have that then
all the other advantages come into play, but you are fighting all
the time against our training, in this society, to be competitive
and individualist. The ideas of Open Access radio have been
pioneered in this country by stations like Sheffield Peace Radio,
Our Radio and Cambridge Community Radio and its worth studying
their experience quite closely, as well as the example of such
stations and Federations of pirates in other countries. Its often
fatal to allow one person, however benevolent they may seem, to
become a leader or spokesperson for an Open Access grouping. The
straight media also love this to happen.
LOCAL / "COMMUNITY" PIRATE RADIO
The word 'community' has lost any real meaning, through misuse and
over-use (e.g. 'Community Policing'). The old style communities
are thing of the past (if they ever really existed) except on the
Soap Operas, as the system breaks us all down into individual
consumers. So if you're talking about 'Community Radio' you should
be quite clear what you mean by it, and what the State means by
proposing (and then cancelling) such an ideas. What class, ethnic,
interest, political or gender sections of the people are you
aiming your pirate radio at? Or better, creating your pirate radio
with? Or are you really working on your own career? Or trying to
create 'community' in your own head?....
Local pirate radio is a more clear idea. There are many advantages
to broadcasting locally, e.g. more broadcasting sites, harder to
get caught, room for more pirates on the broadcast band, cheaper
and easier to built transmitters, closer contact and participation
of listeners etc. In a big city it's a good idea for your station
to base yourselves in one area, whether you're broadcasting
locally or city-wide. You need a local base, and local backing,
financial if possible. If your station is appealing to one small
section of listeners it may not however make sense to do a local
station, because the potential listeners are fewer. A local
station should aim at a fairly wide section of the population. An
Open Access station would work well on a local basis, as co-
ordination would be easier, and all kinds of interest and minority
groups could be persuaded to make programmes. On a local basis
publicity and support are much easier to get, as is the
possibility of mobilising people to defend you when attacked, e.g.
a popular station in the middle of the large housing estate. Local
broadcasting in inner city areas can nevertheless involve hundreds
of thousands of potential listeners. Most of the smaller existing
pirates are, in effect, local stations, because of the limitations
of height and the power of their transmitters, though very few
allow any access or see themselves as a local voice and resource.
How to make a studio
Back to square one, you've fooled around with tapes and
microphones, but soon you're going to want your own studio. If you
have no cash don't let that stop you! Most of the gear can be
borrowed to start off with. For beginners purpose a studio is a
small room, a couple of turntables and cassette decks, a
microphone, headphones, and a small disco mixer, a plug board,
leads, some records and a table to put it all on. You'll also need
some blank cassette tapes, and sound effects records if you can
(borrow from a record library).
After that it's just practice and patience, knowing and collecting
your material, and getting more or better sound gear as you go
along.
Having said that there's plenty of tips we can give you. A
permanent room is handy. Sound proof it if you can, cardboard,
layers of carpet, egg boxes or Styrofoam are all good. Try to plan
it out before you start as to have everything within reach of the
operator(s), while having enough room for the interviews and group
work. If you build your own control desk you can drill holes and
arrange for all the leads to disappear and join underneath, much
less hassle. If you're buying cassette decks try to get something
also suitable for outdoor work. Try it out before buying, e.g.
don't get one which leaves a loud click on the recording whenever
you lift the pause button. Quality and editing are better if you
record your final product from mixer onto a reel to reel tape
recorder, though it means re-recording onto cassettes for
broadcasting, and a good cassette deck can give near as good
results and is cheaper. If buying a microphone it's worth getting
a good directional one suitable for studio and outdoor interviews,
and make sure the 'impedance' suits your mixer. A 'cheap' ?50
disco mixer will do the job (you can even mix through some stereo
units). If you have the cash go for the flashy new ?150 range with
built in graphic equaliser with which you can do wonders. Another
tip, keep mike leads, din leads and power leads well separate each
other and make sure everything is well earthed (from the chassis
if necessary). If you also have 'hum' problems with cassette decks
try plugging in the power lead the other way round (i.e. where it
goes into deck). Use cheap turntables, not automatics, and buy
ones which use cheap cartridges, as you'll have to replace them
often anyway. Use good quality cassette tapes however. C120's are
best for length of programme, but get the best or they'll tear or
jam. On the turntables put in your own on-off 'cue' switches, for
ease of operation. When you've 'cued' a record to where you want
to start, turn it a full turn back, by hand, to avoid slow start
up noise. Try and have an LED meter on the mixer and on the final
tape recorder, allow the needle to go just into the red for music
recording, but only half way up for speech recording. For group in
terviews an omni-directional mike can be handy, and pay special
attention to sound recording levels and background noise. Don't
use telephone in the studio. Though the phone is the lifeline of
democratic radio, in the present climate it means you'll be busted
and/or have everything in the room recorded by the police....
You really do need two turntables, and at least two cassette
decks... All these tips, and more you'll pick up as you go along,
but it's good to work out standard 'how to use the studio' for
newcomers. Pay attention to safety, e.g. have the plugboard
(fused) well out of the way, and don't allow coffee or beer near
the gear. Read a book on basic sound studios.
One last tip, lock it up well, especially if it's not in your own
home, and barricade and cover any windows. there's one sure thing
about accumulating sound gear... sooner or later someone'll nick
it!
The programme
This is entirely up to yourself. No need to follow any
conventions. Some people say have to 'master' conventional
programming before you can do something different. Other say if
you do that you'll never do anything different.
Again there are some hard learned tips for pirate. It's good to
talk with all concerned before starting, make a list of all the
possible material gathered (music, interviews, sound effects, news
items, jokes or whatever) and try to put it into some kind of
order. A signature tune or jingle isn't such a bad idea, as people
recognise the programme by it, often after they've forgotten the
name. Repeat the name of your programme often, but not too often,
along with your frequency and broadcast time. Put your important
items first (e.g. a demo next day, your appeal etc.) as it's
always possible you may be busted before the programme ends. If
you're excepting a bust put all your best material first and keep
the programme short. Use first names (false ones) and try to have
a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and give everyone present a go on
the microphone and control desk. While throwing out conventions
don't forget that we're all conditioned to quick variety and short
attention spans. Long single person interviews are not on, no
matter how interesting, but need breaking up, also remember people
are continually tuning in (and out) and if doing long pieces you
need to 'flash back' the story so far. You need variety and
interaction without sticking in jingles every 30 seconds. Try and
make it interesting / enjoyable / entertaining both for you and
the audience, otherwise why to bother?...
Style and themes are your department. It's easy on radio to get
arrogantly carried away with an idea of your own ego, or with 'in'
jokes or political hobby horse, watch out for this. Practice with
using the gear, good preparation and research make everything go
much smoothly. Background music and fading music in and out can be
very effective if done well. A large studio, tea breaks etc. help
a lot. The more time you put in the better the result (usually),
you can spend a whole night making a good one hour current affairs
programme, for instance.
More than that is hard to say, so much depends on the people, the
subject, the projected audience, the time of broadcast etc. You
should actively go out and seek feedback and opinions from people
you know have listened. Probably you won't bee able to do phone
ins and mail is slow and erratic (don't worry if you don't get a
big postbag, few stations or programmes really do). It's easy to
become cut off and feel like you're talking into a vacuum, or get
completely wrong idea of what kind of people are listening.
Making programmes is really not that hard, however bad an
inexperienced you are, you can quite easily improve on some of the
'aural shit' being pumped out by legal stations over the airwaves,
24 hours per day!
Publicity
Publicity is very important, especially when you're starting off
your new station. Of course your main publicity is to keep coming
back on air, no matter what. But if you're hoping for a minority
audience to tune in specially you need to advertise a lot where
those people are likely to see or read it. Be warned, there's no
real tradition in this country for large scale support for
pirates, and people often tend to consume the media i.e. forget
instantly they switch off. It could take you long time to build up
the regular, participate audience, and the solid support you need
to attract new blood, break even financially etc.
If you're a local station your publicity is obviously a lot
easier, and you can poster, graffiti, or even leaflet your entire
reception area. If you're a wider station make sure you're always
mentioned in the 'what's on' papers and get articles or interviews
into any paper likely to support you. Send out regular press
releases to the local and national press, and try to cultivate
contacts among the slimy reptiles (journalists). Almost any
publicity is good, as those people likely to listen in to you will
also likely read behind the bias of Tory press. Oddly, one place
you should certainly seek publicity is on radio, try for instance
getting onto phone ins. On radio you are already talking to people
who listen to it! TV, if you can find any way to stunt to get onto
it, is the most powerful publicity and you should certainly court
the bastards running the local TV news, this kind of appearance
really does stick in people's minds and start them talking...
Strangely enough the media are not overly hostile to pirates,
providing you're just an oddity, not a direct threat. Many media
workers hate the shit they're forced to produce and admire the
'romantic' pirates. You should play on this for all it's worth,
and always try and get your frequency and broadcast times across.
They will sometimes put you on, as an interesting item. Remember
that pirate radio is a 'victimless crime'!
If you're mainly a music station you should publicise where people
listen to that type of music, if you have your own club, of
course, you're laughing. Join Free The Airwaves and get publicity
in their paper. Write articles for radio pages, and do benefit
gigs, public meetings, media stunts, whatever you can manage.
Choose a catchy, hard hitting name for your station. If you're
doing political stuff they're going to go for you anyway, so you
might as well get value for effort!
Remember, if you want to be a participatory station, you'll have
to go out and seek feedback. Get out on the street and do
interviews whatever you can. Take along your cassette recorder to
every type of event, the more different voices and views the
better.
Building up your pirate station
It's hard to give advice about longer term development, but
there's a few things worth saying. First of all it's important to
pace yourselves. It's easy to start off with a lot of enthusiasm,
then get busted off the air, or just burnt out with too much work
or too few people. However good or different you are you will be
very lucky to build up a regular audience or mass support
overnight. Though your potential number of listeners may be huge
you can except response to be slow. Breaking down passive
consumption of the media is not easy. Having your own clubs,
events, regular demos etc. helps, as do dramatic publicity stunts.
You need to work out what you're aiming at. We say support, par
ticipation and a large number of listeners is a good aim. But you
may just be broadcasting as a way of pressuring for a licence
(which is a bit of a sell-out and a pipedream). Ideally you should
plan ahead and gradually increase your broadcasting times, while
developing all aspects of your station, rather than going all out
and then collapsing at the first bust. The best advice then is to
operate well within your capabilities, and to join up with any
other pirates who are not commercial and not racist, sexist or
fascist. Your longer term aim, as a pirate, should be to reach a
situation where you have so much support (money, volunteers,
transmitters, listener support etc.) that the state just cannot
wipe you out at will. The best hope for pirates is to swamp the
forces of repression by sheer numbers, as happened, at different
times, in Belgium, the Netherlands, France, Italy, and now, it
seems, in Spain. This does not imply chaos, but co-operation,
federations and sharing of the available airwaves and times. The
swamping the airwaves is NOT going to be caused by the commercial
pirates, hogging, hiding and mystifying the technology and even
sabotaging each other. However if we do manage to start a non-
commercial movement of pirates capable of doing this then
commercial pirates will jump onto the airwaves, with more power,
and try to force us off. This would be a major problem.
It is a mistake and an excuse to blame the Tories and the new
draconian laws for the lack of alternative pirates in Britain. The
main thing stopping us is the lack of any strong combative
movement (whether it be workers, women, anarchist, or whatever) in
which to build a big wave of pirates, though there are literally
millions of symphatetic people about.
Medium wave
ADVANTAGES AND PROBLEMS
At the moment FM broadcasting, with all its advantages, is the
favourite for pirates. But it's well worth pointing out that at
least 25% of radio receivers in Britain can't even receive FM, so
you can't pick up most pirates on older radios. Another thing, in
some hilly areas FM broadcasts have a very bad coverage area. And
a third advantage, you can cover a very much bigger area on MW, at
least potentially. MW can be the best choice for you, especially
if you're in a country area, or in hills or mountains, or only
want to broadcast by day and aren't too worried about sound
quality. MW transmitters are also fairly cheap and easy to build,
and because you use a crystal there's no problem with tuning or
with 'sprogs' (harmonics). Though the antenna is a huge length
it's just a roll of wire, and doesn't necessarily have to be up
high, which gives you a quite different, if still limited, range
of possible broadcasting sites. MW works by bouncing radio waves
back off the stratosphere, not by line of sight like FM.
Of course there's lots of other disadvantages, one is sound
quality, and stereo is out of the question, and there's not much
free space on the wave band, chiefly because of a host European
stations, which become stronger at night, blotting your relatively
weak signal (this is due to atmospheric changes we are told). The
TX is also bigger and heavier (about 12" x 8" x 6") and you'll
probably need to use car batteries.
One thing I forgot, if you want to reach any of the 50000
prisoners in Brit. jails, you must use MW, FM is still banned in
prison, for some typically petty reason.
It is also agreed that you're generally less likely to get busted.
In the present repressive climate that's well worth considering.
How to broadcast on MW (540 - 1600 kHz)
YOUR TRANSMITTER
Enough general talk. So you want to broadcast on MW. So here's how
to do it. First your transmitter. Medium Wave transmitters aren't
so hard to build, any good amateur radio buff could do it, and
there's people around who will build them (reckon to spend ?100 to
?150). The technology is tried and tested and our design is as
good as any. The TX is valve operated and you use a crystal (which
you have to order on the chosen wave length) which keeps you on
frequency without the problems of FM. So you have to decide from
the start which frequency you're going for and stick to it, or buy
a new crystal. When choosing your frequency remember that it must
be divisible by 9... MW frequencies are separated by 9 kHz by
international treaty. If your signal doesn't conform you'll prob
ably have the DTI and police down on you faster. If you have
problems getting a MW transmitter you may be able to buy a kit or
adapt an amateur radio transmitter.
ADAPTING A MW TRANSMITTER
I'm not exactly an expert on this and the following info comes
from the US. Apparently you can easily buy second hand radio ham
transmitters and adapt them. The best to go for is the Viking
Valiant (200 watt) or the Viking Ranger (75 watt), both made by
Johnson & Co. These ham radios are well built, have excellent
audio and moreover have built in VFO's (variable frequency oscilla
tors) which make them simple to modify to work on the top end of
the AM band. All you need to do the RF (radio frequency) circuits
is to add capacitance to the 160 metre tuned circuits. And all you
must do to the audio circuits is to bypass the first pre-amp
(assuming you're using a line level instead of a mike level). One
other thing, you must bypass the speech frequency filter, which is
located between the 2nd pre-amp and the driver.
When buying such a 2nd hand ham transmitter: A) Get one with 160
metre capability. B) Don't pay more than ?100 for one(???). C)
Make sure it has plate modulation (look inside and check there are
two transformers well separated from each other). D) Don't get a
'kit built' one with dodgy wiring and if possible check the valves
before buying, they're rather costly.
SETTING UP YOUR AERIAL (MW)
Security precautions and preparation are the same as for FM. But
there the similarity ends. For a start your total aerial length is
1/4 your wavelength, so if your wavelength was 200 metres, for in
stance, your aerial would be 50 metres long! You use a ordinary
thin single strand wire. Buy a roll, keep it on the roll and
measure it out, metre by metre. Ideally the aerial would point
straight up, but that's just not feasible, unless you hang it out
from the side of a tower block or a steeple, or suspend it from a
balloon (only the balloon blows away). The normal method is the
'dogleg' which works just fine. The ideal site is a field, or
deserted common land, far away from houses, with two tall trees
(only 2 if possible, poplars are best) about 30 to 40 metres
apart. Now string the 'dogleg' between the trees and down to your
TX without touching branches or leaves. Sounds impossible? If you
have a trained monkey that's just fine. Otherwise try our method.
Practice and patience is necessary.
Bring along with you a catapult, a long reel of 70 lb. strength
fishing line, a plenty of lead fishing weights (not too heavy for
the catapult). Also some small plastic rings (cut out lids of
plastic containers work fine).
Tie one end of the fishing line to a lead weight, leaving the line
coiled neatly and loosely on a piece of bare ground. Then fore the
lead weight from the catapult right over the centre of a tree! Go
and search for it (don't try this at night). Tie on your plastic
ring in place of the weight and pass about 30 metre of your aerial
wire through the ring. Now get your mate to pull the other end of
the fishing line, if it doesn't get tangled pull it till the ring
is about 5 metres from the tree top. Tie the fishing line securely
(to the tree), cut it, and head for the second tree. Repeat the
performance, firing right over the tree from the far side. Pull
the aerial end through, and this time tie it to the ring. Pull up
as before to about 5 m from the top and tie the line. Now back to
the roll of aerial wire (extended with fishing line as necessary)
and start pulling it in till it's suspended without touching the
trees! It's hard to get it just right so the aerial reaches your
TX and is tight, adjust fishing line lengths and / or position of
TX. Better choose two trees too far apart than too close. When you
finally get it all set it's hardly worth taking it down again
after the broadcast, though you should loosen it off or it'll snap
in the wind. Disguise it if possible. A further problem can be
with kids and passers by, disguise your actions, bringing along
fishing rods or a kite is a good ploy. One of the best broadcast
sites is a clearing in a large wood. On Medium Wave remember, you
can go right outside the city and still cover it and lots more
besides.
SETTING UP THE GEAR
The transmitter should be on wet ground. If it's dry, wet it. Mud
is good stuff. The aerial wire should be taut all the way. Bushes
are an advantage, for concealment, but don't let any touch the
aerial. Your power supply is a 12 volt car battery. Bring two,
well charged up, if you're broadcasting for more than few hours,
medium wave uses a lots of power. If your TX is on mains (240 VAC)
you'll have to get it adapted using a 'rotary invertor', it's not
difficult. A lorry battery is the real thing, but what a drag to
carry! If there's a chance to go on mains, by running a line from
somewhere, you should go for it. Otherwise wear old clothes and
gloves against acid spills. When choosing your site balance the
need for remoteness with the problems of moving the gear.
The transmitter must be very well earthed, the earth is an
essential part of the aerial system. Use a ring of metal stakes
(e.g. tent stakes) and file off any rust or dirt for good
connections. Attach the stakes securely to the chassis of your TX,
with the thick metal straps or wires held by butterfly nuts or
strong clean battery clips.
So far so good. The cassette player, on the contrary, should be
off the ground, on a box or whatever. As usual keep the audio
lead, battery leads and aerial wire as far apart as possible. The
cassette player is normally powered by a 6 volt motor bike
battery, with suitable leads. Torch batteries are dear and have a
pathetic lifespan.
SWITCHING ON
Connect up your batteries, load up your cassette player with a
'trial tape' and you're ready to go.
1) Turn tuning adjuster to the right till the meter gives the
lowest reading.
2) Turn 'load' adjuster till meter rises about 50 milliamps.
3) Tune again till it drops about 25 mA.
4) Load up again as above.
5) Carry on procedure till you get a load of about 150 mA on a 20
W transmitter, or 100 mA on a 10 W rig. Your last tuning
adjustment should produce virtually no dip on the meter needle.
6) Adjust modulation in relation to other channels to get your
best sound. Use a radio receiver held at least 50 yards away for
testing.
7) If there is crackling, knocking or bad sound, repeat from the
beginning. Check that your stakes are in well damp ground, that
all lines are well separated, that aerial isn't touching trees,
hold receiver further away etc.
If you've done all the above you should be broadcasting loud and
clear. If your signal is still wretched chances are your crystal
is burnt out, or something is blown. Then go home.
If all is well, switch off and await the time of your programme is
due to start. Don't detach aerial wire with the TX still turned
on.
PACKING UP
When you're finished, switch off immediately. Then disconnect
everything and pack into holdalls or large plastic bag. Be
especially careful carrying the TX with it delicate valves. You
should have several sites, and switch as often as you can. Don't
re-use a site after an attempted bust. If you have a good dry safe
stash and are coming back best leave your transmitter, cassette
deck and leads there, and just take the batteries back for
recharging. Such a stash should be in cover, be quite sure a hid
den watcher or bod with binoculars couldn't spot you stashing the
gear. It's likely that the DTI will send in men to sneak up and
watch you, prior to planning a bust, so be careful, even when not
on air, don't relax till safely home.
WHEN ON AIR, PRECAUTIONS (MW)
Read the FM chapter 'How to get away with it'. A lot of those
precautions also apply.
At a MW site your chances should be much better, you need on
person just to stay near the TX, in case of kids, passers by etc.
and to grab or hide it fast when they get the danger signal. On
many sites you can work out lookout points to give plenty of
warning. However you might as well abandon the batteries, and
certainly the aerial, if you have to run far. If you have
transport or good escape routes you can try a clean getaway, but
safer method is to hide the gear well (not too close to the aerial
if it's left up) and beat it. We favour bunkers, holes pre-dug and
lined with waterproofs, under rocks, with heavy lids covered with
earth and bushes. In theory they could find these with dogs or
metal detectors, but we've never heard of them succeeding or even
trying (you could always bury bits of metal all over the place).
The possibilities are unlimited, if you're on the ball there's no
reason they should get the gear... and without that they have a
lousy case against you.
Busts.... If all goes wrong
You're nicked. What you say to them depends on the circumstances.
If they haven't got you, deny it point blank, give them your cover
story and a verifiable address, and stick to your story no matter
what. The problem with this is if they have nicked others and they
give different stories, a different name for you etc. Best discuss
all this beforehand. If caught on the hop, best say you don't know
any of the others. You're caught in the act or with the gear. Give
them a verifiable name and address and refuse to discuss the
matter further. No matter what. People have managed to get off in
the past, even with the gear in their hands, but under the new
laws this is unlikely.
Although they can arrest and charge you, illegal broadcasting is
still normally treated as a 'summons offence', which means they
question you, let you go (eventually), then summons you by letter
to appear in court. This opens possibilities of getting away with
it - you may be able to bullshit them with a false name etc.
(though they can now hold you on suspicion of doing this for three
days). They will normally 'ask to accompany to the station', or if
they've raided your flat may interrogate you there and then. If
you refuse to go to the station they will arrest you (for
obstruction, insulting words, suspicion of stealing electricity
etc.) and take you there, where you can be interviewed by the
police and DTI. The 'pretext charge' is often dropped later. When
interviewed on the station it's better really to refuse to say
anything, especially if there are several of you, cover stories
usually fall apart under long and detailed questioning. However
silence usually means they will hold you longer. If they get you
to the station they are pretty certain to photograph and
fingerprint you. You can't refuse under the Police Bill.
When nicked your best bet is to remain calm.
Demand to ring your solicitor. Don't panic, it's not the end of
the world. Smile at the bastards. Have a good kip in the cell -
you've done your best.
Fighting your case
It's usually months before your summons arrives, if they decide
they have a case. Get legal aid if at all possible, and a good
solicitor who knows the, by now, pretty complex legal situation.
Plead NOT GUILTY, but beware if you have money, they may award
costs against you if you lose. Get your Bust Fund together, with
gigs, jumble, radio appeals, donations all round etc. It's good to
campaign about your bust on the air if your station is still
going. Most commercial (read conservative) pirates don't do this,
carrying their bid for respectability so far as to ignore their
own best weapon. Make sure the address you gave when arrested is
'clean', they could possibly raid you to look for further
evidence. If you're a political station watch out for suspicious
break-ins where nothing is stolen, the Branch often do this.
Get your story straight, get witnesses to write out their
statements together, make copies and give them to your solicitor.
Don't trust your solicitor too far, they sometimes say 'plead
guilty' just to save themselves trouble, if he/she starts getting
cold feet get yourself a new one (they don't like this at all but
it can be done). Get your solicitor to ask for copies of the
prosecutions witness statements in advance of the case and make
sure you see them. In court dress neatly and be polite to the
bastard (magistrate) and the filth. Have a good 'hard luck' story
for your solicitor to tell, it's always good to say you're just
getting married, starting a new job etc., but don't say you have
money or the fines will be bumped up higher. If you're going to
'bend the truth' a little don't tell your solicitor you're doing
it, and be sure friends watching in court don't start laughing!
The DTI and police will lie anyway, more likely than not, get your
witnesses to focus on these lies and your solicitor to cross ques
tion them closely, especially any police witnesses, who are more
stupid and inexperienced in this kind of case. Demonstrations
outside the court are good publicity and can intimidate the
magistrate if big enough, but don't always help your case (e.g. if
you're pleading 'dumb bystander' how come all these people are so
concerned about you?). If you want press, send out Press Releases
at least a week in advance, so the hacks can put it in their
diaries, and phone sound with reminders the day before.
Your fine should be paid by the Bust Fund if at all possible. If
not, extra costs should be divided up among everyone in the
station (always plead poverty and ask for time to pay).
When you've been busted once you shouldn't, ideally, work on the
broadcasting end again, though you could still do lookout, backup,
monitoring etc., as second offenders normally get the maximum
fine.
If you win the case, as quite often happens, have a good party!
If you win there is also some possibility, in theory of claiming
the gear back, though this is much less likely under the new laws.
Ask your solicitor about it, and there's a chance get someone
else, with some kind of receipt, to apply for it, saying they'd
bought it before the bust.
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