118 lines
5.1 KiB
Plaintext
118 lines
5.1 KiB
Plaintext
********************
|
||
* THE BASIS BEHIND *
|
||
* RADIO HACKING *
|
||
********************
|
||
|
||
PART I
|
||
|
||
In the future, we hope to bring you more installments of this article as more
|
||
is learned about this fascinating new hobbie, FREQUING. Future articles hope
|
||
to include: finding frequencies and codes, satellite design, CB, cellular
|
||
phones, the Ham bands, radio design, plus much more.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Pirate Radio Stations
|
||
---------------------
|
||
|
||
Remember piracy? Piracy is when something protected by a copywrite is copied
|
||
against the wishes of a copywrite holder. Software, books, pieces of art, etc.
|
||
can be pirated.
|
||
|
||
Radio stations, especially popular music stations, require many records in
|
||
order to make people listen to them. The more listeners the station seems to
|
||
have, the more money the station can charge for advertisement. Pirate radio
|
||
stations get around the huge cost of records by taping them off of other radio
|
||
stations. Pirate stations are characterized by the mediocre sound of their
|
||
songs.
|
||
|
||
Of course, it takes alot of money to operate a legally licensed radio
|
||
station. The FCC has many regulations, such as equal employment, community
|
||
service, and licensing fees. As a result, many pirate stations are not
|
||
licensed (non licensed stations are called "midnighters"). It is not to hard
|
||
to get business for midnighters, especially in large urban areas with lots of
|
||
small shops. Many midnighters use loops as call in lines, instead of giving
|
||
their number over the airwaves.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Ghost Stations
|
||
--------------
|
||
|
||
Many Frequers like to set up their own radio station without commercials, and
|
||
often "replacing" stations of lesser quality (i.e. classical stations, country
|
||
stations, easy listening, etc.).
|
||
|
||
Short-lived stations that are more than just frequency jamming and saying
|
||
four-letter-words into a transmitter are called "ghost stations." Ghost
|
||
stations offer a chance for one to play any kind of music one wants. Often
|
||
listeners don't realize the station isn't legal.
|
||
|
||
You want to set up a ghost or midnighter station? All you have to do is
|
||
build a FM or AM transmitter with lots of power. Information on building these
|
||
can be found almost anywhere!
|
||
|
||
If you plan on operating for a long time, there are some simple steps to
|
||
follow:
|
||
|
||
1. The best place to operate is out of man's best friend, The Car. Just be
|
||
careful to CONCEAL the antenna! A benefit of this mode is easy traffic
|
||
reporting.
|
||
|
||
2. Don't give any real names, or phone numbers. Especially phone numbers
|
||
that don't exist. Why?
|
||
|
||
3. Avoid making your station look like it isn't real. That's why. If
|
||
someone calls you up, only to find you don't exist, they may smell a rat.
|
||
|
||
4. Try to monitor FCC bullitens and communiques. If you see anything that
|
||
may say they're looking for a ghost station in your area, STOP
|
||
TRANSMITTING!!!
|
||
|
||
5. Stick to one frequency. See #3
|
||
|
||
|
||
The FCC
|
||
-------
|
||
|
||
The Federal Communications Commission has alot more clout than you may think.
|
||
The airwaves not only carry your frequer's ghost stations and rock music, it
|
||
also carries top-secret military information, messages to pilots that are life
|
||
and death, and the entire basis for communication in time of emergency. They
|
||
monitor the airwaves.
|
||
|
||
But how can they track you down? They often listen in to ghost stations for
|
||
any kind of information on where the illegal station is transmitting from, and
|
||
who is doing it. The second way is mechanical.
|
||
|
||
In the old fashioned method, 2 or 3 cars with loop antennas took bearings on
|
||
where the transmissions are comming from. Also used is an omnidirectional
|
||
strength meter to make sure they are going towards you and not away. These can
|
||
track down most frequers stations within 10 feet. At that range, the station's
|
||
equipment can be seen. (Oh yeah, all the equipment of a station is called 'the
|
||
machine', and the place that houses it, 'the vault')
|
||
|
||
There are a few other ways of tracking that are more modern, but the system
|
||
hasn't changed too much from the cars and loop antenna system.
|
||
|
||
Some usefull numbers+addresses:
|
||
|
||
FCC 1919 M St NW 655-4000
|
||
Radio+TV programming 632-7048
|
||
Cable TV 632-7048
|
||
Telephone 632-7553
|
||
Interference (301) 962-2728
|
||
Operator Examiner " " " "
|
||
News Media Division 254-7674
|
||
Press Release Recording 632-0002
|
||
Mass Media Burea 632-6460
|
||
Authorization and Standards (301) 725-1585
|
||
Field Operations Bureau 632-6980
|
||
(field operations employees are
|
||
called 'FOPS' which rhymes with cops)
|
||
FOP Watch Officer 632-6975
|
||
Laurel Monitor Stat.('The Laur') (301) 725-3474
|
||
Private Radio Bureau 632-6940
|
||
Ham+CB+Walkie Talkies 632-4964
|
||
Aviation and Marine 632-7175
|
||
|
||
All numbers are in the 202 NPA unless otherwise stated.
|
||
|