Pirates in Holland - is this common?

[steve_qix]

Interesting interaction I had with a customer from Holland.  He says there are a lot of pirate radio stations (on AM, but not sure of the band whether its the broadcast band or some other band where they are using AM) in the Eastern part of Holland.  The transmitter is 3kW.

I've never heard of this, but maybe it's common over there.  Over here in the US, the FCC would be shutting down anything running that kind of power on any band, if the station transmitted on a regular basis.

Has anyone else heard of, or have any knowledge of this sort of thing in Holland?  I thought it was kind of interesting.

[pa0ast]

Yes there are pirates on AM 1640 kHz and FM. Special on saterday evenings with a box of beer. I Saw a collins 5kW station and other transmitters,  BC191 and the BC610.  They organize pirat festivals with lots of artists performing and of course a lot of beer,  with 5000 or more people. Penalty is severe 45000 Euro = 60000 dollar. But with 10000 people its just 6 dollar per person for a lot of fun. The country in the north east is not so crowdy, lot of farmers. its more like moonshining in the usa. You should be able to hear them on this web sdr in the weekend. But not for long times, with dutch country side music mostly.
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8901/  1600 till 1650 kHz.
RGDS Anton

[steve_qix]

That's very interesting!  What happens if someone gets caught and they *don't* have the money to pay the fine.  Would they be sent to jail?

[OH2FTG]

The pirates also broadcast on weekend evenings around 6300kHz.
For example one station using the ID Radio Caroline regularily transmits on 6400kHz. And there are some pirates that transmit 24/7, but those are rare.

[pa0ast]

On this moment there are more "stations" active @ 1640 kHz.
If they are caught they mostly pay together the fine. The police tells them that they are caugt and that the transmitter is confiscated ,and then they come back when the boys are sober again,  else there is a chance that  you have a fight with some 10000 drunk enthousiasts... succes garanteed..

[W2VW]

Sounds like they really know how to have fun on medium wave.

[w3jn]

The Greeks do this extremely well.  1605-1800  KHz (and sometimes above 160 as well) is filled with pirates on any weekend evening.  Some guys having QSOs, others playing music, others filibustering on some political diatribe.  A few sound really, REALLY good and others would be good SBEs.

[Opcom]

I could see that..
police: "you are fined and the transmitter is confiscated"
(police leave, having taken names, enforced the law, avoiding ugly scene of stiring up the intox army's wrath.)

next day.. police show up with truck and "illegal transmitter confiscation engineering team"...
no TX to be seen..
police: "where is the transmitter?"
pirate: "it was confiscated last night, don't you remember?"

[pa0ast]

The boys are quite sportive, when the party is over they bring it even to them.that is the deal.
Only once they put an emty BC191 there for fun  with only a trafo and the bottles hot.
The police confiscated that one and not the real one 10 meters away in a box.
Every body smiling of course.
From the most famous policeman/transmitter "collector" are about 30 songs composed by several artists.
But nobody hates him he has to do his job.Sometimes they ask him to be a little less fanatic in the song.
these radio control  police guys can write a book over it i am shure.  Cat and mouse.

[N8ETQ]

http://www.fcc.gov/maps/fcc-enforcement-actions-against-pirate-radio-location


   Pretty common here too. Halloween is the big day..

/Dan

[Radiohead]

This is the Dutch (pirate) Am forum, many homebrewers there too.
http://www.am-forum.nl/

[ka7niq]

http://www.fcc.gov/maps/fcc-enforcement-actions-against-pirate-radio-location


   Pretty common here too. Halloween is the big day..

/Dan

Yeah, we see Pirates pop up here in Florida sometimes.
Some play really good music too, that you never hear played anywhere else.

http://youtu.be/XyrXiocTKeA