Chasing Pirate Beacons

Okay, so you know all about pirate radio ... operators that broadcast parody programming or favorite classic tunes without the benefit of a license ... but have you chased any pirate beacons lately ?

High frequency beacon operators, like the pirate radio operators, don’t follow government regulations on broadcasting, which are technically illegal. There are many active pirate beacons and their traffic is increasing. Though exact locations and broadcast times are not released, most operate from remote locations using solar power. Some broadcast as a propagation experiment, using low power levels of hundreds or tens of milliwatts of power. Those operating at night use a photocell from a battery.

Three stations being heard include UFO located in Colorado on 8. 32.91 kHz, using CW (morse code), audible around 0955 UTC. Pike has been heard on 8003.6 kHz and CO on 11002.7 kHz.

Reports can be posted at the HF Underground Message Board at: www.hfunderground/board/index.php/board.9.0.html The site is dedicated to documenting long wave, medium wave, utility/military stations, spy numbers and pirate radio.

Try your hand at chasing pirate beacons and let me know what you hear.
Gayle Van Horn

Pirate Radio CW Beacons
3.4496 Beacon OK Pirate BCN Oklahoma OK OK Pirate Beacon CW
4.0242 Beacon JA Pirate BCN Unknown UNK JA Pirate Beacon CW
4.0693 Beacon WT Pirate BCN Unknown UNK WT Pirate beacon (also had a TW listed here) CW

4.0772 Beacon MO Pirate BCN Oklahoma OK MO Pirate Beacon CW
4.0892 Beacon Pirate BCN Unknown UNK Dasher Pirate Beacon CW
4.0940 Beacon PA Pirate BCN Arkansas AR PA Pirate Beacon CW
4.0963 Beacon Pirate BCN Virginia VA Pirate Beacon Six dits, 1 long dah (1
second pirate) CW
4.0966 Beacon Pirate BCN Unknown UNK Dasher Pirate Beacon (2 second pirate)
CW
4.0976 Beacon TMP Pirate BCN California CA TMP Pirate Beacon (Sending TMP
plus temperature in F degrees) CW
4.1023 Beacon W Pirate BCN Unknown UNK W Wind beacon, no trailing dits no
wind CW
4.1115 Beacon Pirate BCN Florida FL Dasher Pirate Beacon CW
5.1576 Beacon Pirate BCN Unknown UNK Dasher Pirate Beacon CW
5.4992 Beacon Pirate BCN Washington WA Dasher Pirate Beacon CW
5.6785 Beacon Pirate BCN Unknown UNK Dasher Pirate Beacon CW7.3823 Beacon K Pirate BCN Unknown UNK Pirate Beacon CW
8.0003 Beacon S Pirate BCN Arizona AZ Pirate Beacon Daylight Solar Power CW
8.1887 Beacon W Pirate BCN Colorado CO Pirate Beacon Daylight+Solar Power CW
8.2110 Beacon OR Pirate BCN Oregon OR Pirate Beacon CW
10.2378 Beacon Pirate BCN Florida FL Pirate Beacon Dasher CW
10.2452 Beacon Pirate BCN Pike's Peak CO Pirate Beacon Dasher CW
(Larry Van Horn)

Beacon QSL
US: Pirate Beacons CW (Colorado) CO 11.002.7 MHz, UFO 8.432.91 MHz, Pike 8.003.6 MHz. Full data UFO and sunset card. Verified from email report to: hiferbeacon@yahoo.com
(James McCalahan, GA)