Courtesy of the ARRL website (1/26/2015):
The FCC has ordered an unlicensed California religious broadcaster, who
sometimes broadcast on a frequency in the 40 meter phone band, to shut down his
station. The FCC’s Los Angeles District Office on December 31 issued a
Notice
of Unlicensed Operation to Martin K. Elliott of Inyokern,
California. The FCC said it issued the Notice in response to a complaint
of unlicensed operation on multiple HF frequencies, including some allocated to
aeronautical stations. The FCC said its agents used radio direction-finding
techniques to confirm that signals on 6280 kHz and 11,595 kHz were emanating
from a residence located near Inyokern, and that property records indicated that
Elliott was the current owner and resident.
“The Commission’s records show that no license was issued for operation of a
station on either the frequencies of 6280 kHz or 11595 kHz at this location,”
the FCC wrote. “Unlicensed operation of this radio station must be discontinued
immediately.”
The pirate station, which identified
itself as “YHWH,” was not cited for operating on Amateur Radio frequencies,
although ARRL Official Observers had monitored the station in the past on 7185
kHz LSB. One short-wave listener said the operator of YHWH changed frequencies
regularly, and the station had not been heard on the ham bands for at least
several months.
The FCC warned Elliott that operation of radio transmitting equipment without
a valid authorization violates federal law and could subject the operator to
severe penalties, including, but not limited to, substantial monetary
forfeitures, equipment seizure, and criminal sanctions.
The Commission gave him 10 days to respond. The FCC said its Notice
“does not preclude this office from pursuing additional sanctions based upon our
investigation of this incident.”
(Larry Van Horn N5FPW)
