A detailed 2019 report by Martin Butera; followup to the post by u/Historical-View4058.

There are 10 slides in this post.

Station

• Name/Call: JMH Japan Meteo Fax
• Location: Kagoshima, Japan
• Language: Data
• Target: Far East

Time

• 1137 UTC | 19 JUL 2026

Receiver and Receiving Location

• Radio: AirSpy HF+ R.4.0.8-CD
• Antenna: K-480WLA | 35' AGL
• Software: SDR# Studio R4.0.8-CD Beta 64-Bit | FLDIGI v4.2.06
• Location: Portland, Oregon | CN85qn

Signal

• RS(T) = 559

There are 3 slides in this post.

Station

• Name/Call: XSV Tianjin Radio
• Location: Tianjin, PRC
• Language: Mandarin
• Target: Far East

Time

• 1058 UTC | 19 JUL 2026

Receiver and Receiving Location

• Radio: AirSpy HF+ R.4.0.8-CD
• Antenna: K-480WLA | 35' AGL
• Software: SDR# Studio R4.0.8-CD Beta 64-Bit
• Location: Portland, Oregon | CN85qn

Signal

• RS(T) = 569

From June 1998 Electronics Now.

There are 10 slides in this article.

Our station was located in this building, in downtown Portland, Oregon. We had a Ground Plane antenna on top of the building and ran a FRB Transmitter and Amplifier. The FCC could not locate the station, even when they entered the building because we used an old "dumbwaiter" to access an area unreachable by any other means!

The following is from the Willamette Week Newspaper:

On Thursday July 3, 1997 — the eve of Independence Day, appropriately enough — La Luna hosts Secret Broadcast, a benefit for local underground station, Subterradio, and for an upcoming Secret Broadcast compilation. Five cutting-edge techno acts from around the nation — NYC's Soul Slinger and Jamal-ski, Miami's Supersoul, Wisconsin's OMCO (Outward Music Company) and local's Kuergii (featuring Dave Parks of Hungry Mob and Hitting Birth) — and three DJ's will contribute their talents to the free radio cause. The evening promises to be an exciting, mind-expanding multi-media event as well as a chance to show your support for a good cause. Oh, and you can dance your butt off, too.

The following is an interview of DJ Schmeejay — the man behind Subterradio — by Johannes Hoonroodts.

How did you get interested in radio?

Ever since I was a wee lad I've been searching the dial, trying to get to that 1% soul that somehow, amazingly, occasional slips through the system. I vowed at a young age that when I grew up and made a million dollars, I would buy a station, hire dj's with good taste and never play commercials. Well, I never really "grew up", I was kicked out of broadcasting school (for straying from the "format) and I never did make that million, but I still got my wish. In 1995 I was introduced to a technology called "micro-powered" radio or more commonly but inappropriately referred to as "pirate" radio.

What does pirate radio mean to you?

The term pirate radio applies more accurately to all those corporate stations to the right of 91.5: KNRK, Z-100, the Beat, etc. Pirates are infamous for rape, pillage and robbery on the seawaves. That's the same thing corporate robber barons are doing on the airwaves. Robbing us of all the freedom, diversity, and creative communicative possibilities we could be exploring via the electromagnetic spectrum. Supplying just enough filler music to keep people listening until the next commercial. It's sometimes difficult to distinguish where the commercials end and the music begins.

Was radio always this way?

No. For the first half of this century, the popular slogan was "the airwaves are for the people". In the sixties and seventies radio stations were fewer, smaller and generally independently owned. Competition was limited and stations played a wider variety of music. Then in 1978, the Federal Communications Commission passed a law banning stations with less than 100 watts of power, making it too expensive for anyone other than millionaire corporations and schools to operate a radio station. Last year, The Telecommunications Act lifted all restrictions on the number of stations one company can own in a given market. This deregulation means that the FCC will oversee the auction of the spectrum to corporate fraternities that don't have the people's best interest in mind.

So what's left for the active listener, the supposed owner of the airwaves?

Other than the few community based stations (KBOO, OPB), micro-powered radio may be the only refuge remaining for the people to reclaim their sacred airwaves. The technology is readily available at most electronic stores to set up your own neighborhood micro-station fairly inexpensively. Although the Federation for Corporate Control would argue that there are no frequencies available, there are still a few spots on the dial in most areas that can be utilized without interference to neighboring broadcasters, if the proper equipment is installed (for example, filters, compressors, etc.). A clean signal can make all the difference in the lifespan of a station, while helping dissolve the FCC myth that micro-broadcasting can only lead to chaos.

Is there an independent broadcasting movement?

Yes, The Association of Micro-Power Broadcasters is a worldwide movement for responsible micro's that is growing very rapidly. They provide legal advice, a periodical newsletter, and pass member info to many independent labels who support free radio by servicing stations with free records. There is no membership fee, but they do encourage tape swapping and request that members furnish a playlist every so often for their report. They just had their annual conference in L.A. last weekend.

Are there other micro-stations in the area?

The only other one that I know of here is in Vancouver, Washington, on 89.5 FM called Columbia River Radio. It's run by a very cool couple known as Rod Hardner and Bimbette. They play an interesting mix of roots blues, acid rock and country that you won't hear anywhere else on radio.

How does the government feel about free radio?

Oddly enough, the United States government is currently trying to force China to allow Radio Free Asia so that people will have an outlet there. Our government is supporting the station as a way to promote democracy in a totalitarian state. But when it comes down to protecting democracy here at home, it's another story.

Where can Subterradio's signal be heard?

The frequency we are presently using to broadcast is 91.1 FM. An average receiver should be able to pick us up in downtown Portland and anywhere close-in or high-up. On a good day even further. We have regular listeners as far north as Camas and Washougal, Washington and as far south as Tualatin.

What is your format? What is a person tuning in likely to hear?

Our "deprogramming" as we prefer to call it, is a fusion of sorts consisting of experimental electronica, jazz, hip-hop, ism, schism, poetic terrorists sound bites, anything interestingly inspirational that expands the barriers and parameters of sound. No need to label it, if we like it we'll play it. If someone doesn't share our tastes, there's always what's to the right.

Without sponsors, how do you keep this going financially?

It doesn't take a lot, but continually broadcasting 24-7 puts a lot of wear and tear on the equipment. Since we went on the air in May of '96, we have only had to go off the air, briefly four times. Technical difficulties and equipment failures attributed to three of those instances. To operate this right and consistently, we would have to raise a little over $100 a month. Asking for contributions over the air has managed to net a grand total of $45. I always found pledge drives annoying and I'd think there are a lot more creative and fun ways to raise funds, like organizing benefits. Unless you give people a good reason to donate, my experience has been that they don't bother.

​

The FCC Sinks Portland's Radio Pirates' Signal.

Willamette Week

By MARK BAUMGARTEN

For the past three and a half years, the Portland Radio Authority did something improbable. The illegal 100-watt station had managed to operate every day, broadcasting an eclectic array of music across the city, from Nob Hill to Mount Tabor.

Last Wednesday, that run ended with a knock on the door of the station's downtown studio. Inside, DJ El Fudge was finishing his two-hour set. Outside waited two men who identified themselves as agents of the Federal Communications Commission, demanding to be let inside.

"I told him to shut everything down and to not let them in unless they had a warrant," says 29-year-old PRA program manager Brian Riehle, who spoke to El Fudge via cell phone while the agents waited. "When the agents threatened to fine him $7,000 as an individual, he freaked out and let them in."

The agents photographed the equipment and walked out, leaving behind only a business card and the threat of a $10,000 fine. The visit from the FCC was unfortunate for the station and its roster of 75 local DJs. But it was hardly unexpected.

"I'm surprised we got away with it for as long as we did," says Gus Elg, Riehle's 26-year-old partner in PRA.

As a pirate radio station, PRA, which broadcast illegally at 96.7 and streamed legally over the Web at praradio.com, had kept a relatively high profile, hosting a number of concerts at local clubs. The Portland press took notice: All the city's major publications have written about PRA. Despite all this publicity, the station went off the air only once, for a week last year, when it learned the FCC was downtown hunting for the source of the station's signal. The government agency, they believed, had been tipped off by an Oregonian article written by Margie Boulé that offhandedly mentioned the station frequency. A week later, when the heat was off, they were back in business.

So when another Oregonian writer, freelancer Lee Williams, came calling to write about PRA last month, Riehle says he was willing to talk if the story focused on PRA's year-old Web radio station and would not mention the illegal FM broadcast. Despite the fact that the radio's illegal status is both a valid and more compelling news story, Williams agreed.

But when the story appeared in the O's Feb. 24 A&E section, it not only mentioned the FM signal but focused on the station's illegal activities, quoting Riehle as saying, "We've made it very easy for the FCC to say stop.... And when they do, we will." The article also included a paraphrased quote from Riehle stating that a broadcast license was "not expensive," making it appear that PRA simply chose not to obtain one. Riehle told WW that he was misquoted. Technically, licenses are cheap—if you can find one to buy, he says, adding that, in Portland, all frequencies are claimed.

Elg says that those quotes "read like we were waving the station in the FCC's face."

Williams agrees that a deal was struck with PRA, but says the terms had changed."Brian originally said, 'Don't put in the FM broadcast 96.7,'" Williams told Riff City. "That was one of the ground rules.... Later he asked me, 'What's your take on this gonna be?' and I said I was gonna mention 96.7, and he said go ahead."

It's impossible to say whose story is right, or whether that article tipped the FCC off, or even if the visit from the feds will be followed by stiff penalties. But one thing is certain.

"Everything is up in the air," says Elg. "But PRA is definitely off the air."

After a couple of weeks' break, PRA will continue as an online station.

Hello community members. I have decided to start a new Pirate radio community here, on Reddit. After being the top poster in this pirate radio group for the past two months, I made the decision to leave this community.

I don't want to start out on a negative vibe, but the Mods in this pirate radio sub have not posted in their own community for years. The newest Mod posted 4 years ago. The older Mod has not posted anything for 8 years - and is a Mod in 13 communities! I have trouble properly moderating 1 community. And there are no comments from the Mods either. I attempted to contact them with some suggestions on how to improve the community - CRICKETS. No response. It's painfully obvious that they don't care. So I believe it's time for a new community for Pirate Radio.

In starting a new Pirate Radio community I hope to create a place where we can share equipment, best operating practices, and how to listen to Pirate Radio Stations. My goal is to make Reddit a safer place to share. It has become possible with r/ShortwavePlus, my first community. I ask your help to make it a reality for the new community.

I'm looking for a couple Moderators that would have the time to check in and keep up on the new community. I will probably use a small amount of AI assistance for eQSL Cards and Promos for Pirate Radio Stations. Although my plan is to use less AI generated images in the new Pirate Radio community. I can, and do draw freehand - but it takes time. Pirate Radio posts should be about the subject first, and the graphics second. I am hoping to find Moderators like we have for r/ShortwavePlus. They have made the community what it is!

The new community is r/PirateRadioPlus. I hope to see you there.

Michael KG7M

The filters definitely could be better chosen. The Wide Filter being a tad too wide and the Narrow Filter sounding "choked". I would like to replace them with aftermarket filters.

Station

• Name/Call: FEBC Radio Liangyou 1
• Location: Iba, Phillipines
• Language: Chinese
• Target: Far East

Time

• 1245 UTC | 14 JUL 2026

Receiver and Receiving Location

• Radio: Sony ICF-2010
• Antenna: K-480WLA | 35' AGL
• Software: SDR# Studio R4.0.8-CD 64-Bit Beta
• Location: Portland, Oregon | CN85qn

Signal

• SINPO = 45434

Hello community members. I have decided to start a new Pirate radio community here, on Reddit. After being the top poster in the existing pirate radio group for the past two months, I made the decision to leave that community.

I don't want to start out on a negative vibe, but the Mods in the pirate radio sub have not posted in their own community for years. The newest Mod posted 4 years ago. The older Mod has not posted anything for 8 years and is a Mod in 13 communities! I have trouble properly moderating 1 community. And there are no comments from the Mods either. I attempted to contact them with some suggestions on how to improve the community - CRICKETS. No response. It's painfully obvious that they don't care. So I believe it's time for a new community for Pirate Radio.

In starting a new Pirate Radio community I hope to create a place where we can share equipment, best operating practices, and how to listen to Pirate Radio Stations. My goal is to make Reddit a safer place to share. It has become possible with r/ShortwavePlus, my first community. I ask your help to make it a reality for the new community.

I'm looking for a couple Moderators that would have the time to check in and keep up on the new community. I will probably use AI for eQSL Cards and Promos for Pirate Radio Stations. I plan on using less AI generated images in the Pirate Radio community. If you are down on AI, this might not be a good fit. I am hoping to find Moderators like we have for r/ShortwavePlus. They have made the community what it is!

The new community is r/PirateRadioPlus. I hope to see you there.

Michael KG7M

My posts on Operating an AM Radio Station call for an Antenna Tuner. This is a very important piece of equipment for the AM station (not needed for FM). Because a resonant antenna at 1.6 MHz is very long, we must come up with a matching device when we use a shorter antenna. A quarter wavelength antenna would be 146 feet. Most of us will barely be able to find an area for a 50 foot wire antenna. So we use an Antenna Tuner to match our shortened antenna.

You will need 22 gauge solid, enameled copper wire. You can find scrap wire in old transformers and electric motors. You also need a 365 pf Variable Capacitor. Old, junk AM tube type radios all have this variable capacitor. The coil form is an empty Oatmeal Box. A couple coats of shellac should be applied to the bare oatmeal box.

Wind 75 turns of your wire, closely spaced,.on the oatmeal box. You will be "tapping" the coil. To do this you can twist a loop in the winding at the specific points shown in the diagram. The enamel coating will need to be scraped off of the wire to get solder to stick for the connections.

Follow the diagrams and you should be good to go. Remember, any antenna longer than 10 feet is not legal in the US. Neither is declaring war without Congressional approval, so I guess we are fine!

There are 2 slides in this post.

This antenna can be made from lightweight coaxial cable, RG-316. It will handle up to 50 watts when made from RG-316. The entire antenna should be enclosed in PVC pipe. This antenna offers 3 db gain which is equal to doubling your power. Additional sections may be added for even more gain.

There are 4 slides in this post.

Photos of Bandaid Radio's studio and transmitter. They run off of the grid, the rechargeable batteries are shown at the far right in the first photo. Also in the first photo are an equalizer, compressor, mixer, modulation scope, transmitter, microphone, and station laptop computers.

Photo two shows a power supply, SWR/Power Meter, antenna switch, monitor receivers, and 2 kW amplifier at the far left.

Bandaid radio is owned and operated by Joh Black. It operates in the 43 Meter Shortwave Band on 6945 KHz USB.

My venerable old Sony is up first. I bought the Sony last August for a bit over $100 USD. It could benefit from new electrolytic caps, but it's not necessary yet. The plastic faceplate has a couple scratches, but like your author, the wrinkles give it character.

It definitely holds its own on this weak signal. The Sony is in the Narrow Bandwidth with the U Sync Detector engaged.

Station

• Name/Call: Hope Radio Timely Message
• Location: Medorn, Palau
• Language: English
• Target: Far East

Time

• 1245 UTC |13 JUL 2026

Receiver and Receiving Location

• Radio: AirSpy HF+ R.4.0.8-CD VERSUS Sony ICF-2010
• Antenna: K-480WLA | 35' AGL
• Software: SDR# Studio R4.0.8-CD 64-Bit Beta
• Location: Portland, Oregon | CN85qn

Signal

• SINPO = 34333

The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network (SuperDARN) is an international network of over 35 high-frequency (HF) radars mapping space weather and plasma motion in the Earth's upper atmosphere. It helps scientists track solar wind energy, geomagnetic storms, and atmospheric disturbances that disrupt global radio communications.

The Christmas Valley East (CVE) and Christmas Valley West (CVW) SuperDARN radars in Oregon primarily operate within a localized frequency range of 9.5 MHz to 17.5 MHz. While the hardware on site is capable of tuning anywhere across the standard global SuperDARN allocation of 8.0 MHz to 22.0 MHz, the operators at Dartmouth College program the Oregon arrays to step through specific frequencies within that tighter 9.5–17.5 MHz window during their atmospheric sounding scans.

Typical Frequency Behavior in OregonStandard Scans: The radars frequently pulse at a baseline frequency of 10.6 MHz to gather routine ionospheric drift data.

Multi-Frequency Sounding: During specialized space weather events (such as solar eclipses), the systems are programmed to dynamically cycle through 9 distinct frequencies between 9.5 and 17.5 MHz to evaluate how changing ionospheric layers alter radio wave refraction.

Interference Avoidance: Because these radars share the High Frequency (HF) spectrum with commercial shortwave broadcasters and amateur radio operators, the software constantly monitors the 9.5–17.5 MHz window to transmit only on channels that are completely clear of local noise.

SuperDARN is heavily utilized by researchers globally to understand how near-Earth space interacts with our atmosphere. Its core focuses include:

Plasma Convection: Mapping the large-scale movement of charged particles in the ionosphere to understand solar wind coupling.

Space Weather Monitoring: Detecting space weather hazards and "polar patches" that disrupt satellite navigation and high-frequency (HF) radio signals.

Atmospheric Tides: Using the radars to study winds and meteors in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere.The network relies on an array of institutions. For specific data sets, instrument locations, or research publications, you can visit the SuperDARN Canada hub, the British Antarctic Survey, or access raw data through the NSF Arctic Data Center.

Tracking High Frequency (HF) radio propagation using the SuperDARN radars in Oregon involves analyzing how their signals reflect off the ionosphere or ground. By utilizing public data streams from the Dartmouth College SuperDARN Data Portal, amateur radio operators, emergency communicators, and space weather enthusiasts can map real-time regional radio skipping and signal absorption.

Step 1: Access the RTI Data Plotter

Go to the Dartmouth SuperDARN Data Portal. Select CVE (Christmas Valley East) or CVW (Christmas Valley West) to view the 24-hour Range-Time-Intensity (RTI) plots. These charts plot time on the X-axis against the distance of the signal return (range gates) on the Y-axis.

Step 2: Identify Ground Scatter (The Skip Zone)

Look for data points colored green and dark blue on the velocity or power plots.

These color signatures represent a zero or near-zero Doppler shift, which indicates the radar signal bounced off the unmoving ground rather than moving ionospheric plasma.

The closest distance where this ground scatter appears marks the edge of your skip zone.

If ground scatter for the 10.6 MHz frequency starts at 1,000 km away, an HF signal at that same frequency will likely skip over everything closer than 1,000 km before returning to Earth.

Step 3: Calculate the Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF)

You can approximate the Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) for a specific path using the Secant Law from ionospheric physics:

MUF=fv*sec(θ)

1. Find Virtual Height (hv): Note the time delay of the radar return to estimate the height of the reflecting ionospheric layer (typically 200 to 300 km for the F-layer).

2. Determine Angle of Incidence (θ): Use the distance to the ground scatter to calculate the launch angle relative to the ionospheric reflection point.

3. Scale the Frequency: Take the active Oregon radar frequency (fv, usually around 10.6 MHz) and scale it up using the geometry of the triangle to find out the highest frequency that will bounce rather than escape into space.

Step 4: Monitor for D-Region Absorption (Fadeouts)

Watch for sudden, vertical blanks or "dropouts" on the RTI plot where all signal returns disappear across all range gates simultaneously.

This is a signature of D-region absorption, often caused by solar flares releasing X-rays that highly ionize the lowest layer of the atmosphere.

When this occurs on the Oregon plots, expect a severe HF radio blackout across the Pacific Northwest on the lower HF bands (3 to 12 MHz).

Step 5: Track Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs)

These are Traveling Ionospheric Disturbances (TIDs), which act like ripples on the surface of a pond.

When these waves pass over Oregon, they rapidly alter the skip distance and cause severe signal fading (QSB) for local HF operators.

Dartmouth College SuperDARN Data Portal: Data https://share.google/YL83rTHgvKTxjsbIW

There are 6 slides in this post.

Photos of Bandaid Radio's studio and transmitter. They run off of the grid, the rechargeable batteries are shown at the far right in the first photo. Also in the first photo are an equalizer, compressor, mixer, modulation scope, transmitter, microphone, and station laptop computers.

Photo two shows a power supply, SWR/Power Meter, antenna switch, monitor receivers, and 2 kW amplifier at the far left.

Bandaid radio is owned and operated by Joh Black. It operates in the 43 Meter Shortwave Band on 6945 KHz USB.

This antenna can be made from lightweight coaxial cable, RG-316. It will handle up to 50 watts when made from RG-316. The entire antenna should be enclosed in PVC pipe. This antenna offers 3 db gain which is equal to doubling your power. Additional sections may be added for even more gain.

There are 6 slides in this article

6945 KHz USB at 7PM PDT Saturday Night North America.