HAM - SIGINT question

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What sort of SIGINT resources do state authorities or the FCC have? Let's say someone was maliciously hot-keying in a restricted band (e.g. somewhere in UHF for the sake of argument), does the government have the ability to geo or lob those transmitters? I'm aware of our .mil capabilities, but I've always wondered how much capability law enforcement or FCC has. Any HAMs here heard of anything?
 
Three hams with portable radios, a map and compass and a small hand held yagi antenna could triangulate the location of a transmitter in minutes on uhf or vhf.
Ever hear of a "Fox Hunt"??

I don't think state authorities( I hate that word) have any such capabilities as it is out of the scope of their jurisdiction, it is a federal issue conducted by the FCC.

The FCC has direction finding equipment that is probably on par with military stuff.

If you're thinking of operating out of band in gov assigned freqs under anything other than total collapse conditions, be sure to have sufficient funds set aside for fines and legal fees.
 
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Cause enough trouble and sure, the FCC will come find you, and maybe your landlord too!

NOTICE OF APPARENT LIABILITY FOR FORFEITURE

FCC proposes ‘highest fine ever’ on two Boston pirate radio operators

FCC Reaffirms $144,000 Action Against Alleged Pirate
 
Thanks for the replies! In the times of cheap sdr's and easy access to parts off ebay, I guess I'm sort of surprised that more high school kids aren't getting into trouble. It's probably a good thing we keep them occupied with tide pods ;)
 
What sort of SIGINT resources do state authorities or the FCC have? Let's say someone was maliciously hot-keying in a restricted band (e.g. somewhere in UHF for the sake of argument), does the government have the ability to geo or lob those transmitters? I'm aware of our .mil capabilities, but I've always wondered how much capability law enforcement or FCC has. Any HAMs here heard of anything?
Lol yes but it's a pain to do and they're not going to bother with you unless the guy is screwing with police/fire/ems/aircraft, etc. For ham stuff they can issue NALs etc but basically you have to be a 110% c*** for that to ever happen.
 
Thanks for the replies! In the times of cheap sdr's and easy access to parts off ebay, I guess I'm sort of surprised that more high school kids aren't getting into trouble. It's probably a good thing we keep them occupied with tide pods ;)

It takes tech aptitude to even program a radio, this acts as a shit filter. Plus there are things 100x more fun than the malice they'd chase you down for. Like for example, tuning into that one lady in your neighborhood that still uses a 49mhz analog cordless for phone sex, and shouting "mooo!" over the air as she's about to climax... [rofl]
 
Lol yes but it's a pain to do and they're not going to bother with you unless the guy is screwing with police/fire/ems/aircraft, etc. For ham stuff they can issue NALs etc but basically you have to be a 110% c*** for that to ever happen.
Years ago K1MAN in Maine, who probably made up his call sign was famous for claiming that a license was not needed, gave the FCC a lot of headaches. He's gone now. Jack.
 
FCC inforcement has been gutted and unless you causing problems with essential emergency service (police, fire, ECT. ) Almost nothing will be done
 
Are the CB truckers still modifying 10M rigs for more power on that band? That was the "thing to do". Jack.

Lol most are just unlocks nowadays. Not much different than unlocking an HF rig. (Except the radios are often shittier). 11M still in use but in the northeast its often a ghost town. FWIW 60% of the guys i talk to on 11m are also hams these days, too....
 
What sort of SIGINT resources do state authorities or the FCC have? Let's say someone was maliciously hot-keying in a restricted band (e.g. somewhere in UHF for the sake of argument), does the government have the ability to geo or lob those transmitters? I'm aware of our .mil capabilities, but I've always wondered how much capability law enforcement or FCC has. Any HAMs here heard of anything?

Don't worry about the feds. Worry about these guys:

Three hams with portable radios, a map and compass and a small hand held yagi antenna could triangulate the location of a transmitter in minutes on uhf or vhf.
Ever hear of a "Fox Hunt"??

Hams will snitch you out faster than a $2 hooker will rat on her meth connection.

It takes tech aptitude to even program a radio, this acts as a shit filter. Plus there are things 100x more fun than the malice they'd chase you down for. Like for example, tuning into that one lady in your neighborhood that still uses a 49mhz analog cordless for phone sex, and shouting "mooo!" over the air as she's about to climax... [rofl]

Damn, 49mhz cordless takes me back to the college dorm days. One guy on my floor had an analog multiband portable receiver. We used to have listening parties, because another guy down the hall would get drunk, call his bestie, and start confessing all his sins. We could only listen to one side at a time without tuning back and forth, but his was the most entertaining. He would confess how he hated himself because he was gay (this was not a surprise, although he pretended to be in the closet). And one night, he started naming names... that was fun!

Then there was the time he gave the play-by-play as his straight roomie did the nasty with a really fat girl who was simultaneously puking into the trash can. It was the same can where they dumped their ashtray, so she would come up for air looking like Ash Wednesday on steroids.

This is about to get into @Skysoldier territory, and I'm not sure all the statutes of limitations have expired, so I better stop with the college dorm stories.
 
Years ago K1MAN in Maine, who probably made up his call sign was famous for claiming that a license was not needed, gave the FCC a lot of headaches. He's gone now. Jack.

No, Glen Baxter's call K1MAN was legit. He thought he was God's gift to ham radio, broadcasting out of Belgrade Lakes Maine.
I watched him trying to buy a piece of equipment at Deerfield once from a guy's table. He wanted to pay by check and the guy told him he didn't accept checks.....cash only. Baxter yells...."Do you know who I am?"..... The guy says, I don't care if you are Jesus Christ....I don't take checks....Baxter says "I'm Glen Baxter"......the guy took the piece of equipment up off his table and smashed it to pieces on the edge of his trailer and told Baxter to screw. Everyone standing around was roaring laughing.
 
Take a listen on 75 meter SSB some time, there are a ton of Glenn Baxter's shitting up the band. One thing my old Elmer told me was you never talk about politics or religion. That's out the window these days.
 
I remember when Mr Holingsworth ? with the FCC would bitchslap people for using VHF repeaters that they were banned from for doing stupid things. Mostly warnings. Google KB1CQX. Jack.
I may be dating myself but back in the hay day on the mighty 64 Waltham repeater we were known to track down "touchtone Tommy's" and stick a pin in their coax! Those were some good times.
 
I love hearing these stories above. Today, the only repeater I can hear from the seacoast is the Saddleback repeater - I'm using a radiodity gd-77 at home mostly, with the cheapo bao in the car for emergencies. But my house has a an old anteanna but the cord looks to have been severed - thinking of putting it to use somehow. Perhaps I'll take some pictures - I'm kind of new at this stuff.
 
No, Glen Baxter's call K1MAN was legit. He thought he was God's gift to ham radio, broadcasting out of Belgrade Lakes Maine.
I watched him trying to buy a piece of equipment at Deerfield once from a guy's table. He wanted to pay by check and the guy told him he didn't accept checks.....cash only. Baxter yells...."Do you know who I am?"..... The guy says, I don't care if you are Jesus Christ....I don't take checks....Baxter says "I'm Glen Baxter"......the guy took the piece of equipment up off his table and smashed it to pieces on the edge of his trailer and told Baxter to screw. Everyone standing around was roaring laughing.
Great story. Jack.
 
Take a listen on 75 meter SSB some time, there are a ton of Glenn Baxter's shitting up the band. One thing my old Elmer told me was you never talk about politics or religion. That's out the window these days.

Sure is out the window, those are about the only things talked about most of the time now. Along with all the unidentified stations and the retarded noise makers the bands have gone to hell. You can't have a decent conversation without it being qrmed.
 
No, Glen Baxter's call K1MAN was legit. He thought he was God's gift to ham radio, broadcasting out of Belgrade Lakes Maine.
I watched him trying to buy a piece of equipment at Deerfield once from a guy's table. He wanted to pay by check and the guy told him he didn't accept checks.....cash only. Baxter yells...."Do you know who I am?"..... The guy says, I don't care if you are Jesus Christ....I don't take checks....Baxter says "I'm Glen Baxter"......the guy took the piece of equipment up off his table and smashed it to pieces on the edge of his trailer and told Baxter to screw. Everyone standing around was roaring laughing.
I met Glenn on several occasions. He was certainly a piece of work and pretty full of himself. He used to do broadcasts every night on the 75 meter band, news, etc. The ARRL griped about it but honestly, they did the very same thing and still do with impunity to this day. You could be in the middle of a QSO and boom, the ARRL drops their several times a day broadcast on top of you. Glenn had a legitimate gripe with the ARRL but he didn’t handle it very well. He let his titanic ego get in the way.
 
You can thank the ARRL for that. That's why I stick to CW and digital modes.
Take a listen on 75 meter SSB some time, there are a ton of Glenn Baxter's shitting up the band. One thing my old Elmer told me was you never talk about politics or religion. That's out the window these days.

Lol, what everyone complains about on 75M and 20M voice is usually not the end of the world, and most of the QRMers have crap stations anyways. I'll have to put a wire up again and tune in down there, but last time I was listening it wasnt anywhere near as
bad as it was 10-15 years ago. A lot of the worst offenders got busted (often for things that had nothing to do with ham
radio, ) and disappeared. There were also a few groups of guys that would just get on and seemed to have very few issues
whatsoever. Not every frequency was 3.950 . Everything goes in a cycle though, just like the sunspots.

-Mike
 
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