AllenMcB wrote:

All of the pirate reports seem to have them at or around 6925. What makes
that frequency area popular for them?

Back when ham radios had analog tuning, they would tune in 500kHz bands.
The one of interest to pirates is the 40m ham band 7000 on up. However
7100 on up is loaded with high power shortwave stations, no place for a
pirate.

The radios had some "give" on either side, usually around 50kHz, so you could
go out and buy a ham rig, and with no modification get it to tune down to
6950, possibly lower.

Most shortwave radios, even those with sperate bands, would tune down to
around 6900. My first generation Sony ICF-7600A with analog tuning
is marked as going down to 7.1mHz, but I'm sure it goes down to around 6.9.

So the transmitters were easy to get, receivers were common (the most
important part) and the band has good nightime propigation, relatively
low noise, and not much in it.

Just the place to toss a wire dipole in the air, plug in your radio, and
start broadcasting.

The old rigs were rated at 200 watts input, which is about 25 watts output
in AM or 100 watts PEP for SSB. More than enough when the band is open
and quiet.

Now of course, it is irrelevant, you can buy a ham rig, clip a wire or key
in a code and it will transmit almost anywhere from 1.8 to 450 mHz.

BTW, in most places in the world, you can not legally buy or own a ham
radio without a license.

Geoff.
--
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel N3OWJ/4X1GM