Hi znight!
I'm fairly new to the board at this time- I like to keep track of forums here and on Free Radio Network, and don't think I've ever replied to a post in this forum. I can say that I am quite impressed with the PCS Electronics website and their product line, and visit it quite often (also check *Ads not allowed* Kits site as well, but seems they haven't updated it for over a year now). Sorry to get off the subject; hope I can give you some information that might help. It's good to see your interest in ("pirate") radio, either AM, FM, or Shortwave. Hope others, such as yourself, can gather interest and become part of this interesting and exciting hobby! I myself have been doing this type of broadcasting for quite some time now, and won't divulge where or when, although you can write to me at my e-mail address for more info on anything I might have come across in the past concerning radio broadcasting. I started years ago with a 2-tube AM kit from Lafayette Radio-Electronics, then built a 5-watt kit (Popular Electronics June 1973), went to Panaxis (AM), then to Panaxis (FM), and then finally, most recently, to Broadcast Warehouse and *Ads not allowed* Kits for my latest equipment. My past endeavours were similar to yours, in that I started with low-power and then worked my way up. to where I am now running anywhere from 160 to 200 watts RF out, but only on Saturdays (usually, anyhow), and only for 2 or 3 hours at a time. The reason for this is that I had the same thing happen to me that you experienced, although I'm not so sure if it was a snitch or not, but somehow the FCC got "wind" of me on the air, and came up from Boston to investigate. At the time, there was talk that it was because of the CBer's running too much power (600 and 1000 watt linears), but I later found out that it was my own doing. I had chosen what I thought was a clear operating frequency, 105.3, and proceeded to mount me 2 dipole antennas on the 3rd-floor roof of my apartment, and then start broadcasting with 150 watts. Needless to say, a new (country) station, just setting up their equipment 40 miles away, heard me "loud and clear", and as the techs in their studio were monitoring me, they notified the FCC in Boston. The next day they were up in my vacinity, about 3 houses down the road, in an older-model Lincoln with an antenna (4-element direction-finding) disguised as a roof-rack, searching for me. A DJ friend of mine who worked at a near-by (legit) local radio station informed me that they had decease-and-desist orders and paperwork for seizure and up-to a $10,000 fine, but the trouble was, they must have thought I'd go back on the air, because they were at their location listening on Sunday morning, and I had only been broadcasting on Saturday evenings. So they never did find me, although they came close (I also had no name on my mailbox, just a number for the postman, which also probably helped)! They (the FCC) were in my vacinity for about 2 weeks, also monitoring CB's, and then they left and went back to Boston. The next day, the local papers had a write-up about it, and I went over to see my friend at the radio station, where we proceeded to ask the DJ on at the time if we could pick-up this pirate station on 105.3, whereby he said "That might be fun!", and stated to try to tune in my station while I was standing right beside him! This was quite amusing, and I realized that, as frightened as I was at having the FCC come up to investigate me, at least something funny seemed to come of it! I didn't go back on for at least 3 weeks, and like you, I had been gaining popularity, but because I was not on for a while, believe that I might have lost some of my listeners (there was speculation that I had been "busted", and all my equipment had been seized, but this was not the case). Anyway, I had plenty of back-up equipment in case of a raid if I'd decided to try to keep operating. So, the thing that might have saved me was the fact that I was not on the air at the time (it IS very easy for the FCC to triangulate and locate your station now), and that I had a lot of friends around supporting me (as you do) and enough information to know what the FCC was doing and where they were at a particular time. The most nerve-wracking part of it all was going back on-the-air 3 or 4 weeks later, and wondering if anyone else was going to complain, or if the 2 FCC agents were still anywhere nearby! I haven't had any trouble since, but my signal is now kind of "stealthed", in that I am on the same frequency another station 80 miles away is, and with their 50,000 watts, they can't hear me, and their signal is stronger to the FCC monitoring that frequency (the FCC has another branch closer to them than to me), and I'm on for such a short period of time (about 3 hours max), that by the time they come to investigate or even get in my vicinity, I'm "off-the-air", at least for another week or two. I's kind of a cat-and-mouse game, which makes it a little exciting I guess, and I'll agree, a lot of it probably has to do with luck. Just try to make sure you don't interfere with any other stations, aircraft (118 MHz and above), have a well-filtered output (I use a Wacom bandpass filter, but PCS Electronics sells fine Low-pass filteres that work excellent), try not to broadcast too much offensive material that people happening to listen to on the other end might complain about, and try to stagger your ON-AIR times (other than not being ON 24/7) so as to not make yourself too noticeable on the FM band. I know from various posts I've read over the years, that many FM operators have been busted and shut-down, and more now are going to AM (even AM Stereo) and Shortwave. Good-luck- I'm praying that things go smoothly for you, and trouble doesn't find you, as it almost did me!
wboz1987@yahoo.com
I have heard the road he lives on and it's about 2 miles from here. Although, I don't know what house it is. Even if I did know, I would not retaliate by destroying his property, paintballing his house (as fun as that sounds right now). As cliche as this may sound, I do not care to sink to his level. I won't say exactly where i'm located, because you never know if one of those bastards reads this board. I used to have a webcast, which was popular as well. I'd give you the link, but right now there's no station to webcast 
Perhaps i'll be back on regularly. Feel free to message me if you wish to know details of the station, location, etc.
