To use the satellite, pirates typically take an ordinary ham radio transmitter, which operates in the 144- to 148-MHZ range, and add a frequency doubler cobbled from coils and a varactor diode. That lets the radio stretch into the lower end of FLTSATCOM's 292- to 317-MHz uplink range. All the gear can be bought near any truck stop for less than $500. Ads on specialized websites offer to perform the conversion for less than $100. Taught the ropes, even rough electricians can make Bolinha-ware.
I found some old aviation radios that transmitted from 200Mhz to 400Mhz. But alas, it was amplitude modulated. The pirates I hear are on FM. I guess with a simple added circuit, that AM signal can modulate an FM circuit and send it thought the amplifiers that are already in the radio. I do not even think aviation uses those frequencies anymore. I think they are 108Mhz to 136Mhz AM.
Beginner here? How would you build one? The radios firmware or chip would not be able to show the actual frequency if it had a homemade double? This is my assumption? Would there be math or a calculation to figure out what frequency the radio is rx and tx on with the homemade mods? I guess using a frequently analyzer like the rtl sdr i’m about to get, I would really appreciate a little more depth i’m a computer guy and getting into radios so I find this stuff interesting and to have strong relationships
lol. All ham radio conversations. 1) how do we sound? 2) what kind of gear are you on 3) hey man, you gonna upgrade your license? 4) details of my latest surgery (*HF Only)
if they didnt have so many rules like having to use your call sign constantly etc. I feel like people would be less boring, everyones always making sure they dont break a regulation instead of just talking.
@@davidca96 They make sure to stay respectful and pleasant. The FCC only requires you to identify once every 10 minutes. You can have a whole conversation and only say the call sign once. And its not like you'll have blue lights show up at your door if you forget to identify.
I programmed eight of the Baofeng BF-X3 Plus Tri-Bander radios for the local rural fire brigade as secondary radios. Their main radios were Motorola models. They wanted the budget friendly Baofeng radios for backup, training, and for extras when needed. Although the Baofengs are not advertised as water resistant, shock resistant, long life, radios, they can take a pounding that the Motorolas just could not take. I recently went to the local rural fire brigade to install a higher tower for the station since the old one had been damaged in a storm anyway. I noticed all the firefighters were carrying the Baofengs. I asked the dispatcher if they still used the Motorola radios. He said officially, they are still licensed to the station and they were the primary radios. But they were all broken and were not as loud as the Baofengs. They only use the Motorola base station now. The hand held Motorola radios unofficially became the secondary and extra radios because of their performance and volume.
I have 6 of these exact models and lost one on Duck lake recently for 4 days under about 5 feet of water. My oldest son found it with a metal detector and it was fine. It was dead at the time but after a charge it fired right up.. Def IP67
Satellite pirating has been going on for a very long time Lewis, I met a guy back in 1982 , in Melbourne Australia who was one of a large group that were pirating a retired satellite that had been in geostationary orbit since 1966. From memory it had a uplink on 136 Mhz and down on 149 Mhz FM, carrier operated and unprotected. He claimed to be able to use it while mobile and chat with other pirates on West Coast USA. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ATS-1
@@per-bjarnemikalsen3996 oh ok, I thought you were being dumb. Thanks for confirming. I’d go look up when the iss transits over you and buy a cheap telescope
1:20 Transponders on this satellites don't use FM modulation they simply pick up any signal on their up-link frequency, amplify it and re-transmit it on the down-link frequency, it doesn't matter if the signal is FM, AM, SSB or encrypted digital signal.
So what you’re saying is that one could use encryption and they will never be understood by anyone they don’t want to be understood by and also can’t be triangulated because it’s just one satellite? Unless they want to tune every available radio tower in the coverage area to listen to the uplink frequency?
The Brazillians are saying " where you left? I have business " apparently. Up to around the year 2005 there was a lot of pirate comms and calls on satellites in Europe. Easy to bring up a small comms carrier on a satellite transponder without anyone knowing. There were permanent installs in some places for their businesses to run calls and low level (ie dial up speed) data between offices in UK and Europe. Then broadband internet and voip came along and spolied the fun. 😉
@@crunch9876 : Presumably by triangulation and/or trilateration. You may tend to think that you just need to focus the beam upwards to avoid their sniffer vans or something, but when you consider that whoever you're trying to evade may have receivers of the relevant frequencies on their own sats, and that budget GPS receivers can get to around a few meters reliably with 1980's era satellite technology, it becomes clear that if someone with the money (or even just pre-existing infrastructure) _wants_ to track down a satellite-targeting transmission's origin, then they _can_ track down it's origin.
I couldn't make anything of the first few seconds, but it's just a little bit of friendly banter there... - From where did you come out? (more like Where have you been?) - You're bipolar today, but I got my own things to do... - I bet you were cheating on me lol It's impressive how these Chinese radios managed to become this sensitive. @Jared Maddox The pirates down here are very crafty with their gear. They generally use a myriad of modified CB/amateur radio transceivers for mobile operation or scanners attached to helical antennae, which are then mounted on Ku-band offset dishes in an undisclosed location for their stationary bases. The use of stationary bases was how Brazil's Federal Police were able to crack down on some of the pirates' activities. However, they still use those satellites while on the road and also where other forms of communication are unavailable or simply unsafe (a.e give off their location/identities). Since some of them have modified versions of regular off-the-shelf CB/amateur radio gear on their lorries, they look inconspicuous to the untrained eye.
I`m from brasil, i listen to them to quite a long while. most of the talks are from truck drivers nowadays, drug smugglers are often to use the whatsapp. I guess the uplink is 041.000 + Great Video!
Olá. Vi seu comentário e fiquei curioso, me explique melhor sobre este lance da comunicação Walkie-Talkie e Satélites (militares ou não). É possível transmitir uma comunicação entre dois continentes por exemplo?
Baofengs are great. I bought a few for festival use, not expecting much. They exceed their advertised range and battery life. And the plastic they're made of is beyond military grade. Not bad for $18 a pop
@@daienaamilitary of most countries has quite cheap quality of everything, from shoe laces to weapon of mass destruction. That's why we call it "military grade".
@@gutstallion Oh you must be kidding. Military have had big radios built like a tank. Now they are a little more slim but the quality must be top. I feel almost sure that our country do not send all the troops into this war with poor quality lol
1. I am glad to know you are a ham, too, as well as an all round radio enthusiast. 2. I used to live in the UK in a rural area, back in the 70s. No pirate radio there, except for a one-time reception of a Dutch MW pirate. 3. I really enjoy watching your videos about radio in Manchester. 73.
I think they use other radios... from 27000 MHZ to 250 MHZ is a very big step. the transverters used by truck drivers they usually drop 20 mhz, making the CB radio talk at 40 meters I believe that with all the modification no CB radio reaches 250 mhz
So how do the pirates get the satellite to repeat the signal? Is there an access CTCSS? A digital code? If so, is it a static code? A nonce that you digitally sign and transmit back? Edit: just read up on this. Frequency doubled ham radios hitting the uplink. Holy moly.
Just ordered a Baofeng UV-5R for $25. I'm a space enthusiast and I want to use it when watching International Space Station flybys. I don't have a ham license, so I won't be transmitting, but it will be fun to hear the ISS repeater in action. Granted, that's a very narrow use of the radio, but the low price is hard to ignore.
I'm the same way, still a General class licence in the US after 20+ years. Growing up in the 90s that was still 3 license classes to get there, but I just never have found a reason to get extra.
@@grindz145 Probably just extended range communications, as one would any satellite phone, but for free. I'm sure there's people who use it to stay 'under the radar' as well, if you know what I mean.
there is a group of Italians who use your skynet 5B, now they use it less, but in the late afternoon something is heard every now and then 261.200 Mhz (correct)
@@winterburan I should have though that !👍 Of course ! That frequency is normal mili satcom. Brazilians, Portuguese and Italians were terrible, hacking those semi-dying sats. Nowadays, much less (crack down in Brazil and Portugal. I had to stop those guys. They were going over the top. Only the brazilians keep talking but much less than before)
@@jplacido9999 I am not aware of pirates from Portugal, but only from Brazil where they speak Portuguese, it comes a lot from truck drivers, also and often used for illicit purposes in the forest, smuggling and crops etc., they are really many and they were the first, my compatriots are a little less of 10 and they hear sporadically for technical issues or for connection tests on other live frequencies, the Russians are many. Ciao
And again Lewis a great video, these little radios work well and you can not blame opporaters for buying and using them. We are all on a budget these day take care Lewis 73s
@@devondetroit2529 my wife is happy (me to) to drink De Bortoli Sacred Hill Chardonnay $4.70 $28.20 per case of 6 Australian dollar.. side line ..the radio's x2 uv 9r cost au $105 free post
Tracking my order, Mine hit LA, and hopefully it will be delivered this week. The Antennas came in yesterday. They are incompatable with my UV-5R, so they will be targeting the X3 Plus when it comes in. I ordered the black one, however, I kinda with I would have ordered the one iwht the orange trim.
Caught this vid by accident and it reminded me of the 80s when CB was the thing .had to listen to the conversation on my mates set going along the M5 from Glasgow to Bristol.,.the high light was some Brummie wineing on and on about his wife not ironing his shirt properly... haven't used one since!
@@h4rry815 if you can hold it steady enough a small yagi will do. It really doesn't take much power at all to reach ISS as its line of sight when its flying over
Hi Lewis Great video as ever. Thank you for all the work you put in. I hate to be ‘that person’, but I just wanted to point out that, while you were having your sleds on 2/70, unless you were actually moving, you were technically ‘Portable’. While the license doesn’t set these things as mandatory, there’s an important difference between /P and /M. Please don’t take this as a criticism at all - just thought I’d point it out. Best wishes. Michael GM5AUG
A couple of questions, if you don't mind: What kind of hardware do the Brazilians use to transmit to the satellites? I'm guessing it needs a directional antenna and a fair bit of power. Does the BF-X3 use the same batteries and other bits as the UV-5R?
For those who are wondering what those guys were saying: person 1 > From where are you departing? "sais de onde?" person 2 > (I can't understand)... maracanã (soccer stadium)... person 1> from where you came, dude? "tu saiu de onde, rapaz???" person 2 > Oh, Ok! I came from Betim (City). "Ah ta, eu sai de betim" person 2 > I've slept there, I had other appointments. "Eu dormi por lá. Tenho outros compromissos" person 1 > Were you betraying me, no? "Tava me traindo, não era?"
I'm in VK. It obviously not legal to use 220 Mhz here but to listen in on those pirates, I just bought one of these radios hahaha. Also, it's on eBay as a 5 watt set not 10 watts so there must have been a few people testing the claim of 10 watts so they must have corrected the advertising. 73, VK3FIMD, Ian
I have the UV-5RX3, got it ages ago, i will have a listen on said frequencies for them. When you picked them up were you using the standard antenna? De M0HLG
I stumbled across this vid I’m new to all this ham stuff so if I bought a pair of baifengs and was transmitting between the two without a license I assume I’d be breaking a law? But how easy would it be to catch someone on a random channel and what would be the fines? Thanks
These are nice little handsets, but unfortunately like allot of rubberised coated products, the rubber coating starts to break down and gets sticky to the touch after about two years.
orange oil takes that crap off. had to deal with this on a (pretty expensive) PC mouse that got more and more sticky from the rubberized coating breaking down. lesson learned, never buying anything rubberized again
@@Knaeckebrotsaege I just avoid products with a rubberised coating. I purchased two PSION S3's when they came out and they both went sticky and unusable, I said never again and stuck to that instead! 😉
Im doing an on line course with essex hams then later ill take foundation im only over in darwen nr blackburn so i should b able to catch you my pal sugested an icom 7300 as a good beginners tranciever My health buggers me up but get my foundation illb happy as a pig in muck Set back fell going up stairs hurt back and hand but we carry on just my balance goes ive got to b careful going down stairs or im toast But im getting stuck into learning a bout radio Take care regards adrian
That's so weird when you were chatting with that fella he sounded like outside my earbuds. i was listening to this vid on my earbuds and you sounded deep and bassy but when he spoke it sounded like coming from my phone, outside my earbuds
If the power goes down and we can't communicate through normal methods I assume these radios would still work? Looking to buy something I can keep in touch with family (in UK) if that does happen?
10:25 Maracanã (Soccer Stadium) 10:28 Where did you came out? Man! Where did you came out? 10:39 i have things planned 10:43 you were cheating on me wasnt you? I am a native brazilian and those guys are probably form the north side of brazil, i couldnt understand some of the stuff, thats what i did catch
the first line of the pirates is: what is the scale today? (work schedule ) a guy says he came from Betim (Betim is a city in the Brazilian state with the name of Minas Gerais) one of them waits atá (which is a way of confirming something or a question) and another says that the night before he slept in Betim
Intresting. Only downside is you guys give the impression you love the sound of your own voice. Good radio etiquette is keep it short and to the point. No waffle 😂👍
I don't run a RU-vid channel but I have done DJ'ing in the past and also did the same for a local radio station once, so Ive certainly become used to hearing my own voice. unfortunately after doing things like that you do start to love your own voice to a degree lol, perhaps without even realising so. I have no complaints with the way the channel owner presents his videos though infact I think hes pretty good and certainly thorough.
As a M6 myself, im happy to stay as is... I sometimes chair nets which makes me think shall i go to a M0 and skip 2E0 but 10W gets me where i need... Im looking into getting this Baofeng BF-X3 Plus... 73's M6EVD
I noticed how you quoted to your friend how much the radio cost in dollars. Is this normal for people in the UK, to quote the price in dollars instead of pounds? Is this just for items bought on the internet? You wouldn't say carrots are 5 dollars a kilo at the local supermarket would you?
Ringway Manchester, greetings from across the pond!! Have you or anyone else been able to use Chirp to program the BF-X3 plus? I did catch where I believe you said it was programmable as a UV-82x3 was that correct?
They don't work with CB (HF [27 MHz] AM/SSB/FM) and Air (AM) frequencies. These radios are VHF/UHF FM only. They can work on public safety frequencies (PD,Fire, etc.) just don't transmit or, well, take a guess as to what will happen! They also work on Amateur radio 2 meter and 70cm bands but that requires a license. Don't know if you have MURS in Canada but they work on those frequencies as well (151 - 154 MHz FM).
Bf X3 there is other radios out there with 220 in them too. Including the new Quansheng , Anysecu uv-K5 with extended reciever 220 mhz transmit. Hey if a freq ain't being used and radio service is dead then talk on it.
No idea about now but in the 80's you could just about get free worldwide comms if you knew the right frequencies to use and where to point your antenna, using Spread spectrum. If anyone noticed they would have to "cut off their nose ro spite their face" to stop you , no one ever did.
All the power outputs for Chinese handhelds are rubbish, they just say higher power to get the sales. Maximum output will always be between 4 and 5 Watts !!!
Great video. I have a Baofeng tri-bander (not the model you are showing), knowing it's a useless band for the UK. I now have something interesting to go looking for on the band. Thanks for that. I'm a 2EO, and like you rarely ever transmit over 10 watts. Quite happy with this and have absolutely no urge to go full. Seems like a cracking little radio. I might have to invest in another Baofeng just for the hell of it. Thankyou for your content, keep up the good work. 73, 2EOKKV
While as you said we have the 222-225 band in the US, and similar in 🇨🇦 Canada, it may be allowed in this whole hemisphere, if my memory serves me correctly. There are quite a few repeaters on that band here. I wonder if anybody does use DMR on that band, as my Anytone D-578 has 222 Mhz, although low power of several watts, does let me work a number of 222 Mhz repeaters. Some here are linked to 2 M and 70 CM repeaters. I never knew about the Brazilian Hackers, I guess higher up in the band above 225 Mhz, because of our use of 222-225 Mhz. I wonder if these hackers are receivable on our side of the Pond? Ray W2CH
@@favoritos2420 Olá. Para os satélites militares em final de! vida seria necessário um equipamento de radioamador mas modificado de forma "pirata" para emitir e receber de 220 a 400 MHz (aproximadamente), ou um conversor externo que faça o mesmo, e respectiva antena (móvel ou fixa). Mas isso é ALTAMENTE ILEGAL, pelo que recomendo que faca o exame para radioamador e utilize satélites artificiais próprios para esse fim. É menos prático, mas é legal....
Thanks for the review/advertising ... some S/N comparison with similar radios would have been interesting. Which antenna did you use for this SatCom demo, that didn't sound like a telescopic whip?!
@@RingwayManchester Wow, that is a remarkable Signal/Noise ... RX and Antenna seems really good. I have had ultra low noise preamps on dipoles for this band with preselection via an Airspy HF+ and the reception was maybe just as good. I am really impressed by that bare radio and not even a fully symmetrical dipole - respect.
I'm a bit new to the hobby but I recently acquired one of these handhelds and I was doing a power test but it appears the unit is optimized for use around 255mhz perhaps, I used a RS-40 power meter and a 25 watt dummy load and got a reading of 10 watts at 255mhz, testing at UHF 452.550 got me about 5-6 watts, and 144.500 was around 6 watts. At first I suspected my power meter was faulty so I tested it on a standard UV-5R and got a standard reading of 5 watts on UHF and 6 on VHF which is about normal. This makes me think the unit was optimized for around this frequency instead of the usual 230mhz band which gave me a reading of around 6 watts as well. It's really bizarre how these Chinese radios act some times.
Wait until the satcom pirates from Brazil get their minds elation stolen by psychic spies from China and cowboy magiCIAns from Virginia watch the entire thing.
Those at the end were saying: person 1 > From where are you departing? "sais de onde?" person 2 > (I cant understand)... maracanã (soccer stadium)... person 1> from where did you came, dude? "tu saiu de onde, rapaz???" person 2 > Oh, Ok! I came from Betim (City). "Ah ta, eu sai de betim" person 2 > I've slept there, I had other appointments. "Eu dormi por lá. Tenho outros compromissos" person 1 > Were you betraying me, no? "Tava me traindo, não era?"
I don't know how RU-vid brought up your channel for me. I guess it is because I have always been fascinated with radio. So greetings from The United States. Kirk KB7QOD
