Hi, this is Jessica Rosenworcel, the chairperson of the FCC. Under the authority granted to me by congress, I hearby request you to take down this video immediately.
CRCT is the exact same. Every night, I hear 80 meters in the worse possible condition. Sometimes, I think it is funny and no harm is done. Other times, it sounds like a drunk cursing like a school dropout and insulting people in the worse possible way. A lot of them are American, some are Canadian. CRCT and FCC do not enforce 80 meters at all. I doubt one even needs a license to get on. Officially one does need a license for both Canada and United States of America for 80 meters. In practice, any drunk wanting to sell their neighbour's car to get more drug money can get on and CRCT and FCC do not card to enforce it.
Brilliant. One day, I wouldn't be surprised if these videos get used for education on the history of radio. It great that you are documenting these antennas before nature reclaims them completely.
@@RingwayManchester He hit the nail on the head there Lewis. These are fantastic. For someone that detested History at school, I'm in awe of your method of captivating us all and making this very entertaining. Even just recording the dialogue must be so difficult. I would fail miserably lol
My friend Scott and I got a tour in the late 1990's at the Allegan facility and a year or so later I was able to visit a similar facility in Grand Island NE. Since they were pre-scheduled, they had all the HF radios (Collins and Icom) set to WWV and the VHF stuff switched off. Fascinating places for sure. Eventually they were closed or set up for remote access as computer connectivity networks improved.
The story I've heard is that they have quietly installed SDRs in thousands of population centers and can easily access them via the internet. They use them to verify that a problem exists and take steps from there.
Hi Lewis, I really enjoyed this vid since it started off with the Allegan Michigan monitoring station. I was able to visit there back in the mid 80s when I worked for a company that was contracted to maintain telecommunications systems for the U.S. government. So I got to go on a service call out to Alligan. At the time I went there, there were two tech type people on site. The monitoring room technician was an amateur radio guy like myself so we hit it off right from the beginning. They had Johnson-Watkins receivers which were superb. Although I never got to lay eyes on the antenna, it was described to me and I was able to get a look at the rotating display scope system that showed lobes of signal distribution around the 360 degree compass on which there was a major lobe in the direction of the signal being monitored. So the display scope was synchronized with the electronic “rotation” of the antenna cage but the part that was inside had some kind of motor that did some kind of fancy deflection. He explained that they communicated with other monitoring stations around the country with teletype. They had a large map of the United States with elastic strings that had one end attached to the map at the point where each monitoring station was located with a clear plastic 360 degree “compass” also centered on each station. When they worked with other monitoring stations they would stretch the elastic strings out and stick the loose end to the board so that the string was going in the direction from which they picked up the signal of interest. They did this from each monitoring station involved and where the strings intersected, that’s where they sent the field tech out to “pay a visit”. Funny thing ; I assumed they had some sophisticated receiver for VHF so I asked the tech if he would measure the frequency and signal characteristics of my 2 Meter radio that I had out in my car. I went out and made a transmission on 146.52 MHz. When I returned, he was sitting there with a little Kenwood handheld and he said “Yeah, it looks like you’re pretty much on 146.52 and you sound good” I always enjoy your vids - keep them coming and 73 - de WB8YMV
I have enjoyed following this channel for quite some time, so imagine my delight at seeing the Allegan monitoring station, just a few miles from my childhood home. That obscure site with its antennas, thinly veiled attempt at blending in by looking like a house, and its government warning signs got me started in radio at a young age. My grandparents told me that during WWII they were asked to report any suspicious persons asking questions about the facility or making sketches of it. Interestingly, there was a POW camp full of German and Italian prisoners not too far from that location.
Lewis, the work you are doing is priceless and I still don't see anyone else doing it. So I congratulate you and hope that no one will interfere with the production of this work. Greetings from Portugal. Macedo Pinto 73
Kingsville station has a fairly large underground area where the primary equipment is located. Several of the antennas are well camouflaged. They also handle some of the technical work on receiving stations run by the border patrol there. Scan the areas around these sites (0.3-4km) and you can spot the new antennas by looking for very small buildings (smaller than a portapotty) with solar panels.
As I have heard the same for the Powder Springs location. I have been told around 3 LVLs subterranean. Also rumors of tunnels. A neighbor we knew that purchased a home originally part of the facility said he could hear a radio faintly playing music somewhere under the home. Makes sense now that others have spoke of the same things
It is amazing that it takes someone from the UK to make a video about the USA FCC listening stations. It would be really neat for someone to take a drone and visit each of these stations to get some modern pictures and size up if they appear to still be in use. OR, someone could do a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request about each and see if one gets a response.
Americans who have an interest in Government actions against civilians are too busy hiding from commercial airliners, due to health risks of chemtrails, they are to stupid to bother researching any other topic, except searching for picture proof of the flat earth that is not a composite image by NASA.
Im a trucker and there's a guy who calls himself mud duck radio and has completely hijacked cb channel 19 in the United States with a ham radio. It's really frustrating when you're trying to find out what's going on when you come to a stop in traffic but all you can hear is some jerk talking over everyone. Where is the FCC when you need them? This has been going on for well over a year.
I have been inside the Canandaigua, NY FCC monitoring Station twice. It remained in operation despite of the "downgrading" of its monitoring capabilities. If anything, the operation of this monitoring capabilities were made automatic and became accessible by any FCC field office in the Nation. Do not ever think a monitoring station is "abandoned" because it looks that way. Each station is active by remote control installed in the late Seventies and again in the Nineties as computer upgrades became available. The only time a station is actually closed is if its lands are sold off in government auctions. If you see antennas and fencing, the station is still operating. The advent of barrell sized monitoring "pods" that can be moved and are solar powered makes the traditional stations superfluous as they can be moved at will detecting abuse or interference with frequency blocks (low vhf - high uhf) at will of the FCC and Law enforcement. So, if you think that there is no enforcement in an area that the monitoring station looks abandoned or is closed, think again. Be a "hairy nuisance" on a frequency and they will come to find you. Guaranteed!
I remember the Belfast, Maine, listening sight off route 137, as it was pointed out to me by another coworker in the mid 1990s while driving by this site heading to a jobsite while working for a radio communications service company back then. While I do still live about 45 minutes travel distance away, it has been possibly 7 to 8 years from the previous times that I would have had any reason to take this particular route/road. It is interesting to me, that there doesn't seem to be too many listening sights compared with the huge amount of territory supposedly being monitored.... with the limits of signal propagation within licensed power allowed in the standardly used and licensed bandwidths, along with the narrow banding changes made and pushed which theoretically effectively doubled the number of frequencies they could now issue licensing for within a given band, you would almost expect there to be hundreds if not thousands of FCC monitoring sites... if they are effectively monitoring the airwaves, then things don't appear to add up with this handful of listening stations unless they have a lot of other unlisted monitoring stations or mobile gear operating that we aren't told about, or, are doing the bare minimum just to say they are, or perhaps even, it is also being monitored by other better funded government agency/s as well... but thanks for another interesting video to ponder over...
Interesting history! I'm from Alaska and knew about the "Elephant Cage" antenna near Anchorage, but not the Kenai station. There are quite a few abandoned radio stations along the Alaska coast from Civil Aviation Authority, US Navy, commercial wireless telegraph, etc.
Elephant cages existed in Misawa AB JA, Clark AB PI, RAF Chicksands, Turkey and a few other others. MY father used to work for ESG command and was station at Misawa and Chicksands while in USAF.
We're always watching. We're always listening. An obedient citizen is a good citizen. And remember. If you see your neighbor behaving in any way that is contrary to the greater good of the State, contact us immediately. Thank you! Be obedient, be productive, and be happy!
Very interesting. I should imagine staff in the day found their work intriguing. Enjoy the historical images… they paint it all really. Another great episode. ✌️👍🇬🇧
Great channel, high quality content! Maybe at some point it might be interesting to look at coastal radio stations, most of them long gone like Portishead Radio, Wick Radio, Scheveningen Radio, Norddeich Radio and many more. Lots of different frequency bands were used (and some still are), lots of different antennas, transmitter sites as well as reception sites, including methods for triangulation to find the position of a vessel in distress... I'd love to see your take on this subject :)
FM and TV Dxer here but I've been following you for about 2 months now. I didn't know I needed to know about this. Very well researched series and I'm enjoying every bit of it.👍👍
This is some amazing research, Lewis! It's really interesting that a few of these sites (like the one at Canandaigua) either were reactivated or remain in operation. It's hard to imagine they'd be all that useful nowadays, other technologies being what they are. Cheers!
You mentiined Kenai, Alaska. I was there in the summer of 1958, right after I graduated from high school in California. We lived in a trailer court just outside the Army listening post. One of the guys there invited me in for a little tour, and got to see a Collins receiver, probably an R-390. I was impressed at the neat stuff they had there. This might be the same as what you referenced in this video.
There so many churches in the US that randomly think they can create their own FM radio station without proper authorization. The FCC plays Whac-A-Mole for the past several decades putting an end to them.
When I see videos of 1 KW, 10 KW, 18 KW linear CB amplifiers demonstrated on RU-vid, I got the feeling that no one is really listening after all. Like the guy said. The amount of enforcement depends on your money and lobbying power. They are a business auctioning off invisible real estate, which is called the E.M. spectrum, otherwise it would be fraud.
My interest stem from an old military friendship from the early 1970s. My friend had served in Vietnam as an ASA radio triangulation & high-speed telegraph description specialist. He told me all about what he did. But he left out quite a lot until everything was declassified a few years ago. Your video was very cool to watch and listen too. It told me so much more about the whole story on the antenna farms. I believe my old friend was in the 333rd or 332nd? Radio Research company by the Air force base at Phu Cat Vietnam.
I remember the Canandaigua Monitoring post in the 1960-1970 when they had huge elevated longwire antennas all over their property. I always said hello via my homemade CB legally licensed radio when driving by since I am a FCC licensed Engineer myself and have worked with them in the past on interference reports. Great Fun.
Wonderful video, though the technical content is very well presented the thing that really got my ears to prick up was "mystifying array of dials, knobs wheels and switches." Who couldn't be fascinated by that? I've been a fan of your content for a while and you never disappoint. Thank you for another great journey.
In another life I was a trainee Transmission Engineer for the BBC. The station at Penrith was awesome, again a good flat site. Massive valve amplifiers.
I know someone who works with a massive radio company and the FCC. His job is to basically find stations that interfere with his companies stations or make sure their stations aren't interfering with others. Sometimes they catch pirate stations and the way they are able to track locations is incredible.
I have lots of information about the Livermore Monitoring Station you mentioned at 8:46 in your video. I also have one of the Hallicrafter receivers that was removed from the site when it was remodeled in the early 80's. It is now restored and operational in my office. The new V arrays are far better than the Wullenweber style circular arrays, that is why the large Wullenweber style arrays were replaced. The FCC now operates almost all of the HF DF remotely and can pinpoint the location of an HF signal to nearly which house on a street the signal source is located. Then they send a DF mobile unit to pinpoint.
we know the hawaii monitoring site...its now used by a lawn care service but the fcc hut is on their grounds ...very near pearl harbour and overlooking downtown honolulu
Digging the video series dude! Also that song for the montage is super sick, something tells me it either fell into your lap while going through the audio library, or it took about two days to find.
Drive by the Allegan site every day. Last I was told, it is owned by a local author/historian. The house and a couple little shacks on the property are still intact and appear to be maintained, at least from what you can see from the road. Back in my CB days (late 80s, early 90s), i did go there to get some information, but there was not a lot going on from what i can remember.
Looking through old aerial photos Powder Springs, GA also had the same setup although a very small one. The circular pattern is now gone from the ground but you can see that triangular shaped array present at the other ones you looked at.
there is still american and british activity at the big frankfurt shortwave area known from the CIA and BND number stations .. they are now adding radoms there.. official owner US groundforces in germany
Grand Island Ne, I live a couple miles out of town, never knew there used to be an antenna system here! Cool! Built in 1927 is WAS 6 miles west of town. In 2023, its literally 1 mile west of town. I'm gonna go see it :)
The Douglas, AZ site had 5 Rhombic antennas: N, E, W, S, and one pointed toward (I think) Oklahoma City where a weekly FCC net originated. My brother worked there under a college coop program in the early 1960's. They occasionally had rats get themselves across the feed line switches in the remote shack and take a transmitter down. A stick was kept inside the door to knock their stiff bodies off the lines!
Many decades ago I owned the GE Service Station franchise in Kingsville, TX. One of my main towers was located less than two miles from the FCC Monitoring Station. I visited the monitoring staff several times each month, until the FCC closed the site permanently. From the top of my tower (585') I was able to see all of their antenna arrays spread out on their very large acreage. 😉
If the Belfast ME site is retired, I think the FCC probably moved to monitoring higher freqs perhaps at Hatchet mountain in nearby Hope ME. There is a very well made high budget mutitenant style tower and building with fiber optics and just one tenant with a few omnidirectional antennas and no cell or microwave carrier equipment.
The "Oakland Mills" location is the FCC's OET laboratory (Office of Engineering & Technology). Inside are many individual labs that do all kinds of engineering and research work for the FCC regulators. They do everything from FCC Part 15 testing, broadcast interference testing, to test & evaluation of future spectrum usage plans. Anytime you see an FCC study with lots of engineering and test data, odds are pretty good that the work was done at this location. I have no idea if they still use it for actively monitoring off-air signals. I kind of doubt it. The FCC is mostly reactive, not proactive when it comes to spectrum monitoring these days.
FCC hardly monitors much these days as Government cut backs & FCC got big cut many years ago. If you file a complaint several times + others doing same they may investigate it at their leisure. Most they locate lately is pirate radio stations on AM & FM. They gave up on CB radio as Channel 6 (27.025 MHz) has many operators running illegal equipment & illegal power as much as 10k. You can get a Ham Radio license very easily now as FCC dismissed morse code part & eased on the tech questions as well but very limited interests. FCC has caught many pirates using Ham bands recently as well. FCC not really monitor Shortwave bands & wish they did as many stations jamming others especially Cuba but its out of their zone. FCC mainly concentrates on 5G bands, ATSC 3.0 TV & repacking the ATSC 1.0 TV all the time & selling more of the old UHF TV frequencies to the 5G mobile networks. FCC preparing to open the FM radio frequencies down to 82.1 MHz as analog TV low VHF isn't used but still may have some PBS stations in ATSC 1.0 there & will move them again as low VHF is bad for TV reception & limited range.
@@TMS5100 Many not pay them either I admit I got bused back in 1993 for running 500k on CB out of band on 27.555 MHz They came to home & said stop using the out of band frequency & you are interfering with TV reception on channel 2 & 5. All they did is sent me a $200 fine in the mail & they not even take the amp or radio away. I never paid it.
When I was young, I lived near Cincinnati. The nearest FCC monitoring station was Chillicothe Ohio, located a few miles northwest of town. Decommissioned quite a while ago. Google earth shows no trace of where it might have been, and the only address I can find is a PO Box.
We have a monitor station in Antwerp, Belgium, it's integrated in one of the apartments from a building, we had an FM radio station and our 4 dipoles stack were right in their direction. So you can say, we had to look out what we did with our power settings from the transmitter. Although, we never heard from them. So I assume they listen or measure discreetly to what is going on. But we were technically in line with regulations. But such thing is still on your mind, in mid 90s we closed down our station, it becomes way too expensive to maintain.
Another interesting one, well done Lewis. Have you thought of doing a series on VLF/ELF submarine communications stations? Maybe look at the Russian ZEVS, it would be interesting to know how deep the boreholes are at the end of the feeders for the different frequencies used.
I've known a few hams that have received those letters for their on-air transgressions. One I remember very well got a letter from the FCC in which his drunkin antics were monitored by the Powder Springs, GA site. This was the early 90s when this happened. He spent about an hour on 75 meters reading his letter to us line by line accusing us of paying off the beauro to send that letter. His real problem was the bottle + microphone. It was then that work began on retrofitting a lockout device attached to an automobile for those who drink and drive to an armature radio.
Nice video as always Lewis. One to watch out for: Some bloke from a channel that makes video's about motorways has been filming the antenna site in Heaton Park. He'll be stealing your lunch if you don't watch it.
Omg, I grew up in Allegan! I went past there all the time and had no clue! I still drive out that way from time to time but I live a bit further north now. And yeah, there’s not much out there beyond trees and farmland.
I live very close to the Belfast station, had no idea that thing was there. I could probably get some pictures of the property and see if anything seems current.
Another great video Brother, you mellowed my chill, though. I live near the Allegan site and have been slowly researching it. I haven't been able to determine the current owner from online plot lists. Suppose I should make visit to the County for some in person inquiry. If I find anything fun I'll let you know. Keep up the great work. 73
I looked up the property and weirdly enough, the 161 acre parcel says the owner is “U S America”. It’s strange because other government properties will actually say Federal Aviation Administration or US Dept of Defense or whatever branch owns it. I’ve never seen just “U S America”
Back in the 70s, my grandfather (K8VBL) had the Allegan station's phone number on a sticky note on his transmitter (he lives maybe 35 miles away from Allegan). Whenever he heard a pirate, he'd dial that number.
I'd driven by the Canadaguia site loads of times - never had any idea what was there. Interesting enough I often ride my bike close to the Powder Springs, GA station - one day I'll have to stop by for some photos.
There is a really cool 6 antenna USB antenna thing I saw. Just like the antennas that they have on police cars for tracking LoJack Except these are magnet Mount and you have a very precise layout that you have to print the template for and put them on top of your roof and using the software it tracks the signal level and direction for each antenna and provides a very accurate directional map to show where any signal is originating from and it goes right down to the street and each house and you can track the source down to a couple feet I don't know what it's called or how much it costs but I have seen this recently in videos with people showing how they found where towers and antennas are for different radio sources
If the 4 (or in this case 6) antennas are in a 'circle' (or equivalent square for 4, but image it's a circle), then it's probably a 'Synthetic Doppler' DF system. The multiple antennas are electronically switched using PIN diodes to simulate a spinning antenna, with the spin rate being selected to be within the audio spectrum (perhaps 800 Hz for example). This 'spinning antenna' imposes a phase modulation onto any incoming signal, and the phase of the resultant audio tone (from the FM receiver) can be compared to the phase of the switching signals to determine relative bearing. The whole system is actually dead simple, both conceptually and in practice (I'd expect that they're fairly easy to build). Reportedly accurate to a few degrees, which is exceedingly useful. Vendors might layer on extra features and concepts. If two such 'DF hounds' were linked (by radio and SW), then you'd have instant triangulation.
No pictures but I have been to the Maryland site sometime in the last 6 years. They seem to be operating on a pretty tight budget. Old office interior we removed trash furniture and put in cubicles and other furniture donated from another agency. It was not great stuff. I didn't really notice much but they were working on installing something related to their work there.
I talk to the FCC every day on my Citizens Band Radio. Full disclosure on the FCC, that’s why they are so smart. They listen to channel 19, frequency 27.185, and hear doctors, lawyers, financial advisers, etc…. all the time on that channel giving tips and advice.
Brilliant video - this is such complusive enjoyable watching - thanks so much for what must be incredbly hard work to pull all these videos together, they are absolutely brilliant ! Thank you so much for your continual input to such fantastic information ! 73s
This series is killing me 😂 believe it or not it’s actually easier to go out and film and edit footage as opposed to this type of video. However, it’s worth it for great comments from you guys. Thanks!
I'm saddened to hear this series is causing you grief while I'm receiving so much joy from it. If I wasn't poor I would join your Patreon if you have one. In lieu of financial renumeration I can tell you that your videos are the reason I have decided to learn how to be a ham one day. I thank you so very much.
@@Xsiondu Do it friend! We'd love to have you in the club! The Tech License isn't difficult and the examiners will put you at ease instantly. It's nothing to fear at all. Good luck!
You should make a video on Sugar Grove Station and the National Radio Quiet Area. Sugar Grove is veru interesting as it is officially shut down and sold to private use but further research shows the signals intelligence base is still active.
The advent of Software Defined Radio equipment, computers and networking whether on the internet or governments own private networks, have resulted in all of these manned sites to go automated. Plus with the transition from analog to digital, they now can use AI to listen to all broadcasts for trigger words and phrases, as well as recording them all 24/7. For those talking about enforcement ratios, you are correct about not having enough resources, except you left out one thing they will enforce. That is if they want to make an example of someone who truly pisses them off, or to assist in other investigations. And keep in mind FCC is civilian primarily. DoD has a whole plethora of facilities similarly used and automated. Charlie is always around.
Excellent video! very informative! Now that many of these stations are closed I am curious what the FCC is up to now, and where they are listening from?
Hi Lewis I used to live in Ferndale Washington. And am familiar with Loomis trail road. If I was still living in Washington I would sure get you some pictures. But I now live in Florida. Thanks for all your videos keep up the good work. Your friend, Dave
That was a great video. The NY cite is about 2 1/2 hour drive from me. the only thing i knew about the cite was US government land. and looks to be maintained. someone cutting the grass etc. is not well maintained . but enough to show may still be in use. I am in Boston NY . Canandaigua is more towards NY state fair grounds . after 9-11 those FCC sites may be also used by outher government agencies like NSA CIA or DHS just to name a few. 73's
Nice job very informative , Keep up the good work . Im amazed how you obtain this info you surely work hard at it. I would like to thank you , I have been inloved with radio over 60 years and I was not aware of the info you have posted thanks again. Btw am I loosing it or is H01 off the air ? 73 and happy belated new year.
Found a small bit of Info about WA7WOC on QRZed: "Donald R Lehto (1958 - 2007) was born on January 2, 1958. He was born into the Lehto family. He died on August 16, 2007 at 49 years old."
4:15 Donald passed away in 2007 from cancer. Kind of cool that one of his buddies has him and a photo of Don together when they were teens. Only photo I could find of him.
I knew a kid in junior high that liked to broadcast music on the CB band. He stopped doing that when he saw a car with government plates slowly approaching with a directional antenna sweeping the area.
