PIRATE RADIO SURVIVAL GUIDE
                                    
                              ADVANCED STUFF
                              
Note: this chapter is from the book "Pirate Radio Survival Guide" written by; Nemesis of 
Radio Doomsday, and Captain Eddy of The Radio Airplane. If you like this book and would
like to support their efforts, you may send a donation of your choice to either Nemesis or 
Capt. Eddy at PO Box 452, Wellsville NY 14895. 
  
 Please note that some chapters refer to illistrations or drawings, these could not be included in 
this BBS version of the book. If you would like the illistrations or have other questions you
may inquire at the above adddress. 


                   

  In this chapter, I'm going to throw out some more advanced things that you can do with your
station. Don't  attempt these things unless you understand them! For the beginners, and there is
NOTHING wrong with being a beginner even Radio Clandestine was a beginner, the topics in this
chapter might confuse you and should be avoided.

  RECEIVER MUTING: If you are using a Transceiver with another external receiver or you are
using the traditional Receiver/Transmitter combination, you might want have you receiver muted
while transmitting. This is easily accomplished with a little understanding. Most
Transmitters/Transceivers will have an internal relay that closes when transmitting. Unused
contacts of this relay are provided access on the rear of the equipment. Look at the manual of
your receiver and determine if it can be muted (most can) where the muting control line should be
attached, and what muting level is required by the receiver. Most receivers simply require that
their muting line be grounded. Again, look in your receiver manual to be sure! Look at your
transmitter manual to determine which set of contacts are NORMALLY OPEN and connect a
wire from the Transmitters relay contacts to the receivers mute line. If all goes well, when you
transmit the receiver will mute and when you quit transmitting the receiver will un-mute or
receive! If you wish to engage in Two Way Pirate QSOs, it is recommended to externally mute
your receiver. If you are using a transceiver, this is already being done. See Figure 1 for a Typical
Connection.
  USING THE SAME ANTENNA FOR RECEIVE AND TRANSMIT: Refer to Figure 2 for a
drawing of a Transmit/Receive Changeover relay. You should not have any problems following
the diagram. Your transmitter's manual will probably have a drawing quite similar to this one. You
can buy or build. Purchasing can be a little difficult since the advent of transceivers has dampened
consumer demand for manufactured units. If you decide to build, the Relay is the most critical
item. Use one that has Gold Plated Contacts. Size of the contacts matters, but at low power levels
just about anything will work. Coil voltage is not a problem, use what is easiest 110 Vac or  
12 Vdc. Remember to enclose the whole thing in a metal box to prevent RF from escaping
AUDIO PROCESSING: This can be a difficult and touchy subject. I'm not going to come right
out and say that EVERYONE should use processing! Sometimes, the signal will sound fine as it
is, and  in other situations some audio processing is needed. If you have advanced to this level,
then anything I might have to say on the subject would be redundant.
Compressor/Limiters can often be easily built or purchased but should be used sparingly, too
much compression can distort your signal.

  LINEAR AMPLIFIERS: For the most part I would say avoid running a lot of power. Not only
will it increase your likelihood of QRM problems, it may also increase your chances of getting
noticed by the wrong people. In most cases, using a proper antenna will make more drastic (and
cheaper) results than by increasing power levels. See the "Myths of Power" in the Transmitter
section. 

  TRANSMITTER MODIFICATIONS: A broad subject to cover and, generally, some electronics
background is required. Information on this subject can be found in several modification manuals.
(check HAM Radio magazines for advertisements of these books. Or see the listing for DVS
communications in the "Sources of other pirate radio information" section of this book.)