LCARA HAM Radio: Repeater Abuse and How to Catch an Abuser!!!!

[@BlessedLaymanNC]

I enjoyed the video. I'm sure you know, now, if you didn't know then, that you could have done better direction finding with the HT by blocking the antenna with your body and rotating around. DFing is a lot of fun. It gets especially interesting when a lot of club members participate. We used small yagis, short antennas, even dummy loads to help find the fox. I love how you got taunted by the fox. It takes a group in places like Atlanta. Some of the foxes knew how to use a yagi to bounce signals off different buildings to get reports from different directions every time he transmits. Usually he is just about tripped over before he is found. Keep up the fun, and keep sharing videos of your fun activities. They are always inspiring.

[@keyslammer82]

Looks like you had some fun making this video. I love the enthusiasm. I would strongly recommend some easy (and much more accurate) T-hunting methods. An inexpensive Yagi (made with tape measure sections or welding wire) for 2m is VERY accurate. Once you get close, you should be equipped with an Offset Attenuator. These two basic tools would likely have taken you almost directly to the culprit almost in the time it would have taken to drive there if you new in advance. It would help too, if you addressed HF tracking, ground waves and other challenging bands (just as a note, or a separate vid).

[@ozone385]

You could get 2-3 operators at predetermined spots with yagis to triangulate on him. The stationary operators with a simple yagi and give the bearing from thier position would also work. Great training opertunity.

[@RSwrightMD]

I really enjoyed the scenes of Pulaski County - it is so beautiful in the Spring time.

[@williammerritt1312]

I was using an FT70 to track down the balloon in King's Mountain. Great Radio.

[@marlomontanaro3233]

LOL, this looks like it was a lot of fun. And it just goes to show, you can do a fox hunt without fancy DF equipment and expensive add-ons. It may take a little longer, but if you're tracking a "hacker" on the repeater, an un-advertised simplex frequency and a bunch of club members acting like a team, you can find him. Thanks for the fun video... Ham Hacker Randy bites the dust!

[@lgcacher9205]

That was the good old days. Teaching others and having fun all the same time. Nobody does anything anymore. Nobody hardly talks anymore. I got to much money into it. Just to throw it all away in the trash . but what good is it these days. Just a night light for the house and a night light for the car. And the HT's are now paper weights. But this video got me 😃 ham hacker Randy. What a name. LOL

[@brianhill2488]

What kind of antenna setup was that on HHR's vehicle? Great video. KM4MQC

[@adlucem9845]

You related to Philip Hill?

[@willwaconsya3433]

My old club on Long Island had many jammers and they we eventually found. We used homemade Doppler for our cars. I was a base station that had a Cushcraft 26B2 stacked 13 element beams. I would zero in on the direction of the jamming signal. Draw a line on a map. And direct the mobiles Along that line block to block. Attenuating the signal in the mobiles as they got closer. Last step was to walk gift up with an HT to the building of jamming residence. If it was a licensed ham doing the jamming his name and address was announced over the airwaves. That usually stopped the problem.

[@mhpreach]

When I lived in IL. We did a Fox hunt that once you got to the area. There was a lower power transmitter that sent code that you look for. - Mike N9GI

[@jasonwilliams3223]

Very cool to be able to locate him. Much harder in the real world because if he's mobile he would be moving. But then again he would be very easy to find if he gave his call sign....

[@James_Bowie]

I'm quite surprised that you guys didn't use handheld Yagis (e.g. tape measure type) on the road rather than omnidirectional whips on those HTs. Yagis will give you a far better fix on signal direction for triangulation purposes.

[@LCARAHAMRadio]

Hey james Bowie, there are many ways to accomplish the same goal. We wanted to show one way that involved the fun of the chase and using existing equipment in our vehicles and a yagi initially to get a good bearing on HHR. We plan on doing more of these with different methods in the future. Thanks for wathcing!

[@chrissewell1608]

Looks like you guys are in North Carolina. Where are y'all located?

[@LCARAHAMRadio]

Hello Chris, we are in south central Kentucky. :)

[@mrobserver474]

Training is always so 'easy' but not like the real thing. Can't give specifics for operational reasons but I'm currently engaged in tracking down a real Ham Hacker Randy and 11m abuser unfortunately I'm getting no community support either from my fellow amateurs or 11m contacts. It's taking a while but I'm getting there.

[@NickFrom1228]

We have someone in our area doing this to the primary gmrs repeater. There is a KrakenSDR hunting him and its getting closer. Meow meow, if you are reading this. We will find you, it's only a matter of time.

[@jwhardig]

Why aren't you using directional antennas? There is an antenna made from an old tape measure. The club hear has fox hunts several times a year. It's fun. The fox will hide usually in a 10 mile radius of a fixed starting point. De Jeff N9NJN

[@LCARAHAMRadio]

@jwhardig - there are so many ways to produce a fox hunt. We decided on this first one to use only readily available HTs, mobile/base stations and one directional antenna to raise the degree of difficulty a little, but also provide a way any club or group could simulate the same situation. This was based on an event we had earlier this year where a club members base station was struck by lightning and was transmitting continuously. This was locking the repeater and preventing it's normal operation. We used the same strategy to quickly identify the offending station. Thanks for watching!

[@bigpimp347]

because they don't really have a clue what they're doing.. beam antenna switch polorisation, even use a fixed base for direction then use the back end of the beam for maximum attenuation. radios with attenuators, plotting a course on a map and triangulating the signal..

[@williammerritt1312]

ok, i was using a 51a also another great radio.

[@dr8627]

Cool video I’m getting into ham. I’m in Michigan

[@ManuelPinner]

Three Hams with a SDR Play RSP duo and a Window 11 Laptop can Find Him, You can use the Doppler shift, from the Two Receivers inside the SDR Play RSP Duo, then the way Your Guy's are doing in this Video can Find Quickly Because of the smaller Search Area!

[@davidhayden6724]

That Ham Hacker Randy looks like he could be dangerous! Looks like everyone had a great time and you guys made a very enjoyable video. Thanks. K4UVX

[@DanielGlover]

Nice, All the talking, Ben (I think) must have some water with him. Guessing sat in the car. We shall see. At 29 minutes in. almost finished, I got one of those FT-70D. There is a attenution setting on it. Never used but there, could be good for something like this. Been following on the map from Sardis Road. Dollar General looks good, see google maps insie photos. Got Poundland here in UK, One downtown. same thing. the building up from that looks abandoned, Unloved if used. Between that dollar store and the Shell petrol station. Gas station. Nice video. About to get to the end. I belong to a radio club. Got the FT-70D on now on the calling channels, DW. flicks betwen one and the other, a group of those 2 can do but the screen goes wild, Too quick. Photos on QRZ are watching this and writing, linked in banner photo.

[@benollo6547]

Great video

[@LCARAHAMRadio]

You my friend, made this video fantastic!

[@benollo6547]

@@LCARAHAMRadio glad to be of help

[@brianfletcher9774]

Here in Southeast South Dakota, we had a true abuser. Using much the same methods you used…we busted him !

[@n6pud]

Very cool videos. Also what a beautiful part of the country. 73 De N6PUD

[@VR-Fanatic666]

This made my day LOL Ham hacker Randy

[@ColbyHiggs]

Great video. Thanks for the good information.

[@LCARAHAMRadio]

Glad it was helpful!

[@RhythmicSensations]

Great video. 💜

[@LCARAHAMRadio]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@gamingforlive2150]

wellm on our local repeater we have 3 or 4 hams that only mention their call up to once a week and will get angry if you request thier call

[@gamingforlive2150]

@@braininavatnow9197 dude im not complaining mate i only think that they shouldnt complain about me using the repeater once ever now and then for not using a callsign whilst they say it once every week to once every month

[@frigglebiscuit7484]

@@braininavatnow9197 and i now see why ham is dying lol. i think ill refrain from getting a license, and just listen.

[@ManuelPinner]

😮Oh no one of Your Club Member is a Cop, this is a Realistic simulation of a Repeater Jammer😂😂😂😂

[@davidjohnson497]

Ben and all the gang, thank you, this was such an interesting video! Wow so cool, inspiring for consideration for our local club. Good to be prepared, we can do it! You all have shown the way! Dave WA4NID

[@Service_Dispatcher]

It is impossible to find a person interfering with a repeater by signals detection, I have tried to do it my self but that person moving while transmitting on the repeater illegally

[@adlucem9845]

Illegally and speaking on a radio should never be used in the same sentence. Commie

[@w.e.s.]

I mess with repeaters constantly all ham is is old men calling signs. Nothing less nothing more I got into it and discovered it's so boring I'll just troll them. U can't catch people I can screw around for 5 or 10 minutes get bored cut my transceiver off and make u all mad and I go to bed.

[@adlucem9845]

Lmao. Put a simplex parrot box on their frequency. Oh boy does that piss em off. Thank you for your service. You are appreciated 👍

[@DE-ke2rf]

Jeezus just shut down the machine & talk simplex. I use simplex almost exclusively, only use the machine when I’m in the mobile or can’t hear another station.

[@YouTube_User-9]

This was a fun video to watch. But I have to be honest, I was getting the feeling Ham Hacker Randy wasn't really a pirate operator. That being said, excellent and very informative video!

[@harrypitts7389]

Portable yagi with attenuator way to go.

[@ManuelPinner]

Also don't Use the Repeater Frequency because most Jammers will be listening in the Repeater, This is a Really Good Video, with very Good Information how to Find Ham Hacker Randy,😂😂😂😂Ham Hacker Randy is to 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@mikemcdonald5147]

ham hacker randy sounds like a bad dude i wouldnt mess with him LOL :)

[@Service_Dispatcher]

I think he is a bad person doing that

[@duaneshuster6366]

Enjoyed the drive nice area . We have a guy that's been jamming repeater & occasionally saying unidetified comments with a Scream Movie Villain Voice for last 8 years he uses toy noise makers and Baofeng alarms and I had tracked him down long ago on my time 8n am hours assuming who it was a person that didn't like other operators from a year before all started. I put his address in and went near his place by locat store lit sat and waited at night till people tried talk he keyed up full scale no o duckie. Try confront email & such over radio he says you can't prove nothing if you can't catch me? Problem is local club no one wants go out late, evenings in a group get video & witness proof together So he dominates the repeater anytime after 11pm till 4am then bk at it 4 pm again. I Can only lead a horse to water but nothing gets done. You guys got some perfect activities organized to counter the issues. These are important exercises. Lived your video. .

[@LCARAHAMRadio]

@Duane Shuster - One avenue you might try to pursue is contacting the volunteer monitor in your area. You may have to contact the ARRL so that they can have that person contact you. There are severe penalties for misusing the airwaves including confiscation of equipment. Good luck.

[@jameyevans29]

No, just on 7.200 lsb!

[@9999plato]

I would have thought that several people with small yagis and a coordinator who could use alternate communication devices like Zello or phones or simplex on a different frequency to report to the coordinator from the various teams. Don't want the fox to know he is being hunted as practice to find real offenders. Kind of like how CIC on a ship coordinates and triangulates multiple sonar reports from separate ships or helicopter sonobouys to find a submarine. We would use active or passive sonars and on the passive arrays we could turn the ship and plot the changes to box in the target in since we knew within a certain number of degrees where the contact may be. Turn the ship and watch the contact move. It's difficult to explain. There are many thousands running around with Baofangs thinking that if they get licensed they out themselves as preppers to the government and if there was an emergency they will jack up the airwaves. That needs to end. On the flip side I like many others got licensed because I bought a Baofang and realized that it was almost worthless to actually talk to others (after spending BUX on more gear). These people don't realize that these are not walkie talkies and they won't do them much good without some knowledge.

[@schlomoshekelstein908]

hammerskins are radio snitches now?

[@9999plato]

@@schlomoshekelstein908 Hammerskins? who are the hammerskins here?

[@petemitchell6788]

Hunt the guy who’s sitting at 3000ft changing power levels from 5-100 watts.

[@jam9297]

Would it be difficult to do so?

[@anthonywike8042]

fun

[@adlucem9845]

One of the MOST entertaining things about ham radio is when people screw with uptight ham dorks. 😅

[@nerdgarage]

With you using nothing more than the methods and gear you indicated, had I been the fox I could have had you running all over county confused all day. Why wern't you using any directional antennas or other directional methods beyond your initial base station bearing ?? That said, you did a nice job of using nothing but signal strength from multiple locations to track the fox down. For those not experienced or knowledgeable about fox hunting, it would have been nice to see [roughly] where the other signal reports were coming from and a brief talk about how you used that information to narrow down the possible location of the fox. Disclaimer: I'm well practiced in both hiding and hunting and am currently developing both my own micro fox and my own directional detection system.

[@sraes4337]

The purpose is to demonstrate using what most hams already have. We obviously created a simulation, with more than perfect scenarios. 😉 We also have two direction finding units which work fantastic. All for a future video. 😀

[@nerdgarage]

@@sraes4337 Ahh got ya. Makes sense. I think this is the first YT coverage of a fox hunt I can recall coming across. Looking forward to seeing more. Fox hunting quickly became one of my favorite parts of ham radio when I became a ham back in '95. That and of course Field Day. =)

[@archuka1]

The abuser that only transmits for a second or 2 and not on a regular basis is like hunting a needle in a hay stack lol

[@bigpimp347]

our fox hunts were for one minute of TX then four minutes of rest. so the fox would TX every fifth minute. until found.

[@404-Error-Not-Found]

Not really, not if you actually know what you're doing and you're not just sitting there playing radio... Transmission length is almost insignificant.

[@HarryHamsterChannel]

I find ham operators are polite and courteous. Organized communication practices limit bad behavior and send the jokers to GMRS.

[@archuka1]

@@404-Error-Not-Found INTERESTING

[@josephwallace6821]

great video guys keep it up Smokey KE6IVK

[@sraes4337]

Rodger that, Bandit. 😆😎

[@Service_Dispatcher]

You shouldn't try to find someone like that because surpose if he has you as a target when you find him, please think better then that guy's, we live in a crazy world.

[@AxelDeep]

hey hakers dont give call signs lol

[@adlucem9845]

Dont give them, dont even have them. Fuck the government stand up for your rights.

[@HarryHamsterChannel]

It's not as bad as all that around my house. There's enough airspace and people generally respect each other.