Pirate and CCF Radio Recollections

Remember the days of short wave radio? The CCF used Delta Oscar and Tango Golf. The pirates used Echo Charlie. And they all used Wireless Set No19 radios. Happy days!

[@jasontwynn7356]

Love these stories, please keep them coming. I can but on your stories and just go about my day. People do look at me when I just laugh out of nowhere. I wear headphones out walking my dog,(husky) and have your stories playing. Love it good ole times I tell you. 👍

[@johnderrick8138]

Fond memories of days long ago when I was the No1 radio operator at 7A, the Royal Hospital School 1970 to 72, Holbrook near Ipswich. As you state it was a good introduction into the world of radio communication from which I progressed and obtained the Radio Amateur Licence ten years later, G4PKM. Thanks Ray

[@g4nsj]

7A... I probably chatted to you! I used the call 4A most of the time. Cheers, Ray.

[@dxexplorer]

I don't comment much as most of the time I'm actually listening more than watching while working on things. I just wanted to say that I really love these stories and I hope you keep them coming. Really nice ones indeed about the good old times. You are more like a time machine getting us back in those years.. at least virtually trough the stories and our imagination. So a big thank you would be all right and withing you 73.

[@g4nsj]

Thanks!

[@OC35]

My father was a radio operator in tanks in WWII. When he became a radio amateur in the 50s he, of course, had a 19 set as he was used to it. The 19 set had a second set in it - the B set that was on about 230 MHz. This was supposed to be for use between tanks but my father said it was useless!

[@alangiles8103]

When I see 19 sets going for hundreds of pounds on eBay now, I think back to the mid 60s and a long gone company called A. J. Thompson (Eiling Lodge, Codicote, Hitchin, Herts) 19 sets for £2.12s 6d, 38 sets £1 19s 6d)

[@g4nsj]

Yes, the B set was pretty useless. I did get one going once and I had a chat with a friend but only over 100 yards or so. Cheers, Ray.

[@slippery396]

Decades ago I use to bootleg on 2 to 3 MHz band ...it was abandoned back in the late 70's ....loads of fun .... super cheap radios I would buy at flee markets ... and the range was amazing on a cold winter nights ! ... and I'd hear fishing boats in south America ... all Spanish of course .... and once in a while smugglers too ....those were the good ol' days !

[@Robutube1]

I'm not going to pretend that I understood even half of that Ray, but what an unalloyed pleasure to listen to your tales nonetheless. Thanks!

[@g4nsj]

At least you listened. Thanks!

[@carmenneumann6162]

I love your presentation the beginning of your videos with the dark clouds and spooky music it reminds me of the movie the bad seed.

[@g4nsj]

Haha, glad you like it!

[@Christophers-Assorted-Stuff]

I was one of the 6.670 pirates a long time ago. My aerial was a tuned length of wire that passed through the lounge window. One Christmas we had lights strung up around the window which lit up when I transmitted.

[@g4nsj]

We probably chatted on 6.6 back then. I was on most of the time!

[@johnderrick9888]

Thanks Ray this is a most enjoyable account of memories distant and dear. Everything you have mentioned is absolutely correct and makes me recall those years at boarding school 1968 to 73 and being a member of the CCF and playing an active part in the unit. As I was interested in radio communication I was elevated to the rank of No 1 Radio Operator under the watchful eye of Pronto (The main operator who held the Radio Amateur licence, G3ZHD), We used 62 sets along with 88's indeed I was allowed to set a 62 up in my boarding house and spent hours of my free time communicating around the country with other CCF units using a 30ft long wire stretched across the muster yard that achieved a fantastic range, well in excess of the specifications. Our call sign was 7A, the Royal Hospital School, Holbrook, Suffolk. I remember well the difficulty in achieving a clear signal in those days with such a crowded band and the wood pecker and other interference. Having left school and a couple of years later I obtained my RA licence (G4PKM) and all the operator experience along with experimenting in those earlier years payed dividends. Thank you once again Ray

[@g4nsj]

Hi John, I remember Pronto and Sunrise, and the woodpecker. I used 4 Alpha and probably worked you on several occasions. I also found that my early days on the air helped paid dividends. Cheers and all the best, Ray.

[@robertjohnson5126]

Course the posh kids could run to a no. 2 amplifier for 75/- to boost the RF to 25W! Happy days indeed, Ray. After school radio club with G5JP inciting years of mult-band piracy to follow. I'm sure most of the old time hams knew 100% they were chatting to a pirate but were glad of some company on a wet afternoon. In my day, trick was to use a late G4 callsign that just missed the current call book. EEEeeee, it were grand when I were a lad ZZzzzz....

[@g4nsj]

+Robert Johnson I remember the amplifier, and dreaming about owning one! Callsigns that just missed the current call book, yes that was handy! 73, Ray.

[@G4KDXlive]

I remember a local pirate who was likely using this sort of gear when I was at school in the 1970s. Mainly he pirated on 160 metres, ....but could pop up anywhere, outside of the amateur bands as he wished. You always knew it was him because there was a slight hum on his carrier. He would call CQ but never responded to calls. Sometimes he amused himself by tuning up on amateur radio QSOs. He was a respectable signal. Wonder if he ever got licensed.

[@g4nsj]

G4KDXlive there were quite a few who pirated on the ham bands in those days... and many still do!

[@Mr3sheds]

Great to be able to share memories of short wave exploits after all this time. I operated on Echo Charlie in the late 60s and early 70s and I'm happy to admit it. I had the obligatory 19 set, also a 62 set, Codar AT5, a Reece Mace Marine ex-admiralty set and a modified Heathkit amateur transmitter. It was dead easy to get hold of surplus transmitting gear from various suppliers - I seem to remember one near Hitchin in Hertfordshire. I spent most of my time on 6.6 Mhz, I could never see the point in talking to CCF stations - what could you talk about anyway? I also recall a German numbers station that operated on sunday afternoon and it was preceded by a yodelling track. Also the long-suffering London air mobile station on 6568 Mhz. I eventually passed my RAE and took up amateur band work which, quite frankly, bored me to tears. I absolutely loved the freedom and anonymity of the pirate bands, nothing could compare with it. I still have reel-to-reel recordings from those days - precious memories of fantastic times!

[@g4nsj]

I had a Reece Mace transmitter! Blimey, I wish I'd kept it. Viva La Pirates!

[@gripper021164]

I never get bored of watching these videos! Always makes me chuckle.....73...

[@g4nsj]

+gripper021164 Thanks for commenting. There is another video coming soon. Cheers, Ray.

[@barrychapman6249]

That takes me back I used to have a 19 set, on echo Charlie, J band, alpha band, top band, 40m and 80m some of the great times of my life, with a 807 pa if I remember the 19 set had downwards modulation, I had a long wire in the garden with a roller coaster atu, I put a crystal microphone in mine, and a home brew psu I've 18 sets with the atp4 pa, 38 sets, I first started with the ws 17 there was only two valves in the ar6 and arp18 I was just a school kid when I first became interested in radio, I have got my full ham radio licence now, I was like you Ray I was never a pirate or at least I cannot ever remember being one, I just listen to the other stations honest. 73 Ray de Barry G4DIP

[@g4nsj]

+Barry Chapman Hi Barry, thanks for your interesting comments. They were great times for learning about radio and aerials etc. I never had a 38 set, sadly. Happy days! Cheers, Ray.

[@geriatricjohn]

Hello Ray and thank you. I was a real CCF schoolboy but all good things come to an end. I continued from home, 18, 19 and 22 set, until my voice became too old at the advanced age of around 25.. Am now 71. Thanks for taking me back so may years. John; Foxtrot One Zero Bravo

[@g4nsj]

Hi John, thanks for your comments. I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I really miss those happy days. Cheers, and all the best, Ray. Four Alpha.

[@grahamrdyer6322]

Oh those wonderful Radio Days and the 807, I made a transistorised inverter for it and chucked out that old rotary, I wish I had kept it all now, that old stuff you could do things with........

[@g4nsj]

+Graham R Dyer Ah, the transistor inverter! I recall replacing many a vibrator with power transistors. Happy days! Cheers, Ray.

[@johnm0jfe]

Great as always happy days using a multi 99 radio gram .Short wave was my main hobby even now as a fully licenced ham I still listen on the bands decoding signals in the hope of stumbling onto something I shouldn't have.Remember the propaganda days in 1980's when the least listened to broadcast would have one item on that no other news broadcast would carry.Miss those days. Now its radio China domination. We have a guy that restores old valve sets in our club. Keep up the good work 73's de M0JFE Fleetwood radio enthusiast group

[@g4nsj]

Hi John, thanks for commenting. I still tune around the short wave bands most evenings. Great fun. Cheers, Ray.

[@101jumpit]

Wonderous story's,Thank you for bringing back fabulous memories of when i had my 19 set in the back garden shed....Now 50 odd years later it just doesnt seem the same on the radio......Many Many Thanks......M0ZEM

[@g4nsj]

A 19 set in the shed, I love it! Happy days! Cheers, Ray.

[@Gildermesh]

Fantastic channel thank you for the great stories

[@alancordwell9759]

Wonderful stuff Ray, thanks for a very enjoyable video- such nostalgia! The CCF were using callsigns like IQ8Ynn and VQ5Xnn when I used to listen in the very early 70's; there was another net that I can't remember the callsign prefix of. Aye those were the days! I have a 62 set that I've owned for years, not had it out for a bit but its performance on CW was quite impressive, if a bit chirpy though the noise from the dynamotor was wearing after a while! What I'd really like is a 38 set; I'm sort of half watching for one to come up on eBay at the right price. 73 and take care :)

[@g4nsj]

+Alan Cordwell Hi Alan, thanks for posting. Good luck with your quest for a 38 set, a nice piece of gear. Glad you enjoyed the video, Cheers, Ray.

[@mihaelaenasoiu5481]

Hi Alan, the one you can't remember was SK4Bnn.

[@alancordwell9759]

Mihaela Enasoiu indeed it was, thank you for the memory jog! :)

[@Scotscan]

Very interesting trip down memory lane. I was a member of the air cadets in the late 90s 00s although not on HF we used low VHF at 78.100MHz AM mode. really enjoyed being in the shack and chatting to stations around 40 miles away was the maximum. still enjoy listening to EC though 6670 still going particularly with Dutch stations. great fun.

[@g4nsj]

I often listen on EC although, at the moment, my aerial is down for maintenance. I remember listening the the air cadets on VHF. Happy days. Cheers, Ray.

[@johnwmacdonald994]

Nice to see you again, Ray. Always enjoy your videos. ATB -John

[@TheRadiogeek]

I wish my school would have had a radio class. It sure sounds like you had fun with your hobby as a kid. I enjoyed the story very much. Take care.

[@g4nsj]

+TheRadiogeek They were happy days! Cheers, Ray.

[@markrobinson8539]

+Radio Workshop I enjoyed the CCF Signals Section and our summer camps were great. I didn't know that our CCF net has been busted by so many pirates.

[@g4nsj]

Happy days!

[@madrad999]

Thanks for that Ray. I could listen to you all day long .Not many people left with our interest in old radios especially military surplus kit, or if there are they don't seem to talk about it much, so lets have some more stories. Cheers, Rad.

[@g4nsj]

+Rad Redfern Thanks, Rad. Glad you enjoyed the memories. I'm thinking about more stories so, watch this space. Cheers, Ray.

[@mark_osborne]

Love listening to your stories as I work in the shop here in Michigan. Sitting next to me is Kenwood 440, and for years I bootlegged on 14,313 and various other channels using a long MFJ dipole --- got that out of my system and never looked back :-)

[@g4nsj]

Hi Mark, it's nice to hear from you. Love the idea of the Kenwood in the shop. I must fire up my HF rig. Cheers, Ray.

[@robredridge1703]

I had a Yeasu FRDX400 & FLDX400 and as well as the amateur bands, I used to listen to the transatlantic air frequencies and the ship to shore frequencies. The trawlers & even as late as when the oil rigs first appeared. Some of those phone calls home were very fruity! They clearly missed their wives :-)

[@g4nsj]

I remember the phone calls! Happy days!

[@RGC198]

Hi Ray, Thanks for sharing another excellent video. Love all the old radios there. Back may years ago, when I was a child growing up in Sydney Australia, my dad had an Oceanic MW/SW radio, which included a turntable originally for 78 RPM records, but modified in later years to also 45 and 33 RPM records. To receive DX stations, we had a long wire running around the picture rail in the lounge room. Incidentally, the SW time signal stations were used here in recent years to help measure the analogue TV frequencies more accurately. This was especially useful when receiving very weak TV frequencies via long distance. Anyway, all the best. Robert.

[@glynnjordan3135]

Ray I have just subscribed to your channel and I love the history of Pirate Radio you tell us all about - keep em coming mate :)

[@g4nsj]

Will do, Glynn!

[@tilmar120]

Great stuff Ray. I could listen to you for hours. Very interesting.

[@g4nsj]

Thanks!

[@m0dad]

Hi Ray, I love hearing these old memories of radio. Some fascinating stories, sounds like you had some great times. The 19 set is a great looking radio. Keep these videos coming. best wishes 73 from M0DAD

[@g4nsj]

+m0dad Glad you like the videos, I'm working on the next one now. Watch this space. Cheers, Ray.

[@chipwright6193]

That was very enjoyable. It sounds like you had a lot of fun talking, I mean listening in on the No 19 radios. Happy Days

[@g4nsj]

+Chip Wright Thanks, Chip!

[@johnspendlove6799]

Brilliant Ray I used to be 16 alpha in days gone by,in the notts/derby area we operated on the bottom of mediumwave and 2mc/s as well as echo Charlie.73s

[@g4nsj]

+John Spendlove 16A rings a bell, perhaps we were in contact? Cheers, Ray.

[@johnspendlove6799]

More than likely Ray, 73s G4DXY/EI4IM

[@AntiqueRadioandTV]

Great stories from your young radio days Ray! They were relayed so well by you that I could even place myself there as you had described them. Bravo. Of course... I know that YOU were never one of these "pirates" yourself. "Nudge, Nudge,... Wink, Wink". {:-() 73s and Happy New Year! Tom

[@g4nsj]

+AntiqueRadioandTV Hi Tom, thanks for posting. I'm pleased that you enjoyed the video. It's nice to get feedback. Cheers, Ray.

[@bazilbrush6]

my ol man use to drag me up lisle street soho to look at the old shops full of radio bits the old 19 sets for the rotaries and henrys tottenham court road for the chrystals

[@g4nsj]

Happy days!

[@slippery396]

I love this radio .... I found one on ebay ... and bought it ! ... I even got lucky and found the power supply !!! :)

[@andrebeaubec]

Another great story thank you

[@CB-RADIO-UK]

Thanks Ray. A very enjoyable watch.

[@g4nsj]

+fredintheshed1 Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video, Cheers, Ray.

[@markrobinson8539]

+Radio Workshop I used to operate on Delta Oscar and our callsign was 33 Charlie. Happy days

[@g4nsj]

Maybe we chatted on Delta Oscar?

[@simonsparks2602]

yet another brilliant vido

[@ofthechase8783]

Thanks Ray that was cool to hear

[@g4nsj]

Glad you liked it.

[@johngulliver6151]

And now there is only QRM all over the HF spectrum with the PLT devices smps plasma tv's just to name a few .Ofcom our regulators are not fit for purpose and should be held responsible for there failure to keep the spectrum clear of deliberate interference . You can still hear a few 19 sets on AM on the 80 meter band in the mornings but the conditions are terrible lately .Thanks for posting very interesting

[@g4nsj]

+John Gulliver Thanks John, all noted. Interference here is extremely bad most of the time. 160 metres is unusable! Cheers, Ray.

[@johngulliver6151]

+tvdxrools Unfortunately this is the case with lots of Hams i think its time to start get a partition up and running for a vote of no confidence in ofcom as we all know are failing to act and enforce current EMC regulations they are incompetent and should be held accountable for there disregard of the regulations .

[@johngulliver6151]

+Radio Workshop Hi Ray yes unfortunately this is the trend across the country the noise fool as risen dramatically over the past years ,its the cheap so call energy saving devices LED lights plt smp's and so on .But our so called regulators are doing nothing at all to stop the polluting devises even though they cause undue interference .Not sure if you are aware of the group www.ukqrm.org.uk/ might shed some light on some of the QRM you get ? .I watched your posts about the QRM you was getting and was very pleased to hear you say it had gone .I speak from experience when i talk about ofcom they refuse to do anything about interference to Amateur radio and a lot of hams are simply giving in.Very sad indeed to think we might lose this wonderful hobby because of cheap imported electronic devices wiping out HF .Keep the videos coming i really enjoy them regards John

[@g4nsj]

Hi John, thanks for your comments and the link. Things are getting worse, that's for sure. I will keep you posted. Cheers, Ray.,

[@markrobinson8539]

+Radio Workshop I was thinking about this the other day. I had a long wire in the attic of our house near Portsmouth and I used to listen on my Eddystone EC10. There was no interference and then I realised that there was virtually no electronics in the houses then. There was Pye Blackbox valve stereo and a TV set. The clocks were wind up and there was an electrical clock on the cooker and that was that. All my aerials have to be a long way from the house now

[@robertcole1865]

Thanks for the memories. Enjoy your day.

[@g4nsj]

+Robert Cole Thanks, glad you enjoyed the video, Cheers, Ray.

[@1fanger]

Hello, enjoyed your video. One thing, though, I kind of picked up what my mother would have told me, that I was "full of soup." You may just be full of pirate soup! Be well, 73, Joe KC3BXZ

[@g4nsj]

+1fanger Full of soup, I've not heard that one before. Glad you enjoyed the video, Cheers, Ray.

[@1fanger]

Radio Workshop Hi Ray, I hope you got my little joke. You kept saying you weren`t a pirate, but then, you had numerous Freudian slipups. The 4 letter word soup was a euphemism for the other 4 letter word. LOL Anyhow. bye for now from across the puddle! 73, Joe KC3BXZ

[@g4nsj]

+1fanger I did get it, Joe lol. Excellent!

[@Magicalmike1]

Had a 19 Set also was on 5Mhz in Air Cadets using T1154 R1155 Transmitter Receiver combination as used in Lancaster Bombers :)

[@g4nsj]

+Michael Walker I have the R1155 receiver but have never owned the T1154 transmitter. One day, perhaps! Glad you enjoyed the video, Cheers, Ray.

[@SpectreOZ]

Thanks for the trip into radio history and nostalgia, a tube upgrade and crystal microphone insert are an interesting modification choice for a hobbyist who only never listened [nudge] [nudge] *wink* *wink* LOL

[@g4nsj]

+SpectreOZ Oops! I didn't really need the microphone, did I?

[@martind1000]

Operated as 32Alpha on WL - 4030MHz - 1966-69

[@g4nsj]

Hi Martin, I didn’t know there was a WL. Thanks for that.

[@rambo1152]

Gosh, I remember all this on Sunday mornings, "Out to you" "Net now" "Report my signals" etc. but there was one procedure signal that I never understood, and that was "Flyback now" It was used quite a lot, and the only thing that came to mind was the crude mechanical memory stops on the 19 set tuning dial that was sometimes called quick-flick, so I thought "flyback" might mean QSY to the (undisclosed) frequency that was preset.

[@g4nsj]

rambo1152 happy days! I don't recall, flyback now. I'll try and find out about that one. Out you you! 😃

[@rambo1152]

Hi Ray, at the end of the day this was all just playing at radio, but at this same time you must have encountered the real mccoy, no, not the number stations, I mean the serious cold-war nets that were clearly American servicemen in West Germany with callsigns like Devil Fish, Active Mountain, and net controller Bold Justice, and those Cemetery+two digit stations. A few years ago I came across this first-hand account, it makes interesting reading. tinyurl.com/y9ojn8cw

[@g4nsj]

rambo1152 You're right, there was so much to listen to in those days. Some of it extremely interesting!

[@danielteegarden8982]

sweet stuff. thky dan t.

[@eazystreet5507]

We be from Oregon where there's a HUGE pirate CB group. Some amps of the the the the the the the the (SORRY MY HAND HAS A STUTTER), guys are running are 10k watts (Good neighbors) people with pacemakers falling out, good fun. Anyway tell more about your tube, sorry TAP RADIO lessons I would like to learn.

[@MrBrian8749]

Love your stories!

[@g4nsj]

Signal Hunter Thanks!

[@dictare]

Great story, thanks!

[@g4nsj]

+dictare Glad you enjoyed the video, Cheers, Ray.

[@freak55beat]

happy days on 6.5megs, !!

[@Isszarya]

Ray great story's keep them coming Joe mi0gtm

[@g4nsj]

+Isszarya Thanks, Joe. I have a few more so watch this space. Cheers, Ray.

[@charlieoscar09]

Thanks for the story 24:47 hair and make up artist comes in ...ha ha

[@g4nsj]

+charlieoscar09 I really must get my hair cut! Gad you enjoyed the video, Cheers, Ray.

[@m3cvfm]

Net net net net.

[@markhodgson2348]

The man doth protest too much, methinks. 😅

[@jeromegrzelak8236]

echo chariie 400 out