Where The FCC Tracks & Locates ANY Radio Signal

[@idothings6685]

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.

[@RingwayManchester]

😂😂😂😂😂

[@ghostlight69420]

THE FCC WONT LET ME BE OR LET ME BE ME SO LET ME SEE

[@jamesrush5367]

🤡

[@stiggyness1976]

Hi, this is John Watson, the chairperson of Ofcom. Under the authority granted to me by the Muppets in government, I hearby request you to jog on.

[@coldwarchemical7857]

Cry about it

[@cosmicinsane516]

The FCC may be listening, but they don’t care to do anything beyond that. They only enforce rules if the affected frequency users have good lobbyists.

[@idothings6685]

Rule enforcement represents about 1% of what the FCC does.

[@jdruin1]

Yep. The FCC really is about that license fee collection. All about the money

[@indridcold8433]

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.

[@Skarry]

Oregon state has been having pirate stations popping up recently. Leto Law channel covered it recently.

[@jj74qformerlyjailbreak3]

@@idothings6685 the other 99% is for Masonic reasons?

[@markjacobsen302]

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

[@daveh2612]

Thanks for sharing that story! Fascinating stuff!

[@williamstaylor5449]

Very cool

[@sludge1298]

Thanks for sharing!

[@richardcarlson127]

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.

[@jaytc3218]

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!

[@markoprskalo6127]

Illuminati moment

[@cindys1819]

be happy, be productive, be obedient..and own nothing

[@Mike-H_UK]

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]

Wow, thank you!

[@PlutoTheGod]

I hope we don’t hit a day where radio is just a piece of history.

[@MI7DJT]

@@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

[@Mike-H_UK]

@@PlutoTheGod Probably not radio itself, but everything moves forward (crystal sets, vacuum tube (valve) radios, etc).

[@gordsec]

I agree, they would not be out of place on a loop at the National Radio Centre in Bletchley Park. I hope someone from the RSGB is watching

[@The_Ice_Man_777]

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.

[@NotRobert-sd7fy]

Ham radio doesn't use AM mode often, that fella has a big ol amp

[@thecw301]

CB?? Good luck. The FCC is done with 11 meters.

[@ChesRich]

Johnson viking trans are am 100%mod

[@petersmith-k3y]

This idiot is still at it!, I've been listening to him recently in the UK using kiwi sdr online. I think the same insanity killed CB for a lot of people in the UK.

[@spaceflight1019]

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.

[@Polo-Hat]

Though I don't think it's in the thousands that are fielded, you are otherwise correct.

[@JoshuaJayG]

With all the web SDRs installed by SWLs and Hams, we do a pretty good job of setting up a monitoring system for use by the government anyway.

[@ericfan1223]

Okay

[@ericfan1223]

@@k.r.baylor8825 which gov contractor hasnt worked in this field?

[@Shakey31]

I worked at Vint Hill Farms Station back in 1990-1991 but now closed. Great post!

[@tomsherwood4650]

When I see videos of 1 KW, 10 KW, 18 KW linear CB amplifiers demonstrated on KZbin, 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.

[@caseycappoen251]

Amen. all the jamming on HF.. 3.845, 3.908, 7.2mhz... Government is broke. They ain't listening to nuttin.

[@n4gix]

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. 😉

[@nasiriyah110]

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.

[@lomgshorts3]

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!

[@rquance1]

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.

[@jackansi]

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.

[@nicopunk1]

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

[@BryanTorok]

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.

[@Triple_J.1]

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.

[@hillbilly4christ638]

Good luck with our current leadership. You can't even get them to answer a yes or no question.

[@Joe-Mama.]

U do it

[@BryanTorok]

@@Joe-Mama. Maybe someday.

[@East_Yeast]

@@BryanTorok lazy prik

[@TheDarkangelKx]

Man I love this channel, I came for number stations and stayed for the amazing niche radio education

[@cliffsegar5917]

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!

[@themagus5906]

Zzzzt! Zzzzzt! I love it! I've heard of AM radio engineers having to do similar things.

[@revoxjazz8317]

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

[@ElRel]

Totally agree. Should he consider making this into a series of books?

[@lesjones5684]

Breaker 19 😅

[@Mr-Chris]

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.

[@AdamSWL]

So there were never any crop circles. Only Wullenweber arrays! This series is super interesting Lewis!

[@boilerroombob]

Wheels within wheels ....Lewis great series so far and obviously this antenna was a clear choice for all listening and intelligence agencies worldwide

[@badcompany-w6s]

Remember! Big Brother is listening!!

[@SimonHollandfilms]

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

[@h.bsfaithfulservant4136]

Hi Prof 🤚. I thought to myself, ‘I bet Professor Simon would be interested in this series…’ and here you are 😁!! Hair raising stuff 😉👌

[@tornagawn]

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.

[@tex1138]

These videos are fascinating and your research is unmatched. Keep up the great work!

[@saveitforparts]

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.

[@shawnmiller4781]

I’ve seen both the Elemendorf and Adak stations from the air.

[@jrepineification]

There use to be an Elephant Cage on Adak as well.

[@kfelix2934]

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.

[@scottturcotte1860]

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...

[@Porty1119]

FCC enforcement is complaint-based. There is no large-scale monitoring.

[@indowneastmaine]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing.

[@Maine307]

i am in Waldo - Swan Lake... i know the site well.. empty..

[@davidararar]

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.

[@RingwayManchester]

Ah David thank you so much!

[@bobroberts2371]

Being you like dials and such, look at the USA AM radio station 700 WLW . They had a 500,000 W station operating in the 30's

[@MrPocketfullOfSteel]

@@bobroberts2371 *BOOM*

[@MrRW1980]

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

[@billtheunjust]

I absolutely loved your choice of background music and narration for this! Top notch video thanks for your hard work!

[@TheJacksons1]

Yeah cool sounds!!!

[@steveng5503]

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. ✌️👍🇬🇧

[@jerryclark5725]

According to my memory, as a child, during the 1970s Citizen's band radio craze a large group of people starting communicating SSB above the CB band. A large community developed with a hierarchy and a covention hall was rented. I remember many children. After the initial festivities, food, and meeting was conducted, an FCC agent took the podium to explain with kindness that these activities will desist.

[@thebeukemas]

Good video . I used to live out by the Allegan, Michigan facility until about 2 years ago. I remember before they shut it down in the late 1990's or early 2000 that everything was all fenced in with security there. There was a story on this facility back in the late 1980's from a magazine called " Popular Communications" that had pretty in depth pictures and coverage of the facility in action. Not sure if I have that magazine in my collection anymore . Right now as other people have commented as a residence and corn field, but there is signs that something else was there in the past from the landscape. Keep up the good work !

[@drsysop]

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.

[@haywoodyoudome]

So what's the best frequency range for coordinating resistance movements against the ever increasing global government?

[@drsysop]

@@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.

[@ModelA]

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.

[@daveandcourtney6567]

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.

[@timothystockman7533]

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.

[@chuckmorris7043]

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.

[@reallybadaim118]

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.

[@Cinebon]

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.

[@spc31074]

Uncle Charlie is always listening.

[@Rezin_8]

Now watching too 😂😮 every adapter and transformer a beacon

[@AFMR0420]

In the movie Pump Up The Volume, the POBox he rents is registered to Chuck U Farlie. This comment reminded me of that. 😂😂😂

[@lizzyfrizzy4969]

Every signal except that pesky havanna syndrome 😂😂😂😂

[@dananorth895]

Check channel...lookoutfacharlie

[@loginavoidence12]

uncle charlie can slob my knob, readback, over.

[@jasonphilbrook4332]

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.

[@x9x9x9x9x9]

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.

[@chuckalo244]

There was another monitoring station in Fort Lauderdale FL off of SR84 back in the 1980’s with a circular antenna around the building. They mainly listened to interference from Cuban stations. It was demolished in the late 80’s to make room for the I575 road construction. I believe that station is now located in Vero Beach.

[@highdesert50]

Thanks for the historical review. The FCC does have a web page describing their monitoring: Over-the-Air Spectrum Observation Capabilities.

[@clyderaw]

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.

[@D3M3NT3Dstrang3r]

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.

[@applejacks971]

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 :)

[@xfirehurican]

And on the flip side: Warrenton, Brandy Station, Vint Hill, Mt. Weather and my fav assignment, Kunia.

[@lomgshorts3]

I was at a very similar station in Canandaigua, NY in the 80's, and no it was never closed down !!

[@glennbrymer4065]

Well done sir! The photos are just incredible. Thank you for your attention to details. The maps & locations are first class.

[@glennbrymer4065]

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.

[@nimroddiaries_]

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

[@RetiredRadioChaser]

It is U.S. Government property under control of the Federal Communications Commission.

[@ianbutler1983]

Don't end up in Guantanamo being waterboarded!

[@nimroddiaries_]

@@ianbutler1983 😉

[@daveh2612]

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”

[@RetiredRadioChaser]

@@daveh2612 Are you sure you looked up the correct property. I thought it was only 17 acres.

[@kevinheath7588]

I grew up in Hale-Barns around the corner from Ringway golf course and Ringway airport 😊 Great video by the way :-)

[@robertmeyer4744]

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

[@Frisky0563]

The FCC now falls under the DHS these days.

[@JesperD87]

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 :)

[@Bugsworth]

Great production skills, fascinating content, clear delivery and great music again, Thank you! 😎

[@scwallac]

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.

[@markrix]

Nice research mate, nice to know where all the super secret monitors are, went by the one here in Michigan!

[@BEASTWRANGLER]

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.

[@stratojet94]

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.

[@ltbphoto]

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.

[@amtrak1007]

well you know your area hits big time when ringwaymanchester makes a video about a site... Cheers for another great video.

[@skirion8226]

Never thought my home would be on this youtube channel. Hi SW Michigan!

[@MistressGlowWorm]

Hi, FCC! Boring old me over here on a Friday Night. Hope you are having a Good Friday where ever you are listening in.😊

[@NipkowDisk]

I live just a few miles from the Washington State FCC site on Loomis Trail Road. Local folks told me it was manned until the mid-1990s or so IIRC.

[@nprlisten]

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.

[@extremeedison]

The radio waves are closely monitored by the cellular telephone companies because they have many receiving locations and sophisticated monitoring equipment to locate interference.

[@Taboftrim]

And yet people still meow on 121.5

[@mickgatz214]

Well, after seeing all those circular impressions in the ground, I'm now convinced there's no such thing as Aliens!. 😂 Great Report.

[@andyalder7910]

According to what I read the old FCC monitoring array at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage was replaced by the remote array at Kenai. I found the new Kenai facility but there are too many circular arrays at Elmendorf AFB to know which is which.

[@Aramalas]

It was located by Ted Stevens Airport in Anchorage. The Anchorage Amateur Radio Club (KL7AA) now owns the building and site. There is a site near Kenai, but the satellite photos were taken in winter so its just a blown out image of snow with a building visible.

[@andyalder7910]

@@Aramalas Got it, just North of Raspberry Rd. I was miles out looking at the array just South of sixmile lake. The new Kenai site (and others) are published by FCC as radio-quiet areas so easy to get GPS locations although if you post them your comment disappears.

[@Aramalas]

@@andyalder7910 it’s entirely possible the FCC also had a site there (I haven’t found any documentation, though), but the military does a lot of radio monitoring here considering our strategic position right across the pond from Asia. There are antenna arrays all over on JBER.

[@shawnmiller4781]

@@Aramalas I thought the airport ended up with a big chunk of that land

[@Aramalas]

@@shawnmiller4781 I’m sure they did. I’m not sure how much of it the club owns or if it’s just the building

[@shadowblade9385]

I have a story that was passed down to me by a friend relating to FCC monitoring. In the Texas panhandle during the 1970s my friend knew of this guy who had built a powerful CB radio setup in his car that exceeded limits imposed by the FCC at the time. (So much so that I was told you could hold a lightbulb near his car and the bulb would light up) He was always on the move while and thinking he could be invisible to them. However he was eventually tracked down and the FCC left a notice of his violation on his car-What he was trying to hide from the FCC. They will find you!

[@Rainmotorsports]

Problem is the people who do this will say "I am always moving" but they are always operating in the same predictable places. Not unlike the idiots who get caught using cell phone jammers on their drive to work. You literally drive the same corridor the same time every day. It doesn't matter if your route is 80 miles long, finding you is easy once some time stamped complaints roll in.

[@xxpoisonblxx]

Based on a lot of those still having *some* antennas, but not their old circular arrays, I'd gamble they've done the smart thing and just use each site as a singular point on a networked mesh, triangulating with the whole set instead of independently direction finding from each. It's exactly how I'd design it if I was building a system with modern tools, but I'm also on the IT, not radio/comm side.

[@nicopunk1]

Yep, I lived next door to the Powder Springs, GA. Post Apparently there is a gazebo type thing they can pull vehicles in to be used in mobile applications. So the story goes... dont sue me lol Also, a rumor of a man that bought a home originally tied to the post's property claimed he could hear what sounded like a radio playing music under the home from time to time

[@richb.4374]

The FCC is a joke. Around 30 to 35 years ago they actively monitored the bands from these monitoring stations with actual engineers manning them. Today it's mostly remote or done by satellites. I can remember a time when radio operators actually feared them, today they laugh at them.

[@ocsrc]

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

[@HB-ps6rn]

KrakenRF, pretty neat system.

[@JxH]

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.

[@daverobinson6110]

hi, I am the chairman of the federal munchies commission and I hereby order you to order us all a pizza. No pineapple!

[@joeblow8593]

Thanks for covering this! Cheers from the Midwest U.S.

[@DJ_Megahertz]

I have been to the one in Vero beach, Florida 30 years ago. Last I heard it is still active but it is a remote facility.

[@Rainmotorsports]

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.

[@hornerhillfarm4017]

If the FCC is indeed listening, why is the Mud Duck still on the air annoying people?

[@alzeNL]

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

[@RingwayManchester]

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!

[@MI7DJT]

Very well said and seconded!

[@Xsiondu]

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.

[@MI7DJT]

@@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!

[@PenryMMJ]

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.

[@RingwayManchester]

Haha that’s Jon at auto shenanigans. He’s a good friend of mine. Cheers mate

[@cyrilio]

You've mostly discussed UK and US stations, but how about stations in the Netherlands? While our country is much smaller I'm sure there's plenty of interesting antenna's to discuss.

[@maxron6514]

Wir Hollenders wir machen immer Spass und die duitse sie machen alles kapuut

[@LxonWWW]

@@maxron6514 Wir deutsche? xD

[@davethewhitedevil]

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

[@NevilofMars]

There is the Vero Beach location ...

[@davethewhitedevil]

@@NevilofMars Vero is 100Mi. N. Of me😉 I posted the Lat. Lon. Location of Loomis trail road site, seems my reply was not posted. I Dunno 😐?

[@stereodreamer23]

The original German code word for this array was "Wullenwever", which translated to "woolen weaver", because it looks kind of like the wheel on a spinning wheel for spinning wool yarn...

[@TexasScout]

We used to have I think three FCC listening stations near the Gulfcoast here in Texas there’s not a one left.

[@LambrettaJet200]

Great video, I did not know the listen stations were still opened. I might drive by and check one out since I live about 1 1/2 hours away from one.

[@DesertFernweh]

I live not too far from that AZ station, next time my buddy and are looking for some to wander to, ill take a look and get you some photos, maybe send the drone up .

[@goldfieldgary]

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.

[@Bluelagoonstudios]

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.

[@rustymustard7798]

Ringway: Whitewater Draw Me: already staring out my window at Whitewater Draw while listening to this lol. I'm pretty sure the station is decommissioned, but maybe this week i'll ride my dirt bike out there and check it out, take pics and whatnot. It's about 10 miles line of sight from me, i can see it with binoculars fairly well. It'll give me a reason to ride down into the valley.

[@knotgood9077]

TY for all your hard work and content contributions…just appreciating 7:54

[@AlexApol]

I live a few miles away from the MI location. Somehow I learned about it from some guy in the UK before hearing about it locally.

[@Jacob-od5yo]

The photos of the inside of the brand island one took me back to when I went to a telescope near there very similar feel in the construction

[@bktx1975]

This is fascinating, thank you! (The music is a great match too!) I'll have to watch this again.

[@AusNetFan13]

Kinda spooky but the remote FCC listening facilities reminds me of the above ground part of the building of the biological laboratory in the movie The Andromeda Strain. The early 1970s version.

[@kenlogsdon7095]

Or the little house at ground level above the silo complex in Wargames. Who knows what may lurk beneath?

[@3_Gold_Coins]

That’s what I thought too.

[@0therun1t21]

Super cool video, thanks! I live right next to San Leandro, I'll look for the old station location. Found the Livermore one on Mapcarta.

[@adamuschak4258]

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."

[@krisricketts]

You should do more videos demonstrating interesting older handheld radios I have an unused old Simoco trunked handheld that looks like a mobile phone