List of Pirate Radio Frequencies

From HFUnderground

Pirate shortwave broadcasts tend to be on well-known frequencies (or at least relatively small bands that can be quickly scanned with a traditional radio/receiver or watched/recorded with a SDR). This allows listeners to quickly find a pirate station when it comes on the air, as they only have a relatively few number of fixed places to look. A good place to look to get an idea of what frequencies are in current use is the HF Underground forum. Some of the locations on the HF band that are in frequent use include:

North American Pirate Radio Frequencies

By far the most active ranges in North America are 43 meters (6800-7000 kHz), 46 meters (6200-6400 kHz) and 73 meters (4000-4200 kHz), with some activity in the 60 meter band (4700-5300 kHz) as well. Some pirates have even shown in in the SWBC bands, including 49, 31 and 25 meters.

Last updated: March 2024

European Pirate Radio Frequencies

European pirates are found mainly in the 46 meter band (6200-6400 kHz) and the 160 meter mediumwave band (1611-1800 kHz). Unlike in North America, mediumwave and shortwave pirates are very different and mediumwave pirates are common (more so than shortwave). AM is nearly always used, so all frequencies are AM unless otherwise noted.

Last updated: December 2022

Previously Active Pirate Radio Frequencies

• 1616 - Used by AM pirates in the 1970s and 1980s
• 1620 - Used by AM pirates in the 1970s and 1980s
• 1625 - Used by AM pirates in the 1970s and 1980s
• 1630 - Used by AM pirates in the 1970s and 1980s
• 6250 - Used in the 1980s
• 6840 - Used Voice of the Voyager and others in the 1980s
• 7425 - The most popular pirate frequency in the early 1980s.

Latin American Pirate Frequencies

See also: pescadores, peskies and freebanders

The 43 meter band (6750-7000 kHz) is also heavily used by so-called "peskies" (a play on the Spanish term "pescadores - meaning "fishermen"), stations engaging in two-way radio chatter in Portuguese, Spanish and other languages (including English). Peskies generally use LSB mode. 6925 kHz LSB is one of the most active peskie frequencies, which can cause serious interference issues for pirates operating in AM mode on 6925 kHz or adjacent frequencies. The area around 6900 kHz (including 6895 kHz and 6905 kHz) are also heavily used by Spanish-speaking stations in both USB and LSB modes. Other pirates deliberately interfere with pescadore/freebander communications. There are indications that some, if not most, of the so-called "peskies" are actually land-based stations operating on bootleg frequencies, much like 11 meter freebanders operate above and below the legal 40-channel CB band. The "peskies' have shown up in the following places;

• 9500-10200 kHz
• 7400-8100 kHz
• 6765-7000 kHz
• 5000-6300 kHz

You can find loggings of Latin American Pirates here.

Some examples of Latin American Pirates

• 8000 kHz - Radio Casa
• 6925.1 kHz - RCW Chile
• 6930 kHz - Radio Pirana (slightly drifty carrier, heard on 6930.1 kHz
• 6934.9 kHz - AD149 (slightly drifty carrier, 6934.8 kHz, 6934.9 kHz, 6935 kHz)

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