Pirate radio may be interesting, but it broadcasts trouble, too

While I enjoyed your article about the pirate stations in Boston (''Pirate radio," Oct. 16, City Weekly), I do have to comment on the potential interference issue that some of these stations can cause.

First of all let me say I am a breed of radio listener called a DXer. This means I chase long-distance radio signals. I have logged over 1,200 FM stations from the US, Canada, Bahamas, etc. from my location in Hingham. I've also logged over 600 AM stations from North and South America, Europe, and Africa. I also listen to the shortwave bands.

Personally I find pirate stations interesting and sometimes fun to listen to. However, for the most part they are poorly engineered with over-modulated and distorted audio. Sometimes they also drift off frequency. The interference issue is where I think they have their biggest problem. Some of these stations can be heard quite far beyond their intended target audience, thereby causing interference to local stations and their listeners. This is perhaps more of a problem on the AM band due to potential nighttime skywave interference.

I do know that a pirate station a few years back caused interference to the local TIS (Travelers Information Service) station for Logan Airport. A pirate also caused interference with a religious station from Maine on the same frequency. A station can also cause interference on the frequencies adjacent to it if it is poorly run.

Hope this sheds a little more light on the pirate radio issue.

KEITH McGINNIS Hingham