Saw a new post on Facebook today; this guy has a Procaster in a little historic downtown, airing short-format programming "about downtown, what's going on, events, parking, things like that. ... located at our restaurant in the center of downtown." Originally airing just a long continuous loop from a small USB device, he's now upgraded to a PC with Zara Radio, and configured for remote operation. He also streams the station locally....
Doesn't that sound like a beautiful little operation! It is, no doubt. But that's not all he's upgraded. He goes on about how he's raised his transmitter from the 11' it's been at for a few years, but now raised it to 20', grounded to the steel pole and his range has doubled to 3 to 4 miles.. he shows clear pictures of the install and everything.
One comment simply said "Completely illegal.", then in a follow up comment concluded by saying: "... .. In addition, he has the guts to actually commanded to admit how he is breaking the law on a Facebook group. Wow!"
I saw the same post. It came up in the first feed so I looked at it.
There was a question of the legality.
Here's my take on it. If you have a metal pole 20 ft high and the ground lug of the Procaster is connected to the pole via a wire and the pole is grounded into the earth then that is not compliant as the metal pole is actually a 20ft ground lead....it's a conductor same as if it was a length of wire. But....if the pole is not grounded but attached to the roof then it could be legal, debatable.
Here's my thought...You can see same claims and videos on youtube of someone driving around checking the range of their AM reception using a Procaster, Rangemaster or even a Talkinghouse and they are getting it 4 and 5 miles+ away! To my thinking for that range it has to be not quite legal.
There's no doubt in my mind that grounding to a metal pole is equivalent to a long ground lead, regardless of whether that pole is attached to anything or not. It becomes part of the antenna system, which is supposed to be a maximum of 3 meters in length.
That's the letter of the rules. But it's the FCC (in the U.S.) and ISED (in Canada) that interprets those rules. In the past, that's been allowed by some inspectors. I suspect that if you get a good one, they will look at the spirit of the rules, and go from there.
The spirit of the rules is to limit range, to avoid interference with licensed operations. 1 mile is possible operating within the letter of the rules in the U.S under Part 15, and in Canada under RSS210. I would think that you'd be OK with range equal to approximately that, or less, unless you get a real stickler of an agent.
Any more, and you risk interference, definitely breaking the spirit of those rules (it was sheer range that got KENC), never mind the letter (you can't beat physics after all). I'd say you're operating illegally with 3-4 mile range, and would probably be shut down if investigated.
@artisan-radio I looked again and he did say there is no ground "counterpoise" that the transmitter isn't connected to the pole via the ground lug just the clamps that hold the Procaster to the pole. In other words up 20ft with no connected ground. He did say something about lightning protection but that seems to be not there now. He says the transmitter is isolated from the pole. But just 20ft up and no ground hearing it 4 miles away? It still seems to far if it is legal to the letter of the rule. But here are the pictures of his set up. So I have to think something is up to get 4 miles at 20ft and 2 miles from 11 ft up. A picture is worth a thousand words and there's definitely wires connected to the ground from the Procaster going somewhere. No, I stand corrected, that is the audio and power cable!
And he's talking miles not kilometers, a big difference.
WAIT....in addition to my above post It just came to me. Smart me. I'm giving myself a compliment!
This what is wrong and how he's getting the range. He thinks the pole is isolated from the transmitter and he has no ground but no! The cabinet of the Procaster is metal. The circuit board is held inside by 4 metal screws to the inside of the cabinet. The ground points on the circuit board are in contact with the mounting screws. The cabinet of the procaster is actually the ground!!! Therefore the metal 20 ft pole that is attached via the clamps on the Procaster housing around the pole is connected to GROUND! Doesn't matter if nothing is connected to actual ground lug on the outside of the cabinet. The pole just contacting the cabinet via the screws and the mounting clamps is acting like a 20ft ground rod. So whether he knows it or not that pole is a 20 ft ground rod. The only way around it is to place an insulator like a large piece of rubber in between the pole and the Procaster.
You know something, this has to explain the unreal ranges seen with some videos. They are mounting the Procaster on a high metal pole. It doesn't matter if anything is connected to the actual ground lug. I think I am the first to realize this about metal poles.
I just checked on mine and yes the 4 screws holding the board to chassis electrically connects the cabinet to circuit board ground!
That would do it.
This would also apply to mounting it on a metal fence post and you have a 100 yard long fence as a ground.
Yes that explains a lot. What you don't know really does improve range.
When I posted about yesterday there was only 4 comments there, now there's over 50 nested comments.. I just added one pointed out that it was irrelevant if the pole itself is grounded or not, (he says it's not and that it's just stuck in concrete) because either way the 3 meter rule is still violated by the 30 ft antenna. Only if he disconnects his transmitter lead from the pole itself at the top would it be legal.
If so ungrounded, he has a 30' offset antenna, if it is grounded then he has a 30' monopole antenna. Neither is compliant.
This is really what killed the hobby.. and why the forums have all almost completely died, the damn the rules!
This reminds me of the part 15 install that used to be at the Gerald Ford Airport "viewing park", it would rebroadcast the air traffic control radio communications on 1650 so that the public could listen as they watch the planes take off and land. The airport created a webpage for the park 5 years ago which included the following paragraph... https://web.archive.org/web/20220518005106/https://www.grr.org/aircraft-viewing-park
"While at the viewing park, tune your radio to 1650 AM to listen to air traffic controllers, pilots, and GFIA airfield operations staff, as they coordinate the safe passage of aircraft into and out of GFIA. The airport viewing park is open daily from 7:30am-8:00pm. While the viewing park is patrolled by Airport Police, patrons are encouraged to report any suspicious activity to the Airport Communications Center at 616-233-6055."
Over at HB Paul Dobosz of PD Technologies LLC, around that same time submitted a profile of that station stating it had actually been in continuous operation since 2016, although the Gerald Ford Airport website mades no metion of it until 2021. Anyway it continued broadcasting for about another two years then apparently ceased operation in the Winter of 2023, (presumably, since that's when the above paragraph was omitted from that page)
What I found most curious was that it was ISS (manufacturer of the Talking House/info spots and TIS transmitters) who had installed it -- It was a Procaster! That surprised me so much! This had been before ISS came out with their new outdoor range extender, so they installed a competitors transmitter instead!
But here's how all this applies to the current topic.. In the HB profile of that station (authored by Dobosz https://www.hobbybroadcaster.net/profiles/gerald-ford-international-airport.php) he provides several pictures, the actual install is pictured highlighted with arrows describing here is the transmitter "about 10 feet above ground level" and an arrow for the antenna extending another ten foot from there, and a third arrow pointing at the base of the pole indicating where the audio equipment is...
Well, the image obviously shows it's not actually compliant with 15.219, be ause it's a 20 foot antenna system - right? But no need to worry because he seems to attempt at explaining that away by pointing out that the transmitter is actually even with the ground of the area it's the intended to serve! Is that hilarious? Here's the exactly what he said:
"The Transmitter itself and attached whip antenna are mounted at the top of the pole about 10 feet above ground level. Because the viewing park is slightly elevated, the base of the antenna is at about the same elevation as the viewing park."
Now I don't think he was really trying to condone the non-compliant of the install by saying that, but still thought it humorous. Nor does the extended lead necessarily mean it was illegal.. perhaps with it being at an airport, maybe it's somehow applicable to Campus Broadcast which have neither an antenna nor field strength associated with it is except at the campus boundaries - So it's plausible it was actually compliant, but if not, I find it ironic that HB would so prominently display those pictures on his site.
The problem with any elevated installation, at least if you want to be in compliance with the rules, is that an AM transmitter simply won't work without some sort of ground.
You can attempt, like Mark did (wrapping 18 inches of wire around the circuit board inside a ProCaster case), at installing some form of elevated ground. But by definition, anything else running to real ground will take the antenna system over the maximum length allowed.
You're left with ground mounted installations (which can work quite well, by the way), or, as in the case of PD Technologies, spouting nonsense in an attempt to explain away the non compliance. You can also just ignore the rules and hope you don't get caught.
This thing of elevated installations being 'better' is overstated, imo. As discussed here previously, AM broadcast band signal wavelengths are large enough that they can bypass obstructions, per say. That's not to say that they can always penetrate buildings, but all things being equal, buildings won't 'obstruct' the signal.
The big problem is electrical and other forms of interference that come from buildings. If your installation is close to a building, it can play havoc with your installation. And other buildings can generate quite powerful RF interference, depending on what's in them - I believe it's that, rather than the structure, that causes the issues.
I was able to achieve over a mile range in my car (up to 2 miles in one direction - I think the signal was following railway tracks) with a ground mounted Rangemaster, mounted on a pipe pounded almost entirely into the Earth, and grounded to that pipe. No radials. Great ground conductivity (a flood plain), however. The transmitter was about 2 feet from a shed in the backyard, but about 20 feet from the main house.
Calculations done here have demonstrated that if you're getting much more than that kind of range, you're getting some 'help'. A longer antenna system, increasing your field strength to way above what is possible legally. Maybe even running with more power than allowed (which is easy to do with the Rangemaster, for example - mine was tuned to exactly 100 milliwatts to the final, as verified by a multimeter, not even relying on their supposed automatic tuning system).
And yes, I do believe it's people attempting to bend the rules that has caused problems with the public appearance of legal, unlicensed broadcasting.
..., or, as in the case of PD Technologies, spouting nonsense in an attempt to explain away the non compliance....
I'm not saying that's what he actually meant, only that it seemed to imply as such.
This thing of elevated installations being 'better' is overstated, imo. A..., but all things being equal, buildings won't 'obstruct' the signal. ..
That's the same thing Rich Fry insisted was true, and while I did respect his expertise, I still strongly disagree with it. It appears completely obvious from my own past installs that nearby buildings absolutely will "block the signal".
..The cabinet of the Procaster is metal. The circuit board is held inside by 4 metal screws to the inside of the cabinet. The ground points on the circuit board are in contact with the mounting screws. The cabinet of the procaster is actually the ground!!! Therefore...
I brought that up on the Facebook group after you commented the above, but he says the Procaster case is made of plastic. There was an older version of the Procaster, right? Don't know what the current model cases might be.
That little thing I did with the wire wrapped around the circuit board inside doesn't radiate outside the cabinet as the cabinet is a shield. And 18 or 20" is a legal ground length anyways. I am using less then the 104" antenna. But did make a noticeable difference in the signal from the antenna and the tuning meter peaked higher.
The power supplies with the 3rd prong like the ones me and Artisan got with the talking signs gets the electrical ground in the house but I tried with a regular 2 prong adaptor and it didn't make any difference except more humming which is greatly attenuated by an earth grounded power supply.
If I, standing on the basement floor put my hands on the cabinet it increases the signal strength as I now am a ground lead.
But Artisan is correct and it's what I thought all along that claims of 4 miles and more and something is up and is helping it. Yes on a metal pole, fence, TV tower and due to the construction of the Procaster with the circuit board ground and cabinet connected electrically and physically explains it. Wooden mounting surfaces eliminate this. I never realized this till yesterday.
But I think the Rangemaster is a fiberglass case? If so then this wouldn't apply as the case is not a conductor. But my thin wire wrapped around the board a few times would still act as a counterpoise with the Rangemaster like what I did and the same as putting an FM transmitter on a metal surface.
It takes the place of having an actual ground to the earth. Maybe not as good but it works.
Rich Powers does make a good point about all these rules and accusations that is bad for these forums. And I agree that the letter of the law and the scrutiny is a turn off for a lot of people as the poster from Facebook that this discussion is about. But on the other hand for a forum based on legal operation their has to be some guidelines. Maybe other posters shouldn't all gang up on someone posting a set up that could be not legal and just leave it to the admin or moderators to look after it in a nice way.
But one Facebook forum isn't strictly about legal operation and anything can be talked about but it gets little to no action either and has been paused and not operating.
@richpowers The current cases is the one I have and the one the poster has. Old or newer they have always been in aluminum cases. I think, you could correct me on this, but your Rangemaster is in a nonconductive fiberglass case? If so then mounting on a metal pole or fence wouldn't matter.
Rich, it's not buildings blocking signals. The waves effectively go around the structure. It's the RF interference from electrical activity that causes the illusion that the building is blocking them. If a building was a shed, for example, with no electricity, it would have no effect.
In addition to that, elevating your antenna at home will get it further away from the electrical activity in the home. Again, it may appear that it's getting the signal above nearby structures, but I believe that it's just getting away from that home's RF interference.
I used to think that Rich Fry was full of it regarding obstructions as well, but I've changed my views on the matter.