Yeah I remember that, that's an old one. I wonder if it's still operating. That's basically the way KENC had his installs.
That's likely because it's out in the open no obstructions like being in town or high hills etc.
That's likely because it's out in the open no obstructions like being in town or high hills etc.
Maybe you didn't watch the video. Here's a screenshot from it showing the Procaster installation..
@richpowers Yes I watched the video. It appears out in the open. But the video didn't really show any of the area surrounding the transmitter location. So that's why I said it the way I did. But the ground lead I can see being a problem if he got a complaint lodged against that results in a visit.
Mine would get better more solid coverage if I could get mine up about another 10-15 feet. Which would bring it around 25-30 feet from around 15 now. But being in town close to other houses and power lines, that's not possible. The risk it could fall over would be a major issue if it were to hit another house or even the power line.
I'm not convinced it's the height, per say, that increases range. In this case, it's the long, potentially radiating ground lead (which is, I guess, a factor of height).
My greatest AM range was achieved by a ground mounted (about 2 feet) Rangemaster, grounded to the metal mast it was on (which was pounded about 6 feet into the Earth). It was located on a flood plain, so exceptional ground conductivity.
Mounting the transmitter on a roof and even higher (with a correspondingly long ground lead) made no discernable difference to range.
But on the other hand, I wasn't getting much range from my Talking Sign at the time. The antenna wire was run outside, but ended at the start of the sloping roof. Mounting the transmitter on the ceiling of the studio, and running the wire antenna outside so that it was above the roofline made a huge difference.
Two different installs, two seemingly opposite results.
So, I dunno. I think that operating flea power brings other factors into play that play a role in range. You just have to try things to see what works in your particular situation.
Mine would get better more solid coverage if I could get mine up about another 10-15 feet....
Considering the fact that the majority of part 15 AM transmitters manufactured during the 80s and 90s acheived ground in the exact same manner as do the TH xmtr does today - - Why not mount it on your roof or off your porch and then ground to the nearest wall outlet?
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I'm not convinced it's the height, per say, that increases range. In this case, it's the long, potentially radiating ground lead ... ..Mounting the transmitter on a roof and even higher (with a correspondingly long ground lead) made no discernable difference to range...
Well.. I'd say that's entirely dependent on your location. If the transmitter is located in a business district for example, surrounding area are shops and restaurants built essentially flush against each other, the only open paths are the streets that cross at intersections.. even at 10 feet high the signal cant make it around the corner that's just across the street... such as was my last install, and only by installing on the highest points of the roof could I begin to cover even the imeadiate area.
Richard Fry insisted that height has no bearing too (other than the lead).
..Two different installs, two seemingly opposite results.
So, I dunno. I think that operating flea power brings other factors into play that play a role in range...
No doubt about it, I know exactly what you mean.
Isn't it amazing I get 1/2 to 1km(.62 mile) around me from the basement of all places. But I think the house wiring is helping the house be a bit of a radiator. My listeners love it and say they get it better than the FM did. That's the 3rd and 4th house down from me.
@mark There was a time years ago when I was living in Ellabell that I had moved my transmitter from on top my one story roof from about the middle to the edge - about maybe 12 foot, and it made the difference between the end of the block and nearly a mile. It didn't make sense to me, no rhyme or reason to explain it.
Earlier I mentioned Fry insisted that height had no bearing, but actually I think it was "line of sight" that he said had no bearing -- which I still insist makes all the difference in the near feild.
@richpowers Maybe Rich Fry was right about height not mattering as AM waves are so long that they bend with the terrain unlike FM frequencies. RF works in mysterious ways. But you have to admit that 50 ft ground lead is helping get the 4 to 6 miles.
How does he get up there to tune it? That's like 6 1/2 stories high if you were looking at a building.
. But you have to admit that 50 ft ground lead is helping get the 4 to 6 miles.
Yeah I'd guess so. Somehow it looks higher than 50'. As for how to tune; I recall a thread either here or on the old Community Radio USA forum where someone had described how they rigged up little pulley system for tuning... I'm going to have to find it. They claimed it actually worked.
This might be it, they're talking about being able to remotely tune an atu using a motorized pulley. But I think there's a related thread to it after it was actually in action
https://www.part15.org/community/temp/talking-house-mod-agc/paged/2/#post-19189
"...The pulley wheel is the same size as the wheel put onto the ATU tuning shaft. With the gear reduction motor and identical sized wheels on both the ATU tuning shaft and the geared down motor, it allows for slow and smooth tuning through the DC motor controller board..."
@richpowers But they have to see the meter!
I should have asked how do they get up there to mount the transmitter? Maybe the pole is climbable? A crane could do it.
@richpowers But they have to see the meter!
I should have asked how do they get up there to mount the transmitter? Maybe the pole is climbable? A crane could do it.
That's how KENC did his 50' tower, Not a crane but a regular ole bucket truck) but he actually climbed the 100ft water tower
