Expanding my Part 15 Network Legally

"I am considering the Whole House FM Transmitter 2.0 is it true that I can purchase a transmitter set it up at our location Uptown Charlotte NC and purchase a antenna place it 150 feet from the transmitter and I can legally broadcast as far as the antenna will take me? If not is there a simple solution to get past the 150 feet allowed legally. I am hoping to get at least 15 miles. Am I wasting my time?"

The WH FM 2.0 TX is FCC certified. Now if it does have an extension antenna that you can purchase with the unit, and it is designed for the WH FM 2.0 and has the FCC certification number as it would appear on the transmitter, then you can use that external extension antenna, but only as it is and as it comes from the manufacturer. In other words, you cannot use some other external antenna that was not designed specifically for the WH FM 2.0 transmitter, even though the transmitter itself is FCC certified. That certification ONLY covers the transmitter in it's original stock state and any external antenna that was included with the transmitter during the certification process.

If you operate that transmitter with any other kind of antenna that did not come with the transmitter and was not included in the certification and not have the same certification number as is on the transmitter, that certification becomes void and at that point...the system would be operating outside of the Part 15 authorizations.

With an average coverage area of around 300 feet or more, you can place several of the WH FM 2.0 transmitters around your location to extend the overall coverage. With license free wi-fi systems you can link up (sound at least) the transmitters so they all get the same program source. They would have to operate on different frequencies because the WH FM 2.0 does not have the ability to synchronize their oscillators which produce the carrier frequency, and they would all cause interference with one another and possibly cause so much in-band intermod and co-channel interference the entire system would be useless.

If you want maximum coverage area legally, run AM and two or three Rangemaster transmitters which CAN synchronize together so they all operate on the same frequency.

In a nutshell, the only way to get your 15 mile target range is to "piggy back" transmitters spread out in such a way so that their individual coverage areas slightly overlap one another and if it's FM, operate on different frequencies, and if its AM, Rangemaster for synchronization.

Keep us all updated!

RFB

As RFB stated, it's not legally possible to get 15 miles with one single transmitter.

A few years back, there were a couple of Part 15 AM stations using the synchronized AM transmitter systems. One was in Sandy Springs, GA and the other was somewhere in the Carolinas (don't remember which one now.) It was called Surfside 1650, I believe.

Thanks for your time and knowledge. I think I will try the several WH FM 2.0 transmitters around my location idea at first. If that fails I will switch over to AM. I will definitely keep everyone posted on my successes and failures. I plan to purchase 3 units next Friday (pay check) and will keep everyone posted.

p.s. no word or rumors on when the FCC plans on opening the filing window for licensing huh?

Im not sure but isnt the next window in 2013/2014?

That being said, even if you file it could be until 2020 something or later to even hear a yes or no.

"Im not sure but isnt the next window in 2013/2014?"

What are you referring to? Licensing for what? If y'all are talking about a LPFM filing window ... AFAIK, the FCC has not yet announced a filing window for the latest LPFM rule changes, as there are still problems with commercial and non-commercial FM station translators.

There is a contradiction: Commercial FM translators have been on the same level as LPFM stations, but commercial stations filed for large blocks of translators already years ago. OTOH, there is a mandate in the latest LPFM law to give new LPFM stations filing priority.

See the conflict?

In another thread, I told about problems with that and the local non=commercial FM station, which is not really the same as LPFM Community Radio. But neither can be owned by an individual ... however, you can manage one (or more), and there ways to do it without a large board of directors or the like (better to keep it small anyway).

If that's not what your meaning, then I hope you will tell us what fining window you mean. Here, there was a rescue of the Non-commercial FM station (which I participated in); there is unlikely to be another filing window for this type of station in this area for at least 10 years, maybe not even in my lifetime.

(Edited add-on) ...
Also, if you do the engineering yourself, even if you have the knowledge, it will take time and moolah. Best to go here to find out more:

http://www.prometheusradio.org/

http://lists.prometheusradio.org/listinfo.cgi/stubblefield-prometheusradio.org

An individual can own neither an LPFM nor a Non-Commercial FM station, although you can certainly manage and operate one (or more). Unless you have a fair amount of spendable $$, like $5000-10,000, it's also another reason individual ownership would be impractical ... most of us would be hard-pressed to come up with FCC fees and equipment costs, even if you're a good scrounger, because recent changes in rules require the new EAS CAP protocol and both horizontal and vertical antenna signal propagation, even for basic ND antennas.

"most of us would be hard-pressed to come up with FCC fees and equipment costs, even if you're a good scrounger, because recent changes in rules require the new EAS CAP protocol and both horizontal and vertical antenna signal propagation, even for basic ND antennas."

So, where within anywhere of your post does it indicate any
worthwhile change for us "common" folk with common incomes and
most important of all, common sense.

All I see is they have made it even more difficult. And it
appears that there is not going to be any sort of new service
for low power broadcasting. And I really wish everyone would
QUIT trying to combine OUR hobby to LPFM because THEY ARE NOT
AND NEVER WILL BE THE SAME!!

I don't know about anyone else but I think there is enough
bogus regulation in radio as it is we don't need another layer
of smelly onion stink to clutter our air with more even
stricter rules and nonsense about individuals cant own this or
that bs. It almost sounds like some are fully behind such an
idea that its like a kid anxiously awaiting the parent to stop
the car so they can get out and go to the bathroom, or getting
all ants in the pants over an ice cream on a 110* day.

New services for our level of broadcasting can take the LPFM
and/or TIS stations as a base model to come up with a new
licensed service for both FM and AM. But with all the lobbying
up on hilly DC, special interest payoffs, huge corporate
conglomerate buyouts of stations left and right, the one sound
fits all format, I belive that it will be a lot more
than 10 years or our lifetimes before any real constructive
changes happens. Right now its all set up to benefit the can
do's and separate the opportunity from everyone else and only
make it reachable by the wealthy, and to boot, put in
roadblocks called rules that prevent any progress anywhere and
anytime.

I'd rather play with pirate radio than sit around expecting
anything to change out of the FCC. By the time something does
change, it will be too late anyway and none of us is really
going to care about it in the afterlife.

Want change to happen, then convince your representatives to
destroy the monopolized radio market and return productivity
to the industry and allow creativity and expansion to continue
where it left off way back in the 70's. Think that can be
done? Sure it can...if everyone puts their priorities straight
and stops condoning big corporate style gray scale radio as it
is today which is going to keep you and everyone else from
ever owning a licensed radio station serving the public
interest. In other words, not only has special interest and
big money bought out government, they also bought out the
regulatory agency and the spectrum they oversee.

Be awhile before any of us or combination of us ever comes a
fraction close to the level of crooked blood stained money
they have which as you pointed out, would take an amount well
beyond the reach of us common folk..like you and me.

RFB