This is a very interesting device.
This is a very interesting device.
It is both FCC and Industry Canada certified (the Canadian certification is to FCC field strength levels, rather than the more generous Canadian ones). It was certified with a dipole wire antenna that has an F connector, which allows for some creativity in installation.
The transmitter appears to be no longer manufactured (at least, I couldn't find it on the Internet) - I purchased this at least 5 years ago, and recently came across it in storage. It consists of a commercial grade CD drive, and the FM transmitter. You can either load a CD into it for a continuously looping program, or transmit live. It is frequency agile, and can transmit in both FM stereo and mono.
I installed the FM-350 much as I had installed my Chez Radio Talking Sign (and reported here). I installed the dipole inside a PVC pipe, and then ran the short coax feedline through the wall to the transmitter, which was sitting on a shelf mounted near the ceiling. The pipe containing the dipole was mounted on my eve outside; unfortunately, due to the short feedline, the top of the dipole did not quite make the roofline (when mounted vertically).
I used the device for live broadcasting only, and set it for 99.7 FM Mono (really, the only frequency that is open in the area of the world that I live in).
Sound quality was excellent. There was a tiny bit of low level hum, but overall it sounded almost as good as my Decade MS-100 (definitely subjective, I know, but much better than any other FM transmitter that I have tested out).
Range was OK, but certainly not at the Decade's level (but the Decade I have was tuned to Canadian unlicensed standards, with 4x the field strength of the Landmark). My installation, a cut above a typical Part 15 FM station with a whip antenna indoors, certainly helped. Using a good car radio, noise started creeping in at about 600 feet, and the signal degraded considerably at about 800 feet. You could still hear it fading in and out as the car moved beyond that 800 foot mark, but I wouldn't want to listen to it. Range was much less using a portable radio (as was expected).
I attempted mounting the dipole horizontally, and didn't notice any difference in the range. I would have thought that the signal polization might make a difference, but then realized that the antenna on my car was mounted on an angle in any event (one of those helically wired jobs at about a 45 degree angel at the back of the roof of the car). Perhaps I would have gotten slightly better range with a vertically mounted antenna on my car (and a vertically mounted transmitter antenna).
If anyone can pick one of these up used or NOS, I'd recommend it. From what I can recall, I paid under $200 for this one new, much less expensive than the Decade.
Landmark is still around, but this transmitter, apparently, isn't. Too bad.
see riches comments about the landmark at this link.
i believe he may be on target in his assumptions and might be one of the reasons why the tx is no longer available.
look at the certification data for the landmark 350 it uses a fixed wire antenna in the certification not a removable dipole.
The Landmark transmitter I have has both an FCC Part 15 certification number and an Industry Canada RSS210 certification number. I had looked it up in the Canadian database, and it was certified in Canada with U.S. field strength numbers (which makes sense, given the relatively small market up here). It does have the F connector with the dipole antenna, just as the certified Talking House has an F connector allowing you to connect to an ATU. Obviously, including a standard antenna connector on a certified piece of equipment isn't always forbidden.
Landmark made a number of transmitters in the day. And a lot of them had nearly identical product numbers, causing a lot of confusion. I can't speak to anything Rich or anyone else said in that link, but the one I have is definitely Part 15/RSS210 certified (with the official stickers on the case) and therefore legal.
The Landmark doesn't have the greater field strength of the Canadian-tuned Decade MS-100, but the configuration allows me to install that (unmodified, factory supplied) wire dipole antenna outside at the top of my house a lot easier than the Decade (which was meant to be installed indoors) - and it gets almost equal range compared to the Decade sitting on my desk (which has to penetrate walls and other obstructions closer to the ground). I certainly don't get the maximum 1 km range from the Decade here in Pitt Meadows that I got on Bowen Island, but then, I'm in a relatively flat residential area, as opposed to being high on a hillside overlooking my desired coverage area, with almost nothing between the transmitter antenna and the receiving antennas of the cars in the ferry lineup.
As to why they stopped making it, who knows? I don't think there's a huge market for legal Part 15/RSS210 FM transmitters, due to the very limited range. A lot of manufacturers have come and gone in that arena. While Part 15 AM is challenging, at least you can get out a little further.
I didn't see any range specs. Also, they are pricey ...IMO the Decade MS-100 units are well known and a bit less expensive, my current choice (when I can develop enough projected income) for taxicab ad broadcasting.
Don't get me wrong. I still consider the Decade the cadillac of Part 15 FM transmitters. It's just that the Landmark FM-350, at least right now for me, was easier to install. I imagine at some point I'll put my Decade back into a weatherproof box, and get it on top of the roof but for now, the Landmark is performing adequately.
Hi, I'm a newbie here. Can anyone share info on the unit I have. It's an Aluminum enclosure with very basic controls.
FM350-u Frequency
x10 X11 x.1
Thanks.
Seems the one available now is: http://www.landmarkfm.com/LM-Specs-S100.htm
Same price as the Decade MS-100 mono model and only part 15 compliant.Not certified for Canada now.
Decade best!
Mark
Landmark used to make a number of Part 15 & Industry Canada certified transmitters. Many were certified under RSS210 for NON broadcasting use in Canada. I myself sometimes use a Landmark 350 (IC RSS210 certified, as well as Part 15 certified) to broadcast to myself around the house (although it has a range to a car radio of 100 meters+, depending on direction) - RSS210 is identical to Part 15.239 for FM).
It has a plastic enclosure, and is basically an industrial quality CD player mated with an FM transmitter.
The transmitter sounds almost as good as the Decades, with a built-in AC power supply, no hum and great fidelity. It can broadcast in either mono or stereo.
I don't know if this is the same as your model - there is no 'U' in the model name on mine, which was purchased maybe 8 years ago. The cost back then was much less than the MS-100, around $200 new.
but just noted when this thread came up again that the one made now is not the same as the one before.
Mark
were stand alone FM's with gold colored anodized aluminum casings very well made.
i have had a few within the last decade. i would love to have another one.