After almost fifty years of part fifteening I finally have a loyal listener. Recently, our local classical public radio station changed their programming from classical music 24/7 to classical music minus the 7 to 11 and 4 to 7 slots which are now NPR news and programming. I could care less, but the wife depends on her music in the AM and PM and I was sought out for a solution since in her mind there has never been a problem I couldn't solve and the hero in the plaid shirt and jeans was called upon again to come to the rescue. Nothing wrong with NPR but it just doesn't go with her work. She can't listen to NPR and think about that and think about other things while she is working.
So, I proposed that I could patch the cable service classical music channel through my audio chain and send it out via my FM transmitter. She said "Fine, I don't care about the chains, buy some if you need them, I just want my music.". Last week it began. It is a tremendous success and she is very happy that she can have her music in the bathroom, study, family room, and anywhere else around here. (Polishing my nails on my vest a bit I brag that she said it sounds better than the other station ever did).
So, now I have an audience and the responsibility of making sure I don't forget to turn the thing on according to schedule.
Hope this makes you laugh. It pleases me.
Neil
🙂
Sorry man, but this is on FM. There's that thing about stereo you know. But if that was not a factor, your SSTRAN sounds as good as FM and maybe the wife wouldn't know the difference if I switched....
Should I try it?
Neil
Congrats Neil!!
There's a certain point of pride walking through the house and hearing your station on radios that were turned on by other people in your household. But yeah, kind of have to keep the listener in mind more. A week or so ago I was set to do a bit of tinkering and so I finished a chapter of Dickens I'd been reading and a few minutes later I just reached over and turned off the transmitter at about 2 AM. Only a few seconds later, my 17 yr old daughter's bedroom door opened.. "Hey! I was *listening*!"
Ooops. I hadn't even known anybody else in the house was awake, so I just wasn't thinking. I turned it back on and gave the matter some thought and figured out how to manage what I was wanting to do without taking the station off the air during "Dreamtime" (midnight to 6 AM).
Had a houseful of family and friends over the holidays, and that was fun too. There's a couple neighbors that tune in sometimes, but it's gotten to be more of a household project as time has passed. And the listeners that *never* miss a "Saturday Night Show", when I'm airing and talking about new music that has come in or been written/recorded in the past week are my family.
Now so far as the AM vs FM, I don't imagine all the receivers in your house are stereo? Or if they are at the moment, there might be some places where a small receiver would be nice? You could tune those ones to the AM.
Daniel
I can confirm that classical music sounds great on AM if you have good receivers! And most of the "high end" table radios-- for example, the Tivoli Model One, the Cambridge SoundWorks 705, the Sangean WR-1, and the Boston Acoustics Receptor-- aren't stereo radios anyway.
I run two classical channels-- one signal is on a Rangemaster and the other uses PhilB's creation (the SSTran). I have found settings for the SSTran that I think sound very good for classical music.
Just be sure to plug the stereo input cables into the proper jacks (the right channel is red in color), or your more knowledgeable listeners who are listening in stereo may complain that the violins are on the wrong side of the orchestra. :o)
WEAK-AM
Classical Music and More!
Just be sure to plug the stereo input cables into the proper jacks (the right channel is red in color), or your more knowledgeable listeners who are listening in stereo may complain that the violins are on the wrong side of the orchestra. :o)
Not just sure what this refers to. Neither the Rangemaster nor the SSTRAN accept or transmit stereo signals, do they?
(I don't have either one.)
Rich
Rich,
I read he was using one tx. for left and the other for right. Could be wrong.
I recall in the early days before FM stereo was prevalent (60s) where a TV station would pair with a mono AM or FM station and transmit one channel on TV and the other on radio. It really was impressive in the days before stereo.
My choice of FM here over AM is due primarily to the fact that my listener sometimes uses the "main" stereo in the family room to listen. Otherwise, her stereo portable has speakers about 4 inches apart and unless one wears it on one's head there is no stereo effect. Her other portable is FM mono. I use a Walkman with headphones and for this the stereo is worth it.
My FM range is intentionally limited to inside my house. I use the AM for most of my listening in-house and around the yard and it does a great job on classical music. Almost always, when I am outside listening (or under my truck fixing things) I don't have nor want stereo because of the incovenience of speaker separation and background noise.
Anyway, it sure is fun mostly, but it is a drag not to be able to change programming or shut off the tx. according to my whims.
Neil
I read he was using one tx. for left and the other for right. Could be wrong.
I considered that, but thought that the average, casual "community" listener to WEAK-AM might not know about the need to use two, hopefully matched AM receivers, and how they should be located with respect to which one tuned to which frequency should be placed on that listener's left vs his/her right.
Hopefully WEAK will chime in here and tell us how his Part 15 AM stereo system really works.
//
Neil,
Your post just made me smile, that's all. I just thought it was humorous that your one steady listener is your wife. It's also very nice that you were able to set up something that makes her happy. All of us guys have our antennas up all the time looking for anything that will make our wives happy 🙂
FM is fine with me.
Phil,
At least around here, happy is quiet.
Except for the radio softly playing in the background.
Some things seem to be universal don't they?
Neil
Got your attention, didn't I?!! Well, my SSTran does have stereo inputs!
By the way, I did try to contact Chris Cuff about his stereo exciter last summer, but never heard back from him. If any of you guys have been in contact with him recently, I'd be interested to learn more.
WEAK-AM
Classical Music and More!
last i heard he is out of the transmitter business due to not enough time and not enough people interested.
Aspisys is the only game in town for part 15 AM Stereo Transmitters
Thank You,
Rev. Robert P. Chrysafis
Universal Life Ministries
http://www.ulc.org
Moderator Hunterdonfree
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hunterdonfree
Have you tried one of their transmitters? I've seen them but am unsure as to their quality.
Frank
www.easthillradio.com
My Friend has one. says he likes it.
Thank You,
Rev. Robert P. Chrysafis
Universal Life Ministries
http://www.ulc.org
Moderator Hunterdonfree
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/hunterdonfree
I have numerous part 15 am and fm transmitters running around the house for different purposes. The main FM stereo is Zara automation playing oldies since the local went off the air,with a simulcast on AM and SW. Another FM Stereo is connected to a pair of public service scanners,one in each channel. Much cheaper than multiple scanners all over the house and better while on outside antennas. And another Am which I can patch into whatever is of interest,like six or ten meter ham bands listening for a band opening. Yet another has been deployed at a friends house which he has up for sale fed by an MP3 player,my poor mans version of the talking house! I am planning to put one in each of my vehicles tied into the alarm system. Instead of blowing the horn,they can silently alert me to respond.
Regards,Lee
http://www.freewebs.com/wilcomlabs/index.htm