@Lefty, your lawn looks like mine.
Probably the FCC wrote Part 15 AM based on d-c input power to the final r-f amplifier because that is much easier to determine ~accurately using the inexpensive metering that would be reasonably accessible to unlicensed operators.
Calibrated r-f wattmeters are expensive, and their accuracy depends on a known load resistance with ~zero SWR. Neither of those conditions is likely to be present when measuring the r-f output power of a Part 15 AM transmitter, even if a calibrated power meter was available.
WDCX
Yea our lawn is toast due to the really scary drought.
Rich
Trust me mate I read you're posts as they are very informative .
I did not start this thread to beat the poor old dead horse as I want to learn and do the right thing for our stations.
For those who are reading this thread.
I am going to do videos of the entire process so that others can see how to do this part 15 thing and see that it really can make a difference.
to all how have shared the ideas and ways to make our station work best keep it up.
That is what Part15.US is here for .
We learn then we get our stations going then we promote our stations.
Lefty, your backyard looks similar to mine
in terms of shape and existing foliage and
overhead powerlines, and that sort of thing.
My system was ground mounted with an
SS-Tran AMT-3000 and a copper pole that
was a little more than 9 feet tall. It was
in a rear corner of the back of the yard.
A plastic fence, 2 huge trees, a metal
storage shed, and a big plastic children's
playhouse were all very nearby. At one
point, the copper antenna pole was leaning
against the plastic children's playhouse so it
would stay up in the air.
I had 16 ground radials, some were 10 feet,
and some were 20 feet long. I know now that
all radials should have been the same length.
Anyway, my tuning coil was a little bit different.
Having vision problems, I felt that it would be
too difficult to build a copper pole antenna with
a loading coil. Instead, I built a physically large
coil. It had lots of taps and was somewhat tunable
with a small "ferrite" rod. This coil was connected
to the inside of the SS-Tran. It was connected at
the point where the SS-Tran internal inductors were
supposed to be. I had taken them out of line. The big
coil sat next to the SS-Tran on top of a cinderblock.
It worked pretty well. The best range with a car radio
was almost exactly 2 miles. The signal could be heard
OK on radios in some houses on my street, although
tests were very very limited. In the kitchen of a house
(5 houses down the street) the signal was almost noise
free on a GE Superadio. 10 houses in the other direction -
the signal was about 70% signal, 30% noise on an unknown
boombox. However, the lots on this street are right next to
each other, and they are also narrow as viewed from the front.
Well, anyhow, the signal was getting into houses that were
nearby. I did have listeners in those houses.
Because of vision problems, my system was not built
well and became unreliable. I took it apart, and have
not been able to rebuild it.
I wish you the very best of luck with this. Trust me,
it will be fun!
Bruce, DOGRADIO 1020 kHz Carrier Current
%
Thank you for the report Mr Dog radio .
It's going to be a great project that I hope will truly help the radio world.
Thanks. I never considered that. Makes plenty of sense.
I think the power lines may help instead of hinder you.
The rf in proximity of the power lines could carry your signal along those power lines into homes around your expected coverage area. Like carrier current but without the intentional connection to the neutral side of the wiring in your home.
Thanks Rock97!
I hope it works just that way ..