legality of long, horizontal, unburied ground radial, Part-15 AM

Hi, Jeff, and welcome.

You are asking a question which will evoke many opinions since it is a gray area. You are probably familiar with the Part 15.219 rules pertaining to the total length of the antenna, transmission line, and ground lead and the problem is how the ground lead is determined.

As written, this is subject to interpretation and the only one which counts is that of an FCC inspector. I don't think we can answer this for you, but stay tuned for others' thoughts on this.

Neil

Agreeing with what Neil Radio8Z just said, that the FCC inspector might not be predictable as to how he views the situation, I would say that it should qualify as legal IF...

The elevated ground radials each have an equal but opposite radial.

The transmitter ground feeding the center of a horizontal long wire, 50% of the wire facing, say, south, the other half of the wire facing north, there should be no increase in net radiation but the benefit of ground radials would be realized.

The more radials of this type you add, the better should be the performance.

I've always discouraged noticeable part 15 operations if you live anywhere near New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Oregon, or where there has been severe issues with Pirate Radio. But and this is the big thing you can have your transmitter elevated and do this legally and not get a NOUO from the FCC. In some states it is LAW that any antenna installation MUST BE GROUNDED for SAFETY!! That said one can have an elevated install and be legal if...

1. You hire a licensed electrician to put an electrical box and outlet (with ground the same way any electrical house or industrial system would be grounded).

2. Use a short ground lead (3 inches) to the electrical box or better yet a transmitter like the Talking house (iAM, or any transmitter that uses the 3^rd prong as ground).

   Now the FCC inspector should not be able to mess with you because arguably your installation must be grounded for SAFETY and thus since you used a 3 inch ground lead by right your not breaking any laws. Now some may say but... ah ah ah however this and that. There is no room for but here as a Radio engineer friend pointed this out to me its a safety issue and this has been brought up in the part 15 world. If KENC in Oregon had done this they probably would have still been operating as a part 15 station today and his wedding would have not been interrupted by the inspector who saw his ground lead as too long. It would be the same thing as a talking house AM Transmitter operating in a 30 story building and your on the 30^th floor with the wire antenna and transmitter transmitting from your 30^th floor balcony. You still are legal because you have the Talking House transmitter plugged into the apartment outlet. Hope this helps. And no I can't give you the person's name who told me this. He could lose his job in Radio if I told you who.

In some states it is LAW that any antenna installation MUST BE GROUNDED for SAFETY!!

But Federal law states that an unlicensed transmit system may not use an antenna system whose radiating conductors exceed 3 meters, total in length [see FCC §15.219(b)].

That said one can have an elevated install and be legal if... You hire a licensed electrician to put an electrical box and outlet (with ground the same way any electrical house or industrial system would be grounded). Etc.

Note that while such a ground may be satisfactory and legal for the a-c power system of that building, it does NOT provide an r-f ground at that electrical box.  RF currrents present on the short "ground lead" of the transmitter will continue to flow along the wire connected between the electrical box and the ground rod installed near the a-c service entrance.

The entire length of that conductor will radiate, and almost certainly put the transmit system in violation of FCC §15.219(b).

Therefore the only way of complying with state law is to violate federal law, and the only way to comply with federal law is to break state law.

For those wishing to have the National Electrical Code to keep side by side with their Part 15 FCC Rules, here is a link.

The National Electrical code is compiled by a standards organization and is not a federal agency.

Some states adopt all or part of the NEC.

https://archive.org/stream/NationalElectricalCode/National%20Electrical%20Code#page/n1/mode/2up

But the lead of the ground to the power box is 3 inches. So again for safety it has to be grounded to protect against lightning strikes that would otherwise burn down your house. I'm sure if an inspector got a bug up his or her butt on this one it could be fought in court and most likely the NOUO would have been dropped. And if the FCC agent would impose upon you that you don't ground your systen and thus risk the lives of your family and other residence of that apartment complex not only can you sue that inspector when (Not If) lightning strikes your installation and causes property damage or loss of life (or both). At that situation I'd go for the maximum penalty of involuntary man slaughter of anyone was killed in that fire or electrocuted due to over zealousness of the inspector's behalf.  If if it was in a state that imposes the death penalty I'd go for it.  Murder is murder and being over zealous because of some lobby group jealous of a puny part 15 station is no excuse.  Case closed.

So again for safety it has to be grounded to protect against lightning strikes that would otherwise burn down your house.

It IS possible to install an unlicensed AM transmit setup to be compliant both with the electrical code, and FCC Part 15.

But that doesn't include attaching a 3 inch "ground lead" to a long, radiating conductor connected to a buried ground rod -- whether that conductor is a tower, a flagpole, a water tower, or the utility ground conductor of the a-c power distribution wiring in a building.

Rich has introduced hopeful information: "It IS possible to install an unlicensed AM transmit setup to be compliant both with the electrical code, and FCC Part 15."

That is excellent news, Rich. We now look forwatd to your presentation on the subject.

Yes I am waiting Rich.

Thanks all, for the replies.  Hope to try this soon, and also Station 8's design when it's available (present transmitter is TH-5.0).

And even if you run the wire of a talking house AM Transmitter up your wall of a 30^th story apartment and again the Talking House uses the 3^rd prong of the AC as ground again meets code because again the lead is less than 3 meters. I must point out the case where as a boy had a certified part 15 transmitter inside a very high apartment and some owner of a Radio station griped and the boy and his parents were litigated by an FCC inspector who didn't like the type of Range the boy was getting. The judge ruled in the boy's favor and he was able to happily broadcast again. I bet if push came to shove and someone had the stamina and dollars to take it to the supreme court they'd win the case. Just needs for that to happen just once to the wrong person in the FCC inspector's case.

(see below)

- Install the AM transmitter with ~ 3-meter vertical whip attached so that its chassis is a few inches above the earth

- Connect a short wire from the r-f ground terminal of the transmitter to an acceptable ground reference such as a copper-plated rod, buried vertically immediately below the transmitter

Two questions about this. One If you live on the 30^th floor of an apartment building we are supposed to run a audio cable 30 stories high up to our apartment? Even if we had to try and do this via a wireless Audio Video transmitter surely to God you'd be over the limits for part 15 no matter if it were FM or 2.4 Ghz. Well maybe you would have a chance for FM at 30 stories. But lets assume we want to have the clearest Audio signal. Now the shield of the audio cable will act as a radiator and you'd get out for miles. Hey not a problem get it your Audio cable will act as a counterpoise for your monopole. This makes your system like a backwards dipole. Even if your Landlord would allow you to somehow run your wire all the way up to the 30 floor with the wire outside I bet some how the FCC would count the shield of your audio line as ground after what is shield in audio cable when it comes to transmitters with an 1/8^th inch plug? And without the shield all you'd have is one LOUD HUM!! I'd like to see the range of this install for sure.