Looking for best sounding FM transmitter that doesn't cost a fortune.

http://www.hobbybroadcaster.net/reviews/CCrane_FMT_08_03_2008_P01.html

Seems to like this device.

Check out the blogs "Scosche FMT-4 Review" and "Schosche in Second Life" here on this website. This $10.00 CERTIFIED transmitter is amazing, but it requires a couple mods like adding a power supply and changing the antenna connection on the circuit board, which is explained in those blogs. The sound is first rate and the range in adjustable from "too much" to "very little" just by changing the antenna length. Last found at Walmart in the auto department.

I'll look for that next time I get over to a Walmart and see if they have any left. Still leaning toward the C.Crane transmitter.

My old FM25 no longer offers content in stereo and it is nothing but noise now no matter how carefully I choose the frequency. Once it heats up the background noise gets really bad. I'll just box it up and hide it again.

Greg_E,

I'm glad to see you back on the Forum. You posted very frequently on part15.us a couple of years ago.

I remember a post by you which impressed me a lot at the time. I searched this website to find the post. It is dated March 7, 2007, and is in the thread, "Legality of kits." You said:

"...I'm no longer interested in trying to convince people that Part 15 might work, so I'm giving up on this stuff."

The way I interpreted your comment, you were expressing frustration with the difficulty in getting reasonable range while being in compliance with the rules. We tend to see too much optimism about the potential range of Part 15 on the discussion boards. Maybe you would be willing expand on your comment of 2007 as a much-needed "reality check."

Nope, I also couldn't get anyone here who was interested enough to allow me to try a few things. So I gave up trying to find something for our station to use. Now my needs are purely personal.

I bought one of the Scosche devices last night and just fired it up... Kind of unimpressed. The stereo separation is pretty poor compared to any of the local commercial stations, frequency response seems kind of poor too but that might be from the device that I'm using to listen since it has an audio limiting circuit to prevent hearing damage (read really bad clipper if the voltage to the speaker gets too high). Looks like I'll need to build a little compressor or some other such device to kind of level the audio out for those headphones. I'll try this device in the car later and see if it sounds better there.

As a note, for those that do work around loud devices and want hearing protection, those Peltor headphones do an amazing job of keeping the loud stuff out. Just wish I could find a way to remove the audio limiting.

I think it's probably half and half - the Scosche unit ought to come pretty close to the Ramsey in audio but it IS a $10.00 device :-), however it might also be the receiver. Several of us have found that the unit performs better at some frequencies than others, as well.

I waiting for one last email from C Crane concerning one of their stream players, after I get that I'll probably order the C Crane transmitter and one of those stream players.

Need to run down to the post office so I'll bring the Scosche with me and give it a try in the car.

Also if anyone is looking for a portable audio device... DO NOT look at the Sony NWZ-e438f player! The volume is limited to protect your hearing and only really works with 8 ohm or lower headphones. Even the connection to this Scosche is far too low and the Scosche is certainly designed to be interfaced through the headphone jack of a portable player. I may try to send this player back to Sony, though I think it will just be a waste of money since it should come back the exact same as it left. I've checked the volume issue on two different players that were purchase several months between, and the audio is the same level on both so the player is not "defective" just too quiet. I may spend some money on a pair of really good 8 ohm to 1K ohm transformers (about $100) and see what happens.

I spent some time with the Scosche connected to my good portable player... I'm really not impressed, not even for $10. it does really strange things when you fade the audio all the way to one side. There is a high frequency whine all the time especially evident when the audio is real quiet. It just doesn't sound good, so I think I'm going to order the one from C Crane tonight along with one of their internet radio players.

I've had a C Crane transmitter for several years. The sound quality is very good and the audio is well filtered from high frequency distortion (19 khz pilot interference.) The transmit range out of the box is only a few feet. There is a trimmer pot inside that can turn up the power which will then transmit around 50-70 feet. It is a bit pricy compared to many others, but I've had excellent results with mine. I have only used it with the included power adaptor.

Also have a Ramsey FM25B, also an excellent transmitter with longer range. Sound quality is similar, but tends to suffer from that high frequency distortion at times unless you cut back the high frequencies with an equalizer.

That's strange since all the reviews I've read say it has good range out of the box. If it has a short range like you describe I'm going to have to go around and trash those reviews. SHould be here today or tomorrow.

I just fired it up and you are right, the range is terrible! The reviews I read are all from several years ago so obviously something changed. Kind of makes me mad that I now have to fiddle around inside the stupid thing just to get decent coverage in my shop. I'll try it on the power supply first, but I don't expect much change from the different power source.

It does sound a lot better than the Scosche so all is not lost.

If you can pick up a ground connection on the CC unit (negative battery terminal, etc.) and connect a piece of wire (alligator clip sometimes works) around 30" long you might be able to set up a faux dipole with the included antenna for the positive side and the wire for the negative side.

If the factory antenna extends less than 30", try an alligator clip and a piece of wire to extend it.

Also, consider extending the main antenna to around 70" for a faux 5/8ths wave vertical and clip the negative side to a small ground plane like a pie tin.

I found by trial and error that top loading a short whip antenna for FM works better than extending the wire, at least for my transmitter. I started by placing an empty soda can on top of a 19" whip and measured an increase in field strength of several dB. This was just playing around and something more elegant could be fashioned if a permanent install was wanted.

Keep in mind that any modifications to a certified unit makes it an uncertified unit if this is important to you.

Neil

With the still rather short range it has, I'm not worried about the increase I gave it with the pot inside. It goes about 50 feet inside the building now which is far shorter than the Ramsey ever went. 50 feet that is good and strong and sounds good is more important than anything longer. What I couldn't stand was that every time I moved my head it would fritz (stock power level), now it is fine walking around my small shop. Should work fine for most average sized lawns if you are out mowing and want to isolate the noise and still have music.

You know it is an awful lot of money to simply be able to enjoy the music while working on tools that are loud, but at least this way I shouldn't go deaf from the very loud music and the loud tools.