Hello! I'm new to this board. I was reading into Part 15 AM, and I am thinking about starting a little station of my own. I've always been interested in broadcasting, so this is right up my alley. I know about the Rangemaster, which I have been considering purchasing, but since I know very little about the technical aspects of these, are there people out there who can legally install a transmitter and antenna? I'm not looking to bend or break any rules, just to operate legally.
A main issue for me is the frequency. I live in Wayne, MI a suburb of Detroit and not too far from Ann Arbor as well. The 1610+ dial is only alloted to TIS stations due to Canada being so close. Problem is, every frequency has some sort of noise. 1660 and 1680 are from stations on the west side of the state, but still come in OK due to a wide open band. 1620 is owned by the city and has their transmitter less than 1/2 mile from my house. I haven't noticed any splattering on 1610 or 1630, but would it be wise to operate here? 1640, 1690, and 1700 are licensed to adjacent cities and have some signal into my area. 1650 is an option, but there's always some sort of noise on it. If I operated here, would my signal overpower the noise?
Sorry for the long winded post, but I have so many questions and want to know as much as possible before I jump into this.
It sounds like the expanded band is very busy in your area. I prefer to have at least 3 unused channels between me and any strong signal, because when you get too close to another signal there are some radios that have a problem keeping the signals separate.
Your signal will sound best against the noise at noon, but as darkness gets closer the background noise gets louder until your range drops off very nearby.
Scan the area from 1300kHz to 1600 kHz, sometimes there's a space in that area.
You might find an engineer at a local AM station who can help, or sometimes a good electronics person, maybe at a college, trade school or tv repair shop.
Ham (amateur) radio people are a very good resource for finding a consultant.
This website is fabulous for sharing ideas about Part 15.
I would go with 1650 That noise is probably from a Computer monitor or something It can be over powered. But since 1610 or 1630 is also open try those too. Once you get your transmitter and test the range for each of those Frequencies.
Recalling the fact you are considering a Rangemaster, amazingly enough that is the one transmitter certified for 1710 AM!! Check that out.
I never thought of asking an actual AM engineer. I thought they would frown upon this, especially because I would like to sell advertising or program spots at some point.
1650 does have voice from time to time, and it doesn't sound like the TIS stations on that frequency about 10 miles away. That's a big problem here- there are so many suburbs of small or medium size and many have their own station. The only thing I worry about 1610 is the possibility of Class B WAAM on 1600. It's about 20-25 miles away, but the signal is strong. No splatter onto 1610, but I don't want to cause any problems.
I'll have to do a thorough band scan later this week. Finding a third channel adjacent may prove next to impossible though. There are just too many stations in Detroit, Ann Arbor, Toledo, and Windsor to have that kind of spacing.
I'll keep you updated. I won't be getting the transmitter until I have a definate contact of someone who can install it. The last thing I need is having a transmitter and no one to hook it up! I'm not even going to attempt to do it myself until I see someone in person.
Most engineers, from experience, enjoy the art of transmitting and may not be so concerned about commercial competition. But the sales staff and management might worry a little bit, unless they're astute enough to realize that Part 15 is no real threat. Someone else on this website suggested getting to know the station operators to assure them you are a friendly neighbor.
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