Need info on buying new high performance transmitter

The reason almost no one can answer your question is that there's probably nobody who has tried both Hamilton and Procaster, because if they have one of them they don't have the other.

I would bet my money on an AMT5000 from SStran.com, but it's something I have a hunch about, because I have not had one of the more expensive transmitters to try.

Right now with a somewhat inefficient antenna my AMT5000 gets all over the neighborhood. When I get an outdoor antenna with radials installed I think the range will scare me by going several times as far as it does now.

One thing that makes me doubt the true efficiency of either the Rangemaster or Procaster is that there's no mention of ground radials, without which I doubt anyone could get the best range.

Wow all over the neighborhood. Sounds good. I have the MS-100 which is made by the
same person who makes the procaster. The transmitter has a good output power.
I have a watt meter that shows down to 5 miliwatts to 100mw on one scale.
The next range is 50mw to 1 watt. So I am able to hook the output of these
transmitters up and see what they are actually outputing in power.
Yes this watt meter will cover the entire AM broadcast band. It will
actually go down to 300Khz and up to 5 Mhz. This meter was designed to be
used on the AM band. it also has the 10 watt range for the Low LPAM that is license
to make sure you are at 10 watts.
This is a LPAM watt meter it will also show reflected power so you know how well
your antenna is matched up to your transmitter,Yes you can calculate your SWR
by the reflected power.
Anyways I had the Ramsey transmitter and set it up just like they said and it ended
up having an output of 200 milliwatts or more. That transmitter ended back up in
it box.
You are correct that the Range master and the Procaster have no ground radials
and I cannot see how either transmitter could have a good range,but they claim
on their sites 2 miles or more.and on the Rangemaster you see people claiming
5 to 10 miles. Wow I just cannot believe that. This is why I was hoping to
hear from people who has them,and let me know what kind of Range they are getting
out of them. See with the type of transmitting I will need an FCC transmitter
that was approved. If I do start getting 3 miles out I do not want the FCC
shutting me down because there is no FCC ID on the transmitter.
This is the only reason why I am even looking at them.

I know the AMT5000 is a good transmitter and I know phil knows his stuff.
I have talked to him years ago about desiging a transmitter with a Class D or class
E bias final. This is where you start seeing a 100 percent effiecency out of a transmitter. I knew this because of being an electronic engineer myself.
I know that the range master used only a 8ft whip instead of a full 10 ft antenna
like the Procaster. This really hurts the range master since he cut his antenna
even shorter. The other thing is who loading coil matches the antemma the best.
Or if they use a transmatch system which is a transformer match.
Still who has the lowest loss in whatever they decided to match the antenna,
Who actually getting the best power transfere from the transmitter to the
actual radiator. Which is their 8 ft whip and 10ft whip on the procaster.
Now they could get a ground system if both of these transmitters were
mounted close to the earth ground and ground radials could be used then.
I know no one could have both,but let hear from people who have these transmitters
and tell what kind of range they are getting out of them. Let be honest about
the true range. This way it helps everyone in buying one of these high price
transmitters.

Thanks and GOD BLESS

Hi Sean i have the rangemaster  unit which came with a 1/4 wave 102 inch cb antenna  at 50 ohm load unit ran very well when i tested with and without ground ( range was about a mile  aprox 13 feet) but didnt give me the range i really wanted so i came up with my own antenna design and got even more range., the rangemaster does have adjustable output coil to give you easier adjustment for different antennas but you have 2 steps to tunning output.

On the procaster i'm still testing the unit works good the unit does not have a 50 ohm output but simple to tune up but you must have a solid ground on my unit to work well other wise range is not good or what i like, but when using my antenna it help on range but not enough.

In the long run i compare both transmitter at same height ( aprox 10 feet ) and place and using my antenna design with no 8 foot ground attached just my hot antenna and ground antenna the rangemaster beat the procaster in range i had a solid 2 mile range with rangemaster and that was as far as i went and what dead spots i had was filled my station signal.

You can also go to hobbybroadcaster.net they also did test on both units as well. Everything has pro and cons due your home work because everyones different in opion.

I still need to purchase sstran transmitters to do my test.

Download fcc oet bulletin 63 you can run kit transmitter but you have to prove to the fcc it follows there testing procedures and your only allowed to have some many complete kits in you possesion.

It better to have the certified transmitter and make sure you have a label on the outside of transmitter so the can see with eye glasses and also make sure you have same information hanging in your studios. Need fcc id  number, station name not a legal call that station uses thats illegal !!!!

I hope i help some take it easy and good luck and keep us informed

Station 8 says what a lot of people believe, that "having a certified transmitter is better in the eyes of the FCC."

I will tell you why that is not true.

The "certification" only means the company that manufactures the transmitter has FCC approval to sell fully built transmitters.

It does not mean that those who use such transmitters are any better off.

The truth is that the same FCC Part 15.219 or 15.209 rules apply to all AM stations, whether they have self-built transmitters, kit made transmitters, or fully assembeled "certified" transmitters.

The certification is only a license for the manufacturer to sell fully built units.

Hi carl  I agree with you on the one part but the certification also means that it passed the fcc testing procedures on the unit and can be used and sold legally now! Same with all the different electronic equipment on the market has to go through same procedure !

When the fcc agent comes and inspected your set up it's up to him if he will let it go or not i heard it going both way on a certified and non certified transmitter ( Kit )! From what i heard and seen if you use a fcc certified transmitter the fcc don't seem not to bother you as much.

You as an operator your responsible for all it's actions even if its a kit or certified unit!

Kits you will need to prove to the Fcc agent that it would pass there test, it would be good idea to have a sheet hung up in studio showing the information needed to cover your butt !

As i found building antenna each transmitter has been so different some antenna works great other well not so hot and you wont know until you drive around to really find out how she works !

 Always remember have a back up equipment just in case never know what happens !

"One thing that makes me doubt the true efficiency of either the Rangemaster or Procaster is that there's no mention of ground radials, without which I doubt anyone could get the best range."

The pages linked below were present on those websites as of a few minutes ago.

http://www.am1000rangemaster.com/groundxmit.html

http://www.chezradio.com/grounding_tips.htm

Appreciate the correction Rich on Hamilton and Procaster actually posting recommendations for AM ground planes. I had not previously encountered that information.

In future I can speak with better information on the subject.

Given this important knowledge, I am now able to anticipate excellent results from these certified transmitters, when used with ground plane.

I expect that the Talking Sign model number that the initial poster is using is the TS-100, not the MS-100 (which is a Decade FM transmitter).

I'm in the unique position of having used the TS-100, the ProCaster AND the Rangemaster (I haven't gotten around to testing the AMT-5000 yet).

For what it is, the TS-100 is a great transmitter.  If you have the ATU for it, you're lucky, as they are hard to find (although I would imagine that you can use a Talking House ATU, although it wouldn't be certified with it).  But even without the ATU, and only using the wire antenna, I was able to get listenable range of up to 1 mile (with the wire antenna run vertically through a PVC pipe, and the pipe mounted outside my house on the roofline) - that was in open space, with much less range in built up areas.  The TS-100 is grounded through the AC connection, much like a Talking House without an ATU.

I had slightly better results with the ProCaster, but have had 2 of these transmitters develop issues, so, at least in my eyes, their durability is suspect (both problems were related to the antenna tuning coil/capacitors).  The difficulty with a ProCaster install is getting that good ground, particularly with an elevated mount, and remaining compliant with the rules.

I got the best range with a ground mounted Rangemaster, using a whip (the transmitter was grounded to a metal mast which was pounded well into the ground - the soil was ideal, as it was a river delta).  Over a mile in some directions, and the signal was listenable in many more locations compared to the TS-100 (and a ground-mounted ProCaster), particularly the built-up areas.

You're not going to get much more than a mile listenable range with any Part 15 legal transmitter (even with an external antenna/coil combination), and that's with the receiving equipment being a good car radio (or an equally good home communications receiver).  And you could easily get a lot less with less favorable grounding conditions.

My advice would be to get an Internet stream up and running for those listeners who are outside your coverage area (realistically, probably more than 1/4-1/2 mile away).

Your experience is an impportant contribution to this thread, Artisan, but I see no mention of ground radials.

I have an AMT3000 from sstran.com with a resonant coil/3-meter antenna combination and a strong ground through the electric/water ground, but my AMT5000 with even a limited ground radial does much much better in outreach.

A good earth ground, in my way of seeing it, is a small boost to range, and more than anything else provides lightning safety.

A radial system provides ground plane, and I tend to believe that without it, the range will be limited.

I understand the theory of radials, but I've never had much success using them.

On Bowen Island, which is essentially a big rock sticking out of the ocean, the grounding conditions were poor.  I added multiple radials 20 feet in length, one even 1/4 wavelength, and saw virtually no improvement in range - 1/4 mile or so (in what was admittedly a wooded area).

And yet on a riverbed on the mainland, grounding with only what was essentially a stake driven into the soil, I saw a dramatic improvement in that range - over a mile, even in built-up areas.

Perhaps if I had added more 1/4 length radials I would have seen some improvement on Bowen.  But for most that just isn't practical (and it certainly wasn't for me).  I believe that the moist soil of the river flood plain (and not just the grounding) played some part in the improved range (just as transmitting over water seems to improve range).

That's what makes general advice in Part 15 so iffy.  For some, things work.  For others, not so much.  Basically, each individual has to try things out and go with what works for them.

The main reason things work well around water is the open area it provides. (No Obstructions) Trees, Bushes, Houses, Buildings, ect. eat signal in the near field of the transmitter.

I had a portable set up which included 50' of chicken fencing cut in half and a short piece of mast pipe. (~3 Ft.) The chicken fencing was positioned in an "X", centered, with the mast pounded into the ground to mount things to. (Rangemaster) Battery powered, fed with 24 v.d.c., using a simple portable CD player as the audio source, through ~50' of Cat-5. (Tuned to the best possible)

At the shack that is surrounded by trees, maybe 1/4 mile. Out in my lower open field, around a mile, very good at 3/4 mile. Same exact set up in both locations.

Set up an older SSTran with the built external base loaded antenna and it actually worked a little better than the Rangemaster. Just my input..

Good ground should always make a difference. How dramatic is dependent on a truckload of real-world variables. A bunch of radials on rocky soil which doesn't perform as well as any ground in moist rich soil isn't a big surprise....because, for one,  especially with signal propagation dependant on ground wave, the counterpoise effect from the whole immediate surrounding area counts in helping conduct the signal back (or not) to complete the circuit. That's a drawn observation, but it seems true and makes sense to me.

Dealing with terrain as on Bowen Is., I'd guess the best solution would be to install the system on highest ground available, drive the ground rods very, very deep, or try to find a wide air signal path from the coast, making sure the ground rods get down to dampness.

Then set your radials, making sure everything is bonded.

Well, I'm no longer on Bowen.  But my solution ended up using FM (with our greater signal strength).  The resulting range was far better than any AM solution (and sounded better too).

Hi everyone
Thanks for the help. I have been ill and have not been able to get up on the site to post a reply. It sounds like that a rangemaster
with a good ground set up would probably provide a good coverage.
I know some people place their ground wires just above the soil and
others burrry their very deep under the ground. It would seem to
be the ideal to burry them deep as possible to keep them moist.
I would think the closer you get the ground radials to the water
table would provide the best ground so they a in wet soil.
out here I could get by with 3 to 4 feet under the ground..
I know that 120 to 128 ft in length radials should be good. I am just
wondering if 8 radials would be good or would 16 radials be the
ideal amount burried under the ground. I also like the ideal of
of getting your mast pounded deep into the ground also.
I know that Rangemaster has claimed 2 miles transmissions. has anyone
ever get this type of coverage out of this transmitter. I can see
the 1 mile coverage,but if I can get more that would be nice.
I do have the TS-100,but want to get a better transmitter that would
have better coverage, but if I start getting more than 1 mile coverage
I really want a FCC certified transmitter so the FCC cannot give me
a hard time.
The TS-100 only has about 85% modulation and I know the rangemaster
can exceed the 100% modulation which could provide clearer modulation
for the further distances from the actual transmitting site.

Again thanks everyone. I really think I am going to go with the
Rangemaster type transmitter. Now I know you have to buy a CB
antenna to go into the rangemaster. Has anyone figure out which
CB antenna works best with the Rangemaster. Since it has to tune
up to those antennas. I know you can buy a 108 steel whip or
the 108 inch fiber glass whips. Which really works best with the
rangemaster transmitter ?????

Thanks