Hello all,
I'm very new to private radio broadcasting, and radio in general.
Hello all,
I'm very new to private radio broadcasting, and radio in general.
I am hoping to set up my own transmitter in my dorm room, and am wondering what kind of range I could get out of some basic equipment.
Living in the dorm, I obviously cannot build an outdoor antenna. I was wondering what kind of range I could achieve with an antenna that would fit in my room. I'm looking to purchase either the Gizmo transmitter from Vintage Components or the AM88 transmitter from North Country Radio.
Any advice, at all, would be greatly appreciated. I've downloaded the LPAM handbook from LPAM.info, and have learned a great deal from that, but like I said, I'm definitely a "newbie" in all of this.
Thanks a ton!
Hi and welcome to this board,
When you set up your transmitter try it with and without a ground connection. Usually a ground (power line ground or computer sound card connection ground) will improve the range but it might produce hum in you signal. Don't be afraid to experiment.
The major problems with AM range in a dorm type building come from two causes:
a) The signal is absorbed by the building materials.
b) The electrical noise in the building interferes with the signal. This is probably going to be your biggest problem.
Based on my experience many moons ago with this you will probably cover a distance of 50 to 100 feet in all directions with a usable signal to line powered receivers. Since a dorm has a high population density, this can yield many potential listeners.
Try different antenna orientations and experiment. Sometimes a small change such as placing your antenna north-south vs. east-west or up-down will make a big difference. Keep your antenna straight for best results.
Good luck.
Neil
You might want to think about carrier current. You should be able to hit the entire dorm and some small distance outside the dorm. I think North Country radio has some transmitters that will work for CC, there are also a few papers in the library here on this site.
Find someone in the electronics program to help you build the system so that it is safe. You might even want to build the transmitter to save a little cash.
I think you will have some fun with your dorm station, but not in the manner I am about to describe, I trust. When I lived in a dorm, we had a problem with a particular resident playing his radio loudly during "quiet hours" and appeals to the RA did not help.
One of us had an AM part15 transmitter and tuned it on on top of the offender's station. Back then, a commonly accepted method of repairing a radio was to whack it until it started to work. The tx. operator could hear through the wall what was happening. When the repair thud was heard, the transmitter was turned off. After a few minutes, on, thump, off, etc.
The problem was solved when enough repair was done to the radio that it ceased to function.
Part 15 operators certainly would not maliciously cause interference in this day and age would they?.
This "broadcaster" would leave his door open and folks would shout down the hall with their requests. Usually it was "stop with the classical stuff and play some rock".
Hope you got a chuckle from this and good luck with your dorm station.
Neil
Thanks for the words Neil.
It got my heart pumpin for this radio project again.
Looking at the North Country site, CC requires a special receiver for the listener? Am I reading that right?
http://www.northcountryradio.com/Kitpages/ccxmtr.htm
http://www.northcountryradio.com/Kitpages/ccrfm.htm
You are reading the NCR site correctly, in that THEIR CC transmitter requires a special receiver, but only because that transmitter uses a frequency that is outside the capabilities of FM broadcast band receivers (200-350 kHz).
If you transmit via carrier current in the broadcast band your standard broadcast band reciever will receive that transmission.
Experimental broadcasting for a better tomorrow!