New Unlicensed Territory

In the Ghz range I can see this used as an Audio Relay, but I am not for sue we'll see Radio's with that band on them.  And to what range would you expect up there?  I'd say not much further than WiFi.  It could be used however to relay your Audio to an outside FM or AM Transmitter which would give you the Range without the hassle of Audio cables.  Pretty neat idea.

Those same thoughts came to me, Mr. thelegacy.

What else could it be?

Maybe somebody who knows more will come along and take the time to inform us about things to come.

Im thinking we will also get 87.9 for part 15 FM.  It would make sense because interest is rising. 

I need 87.7 because we have a 50 kW station on 88.1, and I'm ready.

My Scosche FM transmitter is Certified for 87.7 and 87.9, which leaves me in a lurch because I don't think that is approved at this time.

This frequency has/is becomming an interesting subject. The FCC labled it FM Channel 200. However low power RF devices (part 15 transmitters) are only permitted from 88 to 108 MHZ. For years 87.9 was the guardband for TV Channel 6 and as such only had very limited use as an actual FM channel. Now that TV Channel 6 has disappeared in many locations it seems that this frequency would become available.

Now that being said, I have never seen an unlicensed station busted for being on this frequency per se. I have seen stations on 87.9 cited for operating at power levels that exceeded Part 15 limits of 100 uV/m @ 3 meters.

So is a person operating at 100 uV/m on 87.9 a pirate?

Yes, a person operating with any power using a carrier centered on 87.9 MHz is a pirate.

The FCC enforcement of 87.9 has been inconsistent, but that does not mean it is okay to use it. Some NOUOs cite field strengths higher than 250uv/m@3m. Some cite field strengths higher than 100uv/m@3m. Then there are the ones that are appliciable to people who want to follow the rules:

Here are NOUO’s that point out 87.9 is outside of 88-108:

http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-295194A1.html “Operation of a broadcast station on 87.9 MHz, however, is not authorized at any field strength level.”
http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-292675A1.html “Operation of a broadcast station on 87.9 MHz, however, is not authorized at any field strength level.”
http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-309805A1.html “In addition, Part 15 restricts the mode of operation on particular frequency bands and does not permit broadcast operations on 87.9 MHz.”
http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-317378A1.html “Your fundamental emissions on frequency 87.9 MHz from an intentional radiator was not authorized in the band 76-88 MHz.”
http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-317377A1.html “Your fundamental emissions on frequency 87.9 MHz from an intentional radiator was not authorized in the band 76-88 MHz.”
http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-318985A1.html “In addition, fundamental emissions from intentional radiators operating under Part 15 shall not be located in the frequency band 76-88 MHz.”
http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-319380A1.html “FM broadcast emissions from an intentional radiator operating under Part 15 of the Rules is not permitted in the frequency band 76 - 88 MHz.”
http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-320581A1.html “In addition, fundamental emissions from intentional radiators operating under Part 15 shall not be located in the frequency band 76-88 MHz.”
http://transition.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/2003/DOC-332701A1.html “In addition, fundamental emissions from intentional radiators operating under Part 15 shall not be located in the frequency band 76-88 MHz.”

The last one is from March 16 2015.

The FCC may make 87.7 available to low power CH6 TV stations to use with digital ATSC compatible transmission for most of their 82-88MHz channel with analog audio at 87.7. The FCC could conceivably even make 87.9 available in crowded markets if they have another translator application window. But I highly doubt they will ever make it legal for non-licensed devices use either frequency with a field strength of 250uv/m@3m under 15.239.

It really sucks that a LPTV station can use 87.7 for Analog Audio and yet we can't use 87.9 Mhz in crowded FM Areas.  I'm lucky 96.3 was available, but during an inversion 87.9 would have been nice.  We have a real power God caster @ 88.3 that spurs out to 87.7 but does not spur to 87.9.  There is also a signal playing the same thing on 107.3 but can't really tell if its a harmonic of 88.3 Mhz.  I don't see why we need so many God Casters all over FM and many repeating the same source.  I think each sate should be limited to the number of God casters they have on FM.  Honestly we need to have a set of reserved frequencies for part 15 FM so people can utalize their fair share of FM.

... We have a real power God caster @ 88.3 that spurs out to 87.7 but does not spur to 87.9.  There is also a signal playing the same thing on 107.3 but can't really tell if its a harmonic of 88.3 Mhz. ...

Such can be told by the fact that r-f harmonics are related to the frequency of the fundamental signal by an integer multiplier of 2 and greater (for example 2X, 3X, 4X etc).

So an FM signal centered at 107.3 MHz could not be a harmonic of a signal wih a fundamental frequency centered at 88.3 MHz.

88.3 MHz multiplied by 2 = 176.6.

When numbering harmonics I guess the fundamental frequency is "the first harmonic" but that seems wrong since it's not its own harmonic.

Therefore the First Harmonic must be the fundamental times 2.

than what would have been 107.3 Mono?  It plays the same thing as 88.3.  107.1 is a mono talk show station at night it comes in and usually past Midnight.  Or could it just be overload from 88.3 causing it to come in on 107.3?  However I don't hear it on any of the other high frequencies to my knowledge.  They call themselves The Journey.

I used my voice search feature in my smartphone and found tht there is a Christian station on 107.3 in NC.  If it had not been for that extra station I'd transmit there as then it would be blank 24/7.  However 96.3 here I only can pick up that distant station which actually is in Morehead City, NC and seems to come in late at night and because of the heat it comes in almost every other day.  This didn't happen prior to me getting my TX.  So now to be safe I'll have to sign off at 6PM to avoid any temperature inversion.  My Wife's doctor mentioned the morehead station on 96.3 when she was talking about my station.  So hopefully people realize it don't come in during the daytime from Noon till 6PM sometimes later.

I'll be watching the rules for 87.9 to change, but now sad to say it sucks for us as I know if I were able to TX down there I'd be safe 24/7 and could even do night shows.  But now I don't feel confident to do anything later than 6PM on my frequency.