Well, hey everyone. I'm Vince. Been doing radio for 20 years (professionally and non) and I stumbled on your website looking for hourly news headlines.
I seem to be somewhat unique here, many of you appear to be AM Part 15 guys. WISH I could pull that off, but my efforts to find AM Gear that isn't dime-store hobby kits that drift all over the band have turned up empty.
So, I run FM. Where I am there's plenty of empty space. In the Fall-Spring season, I cover about a mile. In the summer, about 1/2 mile. And I have a complimenting streaming version. My antenna can handle up to 10k. But I'm running 100% legal.
Side note, there's a college in Indianapolis with no license running 150 Watts. Cursing on the air, no fear of the FCC whatsoever. They don't blend at all. Because of my 20 years experience, my station is well-produced and blends. Most people in town don't realize it's local because it doesn't sound any different than anyone else (except that the music I play is largely independent).
Well, anyway, "Hi".
Welcome to the forum and thanks for your introduction.
For AM consider the Rangemaster or the Procaster. Many start with the Talking House but consideration needs to be given to the model selected. See this thread on this topic:
http://www.part15.us/forum/part15-forums/transmitter-talk/talking-house-thii-question
Two popular kits are the SSTRAN3000 and SSTRAN5000.
Neil
... Side note, there's a college in Indianapolis with no license running 150 Watts. Cursing on the air, no fear of the FCC whatsoever. They don't blend at all. Because of my 20 years experience, my station is well-produced and blends. ...
What is meant by "blend" and/or "blends" in this context?
I am a short timer here, but have messed with technology/radio most of my life.
Anyway, if you dig around, by searching the archives, there is a lot of useful information about transmitters. The Procaster and Rangemaster are very popular.
If you are technically astute, the SStran AMT 3000 or 5000 kits are options. I recently purchased a "built" AMT 3000 on ebay and love it.
Some of the members here are broadcasting in AM stereo with excellant results.
Good luck, and keep us posted!
Hi Vince, always nice to see a new radio enthusiast.
1/2 to 1 mile on FM is what everyone here has been discussing for some time now. Since Part 15 FM is regulated by field strength at a specific distance it's always a big question mark as how to push that fixed field strength beyond the theoretical limits.
Running 100% legal on the FM band generally implies you have a transmitter with an antenna affixed to the box. Power is preset such that the combination of power applied to the antenna supplied will produce the allowed field strength at the specified distance. By the time you get 1/2 to 1 mile away the signal would be too weak for a typical receiver.
We'd all like to hear more about your station and how it is configured to provide such impressive coverage.
you're rocking with The Legacy. That is pretty cool dude I'm glad to see that you're doing so well on the FM side. As far as AM goesI'm a little restricted and I'm trying to get my am transmitter working better. I've got an 8-foot piece of wire outside my window. Hopefully when the ATU is done I'll reach 2-3 miles. I know AM can travel further at low power with the right setup. Are you able to put up an 8 ft antenna?
By the way FM really is my favorite band. A lot more people listen to FM but I'm also willing to try AM.
I am in the minority here but I am on FM also but I'm in Canada where we're a little better off and I understand why AM is more popular in the US. What transmitter are you using for the FM and getting up to a mile? Legally?
Mark
Those in Canada are allowed 100uv/m at 30 meters, as opposed to 250uv/m at 3 meters. And even then, under the most ideal installation, with the most sensitive radios, and in the best weather conditions, we can't get a mile range (I managed to get 1/2 to 1 km with a Decade MS-100 mounted high on the top of a hill so it was line of sight with no obstructions).
It is possible to get range of a mile or more with Part 15 AM, using such transmitters as the Rangemaster or ProCaster, and a good installation. I would recommend investigating that avenue of approach.
In a good musical blend the sound flows from one song to the next.
The writer also gave a good tip as to "blend" in his context by noting that stations who use vulgar language are making no effort to "blend in", another way of saying "copying the norm" or being "politically correct".
I myself blend in by acting normal in public.
Using Valuer language (Or playing multiple obscene songs) can get others who are offended by that sort of thing to complain to others (eventually getting to the FCC) about your station. I've found even on the Internet that people who have some professionalism tend to frown upon Radio stations and personality who operates in this nature.
Plus racism is a good way to get unwanted attention (And I've heard this on commercial stations). Jokes have to be in good taste and cannot have even the slightest undertone of racism in them.
That being said if a station in the USA does cover a mile on FM they may not get unwanted attention if it is in a rural area (not saying it would be legal but I've addressed some cases where the station still could be legal).
I too would like to know of this transmitter and set up. Frankenmuth, Michigan does still have to this day a Christmas FM station unlicensed and going 1 mile on FM. When I asked the lady who was telling us about the station what transmitter they were using they told me The Whole House FM Transmitter. So I can guess the set up.
When in doubt and want to fight for the higher power allocation I'd advise you to Join The New Radio Revolution's site listed below. Even for AM we're trying to make strides.
We're going way off topic with this discussion. Not everything has to be tied in to one of the initiatives to get more power.
Basically, when they power up (it's rather sporadic) they play off an Ipod, use an over-modulated mic with no ducking or compression, and they swear like sailors. It puts a giant bullseye on them.
My station runs under usual rules and regulation. No swearing. Station IDs, and continuity. People listen, I get comments all the time. But new people tend to think it's just a station. A lot of people don't even know who I am, which is fine. I know the highschool in town has students listening because it also has a station and I often hear some of the off-the-wall stuff I play land on their playlist.
This is the style antenna I am running. It's about 15 feet up at the moment.
Bronners CHRISTmas Wonderland?