It's nice to get new views and ideas from others just starting out in Part 15 broadcasting (or just finding this website).
I think that it's a mistake to assume that some haven't read the rules and/or are deliberately not compliant. Based on what I see re Part 15 FM elsewhere, there's so much misinformation and confusion that it's no wonder some don't have a clear idea of what is legal, and what isn't.
It's also not whistle blowing to point out the rules, as a few have done eloquently here in this thread, and inform another that it is quite likely that they are violating those rules.
All you have to do is look at the top of each page on this website, to see its mission - "Unlicensed, LEGAL, low-power radio broadcasting".
Legal or not again I have seen, heard stations who has operated 24/7/365 and got out 1 mile on FM. This is why I've worked so damn hard to get things changed because if your NOT in a major city I don't see the harm. Your not gonna hurt anyone. Now if you plant your FM transmitter in the middle of New York City or Huston, TX and run 1 mile I believe someone is gonna cry about it.
I think sometimes people come in with a VPN and fake like thier new and see what reactions they get when talking about a 1 mile transmitter on FM. I say that with all the riots and killings going on now the FCC won't do anything if your getting out a mile as long as you don't interfere. This means good practice to keep your station at least 1 blank channel above and below your frequency. Check to see your not bleedong onto other stations and if you are stop what your doing.
Again without an FIM-71 it is almost impossible to tell rather your station is 100% on the legal money or not. And yes I like the comment about the Talking House transmitter which is an AM transmitter and certified and yet uses a standard F connector and a screw connector for the wire antenna.
At the end of the day all you can do is recite the rules. Unless you were to drive to all the part 15 stations with an FIM-71 costing $15,000 you won't really know. And siffice it to say if they did I bet they don't have much of a life than to try and spoil people's fun.
Me, I'm all for diversity in Radio and remember the days when I was a kid at the school for the blind running an FM transmitter along with the many friends who also did so and every one of them got out 1 mile on FM. Funny thing was none of the ones I can think of got an FCC NOUO for it. Reason may be that they didn't play offensive music and or swear themselves and had clean stations. Who knows why the FCC goes after some. Maybe some Hammy Ham makes enough noise and the FCC agent that day has nothing better to do but to bust some hobby Radio geek with an FM transmitter going 1 mile with fence posting signal to a Digital Car Radio.
Good Comment Artisan. I actually know amateur radio operators who think 100 mW on FM is OK. LOL!
Just to clarify, if you are getting 1 mile range on FM, you are more than likely (99.99%) not compliant with the Part 15 rules. In fact, if you are getting 1/4 mile, it is likely that you are not compliant (although with a sensitive enough receiver and a good enough antenna, it might just be possible). 600-800 feet with a very good car receiver is more the norm, 200 feet or less with a typical receiver, and sometimes just across a room with a lousy one.
Don't confuse not getting caught with legality.
And to further clarify, this site does not condone the breaking of the rules, and discussions surrounding said topic.
It's OK to disagree with the rules. So go and change them. They're not going to change without a concerted effort. The FCC is certainly not going to change them without good reason, and a demonstration of support, if history is used as an example. Wild speculation about what the FCC is going to do, or implicitly condones, doesn't help.
I've seen lots of talk, but nothing tangible has arisen out of that talk. I suggest that this talk be converted into action, and it be given a break here (i.e., move it to the Initiative web site).
I'm a new guy here, hope everyone does not hate me.
I have a broadcasting degree I earned in 1987, but at this point of life radio is just a hobby. I have a dedicated computer to run SAM Broadcaster with my favorite songs on it. I use just enough power to cover my house, no where else.
It certainly is possible my equipment is not certified, but I am not interfering with any commercial or licensed broadcast, I am not causing any interference for my neighbors, I'm only playing music and nothing offensive, and I don't imaging anyone other than my wife and myself even know about the broadcast.
It's just fun. From a power output standpoint, I'm using a chinese transmitter at only one tenth of a watt. I doubt seriously I would ever get the FCC's attention, but if I did, I would do as they ask.
I just wanted to read about the community here, and like many newbies, I'm more likely to read other posts than post a lot.
It is nice sites like this on even exist.
Artisan said, "And to further clarify, this site does not condone the breaking of the rules, and discussions surrounding said topic."
My comments are intended to agree with Artisan on this point, and to add discussion to the matter.
It would seem fair to say that this website, while aiming at legal application of the part 15 rules, is not an enforcement court. I don't believe we are here to judge, expose or scold those who exceed the rules either intentionally or inadvertantly.
We had a very enlightened evolution on this same point in the growth of the ALPB (Association of Low Power Broadcasters) at the companion site thealpb.com. Our original charter limited membership to only those operating within the rules, but we matured into deciding that the ALPB is not an enforcement agency and the most proper attitude would be to encourage compliance with rules, leaving it to each individual to manage his own practices.
Naturally wherever you go in life there will always be righteously self-deputized blamers and acusers, but they tend to become unpopular for meddling in other people's affairs.
To gassoff a warm welcome... we are not prepared to hate or judge and hope we can bring useful information to your operation.
Carl Blare stated: ...It would seem fair to say that this website, while aiming at legal application of the part 15 rules, is not an enforcement court. ...
Granted.
But also granted explicitly by the author/clip above is that posts here describing and proving LEGAL Part 15 operation should be supported at least equally as well as the posts of those who don't understand or care about compliance with Part 15.
[Moderator edit: The post referenced as "author/clip above", post #37, has been removed.]
No, this website is not an enforcement court.
But I, for one, want to ensure that those participating here, including those new to Part 15, as well as lurkers, don't get the same sort of misinformation that they get elsewhere. That is the danger if people keep talking about 1 mile ranges with Part 15 FM. It's simply not possible if you're compliant with the rules. And while some may continue to do so without a visit from the FCC, as I said before, not getting caught doesn't make it legal. Nor, in my opinion, is it worth the risk of huge fines. Or potentially losing other types of radio communication licenses, such as amateur radio.
Part 15 FM is useful for short range broadcasting. If you want more range, Part 15 AM is the way to go.
And if you don't like the current FM rules, then join up with one of the Initiatives (their URL's are all over this website) and help change the world.
The ONLY way you can possibly get out 1 mile on AM @ legal level is to get your antenna up high and outside. Otherwise maybe think about carrier current and that takes eyesight.
I've tried AM with the Talking House and still didn't like the range I got. Not much more than a C. Crane FM Transmitter. I'm looking into better antennas for AM till there is a change. I do know that Tim gets out pretty well on AM but he his his Procaster up high and that does help.
The most conclusive laboratory quality tests done on certified FM transmitters were the field tests conducted by Tim in Bovey using a calibrated Field Intesity Meter. Every discussion on the subject of part 15 FM should include links to Tim's discoveries.
My less scientific tests using four brands of transmitter, a spectrum analyzer, a car, and numerous portable radios, found that it's half about transmission, half about reception.
What I mean by that is that you can fiddle with transmitter/ antenna location to achieve slightly better results...
But final results depend on the quality of FM receivers, and they vary wildly.
For example my TECSUN PL-310 will solidly receive weak FM signals for an amazing distance, while other portable FM radios will lose the signal just past the front door.
On average 200-feet is a fair expectation at part 15 field strength, under the best of conditions.
Unfortunately there are popular misconceptions about FCC Part 15 approved FM transmissions. Some people are under the impression that it has the same 100 mW power limit as Part 15 AM. And many web sites propagate the claim that Part 15 FM is strictly limited to a 200-foot range. Neither of those is true.
Part 15 FM is limited by field strength, not by transmitter power, antenna length, or coverage area. There is simply no way to say that X amount of power into X length of antenna will be Part 15 legal on FM. You have to measure the field strength to be sure.
In extraordinarily ideal conditions, such as a totally flat outdoor setting with no obstructions and an extremely sensitive receiver, it may be possible to hear some slight trace of a Part 15 legal FM signal at ½-mile range, but that is highly unlikely. In most real-world cases a signal coverage of 100 to 500 feet is what you can expect.
Thelegacy said: "The ONLY way you can possibly get out 1 mile on AM @ legal level is to get your antenna up high and outside."
Mr. Numb Nuts said: "That may not be entirely true. There are folks on this site that have ground mounted antennas, with a ground radial system that achieve the 1 mile coverage area.
Mounting AM transmitters high to achieve greater range has more to do with long radiating interconnects than the actual antenna heights. There are no AM radio staions with elevated antennas. They are ground mounted.
Now on FM, that would be a different story.
Thelegacy, what you are saying about Part 15 AM range may or may not be true, depending on a wide range of factors.
Here are some of the installations in which I achieved that mile range.
A Rangemaster, tuned for exactly 100mw input, mounted outside at ground level, no radials (it was grounded to the metal mast pounded into the earth).
A Talking Sign, mounted on the ceiling, with the wire running outside, up and over the roofline of a rancher (one story) and held in place with a PVC pipe.
A ProCaster, mounted at ground level similar to that of the Rangemaster (although the Rangemaster achieved greater overall range and sounded better with outboard audio processing, including a Symetrix 421 and an Inovonics 222).
You're likely not going to get that kind of range with an antenna indoors. Just a fact of life. And I don't believe there will be a magic antenna (one that's legal, at least) that will change the laws of physics.
Other factors - the field strength output by the transmitter, which varies widely. The Rangemaster is one of the best, as it can be tuned exactly to the limit, while the Talking House as an example, can't be tuned at all (and has about 1/2 the field strength of the Rangemaster).
Audio processing also has positive (or negative, with the lack of) affects on range.
Of course, this has all been discussed before, numerous times. In marginal situations such as yours, you just have to get somewhat creative. But then, that's part of the fun of Part 15.
No discussion of any AM antenna system is complete without describing the ground system used to achieve the results being attributed to the antenna.
In actual fact a ground system is "the other half" of any AM antenna.
I rarely admit this, but in the early days I thought it was all about the antenna (above ground) and had no clue about the thing called "ground". I could never get any range and it wasn't until recently, thanks to part 15(dot)us, that I learned about the rest of the story.
Mr. Carl Blare said: 'It would seem fair to say that this website, while aiming at legal application of the part 15 rules, is not an enforcement court. I don't believe we are here to judge, expose or scold those who exceed the rules either intentionally or inadvertantly."
Jesus H. Christ said: "But this website is The Court of Last Resort."