OK I had people wondering how far the SainSonic AX-05B actually went on Low power mode -48dbm as they called the Rockline. Well I went outside my house with a Digital boom box and at low power I could not really cover much more than two to three rooms away without noise. I could barely hear the signal on my front porch holding my hand at the top of the antenna to make it come in better. I could hear the signal with some pockets between my house and the driveway and the neighbors house (very noisy definitely not usable outside and I had to hold my hand the whole time to the tip of the antenna to get the signal in). Far less than the Whole House FM Transmitter 3.0 on regular power mode and maybe more than the crappy Belkin but not much and its questionable. From the reports of the Whole House FM Transmitter 3.0 the SainSonic's low power level would not get you in any sort of trouble as it won't even leave your house. Even High power is around 800 Ft to a Digital boom box. So myth busted that the low power of the Sainsonic AX-05B will get you busted because it is not even within part 15 FULL allowable limits. So if you want an adjustable transmitter where sometimes you want 15-20 foot range only and anywhere between 800 feet to questionable ¼ (GPS said 0.06 of a mile) again that was with a very good car Radio with a whip antenna on top of a SUV I think this transmitter will work for many. There are times when you Don't want to go outside your house I can count many times for me. Now I can run the ALPB meeting through my boom box and if I have to walk away for a sec I can take the boombox and have the transmitter at low power. The range is so low at that level that if I didn't have a clear frequency or a temperature inversion happens I could transmit on 87.9 (But have to reprogram the transmitter for that nad its questionable probably won't). I hope finally the Anti FM's will stop with the bad rap against this revised transmitter. It may not be certified anymore maybe because SainSonic had too many versions before they got their sh*t together and done it right. They should have done it right the first time I agree with that. But please this transmitter can't transmit out of a paper bag at low power.
Yes...I'm surprised. The Sainsonic seems to be much less than even part 15 level! don't have a clue what -48dbm is.
Maybe it's better I paid more for the CM-10 and didn't get this and find out the same as you did.
To bad you got this and been disappointed.
Mark
Only at low level but high works well. If high is over the field strength it is ever slight. The power supply has a faint hum only at times when real close on high power and a little during in house fade on low. It still wont likely get you busted on high because it is close to the WHT's part 15 power. I just wanted to get brave enough to test with all the anti FMers out there. Its a $54 transmitter and performs a little above average and sounds very good if you don't try and over drive the audio. Pleasing to Album Rock standards. The CM-10 is nice if you can get it for $100 as it pegs full part 15.
The hum on high power might be because the power supply is not beefy enough. Try another 12 volt supply but be careful about the polarity! Also, Take the cover off and see if they soldered 2 resistors across the antenna connector.
I know what resistors look like and everything, but I don't clearly see where I can unscrew the screws to take the transmitter apart. I'll also have to purchase a jewelers screwdriver pack so I can look at the inside of the transmitter. I'm almost certain that this could be he case as 16 nW x 4 would be 64 nW not even 1mW. Some has said that 100 mW into a rubber duck would get me 2 miles on a car Radio and over a mile on a digital car Radio. So could they have simply done this instead to meet part 15 requirements (Knowing well and good that people will go High power as its in the manual). I figure if 100mW the old setting of the FailSafe a clone of SainSonic got out ¼ mile and on Amazon if you put a 10 db attenuator between the connector and antenna you get the 16 to 18 nano watts for part 15 that may be the exact trick they played with the SainSonic. If that were the case what about high SWR? Surely there had to be a solution for this as well. I'd like to get the schematic or the SainSonic or a picture of the inside of it. If I could get it apart without ruining it I'd do just that and let you see the inside of the transmitter. Its interesting how 64 nW would reach ¼ mile to a car Radio. God forbid if it was really putting out 500 mW at high power. And if so we may not need to ask for 500mW into a rubber duck but something like 1-50 mW. If someone is brave enough to take their SainSonic AX-05B apart please take a picture of the inside of it. I'm afraid of breaking mine. If it ever stops working I'll take it apart however lol.