Bruce,
I'm in Wethersfield so we are about 6-9 miles apart. I'm on COX cable and you are on Comcast I think - so that's out. But we are in CB (SSB or AM) and FRS (High Power) range though. From my house I can only see the top of Arnold Chase's Channel-61 WTIC towers on Rattlesnake Ledge so LASER is out too - no LOS lines. However, LASER from top of Hueblin Tower to somewhere in Hartford (9 miles) is do-able. I'm being funny here as I know you are too busy for this. I wonder if I could pick up your FM radio station from here? Projects for the future drawing board?
Spooky
put a mirror up on the mountain and bounce the laser beam off of the mirror. then you can beam signals between houses on opposite sides of town.
since it would be a passive piece of equipment you may be able to easily get a tower site to sign off on it with out charging you.
There is a guy in Connecticut that is doing
infrared bounce off of one of the big tall
buildings in Hartford. If I can find his website,
I will let you guys know. It will blow your mind!
Spooky, it is really cool to connect with you. It
is unlucky that right now my family has so many
different medical situations. I am really up to
my eyes in this stuff. We may also have to move,
because of family obligations, and that is really
what is keeping me off the air.
You are very nice to think about listening to my FM,
but you will never hear it. It is only on intermittently
and has a range of just a few hundred feet.
When the AM/1690 was on, it covered a pretty good area.
You could drive around West Hartford center and
listen to it on a good car radio.
I am hoping that things will calm down and I can
start to work on some of this stuff again. But things
have not been this busy in a long time.
Maybe someday, we can try CB. Although I do not
have a CB radio right now, I know people who have
some sitting around. However, for 27 MHz, the big
problem is the antenna. I could put up a dipole,
but you really need a good vertical on the roof, and
there is no way I can do that.
Well, maybe someday. In the meantime, we can keep
in touch here on the board. If you ever want to send
me an E-mail, I think you can get the address from this
site.
Best Wishes,
Bruce, DOGRADIO STUDIO 2
P.S. As far as future projects go, the main thing here would
be to get the AM on 1690 going again. The back yard is over
grown and needs a lot of work. I do have 16 ground radials
still sitting in the back yard. The ends that come out of the
ground are rusty and would have to be sanded and resoldered
together to hook to the Part 15 AM transmitter ground, which is an
SS-TRAN AMT-3000 unit.
I do have one good piece of news. I had been experimenting with
several different loading coils for the SS-Tran to feed into the
3 meter stick under Part 15.219. i just found the best one I
ever made, which was sitting under a bunch of stuff in the cellar.
So I will probably start working on this coil again, to make it better.
Some humorous thing - the house to the left of me is occupied by
some senior citizens, and they are really nice people. But they do
not like my antennas. So I do most of my antenna work at night.
The thing that is really nuts is that I only have two antennas, and
they are just wires going out to trees. One wire is for the 80 meter
ham band, because I talk to a guy in New Jersey once in a while with
Morse code. My 3 watt signal gets there - sometimes.
The other wire is for my crystal set - you know - one of those radios
that doesn't need any power source except from the signal in the air.
When we had the big storm with the big power outage (8 days at my
house) it listened to WTIC with that radio. No AC line voltage needed,
and no batteries needed either. I love that crystal set.
Very Best Wishes,
Bruce, DOGRADIO STUDIO 2
Bruce,
Sorry to hear about your tribulations. I wish there was something my fervent imaginative brain could do to help you find a helpful path out of your morass. I'm pretty good at it too. Just ask me anything.
To the Reverend and Bruce - Yes there is a new idea to do building and cloud bounce with IR & visible light. I'm just reading about it now and didn't know anyone was doing it in Hartford. I do know there is a world-renown LASER expert who lives up on Avon Mtn on Deercliff Road near Ely Pond. He invented a Laser/radar system to track jet planes. I also know Mr. Chase who lives there too and he is pretty awesome too with radio communications.
Yes I would like that guy's website please.
Mounting a LARGE mirror on Hueblin tower is OK and probably would work but the landowners are a bit dodgy at best. They lease space to State Police and FBI repeaters (and other need to know entities). They probably would look at Bruce as if his name was Bin Laden or something. They used to keep a Doberman up there with a Superintendent. Mr. Hueblin was a liquor mogul who built a huge phallic shaped tower on top of Avon Mountain on the Simsbury/West Hartford border. You can see this thing from all over Connecticut Valley and Ham Radio operators salivate at the opportunity to get a repeater up there. They only allow the antennas on outbuildings on the ground NOT the actual 165 foot tower.
The tower actually has vacant apartment units all the way up to the top for decades. I really don't understand these people.
The other wire is for my crystal set - you know - one of those radios
that doesn't need any power source except from the signal in the air.
I first heard about them being called "foxhole radios" which the soldiers built from nothing to listen to music while in the trenches during WW2. Posted about it here a while back.
Anyway, you just reminded me about them again. Here's a picture of the handsomest crystal set you ever will see.. Manufactured in around 1925:
Uncle Al's Radio Shop Miracle Crystal Set No. 2
Picture: 
Picture and description together can be found about 3/4 down the page: http://www.radioblvd.com/20sRadio.html
It was common for field troops during WWII to build crystal sets using rusty razor blades, or wire or whatever other iron type conductor for the diode. Anything from an old food can to fence wire to rusted pipe and rods, and in some cases, even the very dirt in some places which would contain enough semi-conductive natural materials placed into a cup and a paper clip or safety pin was used as the junction contact.
They used to call it "cat's whisker" prior to WWII. The Japanese had a very massive radar array on the main island to detect incoming airplanes. They too called it "Cat's Whisker".
But their cat whisker needed power....LOTS of power!
Here's the old "How to build a foxhole radio" thread, the first post has a link to a neat short video http://www.part15.us/node/2802
All you really have to do is Google W1VLF.
You will have to look around a little bit,
because he has a couple of different websites,
but if I can find it, I guess you guys won't
have any trouble.
He is a great guy named Paul who has done
tons of amazing things with radio.
When you look around his web pages, you will
find an audio recording of an infrared cloud
bounce signal in Morse Code. He also has
done RF work around 9 kHz. More people
are trying to do that than I thought.
By the way, getting back to the solar powered
FM repeater for a second - my original idea was
just to get more FM coverage on the street that
is behind mine. I have a place to put it, and it
would go on a different FM channel than my
regular FM signal. It's going to be a while before
that ever comes to pass, though. But since
FM Part 15 only goes several hundred feet, a
repeater to cover that back street (or part of it)
would be fun.
My brother lives a couple of towns away. I believe
he would have no objection to having me put an
FM transmitter in his condo to cover part of his
complex. If I could, I would use a Barix Exstreamer
to get the audio there. It would have to be completely
plug and play. My brother is a great guy, but he is
not a tech. If I thought we could use computers, I
would do it that way, but neither of us have a computer
to spare for that job right now. Someday - we'll try it.
Best Wishes,
Bruce, DOGRADIO STUDIO 2
P.S. I forgot a couple of things. Thanks to everyone for
the crystal set info. And to Spooky, we have a few things
in common. I have been to the Huiblien tower a couple
of times, and I think I might know some of the same
people that you know. Spooky, do you have a Part 15
station? Did I miss something somewhere?
Bruce,
No we prolly don't know the same ppl. Once I got a warning ticket from the Hublien park ranger for climbing the west face cliff (freehand). I told him that I encountered a docile wild Cougar on the Simsbury side but he didn't believe me. Now that's all we hear on CT News Cougars and Bears! CTDEP talking about doing Bear hunts now.
No I don't have a Part 15 station. I just came here because of your posting. I found this site intriguing too. I want to follow your work and help where I can.
I have toyed with peer-to-peer streaming audio for international 2-way radio network. There is a free streaming audio application out there too. All you need is a cheap thrift store PC and cable or ADSL modem and an AT&T or Cable TV account at your house and your friend's house and voila! you have a cheap audio link. The closest thrift store for you is Goodwill or Savers in Bristol or Manchester. They always have great high-tech stuff on surplus.
Thanks for that guy's callsign... I'll look him up. Just need a IR detector from a stereo IR headset and maybe I can pick him up with a good Fresnel lens?
Spooky
Well, that's really nice that you came on board.
There are so many electronic communication
experiments that I want to try. But it takes time.
I guess the I/R transmissions are really directional.
I'm sure that has been your experience, too. Paul - W1VLF,
the guy I mentioned, has built I/R transmitter arrays
with hundreds of LEDs all working together.
I don't know much about it. In the early 1970s, I read
a great article in Popular Electronics about light
communication. Since then, I have always wanted to
try it. However, I live in a valley and can't drive. So,
if I ever started to experiment, I would be close range
stuff at first.
I plan to look at your posts again on this subject, because
my knowledge in this area is zero.
Thanks for coming in and giving us info about your area
of interest. One of the things I really like about this site
is that there is a lot here to be learned.
Thanks again, Spooky
Bruce, DOGRADIO STUDIO 2
I didn't know about the cougars in Connecticut. I
knew about the bears... Man, that's really something!
Well, that's really nice that you came on board.
There are so many electronic communication
experiments that I want to try. But it takes time.
I guess the I/R transmissions are really directional.
I'm sure that has been your experience, too. Paul - W1VLF,
the guy I mentioned, has built I/R transmitter arrays
with hundreds of LEDs all working together.
I don't know much about it. In the early 1970s, I read
a great article in Popular Electronics about light
communication. Since then, I have always wanted to
try it. However, I live in a valley and can't drive. So,
if I ever started to experiment, I would be close range
stuff at first.
I plan to look at your posts again on this subject, because
my knowledge in this area is zero.
Thanks for coming in and giving us info about your area
of interest. One of the things I really like about this site
is that there is a lot here to be learned.
Thanks again, Spooky
Bruce, DOGRADIO STUDIO 2
I didn't know about the cougars in Connecticut. I
knew about the bears... Man, that's really something!
P.S. Spooky, I just reread some of your posts. Thank you
the information regarding my eye condition. I'll have to
reread your posts some more.
Bruce,
Yeah the cougar thing has been in the local CT news lately. Someone hit one on Wilbur Cross Highway in SW CT and scientist checked its DNA and found he migrated all the way from midwest USA on his own. Then someone said there is a female loose near same area. Then a dog warden saw one in East Haddam a few weeks ago. West Hartford police chased one in 2007. One was spotted on Long Island too. I saw mine in early 90's on Rt 185 near the State Police Shooting Range in Simsbury. I traced it to a careless man who released a tame one in Palmer MA in the late 80's. The 4H Club in West Hartford/Bloomfield line (also on Rt 185) says they see mine today all the time sniffing around their livestock.
The bear problem is getting worse. A local elderly man shot one dead in a tree for raiding his bird feeder leaving her cub to be picked up by CT-DEP. He stands trial today for that actually. However, CT-DEP wants to do a bear-hunt to start culling the population. I saw a bear in Barkhamsted area back in 2010.
--------------------------------
Re: Your steaming audio problem
--------------------------------
Forget the Barix Extrasteamer (?) as it is a hardware solution and not to simple to implement. Try this old 100% software solution called *Speak Freely* at http://www.speakfreely.org/
Speak Freely is a Windows application that allows you to talk over Internet using 100% software VOIP technology. All you need is a soundcard & headset (which is standard today). This was pioneered by John Walker inventor of AUTODESK back in the 90's. Others have tweaked it better since then. The echo and phone-book servers no longer work but you don't need them. All you need is your buddies internet TCP/IP address and he needs to be running *Speak Freely* too on his PC. (You and he can find it here: Just type word IP ADDRESS in Google). If either of you is running an Internet firewall then it gets a little more detailed - but I can help if so.
He just needs to plug his soundcard line out jack into your Part 15 FM transmitter input jack and your now broadcasting from his house. It works both ways too (full duplex). Your friend can talk back to you while broadcasting.
I have the software loaded on my PC right now. I can send you my IP address privately when you are set up. It also has an answering machine function for when you are off-line.
The neat thing about this you can operate a remote base station (e.g. FRS radio?) any where on Earth. All you need to do is turn the FRS' VOX on and it automatically operates the PTT - plug soundcard line out into FRS' mic jack. You can hear the replies via the soundcards's line in from the FRS' speaker jack. Since there is no side-tone (crossline audio feed) there won't be any anti-VOX ckt needed. Downside is that you can't change FRS channels - easily.
--------------------------------
BTW - I bought those FHSS walkies you spoke of ($35 Amazon - pair with charger). They work nice but I haven't field tested them yet. Audio does sound a bit hissy. The Spread-Spectrum sync is instantaneous and no setup - just change channel as desired. Just think how a simplex auto-patch would work - TOTALLY privacy with no one monitoring your phone call. You'd need to sacrifice one unit as the base station. Not sure if Simplex Repeater/Autopatch would work with the FHSS sync-up scenario. May not even be an issue. Could do a full-duplex setup using a FRS/GMRS downlink transmitter. Dialing would have to be one of those old RS DTMF tone dialers or voice recognition (i.e. Dragon Software).
JUST BRAINSTORMING AGAIN! (LOL)
---------------------------
Check out this HAM's website (Joe L.): http://www.qsl.net/n9zia/
I found his OTHER PROJECTS #2 to be fascinating not to mention the other plethora of Part-15-style ideas there. MIND BLOWING!
Thanks for the message!
I'm going to have to read and reread what you posted,
just so I can understand it, but I just wanted you to
know I got your note.
I have an interest in what animals do, also. It comes
from the love of dogs, which came only recently in my
life - that is, about ten years ago. Come to think of
it, I think my wife may have seen a cougar run across
the road in Massachusetts a couple of years ago. i'll
have to check with her on that.
One thing I found interesting about those 900 MHz FHSS
walkie talkies - I guess they are totally private. From what
I've heard - the frequency hopping protocol makes them
impossible to tune in on ANY other radio. And I understand
that includes other FHSS radios, including the same kind!
Oh yeah - you can text with some of them, right? That sounds useful.
I guess they say if you go to, for instance, Disney World -
and you try to communicate with a distant family member
on the FRS band - well - it will be impossible, because the
band will be completely jammed up with signals. On the
other hand - apparently it doesn't matter how many people
are using the 900 MHz FHSS radios in one small area. Users
will never hear any interference. They will only hear the
radio that is synchronized to their own.
The other band for 2 way radios that interests me is the
MURS band. Only five channels, but those frequencies are
good for distance. I might get some MURS radios some day.
I have listened to those channels on my scanner, and I haven't
heard much.
Thanks for the info, I do appreciate it.
Best Wishes,
Bruce, DOGRADIO STUDIO 2
Hi Bruce,
Yeah I like to re-read my stuff too. Sometimes I can't believe I said stuff. (LOL)
Haven't had any experience with MURS yet. It's above 2-meters in the 150 mHz range. You are allowed digital mod and 2-Watts power. It is unlicensed.
The FHSS radios have two kinds - the model 100 cheapo with a lot of channels or the model 300 with billions of channels and SMS text messaging.
Did you know FHSS SPREAD SPECTRUM was invented by actress Hedy Lamarr in 1942? She got the idea from her dad but it was based on the old player piano mechanism for changing 8 radio frequencies in synch with an equally equipped receiver. Came in handy for WW2 as the Nazis had their unbreakable ENIGMA machine which also had a form of hopping (non-RF) - only much more complex. It's design is being used in some of our crypto machines today.
We came up with the SIGSALY machine which is still cloaked in secrecy today. We used it for the President to talk to PM Churchill and a couple of aircraft carriers at sea - in total secrecy which the Nazis and the Japanese NEVER knew about. You can Google it up on the NSA(dot)gov website and read up on it. It was a fascinating invention. It was equivalent to our MPEG players today. I think it also used some sort of FHSS too.
I personally would like to see some sort of wide-beam infrared lightbeam communicator system which has IR cell sites everywhere like cell phones allowing multi-channel audio/video "chat" like forums, telephone, and maybe some sort of digital Internet access too. It be like WI-FI but only with modulated light. Some companies have such systems but they use them for employee global office position tracking within a building.
Oops another brainstorm invention? (Oh well...)
Spooky