Solar Powered Repeater

This is just an idea. Maybe I will try it
sometime.

Say, for instance, that you have an AM
Part 15 station that just does talk programming,

This is just an idea. Maybe I will try it
sometime.

Say, for instance, that you have an AM
Part 15 station that just does talk programming,
or old radio shows, or really old jazz - in other
words, a station that does not need a great
amount of fidelity in the audio chain.

Then say you have a fairly good coverage area with
your Part 15 AM transmitter, at least around your
neighborhood, maybe more.

(This is all hypothetical.) Go out and get a good
AM broadcast band receiver. I am thinking of a
specific kind though. The AM broadcast DX community
has really been having fun with receivers called
"ultralights." Some of these are very inexpensive
and work real well. I think Sony makes one for about
$20.00 that has excellent sensitivity and selectivity.
(I'll have to look up this stuff on Google.) These radios
are good, inexpensive, and SMALL.

Get a cheap FM transmitter that is certified. Hook the
AM receiver to the FM transmitter. The FM transmitter will
be able to repeat your AM signal on the FM band.
(As mentioned above, talk programming or really old
music would be best for this, because the fidelity will
depend on the AM part of the system.)

Now here's where it gets interesting. How to power
the thing. Get one of those solar power night lights
that you put in your yard. Take the lights out and
use it to power the FM transmitter and AM receiver.
(This is just the beginnings of this idea.) Obviously
the system would only work at night. So anybody
listening to you on FM could only tune in at night.
But this would just be an experiment anyway. Also,
some interesting engineering work would almost certainly
be involved.

If you have a good friend in your neighborhood that
wants to listen to your station and REALLY UNDERSTANDS
what this is all about, take the completed package and
put it in that person's yard near their house in a place
that gets the most sunlight. Also, in some place where it
won't be a hazard or whatever. I think your listener friend
would have to be a really good friend who really is interested
in hearing your programming and knows not to step on
your repeater, or knows how to persuade the family dog not
to eat your repeater, or whatever.

The reason I thought of this is because I have some good
friends down

the street that really want to hear my station. However,
the receiver in their entertainment center is only good on FM,
the AM is terrible. They are close friends, and putting a solar
powered repeater in their yard would be no problem. The FM
transmitter only has to go 50 feet or so if it is in their yard.
And once in place, the repeater could just stay there unattended.

Obviously this idea has a lot of problems. It probably wouldn't
work in a place like Seattle, WA, where it rains a lot.

Also, most people probably wouldn't want a "mysterious electronic
device" in their yard.

Also, if this is to work just at night, if your AM signal is being
clobbered by skip, that wouldn't work either. You could use
another Part 15 frequency for a link, like 49 MHz. I don't
think there are too many baby monitors on that band now,
are there? Aren't most of those monitors up on 900 MHz
or higher now? (I really don't know.)

So there is the idea. Maybe someday somebody will try it.
Maybe someday I will try it.

I just threw this out for the fun of it, anyway.

Best wishes,
Bruce, MICRO1690/1700
P.S. I typed this really fast, and my eyesight is
not good. I have to go and don't have time to
edit this. I hope their aren't to many typos.