Tonight was to be the introduction of KDX-FM, but I needed to open up the C.Crane FM Transmitter to repair the telecopic antenna's contact with the antenna circuit.
Normal use of the telescoping antenna causes the spring-metal connected at the base of the antenna to break connection with the circuit board, where it was evidentally insufficiently soldered.
But the spring metal piece is shiny metal and does not accept solder, dooming it to never actually staying attached.
Very displeased with this inconvenience I have blacklisted the C.Crane Company for ten years.
I will now go in there and attach a plain wire, screw it.
In the beginning Acting Lord Carl Blare launched KDX-FM at 107.1 MHz, but that was then.
When it became evident that rule 15.239 was a silly joke concocted over drinks in a posh Washington D.C. lounge, KDX stopped embarrasing itself by having a signal weaker then the buzz of a small bee, and converted to an all AM station.
But there is a new buzz in the air, inspired by The Legacy, MrBruce, and other participants in talk toward being treated with respect during sober spells at the FCC.
The bee might be small, but it has a Napolean Complex and a sharp sting.
Tonight KDX-FM returned at 106.9 MHz - "The Stinger."
Alrightvway to go. The anti FM crowd can eat dirt.
As frequency modulated waves curtain openly
Morning splashes dry upon the face
Names wave across fields of energy
Among them "trees", "leaves", "branches", "grass", "flowers", "bird feathers", "clouds", and the Voice of BoB on Grundig holy toned mix of traffic and weather
KDX-FM has shouldered its way amidst the dial crowd
The Second Coming yawning and dawning
Reclaiming its place at the blighted mall of failed saviors
Enshrined in patriotic poem what so proudly.
-- A Poetry by C. Randy Limphand
Artisan Radio has been broadcasting legally on FM for almost 10 years (our anniversary is less than a year away).
While we're still outputting in nanowatts, because we're in Canada we have a few more nanowatts than the U.S. And amazingly enough, the sky hasn't fallen in for licensed FM stations (they're doing a good enough job for that all by themselves).
On one of these threads I announced that a new survey of the local FM dial found nine open frequencies suitable for a Part 15 signal, many more than the three that I knew about initially.
A scan of the FM band by spectrum analyzer located a 10th channel!
The spectrum analyzer is very useful for FM channel hunting. It shows each station by strength... stronger signals stand higher on the viewing screen... so it's easy to spot open spaces between signals.
This information gets compared to the Radio-locator listings and all stations using each frequency are noted as to location and power.
Soldering a permanent wire antenna to the C.Crane Trasmitter made a huge difference... the poorly linked telescopic antenna has been mentioned elsewhere as being a commonly experienced problem with the C.Crane FM transmitter.
I even went so far as to view the signal imprint on EACH of my 10 channels, viewing the analyzer.
KDX-FM is back on the air following several years of absence, and maybe I'll put FM transmitters on all 10 channels at the same time! Watch out Canada!
Previously I have mentioned that the signal strengths of the C.Crane FM Transmitter and Wholehouse 2.0 FM Transmitter compare perfectly on a spectrom analyzer, indicating they are both set to the same RF field output standard.
Today I compared the Scosche FMT4R output field and it registers the same as the other two transmitters, validating its certification.
We run a certified house at KDX-FM.
Really the Schoche goes as far as the Whole House FM Transmitter 2.0? You must be using a longer audio cable for the Scoche. I know if you extend the cable on those Scoche transmitters you can get them to transmit a little further, but still trying to get it to match the Whole House FM Transmitter 2.0 or 3.0? Now that is something I'd like to see. If that thing were digital and you could set it to any frequency from 88.1 to 107.9 it would be a cheap hurry up and get a transmitter if my SainSonic AX-05B died.
Hi The Legacy. Yes, the Scosche measures exactly the same on a spectrum analyzer as do the C.Crane and Wholehouse 2.0.
This is the Scosche FMT4R, the one that includes 87.7 and 87.9, which is probably a certification "cheat," so the frequency I used for testing was 106.9 MHz.
Modification Note: The RF output of this Scosche is attached to the audio shield, so you are correct that extending the audio cable length would amount to extending the antenna, and since I need to use an extended audio cable I detached the RF output from the audio shield and added a 6" antenna, which is the length of the built in audio cable.
The C.Crane has a 12" telescoping antenna and the Wholehouse 2.0 has a 5" wire antenna, but at an equal distance from the spectrum analyzer their signals are the same.
I saw that it has a dial where you switch between frequencies. Now how far does your schoche go? Im just wondering. It would be a nice transmitter for the car if it sounded better than that Belkin Tunecast FM Transmitter that only gets a few inches from the car antenna and every S word has an SSS sound.
Because all three of these certified FM transmitters generate the same field strength, their transmission distances would be equal and depend on the quality of receivers.
Next time I drive somewhere I'll see how far I can hear the signal from whichever one happens to be on at the time, might be tomorrow.
By the way, this model of Scosche has little so-called DIP switches for changing frequencies. The one with the dial is a different version.
Is it just me or was that an issue with Amazon and FM Transmitters. I typed in the modle number just to try and see what your Transmitter looked like. Just like they sold the wrong SainSonic AX-05B as where SainSonic's website sells the good one that was fixed. I don't know what we're gonna do about these guys at Amazon???
Also E-bay lists some radio receivers in the same column with Radio Transmitters.
Somebody doesn't know the difference between apples and ping-pong-balls.