Ok I guess the only way to go over a few miles is getting a lisence. I do have a question about the SainSonic transmitters. Looking online I have seen people posting that this is a legal part 15 FM transmitter that can go pritty far (.5 miles clean and around 1-1.5 miles with some noise). After reading some reviews on amazon people are saying that this is not part 15 legal and from the range it goes I dont think it is eather. I will just like someoen to confirm this because if it is legal I might go FM for a bit more range.
Thanks 😀
Even here where we are allowed a little more range on FM you can get a decent signal to the immediate neighborhood....not a mile. Half a mile is only on the best receivers.
So no legal unlicenced FM transmitter can get what you want in the USA. If you can get your signal a mile away you are way over the max signal strength allowed. The reviews you see on amazon are right.
Mark
So are you saying the HB testng was bogus? With the exception if the tuning issue debate about the SStran 5000, I thought the testing parameters were fair and consistant. (No Bill I am not trying to get back in your good graces. Just being objectionable.}
Hold on a minute, John of Druid Hills.
Those Transmitter Challenge results haven't been checked out by a New York engineer!
Another transmitter you might want to consider is the Grain Industries GI100/1000 by Wayne Miller. It is primarily designed for outdoor use. In Bill's transmitter challenge on HB the GI100/1000 came in second behind the Rangemaster in terms of coverage. It is FCC certified.
As has been mentioned before, coverage can also be affected by how your signal is processed. Some type of audio gain leveling is necessary for the transmitter to modulate properly without distorting. Here again is Keith's great info on proper audio processing for AM:
http://am1000rangemaster.com/amprocessing.html
The GI-100/1000 has a built in feedback gain control to ensure that the TX achieves full modulation.
For even more coverage, you might want to consider multiple transmitters around town which will give you an ersatz SFN. There is some question as to whether syncronizing carriers on multiple Part 15 transmitters is legal. But you can certainly syncronize audio legally by delaying the audio to the transmitters if need be.
I'm in a similar situation to you. My HOA is strict regarding rooftop antenna installations (I still can't convince the board that a DirecTV dish which they allow IS an antenna). However, I do have a backyard and can do what I want there. So I plan on doing a ground level installation using the GI-100/1000 and a copper rod driven into earth for ground. I can get power to the TX but not audio. So I plan to use a Part 15 FM TX as an STL, packaging the FM radio and the GI-100/1000 audio/AC interface in a weatherproof box and mounting that on the pole with the GI-100/1000.
But there are a number of ways to go as far as HOAs and rentals are concerned. The Legacy is broadcasting in "stealth" mode by keeping his antenna indoors near a window. I know of others who have been running longwires along rain gutters or drain pipes. Just gotta experiment.
Ok I looked into te GI1000 and from looking at there site it is around $600. How far would you say the range is on it from your experience?
Also I found out how people were getting a mile or 2 with the TH. They are in appartment buildings on the top floor. Thats what I was told anyways 😛
If there is no transmitter that can really go a mile is there one that can go .5 miles and come prebuilt and ready to go? Also will a part 15 transmitter go further with the am band or fm band?
Thanks 😉
AM gives the best range by far. Never used the Grain, but for $600 I'd go the extra bit for a Rangemaster. Installed outside, with a decent ground, you should get 1/2 to 1 mile.
Of course, environment and installation is key to getting good range. I have no experience with the GI-100 so I wouldn't know as to range. But I would imagine that 1 mile is not unrealistic with a good installation and proper environment.
If range is problem where you are because of circumstance, I would look into having the transmitter installed at a friend's house or business where the environment would be more favorable for Part 15 AM and use Barix boxes and the internet to feed the transmitter.
I have a friend who has a business in town that has offered to host my transmitter. In his case, the building he owns has an all metal roof so the roof can act as one giant ground plane for the TX and there are no trees nearby. I expect I can probably get 2 miles with that installation. He will let me have the location for free if I mention his business every hour. No problem.
The GI-100/1000 with the antenna and interconnect board would be $705.00 plus shipping.
For what is is worth the Decade CM-10 is nothing more than a modified SainSonic AX-05B FM Transmitter. The only difference (Since Timinbovey has extensively tested the CM-10 which was certified and yet puts out way over the legal limit and yet until now people had no issues running this transmitter) I'd save the money and just get the SainSonic. I'm sure not much difference no matter what the hype says other than the Decade has a molded into the unit telescoping antenna instead of the detachable Rubber Duck by SainSonic. SainSonic AX-05B has the -48 dbm setting that will get you only into your house and the max level of 500mW into their rubber duck. Reception depends on the weather and Radio. But to a good Car Radio can at times reach ¼ to .5 miles and to a boombox around 800 feet. Both transmitters are just as illegal. The Whole House FM Transmitter 3.0 is still illegal. You live in a desert so though its a gray area no one is likely to bother you in a desert. If you want to be 100% legal on FM you could go for a Scoche transmitter that will get you 150 feet. Also do note the Signstek CZE-T200 has 4 power levels and the Whole House FM transmitter puts out 2mW into their rubber duck. But the Signstek CZE-T200's low power is 1mW which would be a little less illegal. It has been reported to go 300 Ft on Low power. Less than the Decade CM-10 and SainSonic and is $40 on Amazon. In my opinion if your strictly by the book you could still do better with the Signstek than the Whole House FM Transmitter 3.0 and this one will run on battery, USB, Car cigarette lighter, Electric. The SainSonic could be ran in a car with a 12 volt cigarette adapter. I'd run it at -48dmb in the car however to avoid interfering with other cars near by as you travel however and it will sound better than the Belkin which in my opinion sounds like a fisher price toy stereo.
On AM I use a Talking House Transmitter V5.0 and soon I'll have a inside ATU/antenna made for me so I can get better range than the wire. My friend has gotten 2 miles when the antenna was on a 5 foot step ladder outside. When he is done with the prototype and I'm done with it he will be probably selling them. It is only a 6 foot antenna. So we'll test and see. It would be a while before he would market it and that is if he does decide to do so. Stay tuned for that.
One more note however it does look like the FCC will allow part 15 broadcasting on 87.9 Mhz. If the transmitter has a database reader it will be allowed 1 Watt. If not it has a sensor and scans for the frequency. That as we understand is 50mW. Still not bad for FM especially if we get the 1 Watt approval. A gray area would be if someone had one and built the sensor themselves or database reader. 1 Watt on FM could get you over a mile on a Rubber duck antenna. Lets hope this continues to be the new part 15 rules as I have read them for 87.9 Mhz. And also hope no channel 6 comes to your area. If none does your good as gold.
So it is legal to use 87.9 on the FM band? If I go to 87.9 I can go to 1W and still be legal?
With the Talking House atenna you are making how far will the range be and would it still be legal? I am still thinking of getting the TH from ebay.
Also this may be a but off topic but I am wondering if any of you know a place where I can start a legal internet station for free?
Thanks ;D
It is not legal to use 87.9, at least right now. And certainly not with 1 watt.
There are a whole host of factors as was mentioned that contribute to range. It you made a base loaded antenna and mounted it at ground level, outside, with a good ground, while you're not going to get the range of a Rangemaster, you might get close to a mile range. But again, you're going to have to experiment.
I think that if I was budget constrained, I'd start with a Talking House and do some experimentation with different installs, antennas, etc. If you get the range you want, then you're done. But if you don't, you can always move up to something else (Rangemaster, Grain, ProCaster - you might even be able to find an already built AMT5000).
There is nothing stopping you from starting an Internet radio station - no FCC regulations, etc. That's a whole other topic, but it's not going to be free. You need to somehow pay the copyright fees for the music you're playing if you're streaming online. There has been a lot of discussion here on that topic and I suggest that you do some research.
Ok well I guess I will get the talking house and see how it goes. If it can get 1/2 a mile as it is avertised I guess that can work for me and I can work on extending it. I used a range map to see how far my signial will go in .5 miles and it does hit allot of houses allong with the highschool.
For the internet radio I know the fcc cant do anything. I have looked into live365 but they cost a monthly fee. Radionomy is free but from what I understand on how it works is you cant have a 24/7 radio station. I have herd people saying there are free ones out there but they add some advertiseing into your station to pay that fee for free, but no one post the names of those.
Thanks ;P
I may have forgot to say 87.9 may be gray but it looks like it will change according to the documents I've read and the fact that the Scoche FM Transmitter does go there. But keeping things tidy I am using a TH 5.9 because of cost. The FCC has always been less strict to AM and this allows more range too. You could use a Short wave receiver and tune to WWV at 5Mhz. Now walk around the house and look for the strongest signal on WWV. WWV transmits on 5,10 Mhz and is a time station. AM will need a good clear spot so if you receive WWV better in the middle of the room instead of right next to a window you could put your transmitter there. I get WWV better next to where two rooms beet and just a few feet from the window. You could then thread your wire though a plastic pipe to hold it straight if needed. Try and start where you get WWV clear. Now try 6Mhz at night. Its a station in Cuba. They even talk about antennas on that station and Ham Radio. There is another hobby station in Colorado on 5.085 Mhz on Saturday. I think this guy is a part 15 Shortwave station as he does not transmit 24/7 but does a nice Saturday night show. If you get him you can move the receiver around till you get it the clearest. I've learned this lately and now I have some reference when I have my AM antenna done and I can place it where I get strong Shortwave signals.
Hope the folks at the school or near it listen to your station. Let me know how this works.
I use a wireless video sender to send my audio wirelessly to my transmitters. Works well, and can be stereo or have possibly 3 different audio sources pumping through it assuming all are mono, or one stereo feed and one mono feed.
This of course assuming I can make the video output transmit audio.
I use this unit as an STL.
http://www.amazon.com/Nyrius-NY-GS10-Transmitter-Streaming-Satellite/dp/B00FB1NTP6
I have two free streams running on Radionomy and run 24-hours a day from Friday morning at 9:30 AM to Monday night at 10 PM, plus random 24-hour periods during the week. I am not aware of any restriction.
Actually, Radionomy (for me) is only a YP ("Yellow Pages"), a listing of streaming stations that connects to servers wherever they are, in my case right here at home.
If their are actual stream servers available at Radionomy I have yet to know about it.
My servers run from my home computer, and use the "Legacy" versions of Shoucast, including an AAC stereo stream and a 16 kbps mono stream for dial-ups and low bandwidth listeners.
I also run an Icecast stream 64 kbps stereo.
Mighty 1650's idea of using a video channel for audio is fascinating. I hope this idea is commented further, as I am no longer familiar with what video formats are in use... back when I ran a video service it was all NTSC analog. Now I suppose video is digital, but am not sure what Mighty 1650 is dealing with.