Studio-Transmitter Link - Any suggestions?
Hi everyone,
Has anyone done any experimenting with sending your program audio to a remote transmitter site or sites? In the town I am in we are trying to set up 3 transmitters. Of course there are phones lines that could be used, but at quite a price. I had thought of using two am frequencies at two of the sites, one being our regular frequency and the other being used as a relay. That raises a problem of audio quality. Each time the signal is received and retransmitted there is going to be an unavoidble loss in audio quality.
I have a supply of 900 mhz directional yagi antennas. I was thinking of modifying a 900 mhz cordless phone to act as a relay to the next site. It is fairly inexpensive, the audio would be digitized so there would be slightly less quality loss at each step. Am I overlooking something?
A group in a neighboring town is interested in retransmiting our programming. Any suggestions as to how to get the programming over a distance of about 10 miles while maintaining listenablility? Is there another part 15 frequency band that would have more range, but could be used more as a relay than as the public listening frequency? We've considered using the internet as a link, but broadband services run about $100/month for anything but residential use and virtually every dial-up service requires a reconnect after 2-3 hours.
Are any of you regularly using a remote transmitter?
We've got a great group of people who are interested in providing real local programming. Our biggest obstacle is the distance between towns. What we're trying to establish is a network of part 15 transmitters in area towns largely carrying locally produced programming from a central location, but with a local studio in each town capable of orginating programming for that town as desired.
How about 27 Mhz Wideband FM Links? For Remote Broadcast Links?
Or Narrowband using beam antennas?
There is a part 15 27 Mhz service also, I believe.
Check out Progressive Concepts and their STL kits. Here's a link to one of them: http://www.progressive-concepts.com/info/item.html?id=218 . The entire kit is about $600.
Here's some long haul WiFi info
http://www.oreillynet.com/cs/weblog/view/wlg/448
and here's a 500 mW amplifier
http://www.hawkingtech.com/images/datasheet/HSB2_LR.pdf
These are just examples, there's a whole bunch more good info out there.
Use a DNAS like shoutcast or oddcast or icecast and run all your affiliates on WiFi!
Have fun 😀
😀 Wow! Thanks! I thought this would be the problem that would take the longest to resolve. I really appreciate the information. I've been trying to find some of this information online and haven't had much in the way of useful results. So a quick post here and my problems are solved, well the ones to do with radio anyway.
Now I can get back to finding the best transmitter sites without worrying about how to get the audio there.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!!
Hello...
Some of the people here know me, some don't. I ran "WSJL AM" then changed it to "Resort Radio". (part 15 with two transmitters) Been off the air for a while because I sold it....Was on the air for 4 years. Anyway, I do have a Trango Microwave system I have not used. Orginally cost me 3,000.00. This system includes everything and the receiver antenna is a 30 DB dish for the "long haul", one of the reasons it cost so much.
Stereo audio quality, Video in case you want to sync the transmitters, if you have capibility with the transmitters you have. Although 10 miles is a long haul for Part 15 Microwave, or even Part 15 anything. Consideration must be observed, line-of-site and such for Part 15.
Anyway, without going into a lesson (of which I am not up to doing here) if your interested in purchasing the Trango system, make me an offer. It is in new condition, and may have some surface scratches on the covers and box of the receiver and transmitter covers.
I did not use them because I could not get high enough to send my audio 6 miles away. Trees and curviture was the problem. Doing the math, I would have needed a 145 foot tower at each end in order for the microwave signal to make it 6 miles.
So, I kept it, thinking I would use it someday for a transmitter closer, but, sold the station before I could expand to a third transmitter.
If your not interested, Anyone else can e-mail, and enquirer via www.professornutmeg.net web site.
Bill B.