Support for ALPB

Folks - I am VERY interested in this new group. However ...

You know there is a national Low Power FM group called Prometheus, which is responsible for the Low Power FM Community Radio legislation passed last year releasing some adjacent channel LPFM restrictions among others, opening the door for more possible LPFM Community Radio stations to get on the air, and just a few days ago they also launched a Reclaim The Air Waves campaign. They are doing a fabulous job!

I just want people to understand ALPB is not them. Personally, I would like to see ALPB renamed to Association of Low Power FREE Radio Broadcasters, or something to distinguish it. If we wanted to be low power licensed FM, then we'd be there ... but instead we're here, which says something about who we are.

Also, except for Carl and a few others, we're much more into AM broadcasting because we can legally get more bang from AM midband under Part 15 rules, in a time when AM radio still has a listener base. I would like very much for the new group to be able to grow into a license-free group to promote rule changes that would allow us to have more ERP.

Also to elevate public awareness that they WILL be able to hear us if they can just go by their local ratshack or order from C Crane to get a decent AM receiver.

In line with that, I'm think seriously about mfg some 'furniture quality' loop antennas which can greatly enhance reception with home stereo receivers (don't throw them into the local electronics recycle barrel just yet).

In addition, with Internet Radio, anyone with an iPhone, iPad, iPod, or Android with a browser and audio player, could pick up a broadcast that way and plug the unit into any stereo system, or PA system, and/or even resend the stereo signal through a bunch of cheap little iPod-type Part 15 FM transmitters strung around a neighborhood. That would take a community effort, but it would work ... especially if such a community would also engage in WiFi Mesh systems, with an understanding that not everyone in range will have computer capability, plus, there are those who don't like or want to learn about computers, but would still listen to the radio.

See, that's not something most LPFM Community Radio folk, enthusiastic as they might be, would think about doing, but here ... we do such things all the time. And that, in my acknowledged jaded estimation, is the kind of creativity we seem to do best, whether technical or programming skills.

Check my next message ...

Ken
We would love to have you join us .
if you can please come to the next meeting and share your thoughts with the rest of the group.

MRAM is the chair of the network at this time and he has done a great job so far.
The network will be trying to become a power to have the FCC and others give us some good rule changes to help Radio come back to life..

Our network will be sharing files and shows with each other.
And as time marches on we all hope that the ALPB will become a power like the AARL to help promote Flee powered Radio and make things better for our little stations.

As far as your Shows on your station I think they would be great for our network.
I hope End 80 radio will check us out also as I feel he has a great station too.

Thanks for the post and MRAM and CARL will be saying hi to ya 🙂
Also Johhny C will say hey to ya too.

I am very happy that you, from Canada, and Johnny C. from New Zealand, are continuing members, of what I also believe should have an international awareness of low power radio everywhere.

After last night's meeting I think you had signed off when our informal discussion continued.

I brought up the fact that we, the members of the group, needed to think beyond U.S. part 15 and find serious ways to benefit international members. I did this because I had fears that if we were too U.S. minded, we might lose you and Johnny C., and one idea we had was to assemble, on our ALPB Page at part15.us, which is being designed, details about low power regulations in other countries.

This morning I also think some Low Power Hours should carry information about world low power radio.

This discussion needs to be an ongoing one.

It would certainly be an accomplishment to have a single place for potential world low power (or unlicensed) radio broadcasters to go to.

I know that thanks to Part15.us, there is plenty of information for the U.S. When I first started investigating the possibility of legal, unlicensed broadcasting in Canada, it was not so well organized. Canada has a myriad of different laws and/or rules around unlicensed radio, separated by the distinction of experimentation and broadcasting - primarily because we have another regulatory body that covers broadcasting content (the CRTC) in addition to the one that covers the technical aspects (Industry Canada).

So if it's that different up here, where we are basically an extension of the U.S. in most things, imagine what it's like in other countries. Some don't allow unlicensed broadcasting, period (the U.K. comes to mind) and some are relatively lax, even for FM, allowing power levels of up to a watt (such as New Zealand).

It's good to hear that being international in scope is in everybody's mindset.

Not to plagiarize Carl but ALPB intent is to serve the improvement of radio broadcasting, bringing radio back to the people, all of the people not just us.

This opens our organization to anyone on this planet with a desire to improve radio broadcasting; AM, FM, Shortwave, any power level.

The name ALPB refers to low power as the group was birthed here where low power, unlicensed broadcasters meet. However, the intent of ALPB is not to exclude someone by type of modulation, power level, location, etc. As the core group of ALPB consists of "low power" operators the name stuck and does not limit the group otherwise.

The "Boy Scouts" do not remain boys and can continue with the Boy Scout organization. Likewise, Low Power operators can make the move to a licensed station and remain connected to ALPB.

The point is well stated that ALPB was not intended to be a lobbyist group narrowly sighted on FCC Part 15 rule changes. That does not improve the quality of radio broadcasting content. Focus on FCC rule changes serves to exclude a very large world.

At this point in time our focus should be to improve radio broadcasting by first helping each other with regard to programming and technical expertise. As ALPB matures and gains resources, committees can be organized to address regulatory issues while maintaining the original focus.

ALPB specifies that a member shall operate their radio station in a manner consistent with applicable regulations governing their location. As such, ALPB does not condone illegal operation. This does not mean a station issued a violation necessarily intended to operate illegally but rather needs to address a problem with their station.

For those who are not yet members, listen to our meetings featured on The Low Power Hour. ALPB is hard at work developing its structure and made great strides at our recent meeting.

If you are interested, please contact Bob Felmly, acting Chairman - ALPB at [email protected] for discussion.

The title "World Round Radio" came as my reaction to two things: the well worn expression "world wide web" was the first, and the other thing was something I read in a book said by R. Buckminster Fuller, the inventor of the geodesik dome, who said, "If the world were wide it would be flat".

While boy scouts (usually) do not remain boys, as Bob said, they remain scouts. But what is a scout?

I always thought a "scout" was somebody who looked up ahead to see if there was any danger to warn the troops about.

Maybe.... and I'm losing it at this point.. but, just maybe, the ALPB is a bunch of radio scouts.

Hi all,
Sorry for what may seem an absence (I am here, always here 🙂 but I have just been up to my eyeballs with a few projects. I am really happy to see this thread and I think that adding International material and forum areas is a Fantastic Idea! I will add this to the (very large) pile and get on it as soon as I can. I think the starting place will be to assemble some international rules/content/contacts and then build out discussion areas later. Any thoughts?

ArtisanRadio - do you think it would be helpful or useful to setup a Canadian Forum? Another quick question for you - is there an equivalent well known 'name' for the Canadian version of Part15? If you could email me a list of things you think would be good to have, any links to important material and any material you have that you would like to share, I can get Canada started right away.

And for our colleagues, elsewhere in the world, the same question and request. I will make it my mission to identify, seek out, aquire and publish everything I can find for as many countries as I can!

William Baker of Information Station Specialists, ISS, announced his support of ALPB after learning of our organization and its ideals.

Mr. Baker stressed the importance of promoting legal operation which is integral to ALPB.

As ALPB becomes more visible, the support base will grow.

A good summary of the low power radio situation is found here, and includes sections on Canada, England and New Zealand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low_power_radio_station

Carl's link doesn't really deal with unlicensed broadcasting, at least in Canada - looked like it was only referring to LPFM.

Not sure if we need a Canadian Forum per say, but an area targeted at Canadian rules and other info would be great. Posts dealing specifically with Canada could be contained within threads clearly marked as Canadian.

And I'll get you some info. Canadian rules are not well publicized and are confusing in places, particularly when dealing with the differences between experimentation and broadcasting.

Generally, they are differentiated by the government circular that defines the rules. RSS210 deals with unlicensed radio operation for everything BUT broadcasting. BETS deals specifically with broadcasting.

There is a huge gray area in Canada's rules when it comes to the subject of broadcasting, and operation on the AM band. RSS210 is very similar to the U.S. Part 15, in that it allows AM transmitters to have 100mw output to the final stage. BUT, BETS, which you are supposed to follow if you're broadcasting - and if you run a little radio station, that's what you do - limits the transmitter to field strength, at 250uv/m at 30 meters (I guess they looked at the either/or situation of Part 15 AM and decided they didn't want to get into that mess). Transmitter manufacturers (at least, all the ones I know of) get their devices certified under RSS210, and generally ignore BETS. I don't know if Industry Canada has ever gone after anyone broadcasting with one of these devices - I haven't heard of a case.

Ironically, both BETS and RSS210 give unlicensed FM transmitters more freedom than the U.S. - transmitters are allowed a field strength of 100uv/m at 30 meters, 4 times the strength of Part 15. It makes FM broadcasting useable here, and given the muddle of AM rules, also makes it more desirable, particularly in an urban environment. I've experimented with both AM (RSS210) and FM (RSS210/BETS) certified transmitters - FM (mono) gives you a clearer signal for a much greater distance than AM, it tends to either be there or not; you can hear AM signals at a greater range, but they get noisier faster, and tend to get absorbed by obstructions more. Over an open field, AM will go farther, but who broadcasts over an empty space - there are no listeners! And FM doesn't fade out at night.

My transmitter of choice these days is a Landmark FM-350, Industry Canada certified under RSS210 and therefore, BETS, as they both have the same restrictions. I can get 1/4 up to 1/2 mile range (in some directions), 1/4 mile consistently with quieting(the maximum theoretical range of such a transmitter is around 1 km with some quieting, line of sight). I keep a Talking Sign as backup, in the event I want to listen to stuff around the house on AM.

I'm glad you clarified, Artisan, that the link section on Canada needs to have somebody add a paragraph on unlicensed radio.

Glad you filled us in.