I think #16 and #14 are the most accurate comments of the test. I'm thinking that the people that did this testing are reading this and wondering what furor they created just by testing a few transmitters.
Consumers reports tests 100s, maybe 1000s of products each year similar to these tests and publishes the results for consumers to have a guideline as to what brand or model is better than another. Yes, there are variables from unit to unit but having 25 of the same models for each test would be impractical so they use one of each, and according to the products instructions put it through the same field test in an identical set up...just like they did with these transmitters. Sure you will get some people saying that they had the product that was supposedly the worst, had it for 15 years and was perfect and the one they say is the best had problems and think the test is crap.
Conclusion, think of this as if you read it in consumer reports, an equal field test was done with each transmitter, set up the same way, similar to testing 6 different batteries for example, and this is what they found, and published the results as a buying guideline...cost not being a factor.
At least give them credit for taking the time and trouble to do this...with nothing really to gain from there efforts.
Just my opinion..
Mark
John was referring to a problem some transmitters have called carrier shift. When modulation is applied the carrier frequency may shift due to poor design allowing the oscillator to change frequency for one reason or another.
One of my Talking House units had a noticable "warble" when the received signal was weak. A check on the station monitor found the frequency was about 800 Hertz low and when modulated the carrier would shift about or "FM". Adding a "netting" capacitor brought the frequency right on and the "warble" or "FM'ing" disappeared.
I'm not a fan of a few of the posts that were made here regarding the transmitter challenge. In my opinion, in some cases, personal biases and not facts or objectivity were used to question the results. Not all, just a few.
However, there is an interesting follow up discussion over at 'that other place' as a result of this thread. The bottom line - the guy's feelings were hurt that a few would dare to question the exercise. In fact, he's protesting far too much, and throwing a lot of dirt this way (while ignoring at least one individual on his own site who was attempting to inject some common sense into the mix). With all this coming after the fact, it does introduce at least a few questions in my mind where there were none before.
However, overall, I still think (again, in my opinion) that the exercise was worthwhile (as far as it went) in generating a few more facts that can be used by someone who is attempting to choose a Part 15 transmitter, i.e., which transmitters are most effective at injecting a signal into a Part 15 antenna. The exercise certainly doesn't answer the question of which is the 'best' transmitter, which has to consider range (based on some definition of what a listenable signal is), sound quality (again, based on some definition), etc. But then, the exercise wasn't designed to answer that, and it certainly didn't consider many other individual factors unique to each purchaser, such as technical knowledge, desired programming content, budgets and a whole heck of a lot more.
As a side note, I was going to join the site just to respond to some of the more off the wall comments, but they ask you to justify why you want to join their Forum in detail and in triplicate (I'm kidding about triplicate, but it felt that way) - and that justification is vetted by the individual making most of those comments. No thanks.
What we have is an interesting study in site style, comparing the one to the other.
Here we have a site freely run by its membership, in the main very polite and thoughtful.
What they have there is a site run by its webmaster; decline his overtures and be banned and verbally slapped around with accompanying hecklers chorus.
If there's a common theme it's the interest we share in part 15 radio, although this ideal becomes pollluted when attacks are launched against this or that transmitter maker.
Carl, I didn't read what I considered to be any attacks against ANY transmitter makers.
I think that's there's some confusion over a few of the comments that were made. Ease of installation and use, for example, and the fact that the AMT5000 and Rangemaster require more effort than the others. I would rank the Talking House and Talking Sign to be the easiest to set up, with the ProCaster next, and then followed by the Rangemaster and the AMT5000. Does that mean that the latter 2 are difficult, or would I hold that against them? No - I feel comfortable making measurements with test instruments and I didn't find installing the Rangemaster to be particularly onerous. From what I've read, the AMT5000 setup is similar, you weren't dissuaded by it, and I purchased an assembled one that the owner didn't want to fiddle with to tune. It really all depends on the individual and what they want to get when they purchase a transmitter.
The 'best' transmitter is that one that meets your installation, budget, sound quality and range objectives. Basically, you find one that fits you.
Artisan has raised a key issue 1n the business of serving the custumers of part 15 transmitters; the "ease of installation and use."
The largest number of potential buyers can be described as people who want to broadcast "right out of the box" without having much technical knowledge, and the manufacturers cannot ignore this large group of prospective users.
The difficulty comes from the fact that some technical learning is necessary to installing a transmitter that will give a satisfactory result. But the transmitters must try to be as "plug-and-play" as possible to lubricate sales.
I think we can learn from the intricate details discussed in the Transmitter Challenge comments that even field-tests done with thoughtful care can legitimately be criticized and second guessed regarding the fine-points of RF technology.
My very satisfied use of the AMT5000 might not have gone so well if it weren't for my background working with electronics and my amateur comprehension of RF technology.
"Ease of Installation and Use" is subjective on the part of the end-user, and a golden quest from the perspective of the manufacturer.
Agreed. If you're only concerned with getting on the air as quickly as possible, and don't care about maximizing range, then buy a Talking House, use the wire antenna and voila, you're there.
Some people's priorities might be budget, others sound quality. If you're doing talk radio, sound quality isn't as important.
Like I said, there is no one 'best' transmitter - it all depends on what you want out of it.
And a postscript - the 'other site' appears now to be down (at least to me) and has been all day.
Bill is to be congratulated for performing the tests and publishing the results of his "Transmitter Challenge" since he has led the way by comparing various transmitters.
It is natural that some will have questions and doubts about any "study" and the accepted method of confirming or refuting findings is to replicate the study. This is better than speculation about "what ifs".
That being said, it is important to keep in mind that the results were reported for a specific test methodology and conditions, which are appropriate, and the results need to be evaluated with this in mind. The best way to answer questions about if the results would be different under different conditions (such as using ground radials) is to perform an experiment.
Thank you, Bill, for the hard work and for sharing the information.
Neil
If you can't respond professionally to comments and concerns regarding something that you've done, then it calls into question the professionalism of the actions (however rightly or wrongly). While I too congratulate Bill on what he did in the shootout, I also condemn the responses after the fact. There's no place for that in this hobby.
I have a V1 and a V5. They both FM. Very detectable when you get on the fringe with another station in the background.
Well, it appears that that 'other site' has blocked me from viewing their Forum pages. They're doing IP blocking at the very least (it would have been simple to get my IP from my partial registration process and we do know that they're reading everything that's posted here). I say that, as I was able to get access to the Forum pages from my smartphone. However, they've also now restricted certain topics (particularly the one in which their members were sounding off on this Forum) to 'members only'.
I never really went to that site much, only checking it out recently because of the transmitter shootout results - and then I was curious to see the train wreck responses to questions regarding that shootout.
I'll just go back to Carl's post a while back - I much prefer this Forum with its open membership, which encourages free flow of ideas (as opposed to the entourage style of the 'other site', where if you don't agree with the head guy, you could be out or never in). Yes, there are potential problems with moderating here as discussion can get heated, but overall it's much more intellectually stimulating, factual and refreshing.
And that's all I'm going to say on this subject.
My own website's Part 15 page has links to everywhere in the part 15 universe, and once had a link to the "other" part 15 forum site, but not any more.
For several months I was blocked from reaching their forums which is why I removed the link from my site, because it wasn't working correctly.
I found that using a proxy ip address I was able to browse around and read everything except the "super secret private deep dark forum" where hidden conversations were held.
But a pal of mine was a member of the secret society and made periodic reports about what got said in there.
In addition to being a hobby broadcaster I also practice hobby psychology, and I found one possible diagnosis in the case:
Narcissistic rage is a narcissist's reaction to a percieved threat to his self worth.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Narcissistic_wound
In defense of the condition, I think narcissism is under-rated and in my case explains why I enjoy hearing myself on the radio.
Blocking Ip's on a site like that is for a very weak mind.
And that game has been played long before the so called Transmitter Shoot-Out.
Nothing shocks me anymore with people ..
One thing I can assure you of is this will continue for many weeks because some people need this kind of negative stuff to feed their evil souls.
I am not talking about anyone on this thread BTW.
All I have seen here is people stating how they see it.
Also I am sorry I even said a thing about the Shoot out.
I should have known that this would cause a ripple in the time wave of the universe.
I also should have considered the disturbance in the force. 🙂