We are being talked about (again)

Have you checked the stability of the MS-15 rf out when it is turned down to very low level ?

Whilst i have not checked the MS-15 myself, i have checked other fm exciters, and rf amplitude can be thermally unstable at very low levels.

I assume you have sorted out the known pll loop filter issue, my 8200 optimod would give it a hard time !

Paul.

stability is fine, i know about the loop issue and had problems and fixed it had no problems since. it was used in rockies stadium into a leaky coax as a in stadium translator.

it was used at a pretty low power level there for years.

i run 6.7 mw @ 90.7 into a LPF (loss) i have adapters because filter is SO-239, TX is BNC, Coax has N (yet more loss) into 10m of RG58 (yet even more loss) into a 20" radiator with a bunch of ferrite cores around coax at antenna base (lot's more loss)

i used the spec-an / dipole arrangement i previously mentioned to spec it to my certifed part 15. listenable range is about 200-300 ft to car stereo or portable all band, absolute unlistenable (to average listener but still barely audible) fringe is about 1000ft on a car stereo. that 1000ft range varies day to day. most days the fringe will be half those numbers.

reliable range day to day is about 150-200ft max

and i'm fine with those numbers, last thing i want to do is pi$$ off the FCC.

Stop bringing up other sites, even if they do talk about this one. Be a solution to the problem, not the cause.

That being said any transmitter can be reduced to any power, the typical issue is a part 73 transmitter costs enough to be silly for part 15 use.

But hey, more power to ya! (within the limit of couse lol!)

I saw that post. I don't know why these people think we're all pirates. I haven't seen a single person here do what they described. Do we discuss future expansion and a possible new class? Yes. Do we actually put up pirate transmitters? Hell no. 

MIghty1650 said "Stop bringing up other sites, even if they do talk about this one. Be a solution to the problem, not the cause."

And I ask, what problem?

As for what the personal opinions of those on other sites (including Facebook) are, I don't really care.  I'll comment on 'hard' data anytime, if and/or when it appears.

The problem is that some people are either lying or misunderstanding the conversations here, making this place look like a pro-pirate site. I don't like that.

I understand that problem and point of view.  What I don't understand is the problem that Mighty is referring to.

I'm just at the point where I'd avoid saying things that could be seen as a "jump" on another site or user. Typically anytime another site is brought up this way the thread goes downhill quick. 

As far as I'm concerned simply owning  transmitter of anykind doesn't make you a pirate, its how you use it. I have many transmitters myself that I really shouldn't use lol!

“The problem is that some people are either lying or misunderstanding the conversations here, making this place look like a pro-pirate site. I don't like that. “

Neither do I. All I have to ask is this and I'll shut the hell up about the subject and won't bring it up again. If ANYONE can post a link to a document that clearly says you CAN'T possess a part 73 FM Transmitter WITHOUT a construction permit I'll apologize and leave the subject dead. But until I am SHOWN legal proof that it is still illegal to operated a properly turned down to 250 mV @ 3 meter part 73 transmitter I'll stick by what I say. Plus there is a difference between a Certified part 15 transmitter and a Verified transmitter. Some of the transmitters online are sold and continue to be sold because they are a verified transmitter coming OUTSIDE the USA. So the operator is responsible to meet the 250 uV/m rule at 3 meters no matter what you buy and run. Plus the operator is responsible for Good engineering practices which is in OET 63. So everyone needs to review that in addition to thumping 15:239 like the preacher thumps the Bible.

I worked for a 5KW AM station which had a new 6KW transmitter.  They simply dialed it in for 5KW.  Not rocket science.  Same for Part 15--you could get that same 6KW xmitter and lower the power to 100 mw (probably not possible), but all other things being equal could be Part 15 legal.  Right?

If you bypass the final amplifier and only ran from the exciter to the antenna I don't see why not.  Some transmitters allow for just running from the exciter which shoul only be a few mW's.  Case in point I had a GiGain CB where the final was blown because someone run it with a high SWR.  It still put out 100mW from the transitter stage and I could still be heard about 1 mile from the antenna.  I use to use that for short range communications at 100mW and I still had 40 channels.  So yes bypass the final amp and your only at a few mW's if the transmitter can't be adjusted.  That is a fact.  The station I worked WOCR had a a transmitter that went from 0-10 watts.  Sometimes at night when the station was officially off air they did tests at the 250 mV @ 3 meter level as an engineer told me this.  So again I don't see why that would be illegal for us to run transmitters of better quality that we know won't cause harm.

I just have to add too that it was stated that we don't care about rather we cause interference to FM. I have to say this: At first yes I ran a Chinese transmitter. After extensive testing and I saw the random spurs it caused I stopped using it. The transmitter in question had a -48dbm setting which was about 18 nannowatts out of the box. Even at part 15 level I didn't recommend this unit as it had a bunch of spurs that the transmitter caused. These spurs could be heard as a BAAARMMM, BAARMMM sound in random places on the FM dial and could even be heard in the SW band several feet away from the transmitter. In practicing good operator and engineering skills as stated in OET 63 I immediately discontinued ALL operations of this said transmitter and bought something that was clean and tested to be clean. Since then I've done extensive tests to be certain that there is no random spurs being generated. It is interesting however that the transmitter in question was also made by Decade. The CM-10 to be exact. The only difference is THIS: the reverse BNC connector was replaced with a telescoping antenna. Next the High Power setting was defeated by use of jumpers on the board. This transmitter in my opinion is the SAME transmitter but modified by Decade or the original manufacture FOR the said brand. I don't know if the harmonics and spurs were fixed I have not tested that unit. Point being that the Transmitter they got their hands on to modify is still a Chinese transmitter. Furthermore Just Because the transmitter may be made in the USA does not guarantee that parts can't go bad and cause such spurs. It still is the operators responsibility to practice good operator and engineering skills and be sure its clean. My best advice is that if you see excess noise from your transmitter, stop using it and if you don't have the electronic skills to track down the problem seek technical assistance from someone knowledgeable in two way Radio. You may find someone who can help track down the issue. Even AM transmitters like the Talking House can go bad too and cause spurs. You need to occasionally scan with a SW receiver or continuous communications receiver that can scan from say 25Mhz-1.3Ghz. If at a reasonable distance away you start seeing unusual behavior, you need to discontinue use until the problem is fixed Just Like A Licensed Ham Operator is supposed to do. Asking for more power does not mean that I nor anyone else here doesn't care about interference and statements like this is degrading and false. A transmitter can be good or bad no matter where it is manufactured from and many people who buy part 15 transmitters don't have any idea where some of the components inside that transmitter came from. Belkin is another transmitter NOT made in the USA. Yet it has not been called a Chinese transmitter. I'm not trying to defend China, but blanket statements about a certain location of all manufactured transmitters from that location of a transmitter automatically means good or bad is not the case always. Granted many transmitter that have came from China with the same looking design such as the SainSonic, Fail-Safe, CZH-15A had issues, but at the same time many of these were under $100 and probably made cheaply to avoid higher cost. It has been my experience that the transmitters costing less than $60 have been sub par. If you want good quality either purchase a refurbished transmitter that has been well tested or a new one of high quality. Even some C. Crane owners complained of sub par quality with the connection between the board and the antenna. If I made this post too long I'm sorry. It just bugs me when I see blanket statements made and without proof that we don't care about causing interference. I've always talked about how can I make my transmitter clean? How can we eliminate harmonics and spurs. Go back and read my posts and you will see I always talk about Harmonics and spurs. So please I do care what my transmitter does.

Thelegacy said: "If ANYONE can post a link to a document that clearly says you CAN'T possess a part 73 FM Transmitter WITHOUT a construction permit I'll apologize and leave the subject dead."

I said: This is what you need: $$$$$$$$$$$$

not necessarily if you know where to look. older exciters can be had free as was the case with mine and mine luckily natively goes down to part 15 levels with no ill effects.

checked out and verified on both a spec-an and communications service monitor. anyone wanting to use an old exciter should keep an eye out for a Harris MS-15. note: there is an MX and MS versions the one i have is the MS.

it is built like a tank and seems suitable natively without mods for part 15 fm.