- Posts
Hello,
Hello,
I’m a newbie when it comes to part 15 AM radio and I have a few questions. I plan on starting a station in a rural town near the Cincinnati area in a year or two (once I get some money) and I need to know:1. What is the best kind of transmitter for a broadcaster on a budget? I’m looking for something that isn’t a kit and that has an antenna that is easy for anyone to tune (I’m in my early 20s with absolutely no knowledge about radio equipment. The education system in this country has failed with my generation). Also it must get at least a half mile range under normal conditions
2. Is it possible to use a basic computer with iTunes set on shuffle repeat for music and a software mixer (Windows volume control) to turn the mikes on and off? I’m aiming for a low budget studio consisting of just headset mikes and a PC hooked up to the transmitter via RCA cables. I plan on adding real mixers and other equipment as my budget allows.
3. What kind of royalties are needed to legally play copyrighted music on Part 15? If there are any, what is the estimated cost? I don’t wanna get in any legal issues for playing my favorite songs.
I may have more questions as my dreams slowly progress into reality.
Total posts : 45366Welcome to the site from an ex Cincinnati area emigrant. I lived in Montgomery for many years before locating here in the Columbus area.
You should check out the Talking House transmitter. Try a search on this using the search function to the left of this part of the page. There are different models available so some homework on your part is needed. There are some who post here who know a lot more about these than do I so I hope they will offer their advice.
The range you seek is maybe attainable but it will depend upon what kind of receiver is used and the background noise level. For an indoor radio with a loop antenna this probably is not going to happen…for a good one with an outdoor antenna it is possible.
Any audio source can be used for the transmitter with the most popular connection being the “line level” signals.
I will leave it to others to comment on royalties since this is beyond my experience.
Neil
Total posts : 45366You are smarter than regular people for recognizing part 15 radio as a cause to undertake.
Other very smart members will have ideas for your three good questions, but I am here to welcome you on board to a way of life that could eliminate the “pursuit” part of achieving life-long happiness.
We will answer questions you don’t even have.
Total posts : 45366My name is Bruce, and I have
been experimenting with Part 15
radio since I was about 14 years
old. I’m 57 now.I will tell you what I know – everybody
here knows this – I am almost legally
blind so I do things very very slowly.Since you have time to think about setting
up a station, I would read as much as you
can get your hands on, and follow this site.
There are other Part 15 sites, Part 15 stations
on YouTube (a very few) and a lot of Part 15
people who are running stations that have never
made themselves public.I don’t know much about computers, because I
cannot see them well. But I think a computer
can do most of what you were talking about. If
not, it would not take much hardware to
accomplish your goals.Some people have said that royalties are not a
problem for Part 15 stations, because they are
not really radio stations. However, I am not
comfortable with this idea. I think if a
recording royalty company could find your station
and try to get money from you, they would. The
thing is, Part 15 signals do not go very far. So
we may be safe, but you NEVER EVER KNOW.I know of a person who works for a major broadcast
“conglomerate” who lives diagnally (sp) across the
street from me. I heard about this person purely
by accident. I do not know him. There is no
way to predict what he might do if he knew about
my station, but I am off the air now so the
situation is moot. Probably this guy would do
nothing. Not too many people tune around on the
radio anymore. If a Part 15 station is a low key operation,
it will just blend in with all of the other stations
on the radio dial. So probably nothing would happen.
I’m sure this guy is a nice guy just doing his job.
But sometimes (rarely) people can get weird if they
think their broadcast station is being threatened by
any kind of competitor. I know of one case where
a guy did get “taken down” by the record companies.
I do know know the details however. So it can happen.However a very many of us have gone to great lengths
to program material that is not owned by the recording
industry. This is a subject of great debate. There
are free shows on the internet that are available to
Part 15 stations. A lot of these shows have political
agendas, but some are about science, and other subjects.
There are also a great number of musical groups – rock
bands – country – jazz – bluegrass -etc, that are not
owned by anybody. They fall into the category of Indie
music, or independent music. There are Part 15 stations
that use these bands as music material. There are other
people on this site that know a lot more about
Indie music than I do.So, the bottom line is that I don’t know about
royalties, either. I can only tell you what I
have heard, and how people have attempted to
deal with that subject.Coverage areas from Part 15 AM transmitters that
have been set-up correctly (by correctly, I mean
the best we have been able to figure out) vary.
(And Part 15 FM is only legal for about 200 feet,
roughly, although receiver sensitivity can extend
that range some what – and this is also a subject
of much debate. I use Part 15 FM to listen to
music in my house and yard.)You could almost say (stretching it A LOT) that
everyone on this board is really not very far ahead
of where you are now. Apologies to the wonderful
engineers, professors, and experienced experimenters
that have been on this site for years. I am being
humorous here.It’s just that – Part 15 radio is not easy. If you are
into radio and electronics it can be an absolute blast
just trying to make it work. But if you really want
to start a real radio station – well – Part 15 radio
usually doesn’t work out like that. Although there
have been some exceptions. All of the exceptions have
their own stories. These stories have complicated
endings. Some Part 15 stations have popped up – and when
they were discovered by local “real” radio stations,
the real stations felt threatened and did all of they
could to close down the Part 15 operations.However, there are some Part 15 stations that exist
comfortably in small areas and do have some listeners.
I’m wondering if you of you “successful” guys would
come forward.I can tell you about my Part 15 set-up which was on
the air between about 2007 and 2009. Health and
family complications took it off the air. I still
love part 15 radio – it is in my blood. (I love
all kinds of radio, actually.) And my part 15
days are far from over.My station had an audio mixer and an audio processor,
which made the audio level of the music going to
the transmitter loud enough and at a steady level.
(If you are familiar with audio processors, just
bear with me.) I did not have a computer, but
an Ipod and other MP3 players provided plenty of
nusic. All of my programming was old jazz and
old blues from the 1920s and the 1930s. This (and
the fact that my station was low key) took care of
the royalty problem as far as I was concerned. I
don’t think the local 50,000 watter here would worry
about some dude singing in a 1925 jazz band.
I also retransmitted NOAA weather radio from a
scanner that was hooked into the mixing board.
No problem there. A lot of Part 15 stations do
that for parts of their schedules as a “broadcast service.”I am interested in a great many kinds of music, by
the way, but again, a 1925 jazz piece is about as
low key as you can get. And some people think this
music is in the public domain. I do not agree.
At best it is a grey area. At worst – somebody
somewhere will claim to own it.The information about my station was spread by word
of mouth. I did have listeners, especially when my
children were on, because other kids listened to
THEIR programs. I also had people who listened just
because they were my neighbors and they were nice
people. I even had a married couple that listened
whenever they drove through my town! (I’ve known
these guys for years.)So there were some listeners. My transmitter was
out in the back yard sitting on the ground. if
you look at the FCC rule Part 15.219, you will
get a general idea of what my set-up was –
because I did everything I could to make it legal.One of the people who responded to you mentioned
the Talking House transmitter. I have never
used one (My transmitter is from a kit) but I
have heard that Talking House transmitters are
good units.However, even if you set up your transmitter
“exactly right” – that’s a joke – because there
IS NO exactly right. Here on Part 15.Us, we
are always trying to figure out how to take
that very small amount of allowed power and
try to make it more useful. It is an unpredictable
undertaking. If you love it, like I do, it
can be a real adventure. If you are not into
it, it can be like having a root canal
procedure in the dentist’s chair for a couple
of hours.My station coverage was interesting. I was on
1690 Khz, which was clear during the day.
Night time coverage is a whole different animal –
because of night skip interference.But during the day, my coverage was pretty good
for a Part 15 station. People IN HOUSES 1000 feet
away could hear my station on fairly good radios.
That was enough to cover my immediate neighborhood.
On a car radio, I sometimes would hear my station
out to about 2 miles. Sometimes, the signal would
be weak, but very clear nevertheless.My broadcast coverage area was not a circle, as
one MIGHT expect. It was more like an INK BLOT
surrounded by other ink blots. The station
would come in on some streets, disappear, and
then return later on much farther away! And
sometimes very strong. I could walk down town
and sit at a picnic table with a good portable
radio, and hear the station without any trouble.But the radios have to be good ones. Heck, my
clock radio barely gets the local stations.
It would never hear a Part 15 station even from
next door.Also, to make things more complicated, the weather
effects Part 15 AM radio. Since AM radio sort of
travels through the ground, things can change.
If it has been raining or if the sun comes out,
your coverage area can change from hour to hour,
depending on how much water is in the ground, and
what the water table is at that time. And speaking
of the ground, you probably already know this, but
you have to have the right kind of ground system
attached to your transmitter or it will not go
anywhere. We have probably written hundreds of
hours of reading material on this site – just on
that one subject – grounding your transmitter so
the AM signal will actually travel somewhere.Well, that’s the best I can do. I couldn’t sleep
anyway. From my point of view, those are the
realities of Part 15 radio.I LOVE IT!
But that’s just me. I hope I didn’t scare you
away.Very Best Wishes,
Bruce, DRS2
Total posts : 45366Here’s my 2 cents.
Don’t know what your budget is, but from my perspective the Procaster is the easiest transmitter to set up, tune and get decent range. Anything less, even a talking house, and your’re probably not going to get the range you want (it IS achievable, but you’re going to have to work harder). You could go with a Hamilton Rangemaster, but that’s pricier, and more difficult to set up.
You can use pretty much any audio source to drive the transmitter, but consider some audio processing to maximize your sound and range. The Procaster has built in compression (to maintain an even keel audio level or that ‘punchy’ sound you get from commercial stations, essential for getting the range you want). Other processing you can do in software if you want.
As for royalties, I believe in the U.S. (I’m in Canada) there is a Part 15 flat fee to play your favourite music, but you should check into that further.
Good luck! Part 15 isn’t all that difficult once you get the basics, as long as you have reasonable expectations re range. Eking out the last few feet of range is what makes it really difficult, and then you have to consider such things as asymetric modulation such as the Inovonics 222 provides, large and complicated ground systems, etc. All that and more has been discussed in this Forum – you should probably go through the threads or do searches to get a feel for what others think, in any event.
Total posts : 45366My budget will be between $500 and $1000. I’m seriously thinking about the Talking House i A.M. transmitter 5.0, but the Procaster also sounds good. My only issue with the procaster is ordering it from Canada. I have no idea what to do when it comes to converting US dollars to Canadian dollars.
To Micro1700: You didn’t scare me away. I’m up for a challenge. My ultimate dream is to have a station that will cover the whole town of Owensville (about a half mile from center to edge in each direction). Also, I would love to start a network with stations strung across Clermont County and connected via internet. But it would take a HUGE amount of money.
I also have another question regarding transmitters. Are there any FCC certified transmitters that are compatible of broadcasting in C-QUAM AM stereo? I have a 1993 Chrysler Concorde with an AM stereo tuner and no stereo stations to listen to. Only stations I can get (only during clear nights) are 890 out of Chicago, and 1630 out of Iowa City. I would love to make Channel X the only AM stereo station in the tri state area.The only AM stereo transmitter I’ve found is the asmax, but its not FCC certified.
Total posts : 45366The C$ and the US$ are roughly at par – you should get a little more for your US$ in C$ (3-4%).
For that kind of a budget, though, you should really consider the Rangemaster as well. You shouldn’t have to pay full list price (when I talked to them, without any prompting, I was offered a 10% discount, you may be able to get more). If you know what frequency you want to broadcast on, you don’t need the frequency agility option – crystals are nice and stable. Plus the Hamilton is capable of accepting asymetric modulation if and/or when you’re ready to look at expanding – I found that it increased the listenable range of my signal significantly.
Total posts : 45366Which transmitter is easier to install, the procaster or rangemaster? I’ll admit I’m a little intimidated by the rangemaster’s lack of built in tuning meter. I feel more comfortable with a built in meter and just turning a knob or screw to tune the antenna. I need a setup that’s easy to get going.
As for the currency conversion, I would need to know how to get a Canadian money order. It doesn’t sound like something the local Walmart or Kroger could do. Also, what if the exchange rate changes while the money order’s in the mail to Chez Radio? I’ve seen the exchange rate go from a few cents difference to a few dollars difference in a few days.
Total posts : 45366A bank or post office could probably help with the currency.
Total posts : 45366…the Procaster sounds the best. Now comes the hard part, which is saving up money. That is a hard task on minimum wage. On the bright side, Carl’s revolutionary idea (See Invention forum) might be reality in a couple years. 🙂
Total posts : 45366I’m so glad you are still with us.
By the way, the 1630 kHz station
wouldn’t by any chance be KCJJ,
would it? Before 1630 got crowded,
I used to listen to them. And KCJJ
was operating with some kind of
stereo format when they came on around
1997(?) Originally they were an oldies
station, and in those days, there was
no problem hearing them in Connecticut,
which is where I live.I also have the capability to receive the
various old AM stereo formats here. I have
a Sony SRF-A100.I think it’s really cool that your car radio can
receive AM stereo, that’s great!Best Wishes,
And Good Luck!Bruce, DRS2
Total posts : 453661630 might be KCJJ. When I can receive it (which is rare, 1630 is indeed very crowded) it is a pop station. I find it odd that an AM station is playing music aimed at young people. Most people my age (in Cincinnati, at least) are brainwashed by Clear Channel. It’s either iHeart radio, WEBN, or Kiss 107. WEBN plays the same grunge (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins, etc.) mixed with the Doors and Zeppelin every day, and Kiss 107 has played the same playlist repeatedly for the last month, both of which are very annoying to me. In fact, it’s fueled my dream of Channel X. My slogan (The Radio Revolution) is no lie. I’m gonna play tons of variety, with all local DJs (No Ryan Seacrest) and very few commercials.
I’m rambling again. I apologize.
Total posts : 45366Back probably about 2008 when I was scanning the X-portion of the AM dial I found that one of the strongest stations from where I reside, halfway down the Mississippi, is KCJJ 1630.
Their website has a live uStream feed every morning showing the station owner doing the morning show, with his board operator participating in the banter, plenty of listener calls, and the “young” music you mentioned.
I became a big fan and did one or two segments of my “Blare OnAir” show talking about amazing listener conversations heard on KCJJ.
Because it is locally owned in Iowa City, Iowa, by one man, the station is very original in many ways.
Total posts : 45366My stats about people my age come from the Cincinnati area. Around here, the only music on AM is Gospel, Bluegrass, Mexican, and Doo Wop. If there was either a pop, rock, or rap (not a big fan of rap but a lot of people around here like it) station on AM, my stats might be different. I hope my Channel X dream will slightly change things around here.
I think its awesome that one man has tried an AM pop station. I wonder how it fares in the ratings. Obviously somebody is listening. Lol a 50,000 watt station won’t last long without listeners. Also Carl’s post about their morning show proves people are listening.
I wish there were more music stations on AM. Putting political talk on most major AM stations was a mistake in my opinion.
Total posts : 45366The Procaster is indeed a good choice, for ease of installation, cost, and the fact that it’s not a kit.
I’m sure that ChezRadio will accept a postal money order. They used to accept credit cards if you have one.
As for the ease of installation for the Rangemaster, I have an older one. It has the option (now standard) that as you tune the radio up and hit 100 mw input, a light turns green. You can also verify that with several voltage and current readings that when multiplied out together, should equal 100 mw. So if you don’t trust the light, you would need that voltmeter.
The Procaster has built in audio processing. The Hamilton doesn’t, but still sounds good. However, to maximize your range, you need to add that processing in, either in the audio connnection to the transmitter, or on your computer. However, the Hamilton accepts up to 129% (I believe) over-modulation, so that you can drive the unit with,
say, an Innovonics 222, which generates an asymetric waveform (over 100% on the +ve peaks, less on the -ve). I’ve used that combination and it does indeed increase your range; however, what I think is more important is that it increases your listenability in your core service area.One thing that a lot of people when considering range don’t talk about is how clear your signal is. The measure that I use, and admittedly it’s subjective – would I want to listen to this signal for any length of time? When the answer becomes NO, then I’m at the range limit for my transmitter, regardless of whether I can hear it out further or not.
However, the Innovonics itself is rather expensive. I believe the Procaster is only capable of 100% modulation, so if you go that route, you’re taking away a possibility for the future.
Choices, choices…
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
