- Posts
I was just driving around and playing with my old Music Gear BIG-FMT part 15 FM transmitter when I noticed something that made my blood boil with rage. 106.3 FM, the only open station on the dial in this area (also the home of Channel X for the past 2 summers) is now a simulcast of 100.7 THE RIVER, WHICH IS A TRANSLATOR OF AN HD2 STATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Why does Cincinnati need 2 250 watt translator stations that aren’t even translating an analog station?????? ALSO, WKFS (the station being “translated”) has perfect reception in this area!!!!! HOW ON GOD’S GREEN EARTH CAN A STATION THAT OPERATES FINE AT FULL POWER HAVE 2 TRANSLATORS THAT ARE WASTING BANDWIDTH, MEANWHILE AN AVERAGE JOE CAN’T EVEN RUN A PART 15 STATION ON FM NOW? IT’S RIDICULOUS!!!!!!!!!! I’M BOILING WITH RAGE!!!!!!!!
Sorry about the caps. I’m just really mad. My part 15 FM station has been forced off the air and I’m nowhere near my goal to get on AM. So now, I have no radio outlet. It’s just unfair.
I need some advice. Is there anyway to petition the FCC to revoke the license of FM translator W29DT (I’m so mad I did a radio locator search)? By the way, that radio-locator search told me the translator was meant to simulcast WEBN, not WKFS. That means Clear Channel is violating rules, I believe.
Also, is there any other method of legal radio broadcasting that is cheap and easy. My budget is less than $50 right now. I can’t even afford an iAM on ebay right now.
I hope this rant hasn’t offended anyone.
Total posts : 45366Such is the nature of part 15 broadcasting. This has happened to me a couple of times and I just moved on to another frequency. Those with licenses, whether you agree with it or not, have all the marbles.
It is, in my view, futile to try to get a license pulled but if it would make you feel better have at it. That translator frequency would just go into use by someone else.
You are not off the air unless you choose to be. There is always a usable frequency in an area because of the way the frequencies are assigned. For example, look for a frequency used by a Dayton or Lexington station which has none or an usable signal into Cincy. You certainly don’t want to interfere with a station but if they are not listenable in your area the chances of this are very small. For FM I parked on a frequency which is used by three stations from 40 to 90 miles away. I can sometimes hear a signal on my car radio but they fade in and out and reception switches from one station to another to nothing. You do want to avoid the frequency of a weak but possibly listenable station. The problem for you is that there are probably strong adjacent channels which can wipe out your signal. The RadioLocator site is useful as a starting guide but ultimately some experimenting is needed to find a good frequency.
AM is much easier to use in this regard, at least during the daytime. Maybe you can focus your resources on this mode instead.
I would hate to see you give up a really fun hobby just because of this frustration. Hang in there, you’ll be glad you did.
Neil
Total posts : 45366I sympathize with you, but a license is a license. You have none. They are legally allowed to broadcast over your signal, and, further, you cannot interfere with theirs … it’s just one of the the rigors of Part 15 radio. Getting angry won’t solve the issue.
Heck, you can’t get more than a few hundred feet out of the best Part 15 FM transmitters anyway. Have you considered Internet radio?
I don’t see a violation there. I think the translators are broadcasting the digital portion of the signal, which right now is a much smaller market, so they may be experimenting with it. There just aren’t all that many digital FM receivers being sold, e.g., , satellite radio is more popular.
It wouldn’t be so if those guys would consider doing live broadcasts like they did in days of yore instead of just playlists and ads … except for me (oh, I do playlists too, I can’t mind the station and do live DJ because I have an actual job driving taxis, but not all the time) … I’ve just been asked to broadcast a jazz band live from a local club, simulcast to Internet and my Part 15 AM station in town.
The trick will be getting the audio up to snuff … the room has horrible acoustics, so I’ll have to individually mic the players.
Total posts : 45366ChannelX — You may have one recourse. It’s a little known fact that translator interference potential is not “contour protected”.
“Contour protected” means if a full-power station is keeping you from hearing your favorite full-power station that’s 50 miles away, but your favorite station’s 1mv/m contour only extends to 45 miles, you’re out of luck.
BUT — If a TRANSLATOR pulls the same stunt, and keeps you from hearing your favorite full power station 50 miles away —- that’s different! No matter what the distance is — if a translator is truly interfering with your reception of a full-power station you like, even if it’s 150 miles away — by law, the translator must fix the situation, or go off the air!!!!
Now then: Is there a full-power station on 106.3, that you used to listen to in your area, but now you can’t because of the new translator? If so, COMPLAIN to the translator owner and the FCC simultaneously. If the translator owner can’t fix it, they’ll be ordered off the air. (That’s how it’s supposed to work, anyway.) And if your “favorite” full-power station happens to be on the same exact frequency as the translator…..how on earth are they going to fix that? They’ll have to go off the air, or move to another frequency. Your problem will be solved! (Altho it might take years, knowing the speed of the FCC)
A complaint about the translator interfering with a full-power station on 106.1 or 106.5 would also work, except that it might be possible for the translator owners to fix that by offering you filters for your radio, or by buying you a super selective radio that would separate frequencies that close together. Then they could stay on the air anyway.
Do some research, see what interference to your “favorite full-power stations” you can find, and get back to us here on the forum.
P.S. — DO NOT claim interference to your Pt. 15 station! The FCC simply DOES NOT CARE. They will protect your RECEPTION rights, NOT your transmitter privileges, especially not those under Pt. 15. Peace and good luck!
Total posts : 45366I think the point here is being missed.
The problem is not actually a Part 15 radio problem, it is simply that there are too many translators operating where they should not be. And everyone knows that is a FACT.
30 translators all cramming the dial and they can only be listened to one at a time, most carrying the very same program as it’s neighbor.
It wont be long before some stupid translator starts filling up your dial in your neck of the woods. Maybe then the point will be S9 on your meter.
$$$$ is what it’s all about, even licensed to violate, it all adds up at the end of the tagging cycle, and repeats.
Not difficult to figure out what’s going on at the top.
RFB
Total posts : 45366…I took a look at the forum posts and you all have given me some good ideas. I think I’m gonna try either 92.1 (WROU in Dayton and B-92 in Lexington, both of which are very weak) or 101.5 (Click 101.5 from Dayton, which is so weak and static filled that I doubt anyone is listening). Also, I’m gonna start saving for an iAM with wire antenna as a temporary transmitter until I can afford a Procaster. The iAM with wire antenna would probably beat my FM setup by a few feet. Plus, I might be able to find one on Ebay in my price range.
The point of my rant was that there are translators running that shouldn’t be on the air. I know of a rock station on 88.9 and 89.1 from Miamitown Ohio and Crittenden KY that I love listening to online (it’s called Class X Radio) that would greatly benefit from a translator on this side of town. I’m on the extreme fringe of 89.1 FM (WKCX) and I can’t get 88.9 (WMWX) because of splatter from 88.7 WOBO (Only 5 miles from here).
Total posts : 45366And it’s doing great! We lost a few feet of range 2 houses down to Click 101.5’s weak signal, but I’d say it’s still a success.
I also discovered an awesome program in the Ubuntu software center (I run Linux on my machine). It’s called Internet DJ Console. You can use it for internet radio (don’t know how), but it makes a decent interface for a primitive studio. You can even do basic automation. I’ve set mine up to alternate between 2 playlists. One playlist is music, the other is station IDs. The program will play a song, then an ID, then another song.
I do need to make a set of FM IDs now. All my current IDs say either 106.3 FM or 1610 AM WCHX (I’m already preparing for that day). Since WCHX is a real FM station (licensed to a station called CHiX rock somewhere in Pennsylvania), I need to come up with a new made up callsign.
Maybe WXWB (X Within Batavia)? Or WCXR (Channel X Radio)? Or maybe even WXOV (X OwensVille)?
Any creative suggestions from the community would be appreciated.
Total posts : 45366I’m glad you are on the air!
It feels good, doesn’t it?
The callsign issue is debatable.
Use of callsigns that sound like “real”
broadcast stations has been discussed
here at length. You can probably type
“callsigns” or “station identification”
into the search box and get the threads.
We (you or I or a bunch of us) could probably
discuss the topic forever and ever until the
cows come home. I don’t want to start another
endless discussion on this, but I will tell you
what I have done, and what some of my
callsigns have been, just for the fun of it.I have been messing around with Part 15
radio for almost 45 years (ouch) and have had
all sorts of different callsigns. In 1969 my first
Part 15 station was WBVR, which stood for Buena
Vista Radio – Buena Vista was a golf course on the
other side of the street that I grew up on. In those
days there was no internet, so the real WBVR which
was on the air at that time could have never known
that I existed at all. I don’t remember where the
“real” WBVR was then, but I have seen that WBVR callsign
move around to different parts of the U.S over the
decades.Some Part 15 stations have used 4 letter U.S. callsigns that
start with W or K, and have been assigned to “real” licensed
stations in the U.S. As far as I know, nothing has ever
happened to those Part 15 operations concerning the use
of those assigned call letters.
But never say never. Some strange thing could happen,
someday I suppose.Some Part 15 stations
have used 4 letter W or K callsigns that do not exist in the
‘real” broadcast world, such as what you plan to do.This is my opinion. And it’s just an opinion. I would never
ever use a callsign that was being used by another radio
station in the U.S. That’s just me. I even shy away from
using an unassigned 4 letter W or K callsign, because I don’t want anybody
to think I’m a U.S. licensed station. I announce at the top of
the hour that I am Part 15 and explain what that means.However, I did use the callsign WRL for a great length of time.
There still are several 3 letter callsigns in the U.S. I used WRL
about 10 years ago. It doesn’t belong to any AM or FM BCB
station or any ship to shore radio station, or any other kind of
transmitter in the U.S., for that matter.I have also used callsigns that were 4 letters, but started with
X or C, that is, Mexico or Canada, for instance. At one time,
I used a 5 letter Mexican callsign that was XHBST. i have also
used rather amusing callsigns, such as CHIP, CHEX, CHOP, and
CHEW. These callsigns are in honor of a string of Canadian
40 watt relay AM stations in the North West Territory. (They were
turned off years ago.)Right now, my ID is DRS2, which as you may know, stands for
DOG RADIO STUDIO 2. I do this so I don’t have to worry about
using callsigns that sound like real stations and having somebody
misunderstand. MY only signal, on 90.9 MHz, is probably
covering about the same distance as your FM. It is not going
far, and is complying with Part 15.239. My AM is off the air,
but work it being done on a Carrier Current and “over the air”
Part 15 set-up, as well as that one shortwave frequency we can
use that travels some distance – 13.560 MHz. It won’t go too
far, but my hope is that is will get a mile away to a good friend
I know that has a good shortwave radio.Dog Radio Studio 2 is the second location in my house that has
had a Part 15 radio station. In both cases, the station was also
the room where our dogs sleep. (Hopefully.) (So the radio room
is also the dog room. I also have SWL listening equipment in there
and a ham radio station.) So technically, there was a DRS1,
although it was just called “Dog Radio” at the time. Then it went to
DRS2, and if this studio ever gets rebuilt, there might
be a DRS3.I have also used the ID of MICRO 1700 and MICRO 1690.
I don’t know if these comments are useful, but they do make for
somewhat of an interesting story. I’ve had a lot of callsigns and
there are many more that I can’t remember right now. I just
think t’s fun to change them every one in a while.Anyway, the main point is that you are on the air and having fun!
That’s what really matters!It’s a feeling that is really good and I can’t quite describe it.
On the translator issue, mostly I hate them, but there is one
91.9 here in the Hartford area that relays a very good
“artsy” noncomm radio station, which I would not be able
to get otherwise. This station is not affiliated with NPR or
some gigantic religious cluster. It does what it does and I
like it a lot.I have always liked NPR, but I can hear NPR affiliates on
many frequencies here. 88.1, 88.3, 88.5, 89.1, 90.1, 90.3,
90.5, 91.1, 93.3, and 99.5. I do have good receivers, but
i do not have what you would call a sophisticated FM DX
set-up. There are no outside FM DX antennas here. Still,
that’s ten channels that have NPR, and oh yes, one on
AM 640. Now, I do like NPR, but that’s a lot of channels.I don’t know if you have ever DXed FM, but when a big
sporadic E opening occurs, and the MUF gets up to the
FM band, watch out! There will be strong NPR stations
coming over some of the semi-local stations. Then there will be
a lot more NPR stations! Like – maybe 15 instead of 10.
Oh well! I think a Part 15 FM person will always be able
to find some channel to get onto. I live in Connecticut, and
my parents have a house in Rhode Island. Since that house
is on the ocean, and since it is near Boston AND Providence, the
FM band there is actually worse for Part 15 than it is here
in the Hartford area. I haven’t done Part 15 over there in
Rhode Island for at least 5 years, but I was able to find
a channel somewhere, I remember. But I don’t remember
what the channel was. Hmmm.Anyway, it’s all fun!
Best Wishes,
Bruce, DRS2
Total posts : 45366I’ve noticed my range has went downhill since I’ve had to move from 106.3 to 101.5 FM. It started out good until I started playing more than a tone. The volume of my music overmodulated the signal and now we only get out about 150 feet.
I’m saving up for a talking house. Even without the ATU, I should at least cover 500 feet from my second floor studio. I might even get lucky and smoke the old 106.3 FM coverage, which was about 3 houses to the south on a car radio (roughly 0.1 mile). On a cheap $5 pocket RCA radio, we got out 50 feet. Yes, 50 FEET! By the way, RCA is cheap dollar store junk nowadays. On that 6 year old pocket unit, the volume’s already shorted out (it’s LOUD or left speaker only) and it eats batteries like a fat kid eats cake.
As for call letters, I’m using WXWB on FM and WCHX on AM. Both callsigns don’t exist. WCHX is FM only and I believe WXWB isn’t anywhere on the broadcast bands (it wasn’t a year ago). I’m debating on maybe using a Canadian callsign. Maybe CHXO (CHannel X Owensville) or CXOO (Channel X Owensville Ohio)
Total posts : 45366I wish I could be in your area to help you do
a good frequency search on FM.I don’t remember what part of the country
you are in, but the summer time can bring
a lot of different kinds of enhanced FM
propagation that result in interference.You may not have that problem once you
get past the fall (October or so) and into
winter.I like your callsigns.
Best Wishes,
Bruce, DRS2
Total posts : 45366Just a thought:
The United States uses the prefix letters K, W, A, and N for radio callsigns.
How about selecting one in the four letter format beginning with A or N? Don’t use numbers since they are included for licensed stations. I know of no broadcast stations starting with A or N.
Neil
Total posts : 45366I just got a new iAM unit, its a blowtorch even from underground in the basement. In particular it follows power lines. I had a talkinghouse before this one a few months ago, it went far even with just the wire antenna.
Theres no doubt in my mind it’ll blow your fm outta the water.
Total posts : 45366I was literally one day away from placing a 16 dollar bid on an i AM transmitter that I saw on Ebay when my car broke down. I busted a radiator hose and overheated the car so bad it was smoking when I pulled off the road. $60 for a tow and $30 for parts. Now I’m broke again. Rats!!!!!
I can’t seem to catch a break!
Also, my FM transmitter bit the dust. It shut off and won’t come back on. So Channel X is back off the air again.
Total posts : 45366“I can’t seem to catch a break!”
Look at it this way: No way but up! Things’ll get better There was a time when I got sick, lost my job, my wife left me, and my dog died. But, I was and am still lookin’ at the grass from the top side, so …. be of good cheer 😉
Total posts : 45366Neil: On the callsign thing:
Years ago there was NDXE, the
shortwave BC station that never
was. The guys was selling bumper
stickers and all kinds of other
things. I don’t remember exactly
what. He kept on saying NDXE would
go on the air, but it never did. I
think there was ever any intention of
putting a station on at all, but the
SWL community was buying all of his
promotional stuff.To ChannelX1610: Wow. Well you know,
I’ve been through what you are going
through now. There has got to be some
inexpensive way to get you going. What
exactly happened to your transmitter?
Is is anything that can be fixed or
adjusted? And – as a person with a disability,
I can tell you that you are not alone.
I’ve been pennyless many times.Best Wishes,
Bruce, DRS2
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
