Part 15 is the best hobby for the imagination. Participants are always trying to discover new physics and reach many miles under the rules. So I am imagining what changes I’d lobby for if I stood among the pillars and marble halls in the District of Columbia.
I happen to believe that the present Part 15 Rules use the tired and dull practice of treating everyone like the youngest dumbest child in school and holding all others to the lowest standard. By that short-cut we end up with a portion of signal too weak to measure. Therefore my proposed changes would be magnanimous in their recognition that some citizens are actually mature and reasonable.
The 100 mW-to-the-final with 3-meter antenna would continue exactly as it is with kits, home-made units and certified versions. But a tiered choice of additional choices ranked by price would, since cost is a tremendous method of self-limitation, allow “upgrading” to 500 mW, 750 mW and 1-watt certified transmitters, no kits nor home-mades allowed. Antenna lengths of 15 to 20-feet would be allowed based on prevailing safety regulations and tower codes.
Bigger lobbyists would never allow it, because they still believe that in the absence of choice we’ll actually listen to their boring licensed stations, but internet radio makes such desperation unnecessary, so why not make way?
Hobby for the imagination
Part 15 AM is a divergent problem. It is very difficult to get out of the box created by a literal interpretation of the rules. A vertical antenna at ground level would give a fairly reasonable range if it were not near buildings, fences, and other obstructions within a half wavelength. But few have enough real estate to isolate a ground-level antenna. One solution is changing the rules to allow more power and/or a longer antenna.
My guess is that the FCC is not in any mood to give us any more than we already have. It wouldn’t hurt to try, but I’m not holding my breath.
Make Mine Longer
I’d vote for a real antenna and keep the power at 100 mw. Just stringing a few short radials under the 3 meter antenna makes a big difference so imagine what a “good” antenna could do.
There are several commercial AM stations that are required to reduce power to as little as a few watts after sundown. Put that into a 1/4 wave vertical and you’d cover a whole town. I know because our TIS station at 1650 kHz running 4 watts into a 3 meter antenna does a pretty good job.