John Sees

Good post. Especially enjoy your comments regarding Part 15 technology. Are you aware if any of the current transmitters actually getting 100 mw output? I’d heard about the most was around 60 mw out, be that right or wrong. Agree about antennas. I think there’s room for something more efficient.

I’m waiting to hear results of what kind of range…[Read more]

Thank you for sharing that, Sean. I’m sure all here agree that your comments are appreciated and welcome here anytime.

John

W9LWA

Well, it was there long enough for me to see it and I didn’t see anything wrong. My only question was if you know something I don’t about the FCC taking an RF Choke into account in the ground lead measurement. I can see why they might, but haven’t found anything to indicate they have or will.

Thanks for your comments.

John

W9LWA

Well, I saw the post and it pretty well sums up the situation. I don’t know that I agree that we gain any salvation by using an RF Choke in the ground wire, though. I understand the merits of using a choke, but as a communications attorney I don’t see anything in applicable regulations allowing us to go long with the ground lead by using a choke.…[Read more]

Indeed, there are plenty of stories of hams working the world with less than a watt. Ok, lots of times that was with CW and appreciative listeners willing to tough it out with a poor signal in order to get the qrp contact. But, in SW broadcasting we shouldn’t have to deal with the pile-ups hams do with two way communications. Working the world…[Read more]

Thanks, Legacy. I saw your message there and will give you a call. I agree a ham license shouldn’t be necessary for any of this. I just thought adding some non-ham sw frequencies to the ham allocations for broadcast transmissions only might have a better chance for low power sw. The way the federal government has this thing about pirate…[Read more]

I think it would be interesting to broadcast on shortwave, but it doesn’t sound very practical in the US. Licensed sw broadcasting here is limited to transmitters 50kw and over which puts it out of range of almost everyone. It sounds like Part 15 restricts the power so much that it’s not practical, either. I posted the original question hoping I’m…[Read more]

Exactly!

I don’t know. If we think an FCC equipment certification overrides an FCC Rule applicable to that equipment, the Rule probably doesn’t mean what we thought it did…

John

W9LWA

If we are seeking a policy change allowing expansion of LP broadcasting, I’m wondering if the best chance might be to seek a set-aside of  sw broadcast space for LP broadcasting – as opposed to two-way communications  – by licensed ham operators.

Perhaps it wouldn’t rub the commission the wrong way as much as wholly unlicensed broadcasting. I d…[Read more]

Well, I was a lot newer around here back when I posted that, but I’m still wondering if anyone is making LPSW work…

John

W9LWA

Or, just plug it in and see how it works…

John

W9LWA

Indeed, I do agree with that. Part 15 broadcasting is a consumer activity. One needn’t be an engineer nor other broadcast professional to be a Part 15 broadcaster. One needn’t be an adult nor even have reached double figures, age wise.  Signal strength under Part 15 is not something easily addressed by consumers nor something the average person…[Read more]

Thanks Leg,

I’ll see what I can do. I’ll be kind of interested just to see how many of these people actually know much about Part 15 to begin with. I don’t think they get very many Part 15 questions from the NAB crowd…

John

W9LWA

Well, I don’t know that those are really issues for the Enforcement Bureau. I was thinking of things more like what they think a ground lead is. Or maybe how much weight users can give to FCC certification of a transmitter in assuming legality – especially when operating on frequencies such as the FM broadcast band where regular citizens have no…[Read more]

I’m with you on this one, Legacy. If we’re looking for the most  listeners, the only test that really counts is the one to see how much turf our usable signal covers.

John

W9LWA

I’m not surprised to hear it was a bit overpowered. My dad would take me out now and then in the blue ’67 Mercury station wagon and we still had a pretty good signal for a couple of miles. I also had a similar transmitter from Lafayette that never worked nearly as well, but it probably wasn’t giving me 180 millawatts instead of 100, either.…[Read more]

Thanks, TIB, for the information. I might get one of those. My original seemed to work better than any Part 15 transmitter I’ve had since although I hope the anticipated Rangemaster changes my mind about that…

John

W9LWA