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Post by Druid Hills Radio on Jun 15, 2017 18:46:53 GMT
Actually I took the drone up yesterday and made this vid of the transmitter and studio site and our coverage area. If you look closely the ground radials are visible. Largest Part 15 Construction in HistoryThe picture at the top of the linked story shows Jim Henry's back yard being prepared for his Procaster AM Transmitter. Job Site of the Year
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jun 15, 2017 19:58:20 GMT
I think it's a tribute to the Procaster when you see the wooded areas it has to get through to reach those communities you see in the distance, and it does. Marvelous Flight!Really loved that ride in the sky! Yes I could see the radials! That's possibly the most realistic AM tower replica ever built.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jun 15, 2017 20:35:14 GMT
i replaced that video with a slightly shorter one: I think it's a tribute to the Procaster when you see the wooded areas it has to get through to reach those communities you see in the distance, and it does. Marvelous Flight!Really loved that ride in the sky! Yes I could see the radials! That's possibly the most realistic AM tower replica ever built.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jun 16, 2017 2:17:45 GMT
I guess I probably have too much time (and wire) on my hands. I'm thinking of going up the hill tomorrow and adding a few "super radials". On the south side of my transmitter I have at least 100 feet before the tree line so I though I would add a few radials of that length, and see what happens..
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Post by Deleted on Jun 16, 2017 2:35:20 GMT
Do It
Jim Henry thinks: "I thought I would add a few radials of that length, and see what happens."
You are strongly urged to undertake this expansion.
Your installation is already a groundbreaking event in the part 15 world.
The mystery of radials under the part 15 restrictions has yet to be clarified.
We don't yet know the limits.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jun 16, 2017 23:20:31 GMT
I added 2 more radials today, one due South and one due NW. I didn't measure them but I'd say they are 75 to 100 feet long. At that point I ran out of landscape pins. I didn't really notice much difference in station reach. I did not re-tune the transmitter again because after the last 3 or 4 changes and I did re-tune, the meter was reading the same as prior to re-tuning. Perhaps tomorrow I'll add a couple more super long radials and then I will re-tune. Do ItJim Henry thinks: " I thought I would add a few radials of that length, and see what happens." You are strongly urged to undertake this expansion. Your installation is already a groundbreaking event in the part 15 world. The mystery of radials under the part 15 restrictions has yet to be clarified. We don't yet know the limits.
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Post by Deleted on Jun 17, 2017 0:41:19 GMT
Our Variable World
Jim Henry on new radials: "I didn't really notice much difference in station reach. I did not re-tune the transmitter again because after the last 3 or 4 changes and I did re-tune, the meter was reading the same as prior to re-tuning."
Even while added radials may not seem to do much right now, it is possible that as conditions change... other weather, different moisture and so on... the extra radials might have the right set of circumstances when they will contribute.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jun 17, 2017 2:31:29 GMT
Agreed. The saga goes on and will keep marching. Our Variable WorldJim Henry on new radials: " I didn't really notice much difference in station reach. I did not re-tune the transmitter again because after the last 3 or 4 changes and I did re-tune, the meter was reading the same as prior to re-tuning." Even while added radials may not seem to do much right now, it is possible that as conditions change... other weather, different moisture and so on... the extra radials might have the right set of circumstances when they will contribute.
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Post by mighty1650 on Jun 19, 2017 20:06:35 GMT
After about 8 radials the change will not be as drastic.
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jul 1, 2017 2:11:39 GMT
In one of these many threads someone suggesting using my well as a ground. If I remember correctly the contractor told me they had to go down 394 feet to hit water. So I'm thinking of doing that tomorrow if it's not too hot out. The well is not too close to the antenna though, it's about 150 feet or so away. Does anyone think it might be worth it? In this video the well is next to the orange cone at about 3:08 into the video. The other orange cone is where the transmitter is.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2017 2:50:22 GMT
New Territory
Employing a deep well to enhance an antenna is a completely new concept for these forums.
I suggest conducting a fact finding mission before acting on it... ask here and at part15_us to get people thinking along these lines.
One thought is a question of how far the water in your well extends into surrounding hillside. The more water the more likely it will contribute an affect (maybe).
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Jul 1, 2017 3:31:24 GMT
And of that I have no idea. My nearest neighbor has a much more shallow well and it has sometimes run dry. Ours has never run dry or slowed down and many have told us our water is the best they have ever tasted.This is true even though we have no water softener or filter on it. I am going to attach to it and see what happens. New TerritoryEmploying a deep well to enhance an antenna is a completely new concept for these forums. I suggest conducting a fact finding mission before acting on it... ask here and at part15_us to get people thinking along these lines. One thought is a question of how far the water in your well extends into surrounding hillside. The more water the more likely it will contribute an affect (maybe).
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Post by mighty1650 on Aug 2, 2017 17:40:42 GMT
In one of these many threads someone suggesting using my well as a ground. If I remember correctly the contractor told me they had to go down 394 feet to hit water. So I'm thinking of doing that tomorrow if it's not too hot out. The well is not too close to the antenna though, it's about 150 feet or so away. Does anyone think it might be worth it? In this video the well is next to the orange cone at about 3:08 into the video. The other orange cone is where the transmitter is. It'd be worth moving the antenna for. I have a 180 foot well that I hadn't even thought of using as a ground until now. The water itself is nearly irrelevant, water is a lousy conductor. The real benefit is the 400 feet of metal pipe going straight down into the ground. (That is if you have a metal pipe well like mine)
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Post by jimhenry2000 on Aug 3, 2017 1:13:56 GMT
While I believe I know how deep the well is (394') I don't know how long the steel pipe is since someone here or at Part 15 with experience with wells stated that most of the depth is just through rock, not steel pipe. What I do know is that running a 120' radial to the well head and soldering it on has significantly improved my station reach. Even though my property is up high, about 150' above the road, I am surrounded by pin Oaks 130' tall. This is a real problem if I wanted to broadcast south, which I don't, as that is all uphill. My target audience is all north, which is downhill but still covered by 130' pin Oaks. That is much better but still, no way my Procaster is above those Oaks closest to the property. I think this is a real tribute to the Procaster that it still gets out. In one of these many threads someone suggesting using my well as a ground. If I remember correctly the contractor told me they had to go down 394 feet to hit water. So I'm thinking of doing that tomorrow if it's not too hot out. The well is not too close to the antenna though, it's about 150 feet or so away. Does anyone think it might be worth it? In this video the well is next to the orange cone at about 3:08 into the video. The other orange cone is where the transmitter is. It'd be worth moving the antenna for. I have a 180 foot well that I hadn't even thought of using as a ground until now. The water itself is nearly irrelevant, water is a lousy conductor. The real benefit is the 400 feet of metal pipe going straight down into the ground. (That is if you have a metal pipe well like mine)
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Post by End80 on Aug 3, 2017 2:29:38 GMT
I've read that the leaf foliage of trees actually soak up RF and reduce range, nevertheless, I recall my first install with a Rangemaster in Ellabell Georgia.. The entire surroundings is a rather heavily wooded area saturated with very tall trees.. My install was mounted at the corner roof of a mobile home with about a 12 or 15 foot ground lead from the transmitter which led to a single 6 foot ground rod and no ground radials.
With that setup, even though surrounded by tall trees in all directions, reception to a car radio was clean and full about a half mile from the transmitter, pretty much on all directions, and still listenable (barely) until about a full mile away. At that time I did not even have any processing gear, the transmitter was simply being fed directly from a DVD player with mp3s on it.
My point is that your surrounding trees may not present as much as a problem as expected.. but I'm only speculating.
Personally, If I were you, I would not try to push any further for more extended range with a transmitter than you are currently getting, but rather focus on having each transmitter serving each particular area, even if it entails using more transmitters... Don't make the mistake of thinking a certified transmitter protects your legal stance, if your install does not meet all aspects of 15.219 then it stands the chance of a NOUO.
All I'm saying is don't overdo things and/or discard the risk involved that your install might not be deemed acceptable if it ever gets inspected. It's by far not a sure thing to pass.
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