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Post by thelegacy on Dec 31, 2017 9:57:07 GMT
Just after the state of the station address or as we talked about how our stations were doing I found out by a train that there was a license station that came on 87.7 megahertz December 23rd 2017. The station was called the streetz which plays nothing but hip hop and of course rap music.
Just as I was seeing a possibility of a light being Shine for us folks wanting to use that frequency as a legal way to transmit and not interfere with broadcast stations so much for that because now it seems that broadcast stations are coming down to 87.7 megahertz.
It seems now there is no blank frequencies on FM4 people in my area to operate even in a rural area as I was able to pick up the station on 87.7 megahertz from my location. Now if I want to do anything I would have to use AM.
This is devastating news for me because as a disabled person and am transmitter is very costly. I've already been trying to see if I can get donations to try an afford something like a range master or a procaster as the talking house transmitter don't do very well as far as range goes in comparison.
Letting my listeners know that there is no blank frequencies anymore on FM in the Deltaville area was very heart sickening. 100.1 cannot be used because there is a Christian station which comes in from time to time and quite loud. All other frequencies in this area are full the only frequencies I can use now are the ones on AM.
Fortunately in the daytime 1630 is quite usable. I've thought about that frequency for am use but again the cost of an AM transmitter and the 10ft antenna is something I'm not looking forward to.
I'm thinking of trying to see if there's a way to modify an FM antenna to be able to use am on to it or using a t you connected to the antenna so that I can use AM.
Of course the FM antenna is less than 3 m tall that I do know. The ground radials from the ground plane could possibly help the signal get out a little bit. Not too sure but I definitely want to get out further than 600 ft I'm looking for a 2 mile range which I seen Joe get who was a ham operator but I'm not going to put the antenna on a tower either because number one I live in an apartment complex so it would be ugly in the first place I plan on using the same pole that I've got for the FM antenna or put the transmitter on the ground and just let the antenna go up 10 foot.
If I Only Had eyesight I could do carrier current and that would solve a lot of my problems. I do feel that I could get out to miles with carrier current especially the way the power lines are in my area.
If commercial stations are going to start using 87.7 megahertz it's going to be pretty much redundant to think about any types of petition. It looks like am is going to be our only choice for hobby radio as FM is just really getting to be overcrowded.
This is a terrible way to end the year with a approximately $700 bill for an AM transmitter and that's one that's going to be halfway decent. I was looking at the procaster as a possibility as well because it's easy but darn the price of that transmitter I don't see that happening.
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Post by part15engineer on Dec 31, 2017 15:41:44 GMT
it's a franken-fm a lptv station that runs in analog. these will be coming to an end when lptv is forced to go to digital.
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Post by thelegacy on Dec 31, 2017 16:58:34 GMT
AS Much As I Dispose Rap I Will Not Transmit There!!I'be been an avid speaker about causing interference and even though I hear what I think is thug music talking about gunning and robbing and even some swearing I'll let these guys bury themselves as they really need to clean up their act from what I've heard thus far. I know they are LPTV made FM but I do get them in Stereo on my Grundig 450 DLX Radio. I"ve heard a faint station that comes in sometimes from MD. I guess my FM days are done and I'll have to bow out and go AM. Not my favorite band for Album Rock but with enough donation maney I can get something that will get me 2 miles in every direction like that Rangemaster Joe had. However maybe I'll get permission from some land owner to put my transmitter very high so I get Range. I'll be looking into this too. Plus there is a guy in my local area named Paul and I think he may be a retired broadcaster from what he tells me because he knew about part 15, knew how I operate and yet didn't have an issue with it. If he does know enough maybe I can pay him to build me a carrier current coupler and I'll run 5 watts into that and hopefully get the range on AM. You can donate @ thelegacy.shorturl.com
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Post by mark on Dec 31, 2017 17:21:18 GMT
@ Thelegacy....Understand that FM is so much easier than AM and the band is so crowded. I hear you. And the expense is a big factor too.
Absolutely no space at all in your area?
If you have a place to set up the AM transmitter(your own property to do the ground and outdoor install) then maybe someone can help you do it? Even from indoors the Procaster may do better than the Talking House.
If you can do 100uV/M@3 meters in the USA on 87.7 or 87.9 try it but that will get you to the next house and that's all.
Hope you can figure this out.
That Christian station that you get from time to time....are you outside their protected area? Would anyone be listening to that?
Are you checking this on a car radio or VERY good receiver with no strong station imaging?
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Post by thelegacy on Dec 31, 2017 19:08:27 GMT
My FM antenna is 10 ft from the ground up. Also I may have an issue with the ground because its not my property. A 2-3 foot rod maybe. This is really crappy.
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Post by Deleted on Jan 1, 2018 4:34:17 GMT
You can pick up used Rangemasters on e-bay (and sometimes even ProCasters) for much less than new. I obtained the greatest range, and the best sound, from a Rangemaster and an outboard compressor/limiter (a Symetrix 421). My antenna was outdoors, mounted on a mast about 2 feet of the ground, with an 8 foot whip. The metal mast was pounded about 4 feet into the earth. I used no radials, but the location had good ground conductivity (it was on a river flood plain).
Using that configuration, I was able to receive my signal clearly (with some static) up to a mile away with a good car radio, up to 2 miles in some directions.
I believe that the ground conductivity was the key to the good range. That same Rangemaster, in other locations and with similar installatons could only manage 1/4 to 1/2 mile tops (and even radials made little difference).
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Post by thelegacy on Jan 1, 2018 6:10:52 GMT
That is probably what I'd have to do is mount the transmitter onto a pole beside the house similar to my FM installation. The FM antenna of course would come down. If I use a TX with a separate indoor studio unit I could probably get the cat 5 cable in through the window as its smaller than coax.
If I got the Rangemaster I'd have to learn how to set up those external processors so that I have a sound that would be passable to Album Rockers who already have a bad taste when it comes to AM however a few folks in the local group page say they will donate.
Hoping to get the job done soon but being legally Blind I need a transmitter already put together. Plus preferably Digital tuning as far as frequency. Those turn your dial capacitors drift and I want rock solid dead set on frequency.
Maybe thinking of C-Quam AM Stereo to satisfy Album Rockers in cars that do have that A Stereo button like the Oldsmobile's and some Buick cars with a Good Radio in it.
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Post by Druid Hills Radio on Jan 2, 2018 19:24:50 GMT
That is probably what I'd have to do is mount the transmitter onto a pole beside the house similar to my FM installation. The FM antenna of course would come down. If I use a TX with a separate indoor studio unit I could probably get the cat 5 cable in through the window as its smaller than coax. If I got the Rangemaster I'd have to learn how to set up those external processors so that I have a sound that would be passable to Album Rockers who already have a bad taste when it comes to AM however a few folks in the local group page say they will donate. Hoping to get the job done soon but being legally Blind I need a transmitter already put together. Plus preferably Digital tuning as far as frequency. Those turn your dial capacitors drift and I want rock solid dead set on frequency. Maybe thinking of C-Quam AM Stereo to satisfy Album Rockers in cars that do have that A Stereo button like the Oldsmobile's and some Buick cars with a Good Radio in it. Unless you are into experimenting, I would not waste the time of day on C-Quam. I would wager that no one is driving around in an Olds or Buick. The Procaster has served Tim in Bovey well and has internal processing. I am a Rangemaster man and it does well also but needs external processing. I think with the issues you have with your sight, the Procaster would be the best way to go. IMHO. |
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Post by Boomer on Jan 3, 2018 0:37:14 GMT
Houndai
More drivers would own a Hyundai car model these days, but there are older trucks and cars on the road that people claim to be listening to AM stereo stations on, and that millions of stock AM stereo radios were installed in cars and trucks.
Some newer 'HD' radios have decoding for C-QUAM built in, which has been seen as some hope for stereo AM, and even a little revival. That applies to home tuners, though I'm not sure if it's in any car radios or not.
I'm a big supporter of stereo AM; I've heard it through both pro and home broadcasters and a range of tuners, and it can sound very good. Stereo is also a way to distinguish yourself as a broadcaster, especially to album rockers, who have to be one of the most stereo-concerned groups of listeners out there.
Now if someone asked my advice as a new home broadcaster on a shoestring budget, I'd suggest they work to get their station on the air to start out with, with whatever decent transmitter they can find, mono or stereo, get results now, taking action beats just reading or waiting for the ultimate setup in my opinion.
Stereo AM is a more advanced technique that needs a higher standard of excellence at the transmitter end because of the extra channel and narrower bandwidths used in AM radio. Any decent transmitter you'd get would be frequency locked and would be higher quality, because it's made for the stereo market.
Boomer
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Post by Deleted on Jan 3, 2018 3:42:55 GMT
I would also recommend against CQUAM. The KISS principle applies in most things.
You'll be pleasantly surprised at the quality of sound with either the ProCaster or Rangemaster. And remember that mono will give you greater, static free, range.
In my opinion the Rangemaster has the best sound, and will give you the most range, but it does require external processing. The ProCaster is easier to set up, and has built-in audio processing, which reduces both complexity and cost. I've owned both, and my experience is that the Rangemaster is more rugged and trouble free long term than the Procaster. I know that many have not had any problems with their ProCasters, even after long periods of use, but I've had issues with mine after (admittedly) several years, while I've never had any Rangemaster failures, period.
New, both transmitters are around the same price, but you then have to add in the audio processing on the Rangemaster.
Used, it probably is easier (and cheaper) to find a Rangemaster, as there are more of them around.
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Post by Druid Hills Radio on Jan 3, 2018 14:39:43 GMT
I would also recommend against CQUAM. The KISS principle applies in most things. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the quality of sound with either the ProCaster or Rangemaster. And remember that mono will give you greater, static free, range. In my opinion the Rangemaster has the best sound, and will give you the most range, but it does require external processing. The ProCaster is easier to set up, and has built-in audio processing, which reduces both complexity and cost. I've owned both, and my experience is that the Rangemaster is more rugged and trouble free long term than the Procaster. I know that many have not had any problems with their ProCasters, even after long periods of use, but I've had issues with mine after (admittedly) several years, while I've never had any Rangemaster failures, period. New, both transmitters are around the same price, but you then have to add in the audio processing on the Rangemaster. Used, it probably is easier (and cheaper) to find a Rangemaster, as there are more of them around. Agreed. |
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Post by mighty1650 on Jan 3, 2018 16:41:02 GMT
FWIW Stereo operation on AM has no limiting effect on range, a C-QUAM signal will travel the same distance with the same clarity as a mono AM signal.
A Procaster would probably serve you well, but I couldn't help but notice that Deltaville has around 25 open FM channels. Ignoring skip you should have plenty of space to operate in theory. Remember that you have no need to protect another station outside of their licensed contour.
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Post by thelegacy on Jan 5, 2018 9:46:28 GMT
I use to use 100.1 but The Journey comes in often quite clear so I switched to 87.7 Mhz which is No longer available now FM is too crowded and I'm forced to use AM against everything in my Album Rock blood!! Plus NRR's FM campaign is no more due to this!!
And I've ended the NRR FM push due to FM being overcrowded for most folks. AM is now the only solution for hobby Radio here in Deltaville, VA. I've got donations coming as I'm in a situation with a very fixed income. I'm just becoming functional after 2 yrs of living here much thanks to dedicated Album Rockers who've donated to the station.
I need an already put together transmitter or someone to put it together.
I can't have a kit unless someone on the DL puts it together for me. Plus I can't use buried ground radials tearing up the yard with 30 Ft radials.
2 miles in range is what I need as I'm in the center of Deltaville, VA.
The Deltaville market is 1.4 miles from my location and as you go towards that area there is 7-11, a bank, going down towards the market several houses and you have a strip mall with Top china, and another restaurant before you get to Top China called The Table and those folks listened to my station when it was on FM.
The other direction towards the Stingray Boat Works you have a ton of houses, then a hardware store, the Post Office, Taylor's restaurant, the Citco gas station and then the Stingray boat marina where my old signal faded.
1630Khz, 1700Khz, 1710Khz
1630 is clear during the day with some hetrodyne at night and sometimes I hear a station in the background. The noise begins around 3:30-4:30 PM. 1620 also seems to have a station at night creeping ion. 1700 no longer seems to have WRCR at night.
1710 Khz is #1 so can the Procaster go up there? I've heard the Rangemaster can but don't know. Plus the Rangemaster is about $800 which will take me quite awhile during the fund raising process for that one. Not so sure of the Procaster.
Frequency needs to be tuned in easily. I like the digital display transmitters or ones easy to set up. Also I'd like one with an ATU/meter built in and easy to see and tune. Being legally Blind I'm gonna need someone to help put this transmitter up on a 10 foot pole for Range.
ASPISYS looked interesting but at $800-$900 could hurt
Oh how I wish I could get something easy with Range. The Talking House goes NOWHERE. The Talking House in my opinion sounds like a telephone and really being an Album Rock station I have to get this right and sounding good.
Paying to have this Transmitter installed could be part of the equation due to my disability causing me to have to pay an upwards of 1 grand total for this project!!
Trying to copy what Joe the Ham dude did will be hard as I can't get it 70 feet up in the air unless I find someone to host the transmitter at their land site and I just run a STL with a way to turn on and off the transmitter remotely and access to it if anything goes wrong. This way I can get it 75-80 feet up in the air to cover Deltaville. WTGR had their TX high up and gets 6 miles all day long. Can't remember if it was a Rangemaster or what? It was a church station but does show you can get out which I need to do.
If I use Stereo Tool can I force feed C-Quam Stereo into a Mono AM Transmitter similar to how you can force feed a Stereo signal into a Mono FM Transmitter with this tool?
I've heard theories about getting AM Stereo into a Mono AM Transmitter this way. If so I could get a procaster and use Stereo tool and feed the pilot signal into it and phase the audio if this is possible but I have my doubts.
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Post by Boomer on Jan 5, 2018 12:00:57 GMT
With your drive, Thelegacy, I hope there's another LPFM window down the road! It seems like you have it together with broadcasting more than some of the stations I've heard of that have applied and gotten licenses. You already have a successful studio and stream, and know the internet side of promotion with social media. Maybe Deltaville has an app or operating LPFM you could get involved with and get your show on. Just because there's no frequency that Part-15 FM can use, spacing and protection standards have changed dramatically in recent years, so an LPFM should fit where there are 25 good frequencies. FM radios are so good these days that you can get a signal on almost every channel, but that doesn't mean some of those can't be used for broadcasting. If LPFM does come around again, get support of other Album Rockers and put together the board you need. Even with the ultimate setup on AM, huge tower or great ground, you're still better off having your antenna right in the middle of the area you want to reach, just because of the power, the signal strength is going to be low at a distance no matter what you do. You might want to consider partnering with officials in the local town. Maybe you could get your transmitter placed in a strategic place in Deltaville and have it pick up your stream, and in exchange for the site, you could run local PSAs and info on a radio calendar, talking about the library book sale or historical society. If you're connected with a disability community, you might want to see if you have a local center that the transmitter could be placed at, to provide opportunities for others also. I don't know if the Procaster would go to 1710, it's the same circuit, but a smaller switch bank, 6 switches instead of the usual 8. Many PLL transmitters will tune to undocumented frequencies though, but you'd have to find out. ASPISYS does seem to be a good stereo AM transmitter from what I heard and from what I've seen and heard in videos, except the one where a guy puts an old Optimod processor on his Aspie and it clearly shows the flattened out 1980s sound the Optimod produces..  800-900 dollars, I didn't even think it was that high, dang, man! A hobby transmitter shouldn't be that costly, and even if a station can afford it, I think these guys are of the feeling they've cornered the market and can charge whatever they want! As a friend would go, HWARF! There's simply not that much that's intense design-wise with AM stereo or in its implementation in a small transmitter. I've traced the quadrature modulator circuit back to origins in Armstrong's FM modulator, and the subsequent use by hams in phase modulation on the HF bands and and in phasing sideband systems, and this goes back to a 1933 patent by Armstrong and '40s and later use by hams. Quadrature, the heart of CQUAM stereo, is used in all kinds of wireless technology and chips are readily available and high accuracy. I don't know that much about Stereotool, but I believe you can't generate an actual C-QUAM signal with it. What it's probably set up to do is act as the audio processing for the audio input of a C-QUAM transmitter. To keep modulation as loud as possible on AM stereo at all times, someone came up with the mid/side special processing technique for AM stereo. It's not required that a station use mid/side though. If you have a SDR, software defined radio that can transmit, then you can get programs that will generate C-QUAM output from it. I haven't looked into this for a while, but BladeRF was one, several years ago. As for a transmitter, maybe you could look into the Spitfire, since it's already built. There's a guy named Doug, he's posted here some and on another group, and he seems to know audio and likes his Spitfire, though I'd like to see other reviews. With any short antenna transmitter on AM, it's hard to get good results from inside of a structure, it can be 100 times better with the antenna outside and in the clear. Boomer |
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Post by thelegacy on Jan 5, 2018 17:58:44 GMT
I have no issue with doing some promo's or ads for organizations or businesses that Donate
Aarons at 6507 Market drive in Gloucester, VA ((804)-693-4651 or aarons.com to find an Aarons near you) has been one of our best folks who's made The Legacy a success on the Internet and has given us a Samsung HW-K370 sound bar with EVERYTHING needed for surround sound. In return I've reported to my listeners about how great it sounds and the lease to own price as well as the fact that you get a LIFETIME warranty so long as you join the Aarons club after its paid off. Being disabled and didn't have a easy available car that my Wife could drive when I first became a customer of Aarons and had a power supply burn out in my Laptop. I told them how detrimental it was to my Internet and micro broadcasting station and they were on the ball and I was greeted with a technician in 2 hrs who brought me another power supply and made sure that the station was running. When the HDD was starting to act up right away they helped me save EVERY SONG I had to one of the tech's 2 TB HDD's and I was loaned another laptop till mine was fixed and then every song was re installed onto my Laptop again.
Album Rock the Elite cult that Donates
Its all about your chosen genre and determination to the genre you are to get the donations. I don't cater to Rap or Top 40 even if offered money. Integrity and homage to the format must be taken and The Legacy has done just that. If I get a request outside of what you'd hear in the years of 1967-1984 (yes I play new artists but it must observe that same sound) it will never see the light of day on The Legacy. Never mix say Ozzy with Anthorax. Or Electric Light Orchestra with Britney Spears. Never be sack religious to the Gods of Album Rock.
A High Place or political involvement trials and possible tribulations
I've looked several times at that Clarksberry Church and often said "Wow if only I could put an antenna on top of the steeple with a lead to ground. Of course no way would a church allow Album Rock but again I do play The Reserrection Band and a few progressive Christian Rock bands and the minister does listen to my station at times. Maybe I could find a business owner that would allow me to place the transmitter on top of the building and just run a Internet Radio receiver or box that would constantly try and re connect to the stream if I get disconnected. Since my main stream plays Wal Mart commercials and stuff from my Internet stream sponsor and I have a file that I just fill in I use Listen2myRadio as an STL. The beauty with Listen2myradio is that their app will play an earlier recording of your station if disconnected from the stream so a old smartphone not connected to cellular could work so long as the business has WiFi. I'd hate to pay for another cellphone line for this purpose but if I get constant donations this could be a cheap solution. There could be issues with political involvement due to the fact I need range.
Lions Club or center for the Blind, Cryer center, advertising for the apartment complex
I've mentioned to Mrs Dee I could advertise our apartment complex when we have available units here. I've talked about some of the things going on for handicapped and elderly folks here as well. I'll keep trying to plug this as well. Maybe businesses like the Sunset Grill, The Table may want to have me advertise special events going on. In return they could donate to the station in some way to make it a success once again. I'm not taking this stumbling block lying down. Whatever power I need to use to get my range of 2 miles will be utilized but we'll start off with the out of box power.
Carrier Current and 5 Watts of power could go 2 miles but not cover both sides of the street
Bob has talked about his carrier current experience and I see what looks like a straight shot from Dominion Energy to the complex where I live. But I'm legally Blind carrier current would be impossible for me unless I were to run the station at someone's place who knows electrical work. We need to find out if there is a transformer that could block the signal. Neutral injection may work with 5-10 watts out so that when anyone plugs in their Radio and tunes to 1710 Khz they are greeted with a static free STRONG signal. The power lines are really close to all the roads in Deltaville so The Legacy would have that Album Rock quality sound all throughout the entire town.
Advertising good Radio's is the only way to SAVE AM!!
I've had to tell some of my listeners that their Radio was a POS and had to be replaced to receive The Legacy when they told me they had an Emerson, or some crap Radio from K-Mart. I advertise Sony Elite series, Tecsun (All the way there), Grundig, Rotel, Technics SA-206 Stereo receiver, and I'm trying to find Radio's with a High sensitivity like the GE Super Radio. Now I'll also have to find AM receivers that will receive The Legacy. I even tell my listeners to go to a junk yard and get a car Stereo and a CB Power supply and put the car antenna outside because car Stereo's have a higher sensitivity than any other home receiver becides Macintosh which cost thousands. Even the folks on Welfare must have an affordable and high grade receiver to receive The Legacy.
Starting an Album Rock Preservation Society and getting it known in case LPAM or LPFM ever happens!!
87.7 The Streetz was somehow able to squeak past this one. If only we were faster about making 87.7 a Hobby frequency. From what I've read this guy is planning on making 87.7 the nation Rap frequency. If only us Album rockers were faster I could have beat him and I could have started a brand and broadcast company using Franken FM and for the video just have information about how to join the Album Rock society. This would meet FCC rules since I'm actually posting information on the Video. But this fowl language station wins polluting the airwaves on 87.7 Mhz whereas it could have been as I have coined in Deltavville The Frequency that Takes You To Rock N Roll Heaven is 87.7 Mhz. The slogan was a success as listeners called and said I really take them to Rock N Roll Heaven.
Broadcasting Weather for Deltaville
Besides music I want to inform my listeners of severe weather and other dangers in Deltaville as no one on Radio serves this town. Its important to let listeners know when tornadoes and other hazards are approaching. Detaville is a boating community so maybe hazardous boating conditions need reporting. Even fishing reports from time to time could be a plus.
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800-900 dollars, I didn't even think it was that high, dang, man! A hobby transmitter shouldn't be that costly, and even if a station can afford it, I think these guys are of the feeling they've cornered the market and can charge whatever they want! As a friend would go, HWARF!