An FM Broadcast Transmitter for Your Shack

RDN: Yeah, I use it regularly at cruise-in's, etc. Actually, I recently purchased (off of Ebay) some CD's of old WGH-AM shows, air checks, and Jingles. WGH was the station I grew up listening to in tidewater, VA during the 60's.

If you wan to hear some great sounds from the 60's, check out

keener13.com

Its a collection of memorabelia from WKNR-AM, a top-30's station in detroit at the time. They've got a great selection of photos, weekly top 30 lists, fans' memories, sound files, etc. That's where I got all the sounds for my first "radio" CD.

 

Actually, you can also hear some good sound files of WGH at the following site:

http://www.alohanews.com/wgh.htm

 

Hi Steve,
I also listened to WGH in the 1950s & 1960s. Great station. I also listened to WRAP to catch the latest in R & B music. Did you ever hear "AGENT Double O Soul" which was played a lot on WRAP? Fantastic!
73,
KEN - KG4LLQ

 

Be advised that 100mw is WAY WAY over the Part 15 limit. (as sorta stated in the linked review)

A few years ago I was running an FM transmitter for similar use that was about 140 mw. Not too long later the homeowner got a letter from the FCC. I don't have the letter around, but my signal was either about 1027 uV/M @ 3m or 2500 some. Don't quite remember. I didn't know any better at the time. (I thought that illegal power transmitters couldn't be sold in any form in the US, since I had seen export versions)

After that I became a LOT more well versed in the Part 15 Rules.

AM transmitters are allowed 100 mw with an antenna and ground lead length of no more than 3m. FM is limited to 250 uV/M @ 3 meters, which works out to some tiny amount of power, and theoretical maximum coverage of about 1/4 mile.


Just some info for those who might not be aware of what the part 15 rules are, like I was.

Right now I use a Ramsey AM25 PLL AM TX for my around the house stuff. Nice little kit.

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=48605&item=5784841139

This thing works great.

FCC I.D. RA6NFM-40T Do a Google search on this number to find out more technical info.

The EBAY ad makes it look like it might cover the whole FM broadcast band but it does not. Only up to 92 megs. Rock stabile no drift. No problems with audio quality.

It comes with a piece of wire for the antenna with a sticky label that makes tampering more difficult. It has a range of 1/2 mile (measured from my car) at my location with the antenna about 5 feet from the ground placed in a window. The 2 RCA inputs are connected to the tape out jacks of my Sony consumer stereo which is the house amp for whatever I want to hear. That is hooked to several inputs including the H.F. station. My neighbors can now hear what I'm listening to on H.F.! I was thinking to weatherproof the whole thing and run it up on the tower. I'll just have to run audio and power up to it with the audio level jacked up then attenuated at the transmitter.