Fm Transmitter..?

Question

Hello, Im looking at getting this product..... http://www.hobbytron.com/fm-radio-transmitter.html

and i see that in the specs it says it would be good for a neighborhood radio station, but below it says range: 200 ft.

Well anyway i want to run a little station at my home for our neighborhood... and i just don't know if this is good enough for a fm transmitter

Help

Thank you all

Answer 1

It says FCC approved.   But you must have a small neighborhood as its range is 200 feet.  For under 50 bucks, it'd be fun to play with.     With such a small output, 200 feet may even be a boast.   I see in the specs the one on the right puts out a whole 1 watt.  

Just be careful of your choice of name for your station.   When they were setting up the television system in Scotland years ago, the story is they came up with the name of the Scotish Highland and Islands Television.     Which sounded really nice until someone figured out what the call letters would be.

Answer 2

Honestly, you can't expect that xmtr to transmit very far. It's output power is only 10 milliwatts or one-one hundredth of one watt. A typical big city FM broadcast station typically runs 50000 watts with a gain antenna hundreds of feet in the air.

You can legally own and operate a very low power radio station under FCC Rules Part 15 without obtaining a licence.

http://lwca.org/library/regs/Part15_2004...

You will be allowed to use 100 milliwatts with a very small antenna in the AM radio band or a field strength of 250 microvolts / meter at a distance of 3 meters from the antenna for FM radio broadcasts.  Expect this low power signal to reach out about 1/4 mile to about 3/4 mile radius from your station at best.

You can check out some more transmitters at Ramsey Electronics (google 'em), but beware, IIRC, not all of them are legal for use in the USA under FCC rules (Part 15) .

Have fun.

Answer 3

Sounds cool on the surface. But I'd strongly suggest you click on the link and read the FCC stuff starting on page 19 of the manual. Though you may have no problems in your area, the FCC does not have much of a sense of humor about broadcasters who don't know the rules and inadvertantly (or especially, purposely) cause interference with licensed stations. Though your motives are pure, don't get labeled a Pirate.

Before you spend your money, check it out and remember that  they are quoting the rules from 1990 - 17 years ago.

One of the more technically oriented folks who inhabit this site might be able to give more info.

Seriously - check that out before you buy.

Hope that helps you make your decision.

-a guy named duh

Answer 4

The rules on power and such haven't changed in the 17 years since but roughly equal the 100 milliwatt thru a cut dipole or no gain antenna if used as a broadcast.

It should get you about 200 ft  with range being improved as you go higher or closer to a window. I know as a kid on the ground floor, my Am signal went a good 400 ft before cutting out.

There are people who are actually buying the talking house radios and were using them when a external audio tape was needed if I remember http://www.actradio.com/  (there is a guy in Florida running a classic country station with a talking house radio station setup actually

But if you are looking furthur, you are looking at a LPFM license or a low power FM license... basically how the rules are written, you can almost forget about one in a major metropolitian area however