"Crawling" around for info

"Crawling" around for info

Sorry this is yet another post starting with 'hello everyone, great website/resource.' Seriously, though, I've been reading stuff here and on Radio-Info for quite some time, it's very helpful/interesting to hear about what works/doesn't/etc.

To cut to the chase, after thinking [i:6f849fb6ce]seriously[/i:6f849fb6ce] about it for at least a year (maybe longer!), I've decided I really, really want to start up my own P15 AM station. I have a basic idea of what I'd need/want to get it set up.

So, what I'd really like to know is:

1. What's the overall success rate of transmitting out of a window or something similar? Currently, I live in an apartment that doesn't have a yard or a deck to put a pole up on (probably if I explained to the neighbors they'd understand what I'm doing, but since it's not technically my property, someone would probably frown on a 9 foot pole just "anywhere").

2. Does anyone have a setup that allows them to monitor their real-time transmitter output, like the licensed stations? I'm guessing that if the FCC ever stopped by the neighborhood and I have documentation proving that I've been transmitting under P15 limits, depending on who shows up they would a) understand that the person operating the station knows what they're doing, and b) know the station has been operating within P15 limits during the duration of its broadcasting.

3. If I get any kind of range at all, the signal might hit the studios of a rather large radio group in the area. Would it be in everyone's best interest (not only mine, but also theirs) if I found somewhere else to live/broadcast from?

4. Mail/phone calls/etc - specifically, what works with dealing with these? I figure even if I don't do any advertising or anything, I'm probably going to get stuff at my home address, strange voice mail messages on my phone, etc., from various listeners/non-listeners of everything from 'love your station' to 'get your sorry rear end off the air.' I'm leaning towards a PO Box (hopefully they'd accept me adding a name like 'Local Communications' to the list of names receiving mail at that box, as well as my own), I sorta doubt it's that easy (or advantageous) to get a separate line set up with the phone company - maybe get an unlisted home phone number? I am thinking that, under my planned setup, I would accept mostly e-mails and mail (to the PO Box) regarding the station.

Since we all have our motives (some people run ads, some just like to be heard, etc.), mine is I just want to have some fun running a station, even though there's a lot of hard work in the process.