Neil: "The perceptions of inconsistency and severe restrictions may be psychological."
What is that but a truism, given that all human experience is perceived psychologically.
The fact that when you buy and use a certified FM Transmitter as intended by the manufacturer and FCC and yet can very upon reflections, height above earth, and a slew of other factors and thus making an otherwise intended legal transmitter operate in the realm of illegal operations makes a good case for asking for a reasonable amount of measured power a user can measure is important.
Even if the FCC was to allow say 11.43 nW into any antenna is something tangible. But making rules that a person can't follow with proper tools is not conceivable. This is something that should not be tolerated.
And you can't simply go by range either. That in itself can be effected by moisture, receiver, reflective materials, and I still say temperature.
So your legally purchased and put together FM Transmitter can again be illegal. I have many arguments to this case scenario that could be a good case and point.
"Even if the FCC was to allow say 11.43 nW into any antenna is something tangible."
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Isn't the maximum 250 µV/m field legally allowed by FCC §15.239 three meters away from the antennas of unlicensed FM "broadcast" systems also tangible?
I suspect that he meant 'measureable' (without the use of a FIM). Although you'd stsill need really accurate instruments to measure nanowatts (a billionth of a watt).
Post 15 hit the nail on the head. The FCC quote in post 6 has a phrase in it “operation of the device for its intended purpose” that makes me think the FCC has an idea of how a given device should be used. The purpose of 15.239 is not to cover a neighborhood with a FM radio signal, it is so people can get audio into a nearby radio.
That's what I've always felt and have been saying. A lot of folks get really irked by that opinion as well, part 15 as a whole was never mean for community broadcasting. Technology just caught up with the restrictions and made it usable.