Radio Free Eureka is on the air!
Radio Free Eureka is on the air!
"Eureka" was the name of a long-defunct train stop about a quarter-mile from my house. A street was named after it, and the neighborhood eventually took on the name, unofficially. It's never been incorporated, and is located completely within the city of Shorewood, Minnesota, a western suburb of Minneapolis; but "Eureka" still shows up even on some new maps, just west of Excelsior. The name of the radio station, of course, is a play on "Radio Free Europe," for those old enough to remember it.
After some listening and testing, I've settled on 1680, which has no local assignments and consistently the weakest skip signal on the upper end of the dial.
Operating on a "Talking House" transmitter with very crude antenna placement (I'll work on it), the programming is the old-time radio service of the Antioch Broadcasting Network, with local station ID's provided around the top of each hour, thanks to a simple little piece of software which ABN makes available for free download.
The studio will be a work in progress,and then I'll start doing some local stuff. On, and Carl! I want to carry "The Low Power Hour" once I get Zara up and running!
Total investment so far is less than $100: I got the transmitter on eBay, and the computer was recently retired from my employer and given to me. I added a wifi adapter, and had to buy some audio cable...and that's it, so far.
The audio quality is now good enoough that I'm leaving it on 24/7. The range is about a quarter-mile, but I'm pretty sure that I can improve on that even with the wire antenna.
I REALLY have wanted to do this, literally, for DECADES! As noted in another post, I started with a Remco Caravelle about 50 years ago, and have worked in commercial broadcsting most of my adult life. Since LOCAL radio is a genre which is almost completely gone, I'm looking forward to resurrecting it on a very small scale in my neighborhood 🙂
Being a low power station is the best status symbol in the world.
Psadek, I will send you the secret download address for the Low Power Hour, and maybe someday I can hold a conversation with you on the program.
There is a neighbor over in Ada, Michigan at 1680, a wonderful station called WPPR (Public Reality Radio).
I also use 1680 way down the Mississippi Valley, and carry a program produced at WPPR.
Never lose the low power spirit, even when your friends start dropping away.
50 years and a Caravelle. Sounds a little like my story.
The closest I've been to commercial broadcasting is managing our City's TIS AM station.
But, Part 15 has been a part of my life for, yes 50 years.
I'm sure you'll run a great station.
Great to see another fellow Part 15 broadcaster on the air, especially one using the TH tx and running 24/7. Yes, there are dozens of ways to improve the signal. If you can glom onto the ATU/Antenna combo, it should kick it out quite a ways.