Something Simple

Yesterday we had nice weather here with temps in the low 60s and since I had finished creating my leaf pile for city pickup I thought it would be a nice time to sit on my rock (a chair in the driveway) and enjoy a bit of leisure life. To enhance this experience, I turned on my tube transmitter and a portable radio and listened to the Low Power Hour No. 101 while outside. Carl, I didn't know you were a tube man since your program sounded just fine via the tube transmitter. Also enjoyed your interviews with your staff.

At times, during the ALPB meetings when nature calls or my iced tea runs low I patch the audio through my transmitter and carry a portable with me so I don't miss a single syllable of the discourse.

Yes, Part 15 is useful for many things other than broadcasting.

Neil

I do the same thing here. I got the SainSonic AX-05B out again and found that it no longer is generating the harmonics it did before. I think it does have something to do with the power supply and the placement of the wire. Anyways Last meeting I put the TX on the -48 dbm setting which won't pass through the house by more than a few inches. I ran the meeting through the TX so I could move about the house and help my wive as she is got arthritis really bad and other health issues. Not wanting to miss the meeting and what is being discussed I can run the audio through the TX at its low power setting and not have it come in on the neighbors Radio's. This allows me to hurry up and grab the mic of something important comes up and or my name is called. That is where the lowest power setting does come in handy. Sometimes I also run the Audio from video's into the TX so I can listen through the house. I don't obviously want that to reach other people outside the house so again I love the low power mode. I wish all part 15 FM transmitter's had a Legal and Low power seting.

Seems like several of us ALPB Teamspeak Members use FM in the way we attend meetings.

With the C.Crane FM2 operating on a 3" antenna the signal is quite weak and the sensitivity of the TECSUN PL-310 allows hearing the meeting in the kitchen, office, bathroom, even the basement.

Somehow by the way I have Teamspeak wired into the sytem only the incoming audio from the members is broadcast, nothing from my own mic gets out over the air.

To test whether your own mic is being broadcast, key it on with the radio turned up right next to the microphone. If you get feedback or no feedback, you'll know.

This Saturday night I might be in the basement working on the Big Talker Shortwave Transmitter during the meeting, listening on FM. Problem is, if someone speaks to me it will take a minute to get back upstairs.

Maybe there is a way of having a Teamspeak mic at the remote location.

Well since we're talking part 15 and Wireless headphones/mic's are part 15 just a different frequency (Usually around 2.4 Ghz and some are around 900 Mhz) you could put Teamspeak on VOX and use a wireless mic. Radio Shack has the $100 mics made by Audio Technica. I don't know if they still have the 49 Mhz ones or not, but if so you could try one of those and connect it to the input of your sound card. Now we're really getting into basic part 15. But anyway it could be something to try out. Even a Whole House FM Transmitter which has a mic jack and an FM Radio upstairs on a diferent blank frequency could work. Heck would about a portable AM transmitter with a 5 foot wire hanging down as an antenna and you use a blank AM frequency? Now that is really imaginative thinking. Still within part 15 rules however.

Interesting solution, TheLegacy.

I have a wireless mic at 183.4 MHz (VHF Channel 8) and maybe it could do the job.

Got another wireless at (I think) 916 MHz which might do it.

It should work because my regular mic enters through a Radio Shack Mixer and the wireless receiver is already patched into it...

All of a sudden I wonder "Why didn't I think of that."

Which one goes further the 183.4 MHz mic or the 916 MHz mic?  I'd assume that the 183.4 MHz goes a little further.  I had one that would go several houses down and I think it was around 153 MHz.  I don't heve it anymore which I'm sad about and that is a long story too.  But when I had it the mic went a few houses down when the amp was in the driveway.  I tested it because back then I'd use it to DJ weddings.  I didn't have a part 15 FM transmitter at that time, but the wireless mic made it nice for the minister to announce, and several other things.  Yes those mics can be patched into your computer too.  A feamale phono to 1/8 inch male jack will work.  I'd patch that blue receiver into my computer and I'd have one very nice mic to DJ with.  If I still had it Today it would have made a really nice Internet Radio station mic.  The sound was very professional sounding.  I could pick it up on my police scanner for a really long distance too.

It's interesting to remember the history of these wireless mics.

In the 90s we ran an audio/video service and naturally wanted some wireless mics to use for video work.

The Lectrosonic is a top-end professional model and it was Lectrosonic who picked our frequency based on their chart showing that we did not have a TV channel 8 in our area.

Seeing the Sony wireless in the MCM catalog at only 1/10th the cost, I wondered how bad they would be so I ordered one.

In a large studio area both systems had the same range, which was surprising, but the Sony sounded like a very thin telephone call.

Still curious, I tried using my own mic with the Sony transmitter, and presto... it sounded as good as the Lectrosonic. You couldn't tell the difference.

They both contain their Part 15 stickers and the frequencies, luckily, are still good for wireless use under the rules.