but only new as a member… I have read with great interest all of your posts and am already in the thick of making part 15 work for our small city. CC, free radiate… the whole thing… the best we can.
See, we are already successful on the internet and putting new international streams on is easy. Also, I have done this before…
I once had 3 rangemasters synched and covering a small town. There was no carrier current element (there should have been) and we were selling $1,000 ad campaigns. The station eventually grew to become an internet station and it’s listenership grew from there. However, it lost a very dear element… localism. Ended up selling the rangemasters and staying on the net.
And we’re gonna try and do it again. even bigger. outdoor boxes have been bought. solar panels are bought and being tested. batteries… four talking houses… 5.8ghz wireless links & antennas are already in house. Next it’s the carrier current… which may fundamentally be the best thing we can do here. Testing begins as soon as we decide on a coupling system. Anyone want to sell one cheap?
250 feet from an electric line is nothing to sneeze at. Even 100 feet is awesome. Maybe some of our experiments will have substance here and we can all gain from it. However, in the beginning… it’s just us, a ton of drive (a little funding) and a .1 mfd cap. Pictures coming soon. Wish us luck!
Welcome Bandit
Welcome aboard.
It appears you have an interesting history with part 15. Let us know how your new project progresses.
Neil
thanks Neil – will do….
thanks Neil – will do….
The Deer and Bandit
At the same moment there was a deer in Ohio and a bandit joining from South Carolina.
Would love to explore your link to your online action, if you will post it.
I will join the carrier current discussion on the thread you already started.
thanks carl – the auction for
thanks carl – the auction for the rangemasters was years ago…. however, we’ll see howthings go with these TH units – need amps & couplers…..
anyone seen this?
anyone seen this? http://teslapress.com/am25.html – cheap CC coupler at the bottom… thoughts?
CC On The Grid…
If you have a rapport with the local power utility, contact them regarding carrier current operation.
If you can convince them to install RF coupling capacitors between the primary and secondary circuits you quite possibly may be able to reduce the number of carrier current transmitters required. This is how Broadband Over Power Lines is accomplished.
I am no authority on carrier current. There are others here, such as RFB, with extensive background in this area. Also, perhaps a Google search regarding carrier current coupling (or BPL) to the primary circuits would turn up some information.
Great advice….
Thanks mram – great idea….!
Follow Up…
From WiKi:
There are many examples of community radio stations being operated in the United States using carrier current AM broadcasting. Signals may pass a transformer if the utility company has bypass lines installed (typically when non-conflicting carrier current-based data systems of their own are in operation). Signals may also be impressed onto the neutral leg of the 3-phase power system, a practice known as “neutral loading”, in an effort both to reduce (sometimes eliminate) 60 Hz hum, and to extend effective transmission line distance. It has been successful in both ways in community and campus installations.
absolutely….
nuetral loading is the first thing I’m gonna try… hopefully be able to pass a few transformers….. 🙂
I just need to couple and, of course, lots of watts…
Action Not Auction
Bandit,
I meant ACTION, not auction.
I think you said you were active in online streaming or something.
When I stop being this lazy I’ll go up and re-read what you actually said.
stations…
oh… sorry Carl – that particular station is a whole different format now…. (Surfside 1640, Surfside Beach, SC) but some of what we have are on itunes, roku, etc…
ask1radio.com (talk)
abigailradio.com (soft ac)
a1a.fm (modern ac/meditational)
aarikaradio.com (urban ac)
theanimalrocks.com
a few more…
Good grief! You got all them
Good grief! You got all them stations in operation?
I’ll be sure to check them out soon
and more…
lol… it’s a big undertaking by an understaffed team… but it’s all on the air and ticking.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Part 15 radio
glad to have you here Bandit !
I love your ideas and hope it all works well.
I am on a similar mission with my station and hope to be challenging the big guys soon.
Glad to have you here.
Lefty Gomez.
thank you
thanks Lefty – awesome – we can help each other along the way…
Welcome, bandit!
If you are the person who used to operate Surfside 1640, I believe we have corresponded in the past.
Welcome to the forums.
I had a carrier current station from 1992 to 1995. Being out on a farm, however, and not having heard about neutral loading, the signal was just not viable. It hit a transformer out back and stopped before it left the yard. It did get into the horse pastures, however!
In 2003 I returned to Part 15 with the more traditional antenna setup rather than c-c. The resulting signal was much better.
That station was the only AM on the air following Hurricane Frances in September of 2004. With a signal getting out almost 2 miles, the Red Cross provided me with emergency information, shelter openings, and such. The city of Tallahassee also provided information. I’d alternate between reading out information, then playing a song or two to gather more information. It was a busy 12 hours, staying on the air all that time live on the board.
I’m still at it in 2012. Getting ready to put a TH II on the air, and streaming at
http://www.live365.com/stations/alanmccall