18th birthday..transmitter?

Discussions regarding our FM transmitters, DX reports, antenna designs, problems...

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Zeppelin4Life
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18th birthday..transmitter?

Post by Zeppelin4Life »

Hi everyone. Ill be 18 this week! I have a lot of $ I have gotten as a gift, and I really have always loved radio. When i was a kid I used to love scanners and shortwaves, etc. Ive followed 'pirate radio' online for years, but never had enough $ to buy a real transmitter. I am in the USA, and I know this is not 'legal'. I don't plan on breaking laws, but owning a real FM transmitter is really cool to me. I may purchace the 15W MAX setup w/ the comet antenna. I have a mixing board, CD player, and various microphones (from my band) that will work fine. I can install the comet antenna on my roof, but the attic would be more hidden, of course. I know this has been done over and over but first, how many miles can I expect (I am not going for long-long-range, just a few), and how likely am I to 'get caught'? Thanks
anon
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Post by anon »

Congrat's on turning 18! Now you can legally smoke, buy a lottery ticket, vote and get drafted

Check out this page for an estimate of range. If your using the 15 Watt MAX setup and broadcasting at full power into the comet antenna then your ERP would be about 30 Watts which might get you out about 9 miles according to the chart. You might lose some range by having your antenna in the attic but you'll be harder to track down too. You get more range the higher your antenna is so it would help if your house was on a hill. If you are surrounded by lots of other houses or buildings then you want to get your antenna higher then them or you'll lose some range. It would also help to get an SWR meter and tune your antenna/transmitter to get a really clean signal.

The PCS transmitters are really clean so you are less likely to get caught as long as you broadcast on an empty channel and don't create any interference for your neighbors (ALL transmitters create some blanketing interference but at 30 Watts it shouldn't be too bad). Also make sure your music and your DJs are clean (ie, keep the swearing/rants to a minimum unless you're doing a lot to protect your location). Most pirate stations in the US are shut down not because the FCC goes pirate hunting but because people call in and complain.
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pcs
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Post by pcs »

If I had to choose one unit, it'd be either this one:

http://www.pcs-electronics.com/en/produ ... #FM1(LPFM)
really neat with flashing LED, small and handy, too.
We'll have small magnetic base antennas in a couple days, too. Really practical, the whole
setup.

or this one

http://www.pcs-electronics.com/en/produ ... M2%20(15W)
lots of power.
Best regards,
Marko - PCS Electronics
--------------------------------------------------------
Turn your PC into a FM radio station!
http://www.pcs-electronics.com
fax +386 4 2316 128
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