Any experience with "PROFESSIONAL RACK ENCLOSURE SETUP 15W"

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CanukYJ
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Any experience with "PROFESSIONAL RACK ENCLOSURE SETUP 15W"

Post by CanukYJ »

Has anyone used this package? Or maybe the Cyber Max 15w itself in conjunction with the comet antenna?

What kind of results did you get? Range? I've read over all the FAQ's, e-mails, and most of the forums, but I'm wondering about real-world experience. I know 15w theoretically gets about a 10km radius of broadcast, does that mean 10km's of CLEAR broadcast <normally speaking> or does that mean when you are 10km's from the source it's very very fuzzy but you can kind of make it out?

If it helps I'll be xmitting from the roof of my house, I'm in a city that is like a giant bowl and I'm on the rim (the highest point), as well it's not a large city and there's only about 5 or 6 other radio stations on the FM band itself so it's not "crowded".

Any input anyone can have to a new guy would be great. TIA
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pcs
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Post by pcs »

Tapermark has one, ask him. But he's been busy, I think he's
somehow involved with the New Orleans thing.
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radioboy
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Real World experience with the Cybermax 15

Post by radioboy »

For what it's worth, I'm from the NY/L.I. area (USA) and I have the Cybermax 15, with a comet antenna (NOT optimally placed, only slightly above ground level, although my home is located on a hill, and so we are somewhat higher overall amoung the other houses in the community) and I can tell you running the cybermax with a Pyramid Power Supply (model # ps-12kx) in stereo, using a 25 foot belden cable run to the antenna, I've been able to achieve about a 12-13 miles range of very decent sounding audio.

Receivers today (especially the digital receivers) can usually lock on to the signal very well, I use a little walkman mp3/am-fm type device to monitor my broadcasts, just to get a "real world" feel for how the signal will sound, and often walk around the neighborhood or get in the car with a friend and drive around the local area to check out reception, and on the car radio (a kenwood receiver) we get fairly decent reception, some occasional picket fencing, but the signal is there and listenable.

Some receivers (especially older analog ones) I've found pick the signal up better (I have an old SuperRadio tuner which I've taken in the car to compare how that fares as opposed to the digital tuner) but you really have to experiment and tweak your antenna placement and use a few radios to test range as well as assess the audio processing (if that matters to you) and ensure you are sending out a competitive signal which doesn't sound rinky dink.

I've always prided myself on putting out a clean and technically proficent signal (one of the reasons I chose PCS for the Cybermax) and the audio processing I use is a tweak and preset I've honed over the past decade of various bass band limiting technologies I've found pleasing to my ear, and apparently others who hear my signal and will comment on certain audible attributes they pick out, but sometimes folks who don't know about such things just comment like: Wow, I heard parts in that song I've never heard before, is that a special remix? "

The Cybermax is a fine transmitter, and if you couple it with a decent power supply, and even an amp, you have the makings of cranking out a very clean and competitive signal, what you broadcast on that frequently frequency modulated carrier... well, that's up to you! :)

Just my two cents worth.

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Post by pcs »

Wow, that sounds so good people will think that I bribed you :)

I'm really glad it works so great for you. That really makes
all the trouble worthwhile.

Overall, I think the new Cyber Max FM is considerably better
than the old and very popular Cyber Max LCD.

For the start, there is 2-3x as much power. 19" rack boxes are
nicer. The new boxes also have a shield between RF part and
audio part. There's now space for SE4 with balanced XLR inputs
at the back in DSp version. Its a much cleaner design, with less
manual internal wiring necessary. I'm quite happy with it.
Best regards,
Marko - PCS Electronics
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Turn your PC into a FM radio station!
http://www.pcs-electronics.com
fax +386 4 2316 128
sumrzz
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Does the Cyber Max have a variable on power?

Post by sumrzz »

I wouldn't want to the push the power issue but if it has a cleaner sound and is more powerful that would be great, what if I didn't want the full power out of it, can I crank it down to like 1 watt or 2?
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Post by pcs »

Sounds is as good as it did with LCD version with following improvements:

- If you go for DSP version, it is of course better and it also
offers balanced inputs (this helps with long audio lines a lot)

- It is a lot less likely that you'll have humm problem with bad SWR
or inadequate antenna or power supply.

You can set power to any level from 0 to 15W.
Best regards,
Marko - PCS Electronics
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Turn your PC into a FM radio station!
http://www.pcs-electronics.com
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Post by Xtreme Radio »

Hey Radio boy not to be a pain in the a$$ but you live in USA. That means you need an fm license unless your a pirate. I wanted to get all my equipment from here but guess what we had our engineer and lawyer from my dads real tv station one of the biggest spanish stations here in CT but anyway he said there is no available frequency here in CT. I told him 87.9 is available since ch 6 tv nobody uses he said yes your right but you cant apply for it since im only 16 im like wtf is that. I have an internet radio station called Ultra Hits Radio and it does pretty good. My friend wants to listen but he doesnt have internet also people who go in cars would listen if i was on fm. The thing is if i go pirate i can get caught and screw my dads tv station up as well as pay a nice fine and go to jail. I live on the highest point of my town with about 30,000 people here and if i can get 10 miles i can easily reach another 3 towns and get another 20,000-50,000 total. So i was wondering is it worth the rick to go pirate?
Last edited by Xtreme Radio on Sun Oct 02, 2005 6:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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radioboy
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is it worth the rick to go pirate?

Post by radioboy »

That is a personal decision which -ONLY- YOU can make. For me, since I am not greedy, and limit my time on air to a few hours on the weekend, after hours when the local college station signs off. The fact I know I have a clean transmitter and crank out a nice signal within about 12-14 miles (in my area) is just fine for me. I don't need (or desire) to dominate the airwaves, but feel very strongly about frequently frequency modulating -vs- internet/pod casting, it's just MY choice, and I'm confortable with it.

Good luck to you & your situation up there in CT. By the way, are you within listening distance of WPKN? 89.5 FM A buddy of mine (Ben Churchill) works there and does a GREAT program called "The Radio Trip"
I highly recommend giving it a listen to as a fine example of "Theater Of The Mind, Alternative Radio"

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Art is a lie that tells the truth." -- Pablo Picasso
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Post by Xtreme Radio »

Well i dotn want to take over the airwaves i just want a small fm station on 87.9 which has obsolutey nothing on it and i want it to reach about 8- 10 miles to cover my whole town i dont need tower since im at the highest point of my town and i can just mount a comet antenna on my roof. I just dont want to get caught. I need something so i monitor polic radio and fcc people trying to pick up the frequency or something. But anyway i think i pick up 89.5 but i never listen to it since it doesnt play the music i like on it.
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