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Can you use fm extra to rebroadcast translator?

J

joshzz

FM EXTRA at one time appeared to be the service that radio owners would embrace as it would allow for subcarriers stations at very low cost. No license was required and it would give the main station at least two subcarrier stations. I believe IBOC bought them or paid them to disappear. My question is, if I can convince an owner of a full power station to carry my signal on his FM extra subcarrier channel will I be able to run my translator at higher power within the contour of the FM extra subcarrier channel?

Of course I would have to buy an FM extra boxes or find a reseller that carries used boxes but it does seem like it has potential. Very few people have Fm extra radios but it's the same with IBOC. No one has those radios.
 
joshzz said:
FM EXTRA at one time appeared to be the service that radio owners would embrace as it would allow for subcarriers stations at very low cost. No license was required and it would give the main station at least two subcarrier stations. I believe IBOC bought them or paid them to disappear. My question is, if I can convince an owner of a full power station to carry my signal on his FM extra subcarrier channel will I be able to run my translator at higher power within the contour of the FM extra subcarrier channel?

Of course I would have to buy an FM extra boxes or find a reseller that carries used boxes but it does seem like it has potential. Very few people have Fm extra radios but it's the same with IBOC. No one has those radios.
Click to expand...

Actually no, it is illegal. I don't recall the exact explanation but I've seen the FCC explanation of why they don't allow it. I don't agree with their decision and I think it could be approved but it will take politicians to mandate it. It's a much better system than the one the FCC approved.
 
IBOC is a broadcast service...so secondary IBOC channels can be carried by fill in translators just as the primary signal.

FM Extra is a type of subsidiary communication authority transmission--SCA just like the older 67 and 92 khz SCA. By definition, SCA material is not designed for public broadcast, instead it is only available to those who subscribe ( e.g., Muzak in days gone by) or who are beneficiaries of the entity providing the SCA transmission (e.g., reading services for the blind).

Translators should be designed to carry the SCA of the primary station, but not to change their close-circuit nature.
 
The short answer is that FM Extra is intended to not be a public-targeted service. It's a digital "subcarrier", and therefore is not intended for the mass public's consumption. So, the FCC will not allow it to be re-broadcast on a analog translator channel. Actually the re-broadcast of an HD2, HD3, etc. it technically gray-line, but has now become such a common practice that is accepted by staffers at the FCC that it might as well be written to specifically allow it. I believe how the whole deal occurred was a high-ranking engineering person at a large chain broadcaster simply asked the right staffers what they thought about the idea. They said "why not". The chain-companies already existing fill-in translator was then changed from repeating the main analog channel to repeat their HD2 channel. The rest is history. Hundreds of us have been able to create over-height translators out of this to provide and originate new service. There have been several good niche formats and some rural stations created out of this one. I agree that technically there isn't a whole lot of reason why HD should be allowed but FM Extra shouldn't be to translate to an FM analog translator. Keep in mind the FCC still thinks the world is flat and your coverage is in perfect circles radiating from side-mounted towers. Sometimes it's easier to just accept the insanity and move on, enjoying the loopholes when provided, as provided.
 
I think that the truthful reason for iBoc has finally been shown. I believe the whole reason that the NAB and the industry as a whole was pushing so hard for an interfering, crap audio quality (calling if HD is flat out dishonest) technology was this real reason, getting more stations by using translators to originate. FM extra is a much better quality technology. But they probably felt it was much easier to push iboc thru to get what they wanted. It worked!
 
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