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carlvanorden
Guest
Before you read this, do me a favor and do not post that my article is difficult to read. Recognize the periods, and go from there.////////////////////////////////////A lot of people know I build part 15 antennas for part 15 transmitters. I appreciate all the questions I get via email, but some of your problems can't be solved because of the information you send me./////////////////////////////////////Everyone here has a favorite transmitter; the Rangemaster is very popular; it is costly, but it has it's market share. It is great if you need to link transmitters on the same frequency. But if you need information on that, you need to get with Keith Hamilton, because that transmitter is unique and doesn't fall into the same catagory as most of the transmitter kits that are on the market.//////////////////////////////////////The Talking House transmitter is also unique, because it was built to serve a basic LOT. I have one potential customer who has been able to link several together for 1 mile of contour. That is great, but the way it is built is more like the Rangemaster, and it doesn't accept the coil-based antenna I build.//////////////////////////////////////I support the sstran and metzo (but the sstran is my favorite and it is just a personal opinion). If you wish to build, or have built for you components of a coil-based antenna, I CAN do that for you, but it is important that you research your own transmitter to see if the coil based antenna is right for you.Some questions come obviously from people who have never done this before, so I want to caution you: if you plan to build, or have for some reason, a tower on your house or nearby, or think that part 15 is a medium to throw a 10 mile signal into the air, part 15 isn't for you. Please look into it creatively.////////////////////////////////////In reality, most people purchasing a part 15 transmitter (am or fm) are looking to put a signal over their property. All of the part 15 transmitters do a good job of putting out a 200 foot signal, without a lot of work; they are mostly plug and play./////////////////////////////////////Most people who post or read this board are interested in BROADCASTING to a seemingly attentive audience. But avoiding subjects such as marketing and advertising, broadcasting to the masses via part am radio is possible, doable, and affordable.//////////////////////////////////FM; FORGET IT. Yep, it sounds great, but it's limit is about 100 feet; and that is it. You can do it illegally if you want to but please don't ask me to advise you on it. Because it is so easy to make FM part 15 illegal, even if you don't plan that, I have decided not to build FM antennas. I don't want to be involved in illegal broadcasting at all./////////////////////////////////////Part 15 AM is a different matter.Surprisingly, the part 15 AM transmitters today are extremely efficent! They are hi-fi, most come equipped with compression and gain, and for the most part are pretty easy to hook up. I do like the sstran for it's ease of hookup, and it's superior sound; it provides a very clear signal, especially when used with my base loaded antenna. When tuned correctly, it can have as much as a 5 or more mile contour. It is done everyday, and the cost is excellent./////////////////////////////////////Just using that as an example, I can say that if you want to be a broadcaster, you can do it, and it can be affordable, and yes; it DOES SOUND AS GOOD AS YOUR BEST LOCAL AM STATION.Maybe better!/////////////////////////////////////The jist of this is: don't try to make what you own into something it was never meant to be. There really are no secrets to part 15 broadcasting that an AM engineer doesn't employ during his regular work day. The antenna doesn't NEED to be high up (that is a FM thing), but some of the things I hear about ground systems totally baffle me! AM is a ground system, not really an AIRBORNE system, so the best grounded stations are the best heard and best sounding. I don't know where your electrical outlet ground leads to, and I don't know where your water pipe leads to (especially if it is old rusted iron!). Lightning rods are popular, but they cover exactly one inch of ground, nothing like a ground system would.////////////////////////////////////Lastly, you need to think about a ground system; simply this is a series of copper wires buried in the ground providing a landscape for your signal. Besides your tuned antenna, this is the single most important aspect of your part 15 antenna (because you can forget about skywave; 1/10th of a watt doesn't beat skywave unless you are on a frequency with no competition!...good luck!). And a ground draped over a rooftop or down the side of your house isn't really a ground, so I can't imagine what that thinking is!/////////////////////////////////////Before you consider building a part 15 am station, research it! There are any number of people on here, and there are websites too! which will give you plenty of realistic information from which to draw.////////////////////////////////////As always, I implore you to enter the part 15 am world of broadcasting. It is fun, and it can be just as good or better than working at your local, or owning one! But, do it right, ask the right questions and you will get the right system for you.sincerely,Carl .......email me at [email protected], or look at the website for part 15 antennas at...http://antenna18431.tripod.com/antenna.htm<P ID="signature">______________
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