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Alternate STL technology

P

plooker

Heres a hypothetical question. (This topic might have been addressed here before, not sure.)
Say your on a real low budget, and you need to link your studio to your transmitter site, which is about 1/2 mile away.
Can't afford Microwave or T1 (or even 2 martis making composite). Has anyone out there had success using a Wireless Router/Hub to transmit signal from 1 computer in the studio, to a computer at the Tx. shack? (Picking up a wireless network from the Transmitter in other words.) I know this isn't the most stable platform for an STL, but it is CHEAP. If anyone has ever done this, any recommendations on which Wireless Routers and Rx cards work best. I plan on trying w/ a Linksys 4 port wireless to a wireless G rx card. If anyone has any other suggestions (besides running 3000' of RG8 or 2 tin cans strung together) I would love to hear them. Thanks in Advance...
 
Technically you can get it to work. There are directional Yagi antennas you can get to boost the range. The drawback is that since it is a Part-15 type service you have no protection and any other gadgets within range of your signal path can give you grief. Depending on the height you need to get a clear path you would have to place the wireless points in weatherproof housings and run down CAT-5 cables to the computers.

If you can get broadband internet at both ends I would look at some of the various internet transports discussed elsewhere on here. If you are a computer geek (or know one) you could probably rig up something on your own that wouldn't cost too much either.
 
plooker said:
Say your on a real low budget, and you need to link your studio to your transmitter site, which is about 1/2 mile away.
Click to expand...

I don't quite understand the first part of that sentence, but with respect to the rest of your mission, yes you can use WiFi to send your program feed.
I have successfully set up a link on 2.4GHz using TP-Link wireless access points (WA-501G) and some radome Yagi antennas at each end.
These network to a PC and I use Vypress Tonecast to handle the audio.
 
You might want to look for routers that support 802.11A instead of 802.11B,G, or N. The 802.11A routers are more expensive, but they work up in the 5.6GHz range, and are less likely to run into interference. Get good antennae, and get them high enough for good line of sight, and the distance won't be a problem.
 
You might try something like this Engenius/Senao client bridge, which can be set as high as 600 mW.

http://www.wifi-parts.com/enecwiap8060.html

It has power-over-Ethernet capabiltiy, but obviously you'll need a waterproof enclosure if you mount it outside at the antenna. I have an older model which I've used over paths of 5 km (with external 19 dB gain antenna) with no problems.

Last summer, my travels took me to Chennai, India where I visited a station successfully using an unlicensed 2.4 GHz IP link for backup STL on a 4 km path in a very densely-populated city... so I think it might work in your case.
 
All great suggestions folks. I went to www.blackbox.com and found some relatively inexpensive gear to make this work. I actually tried last night with this rig and got a decent signal. Now I'm building a weather proof enclosure to stick under a nice big eave on the church to shoot up to the mt site. The area is isolated, no buildings for about a mile.. so interference isn't really an issue. Its amazing what you can do when money is a factor! I'm actually going to take a little bit of everyones suggestions to make this system a little beeifer. But again, I appreciate all the great suggestions. I'll post back here when I complete this system and tell ya what I have rigged up.
 
Engenious bridges have been already mentioned, here's a package with Barix boxes as a cheap MP3-based STL:

http://www.broadcastwarehouse.com/5.8-ghz-wireless-audio-over-ip-(mp3)/14/package

With the new Barix 1000 boxes soon to come out, a cheaper uncompressed link will be available, and uncompressed would be my recommendation. There are also AAC and APT-X alternatives.


Regards,
Goran Tomas
www.bwbroadcast.com
 
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