I don't wanna be the grinch, but...

[NealH]

I have a question for the engineering folks and possibly even the Caped Pirate Buster herself. I'm relating this story from my wife, and although I love her dearly, her technical knowhow is zero. TiVo made it possible for her to record TV shows without having to figure out all the buttons on the VCR remote.

There's apparently someone in Denton County off 380 near The Providence community east of Denton who has a synchronized christmas light show. He/she broadcasts the music on a really low-power FM unit. I believe my wife said it's on 107.3 and it's only audible for about a block. I know the city of Frisco operates a low-power FM transmitter at 92.9 for the light show at Frisco Square. My question is, does this have to be regulated by the Feral Cat Confederation?

 

[Robert Bass]

Not if it is a part 15 compliant transmitter, which it probably is. Although the range on those things are not supposed to exceeded a certian distance, which IIRC is measured in square feet.

R

 

[jeffdfw]

As discussed yesterday...

Part 15 Rules for unlicensed operation specify that on AM and FM the range is limited to approximately 200 feet.

 

[radi0chik]

Technically FM has to be less than 3 uv/meter signal strength... AM is an actual wattage IIRC and the antenna can be no farther than x away from the transmitter or x feet high. I've read the rules before, I'm sure someone else will be more than happy to correct the details. But light shows, houses with real estate transmitters, that sorta thing, are usually always legal.

 

[terdferguson]

This is off topic but...

When I was a kid, I had dreams of being a DJ. So my dad built a home grown radio station control room complete with a board (with light switches to control the turntables), microphone, and a run-down VOM to monitor the audio levels. The "transmitter" consisted of a signal generator that included the AM frequency band. I don't remember how much power it radiated - something like .025 watts. The "antenna" consisted of speaker wire that I looped around our attic. I never analyzed the radiation pattern but I could confirm that our yard was 100% covered, although I'm sure the ERP really sucked. To increase our range so my friend could get reception a block away, we confiscated some telephone wire from a demolished house and hooked it up to the transmitter and ran the wire through an alley. We also had to secure land rights from some of our neighbors so that we could run the wire through their yards. We fired it up and it worked, although some repeaters along the way probably would have helped with the signal strength I spun the same songs that Robert does today, although my play list wasn't nearly as restrictive.

I eventually went into ham radio and was able to broadcast throughout the world with 500 watts and a two element quad antenna, but couldn't spin records or use my "radio voice". Oh well, can't have everything.

 

[jeffdfw]

What was your DJ name? I did the same thing about the same time it sounds like. My DJ Name was Rick Shaw. ;D I still have a ton of vinyl (even 45's). For most of you on here... 45's were single records that were played on phonographs or "record players". LOL!

 

[terdferguson]

Didn't have a DJ name - I used my real name. That's why I never made it in the business!

 

[MikeShannon914]

To increase our range so my friend could get reception a block away, we confiscated some telephone wire from a demolished house and hooked it up to the transmitter and ran the wire through an alley.

And RadiOchic had a signal locator strapped to the handlebars of her Husky "Sweet Thunder" bicycle, and spent the whole summer of '78 looking for your station!! Now she's caught you red-handed with your full confession!!

(BTW, my station was called "KVS-770AM." I broadcasted through a $14.95 ElectroVoice wireless mic that had a 1/1,000,000,000th mile range. Little did I realize at the time that I'd picked the only frequency assigned to my own hometown, Garland! I was "David Booze", BTW.)

 

[radi0chik]

And RadiOchic had a signal locator strapped to the handlebars of her Husky "Sweet Thunder" bicycle, and spent the whole summer of '78 looking for your station!! Now she's caught you red-handed with your full confession!!

(BTW, my station was called "KVS-770AM." I broadcasted through a $14.95 ElectroVoice wireless mic that had a 1/1,000,000,000th mile range. Little did I realize at the time that I'd picked the only frequency assigned to my own hometown, Garland! I was "David Booze", BTW.)

Actually when we (my brother and I) were kids, we had waaay more fun using the radioshack 2way fm walkie talkies on 46mHz to "talk to" our neighbors on their cordless phones. Course our "talking" was making all the weird noises we could come up with, and consequently the neighbors got scared and hung up. Good times.

And I wasn't even born in '78 so hush yo mouf!

 

[jeffdfw]

And RadiOchic had a signal locator strapped to the handlebars of her Husky "Sweet Thunder" bicycle, and spent the whole summer of '78 looking for your station!! Now she's caught you red-handed with your full confession!!

(BTW, my station was called "KVS-770AM." I broadcasted through a $14.95 ElectroVoice wireless mic that had a 1/1,000,000,000th mile range. Little did I realize at the time that I'd picked the only frequency assigned to my own hometown, Garland! I was "David Booze", BTW.)

Actually when we (my brother and I) were kids, we had waaay more fun using the radioshack 2way fm walkie talkies on 46mHz to "talk to" our neighbors on their cordless phones. Course our "talking" was making all the weird noises we could come up with, and consequently the neighbors got scared and hung up. Good times.

And I wasn't even born in '78 so hush yo mouf!

OMG! You'd better read up on a little history then... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/45_RPM

 

[NealH]

Actually when we (my brother and I) were kids, we had waaay more fun using the radioshack 2way fm walkie talkies on 46mHz to "talk to" our neighbors on their cordless phones. Course our "talking" was making all the weird noises we could come up with, and consequently the neighbors got scared and hung up. Good times.

And I wasn't even born in '78 so hush yo mouf!

OMG! You'd better read up on a little history then... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/45_RPM

I was born in '73 and I can tell you this: 1/2 a turn for a 33, 3/4 turn for a 45. On cue burned 45s you can slip cue them, if your arms are long enough to reach the turntable and the board at the same time.

The ingrates we employed (not me) cost the station owner a fortune in broken styli. It's a tone arm, not a baseball bat.

 

[rbrucecarter5]

I have a question for the engineering folks and possibly even the Caped Pirate Buster herself. I'm relating this story from my wife, and although I love her dearly, her technical knowhow is zero. TiVo made it possible for her to record TV shows without having to figure out all the buttons on the VCR remote.

There's apparently someone in Denton County off 380 near The Providence community east of Denton who has a synchronized christmas light show. He/she broadcasts the music on a really low-power FM unit. I believe my wife said it's on 107.3 and it's only audible for about a block. I know the city of Frisco operates a low-power FM transmitter at 92.9 for the light show at Frisco Square. My question is, does this have to be regulated by the Feral Cat Confederation?

There are TWO of them in Deerfield subdivision in Plano. One is on 92.3 and the other is on 95.7. You can hear them both for a few blocks, although the 92.3 gets hit badly by IBOC sidebands from 92.5.

 

[Lancer]

I had a Mr. Microphone that only went a few feet but was good enough to hear myself & my Kiss albums through the stereo.

 

[jeffdfw]

Mr. Microphone! "Hey Good Lookin', be back to pick ya up later!" Anyone remember that one? It was almost as cheesy as a Mentos ad. ;D I can't believe I found the actual ad! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYEXBTlWf_4

 

[Lancer]

That ad is a blast from the past. Actually those dudes had to be very technically inclined. Otherwise you would have terrible feedback with the mic inside the car with that loud radio. I got a laugh out of the ad saying to add speakers to broadcast in "stereo."

At least my parents didn't give me the lame Donny & Marie AM mic. Mr. Microphone was way cooler.

 

[jeffdfw]

That ad is a blast from the past. Actually those dudes had to be very technically inclined. Otherwise you would have terrible feedback with the mic inside the car with that loud radio. I got a laugh out of the ad saying to add speakers to broadcast in "stereo."

At least my parents didn't give me the lame Donny & Marie AM mic. Mr. Microphone was way cooler.

I love the fact that it says "Microphone Stand Included" and the stand is a small piece of plastic. On a side note... anyone else think Mr. microphone and Reunion Tower look an awful lot alike? ;D

 

[MikeShannon914]

I have serious concerns for the person on YouTube who actually saved that commercial all these years. I had forgotten just how cheesy that was. I still have some old Ronco compilation albums that have Mr Microphone ads on the back cover.

 

[Lancer]

Toss in some Weebles (wobble but they don't fall down) and Lincoln Logs commercials, and you've got a great 70's Saturday morning cartoon commercial time capsule.