• Get involved.
    We want your input!
    Apply for Membership and join the conversations about everything related to broadcasting.

    After we receive your registration, a moderator will review it. After your registration is approved, you will be permitted to post.
    If you use a disposable or false email address, your registration will be rejected.

    After your membership is approved, please take a minute to tell us a little bit about yourself.
    https://www.radiodiscussions.com/forums/introduce-yourself.1088/

    Thanks in advance and have fun!
    RadioDiscussions Administrators

Ramsey AM1 Kit

  • Thread starter Mid West Clubber
  • Start date

M

Mid West Clubber

Guest
Just ordered one from the website, as well as the 12 volt power supply... A fw questions... Although this isnt the first TX ive owned,, Its gonna be my first AM rig, and its also going to be the first Kit im going to attempt to build...

To be honest,,, I have about as much business building this as I do performing brain surgery. What should I use for an antenna,,, TX Power output is 100 milowatts and says it can give 1/4 mile range,, but is that with or without an antenna?

Any advice is appreciated,,, I want to keep it at Part 15 limits,,, but I wanna squeeze out as much Coverage as with FCC regualtion..... Also,,,, can 100 milowatts SKIP on a clear FREQ with the right conditions... I sure hope to get skip, but im mainly gonna use it for a Full Service Neighborhood station,, serving the housing division where I live.
 
Mid West Clubber said:
To be honest,,, I have about as much business building this as I do performing brain surgery. What should I use for an antenna,,, TX Power output is 100 milowatts and says it can give 1/4 mile range,, but is that with or without an antenna?
Click to expand...

Analogy: your super mac-daddy stereo system with 1000 watts per channel, guaranteed to bloody eardrums in a 1/4 mile range. Is that with or without the speakers?

Sorry, sometimes I just cant help myself :D
 
That particular model has a bad hum unless you replace the power supply with one that is better filtered. Also, the transmitter is not crystal controlled so there is frequency drift which results in a squeal. I built one for my ten year old and he was bored in about 10 minutes. Why broadcast around the block with antique modulation (AM)? You can broadcast around the world license free using the internet and free software. Friends with mobile devices can hear you anywhere in the world. You can use video too. This is 2012. Be creative!
 
It's also one without any sort of phase locked loop for frequency generation and is likely to drift. I had one given to me and with all the problems it had I never bother to post a review on my site. If I can find the parts for it I might try to put it back together.
 
Buzzz.... I have a FM25 in my retail store that I use to broadcast the sound on a video loop to a sound system (I was too lazy to run speaker wires). If I coil the power cable the right way, most of the hum goes away.
 
Mid West Clubber said:
What should I use for an antenna,,, TX Power output is 100 milowatts and says it can give 1/4 mile range,, but is that with or without an antenna?
Click to expand...
For Part 15 AM, here is the specific rules you might be interested in:

FCC Title 47 § 15.219 - Operation in the band 510–1705 kHz
(a) The total input power to the final radio frequency stage (exclusive of filament or heater power) shall not exceed 100 milliwatts.
(b) The total length of the transmission line, antenna and ground lead (if used) shall not exceed 3 meters.

Basically, what this means is that you can run 100 milliwatts out of your transmitter directly into a 3 meter (9' 9.5") long antenna. The antenna can be whatever you would like. Probably the most popular is to use copper pipe or a CB antenna from Radio Shack.
 
Input power of a 100 milliwatts. Why the FCC still uses this method in Part 15 rather than output power is bizzare. Everywhere else in FCC rules power is measured in output. :p
 
druidhillsradio said:
Input power of a 100 milliwatts. Why the FCC still uses this method in Part 15 rather than output power is bizzare. Everywhere else in FCC rules power is measured in output. :p
Click to expand...
Possibly because power input can be readily check with a basic multimeter. A wattmeter that's accurate down to 0.1 watts would more expensive than the transmitter would be.
 
babysitting-automation said:
Why broadcast around the block with antique modulation (AM)? You can broadcast around the world license free using the internet and free software. Friends with mobile devices can hear you anywhere in the world. You can use video too. This is 2012. Be creative!
Click to expand...
Music licensing isn't free. Plus, web radio is something ANYBODY can do making it all the less special. I applaud the original poster for broadcasting in Anger Music! Also, there is an AM Stereo xmtr. kit out there.
 
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.


Back
Top Bottom