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STLs, Positive Peaks & IBOC

S

Surfside

It is my opinion that not enough time has been spent on STLs. For instance, what if...

Someone built a studio to transmitter link that was part 15 compliant and DIDN'T cost $2,000. If someone built an STL that could go a mile or two and only costed a few hundred grand, the part 15 world would really come to life. Telephone company aside, someone like the gang at SSTran or Rangemaster should look into some supplimental income and build us a way to send our audio... and synch in the case of Rangemaster to the many transmitters we have in the field. Get it certified and you'll see a new industry!


As you may know, IBOC (or IBAC/HD Radio) is coming for terrestrial radio. When it gets here, will we still be broadcasting in analog? Knowing that Ibiquity would charge us SOMETHING for the priviledge of broadcasting in digital, wouldn't it be nice if someone were working on this for part 15?

Finally, after spending 2000-3000 for 4 Innovonics 222 processors... soley for the asymetrical modulation it does (positive peaks), why hasn't anyone thought of building a simple circuit that would do this with standard processing. Here's the problem, you need something like a 222 at every transmitter to get positive peaks going. When you have as many transmitters as I do and you're looking to add more (Rangemasters only), it gets rather expensive. A $100 box per transmitter would be more like it. Can anyone think about a circuit they could share with us to do it?

STLs, Processing, IBOC & more. Shouldn't someone be thinking about this stuff?

Why hasn't anyone bult the perfect antenna and ground system kit for us? I use the standard Radio Shack CB whip that Rangemaster recommends... I get about a half mile per transmitter.

Thank you I'll get off my soapbox now.

Dave
Surfside 1640 Radio
www.Surfside1640.com
 
Surfside said:
It is my opinion that not enough time has been spent on STLs. For instance, what if...

Someone built a studio to transmitter link that was part 15 compliant and DIDN'T cost $2,000. If someone built an STL that could go a mile or two and only costed a few hundred grand, the part 15 world would really come to life. Telephone company aside, someone like the gang at SSTran or Rangemaster should look into some supplimental income and build us a way to send our audio... and synch in the case of Rangemaster to the many transmitters we have in the field. Get it certified and you'll see a new industry!

A-Transmission on broadcast STL frequencies legally requires a broadcast license and an additional permit for the STL frequencies to be used.
Ther are other, better, more economical ways to send your transmitter sync signal and audio to your part 15 booster transmitters. I'm not sure the demand is as great as it seems, with increasing IBOC adjacent channel digital buzz spreading accross the AM broadcast channels and jamming possible clear part 15 broadcast frequencies.


As you may know, IBOC (or IBAC/HD Radio) is coming for terrestrial radio. When it gets here, will we still be broadcasting in analog? Knowing that Ibiquity would charge us SOMETHING for the priviledge of broadcasting in digital, wouldn't it be nice if someone were working on this for part 15?

A-No. (See above.)

Finally, after spending 2000-3000 for 4 Innovonics 222 processors... soley for the asymetrical modulation it does (positive peaks), why hasn't anyone thought of building a simple circuit that would do this with standard processing. Here's the problem, you need something like a 222 at every transmitter to get positive peaks going. When you have as many transmitters as I do and you're looking to add more (Rangemasters only), it gets rather expensive. A $100 box per transmitter would be more like it. Can anyone think about a circuit they could share with us to do it?

A-Yes. I will contact you by e-mail.

STLs, Processing, IBOC & more. Shouldn't someone be thinking about this stuff?

A-I am.

Why hasn't anyone bult the perfect antenna and ground system kit for us? I use the standard Radio Shack CB whip that Rangemaster recommends... I get about a half mile per transmitter.

A-Some posters here will interpret the FCC part 15 rules and show computer generated printouts "proving" more coverage then a half mile or so with part 15 AM is illegal. I disagree with their methods and assumptions. These limiting assumptions make part 15 community radio impractial because of such limited coverage. There are legal ways to increase coverage, in spite of what you may hear.

Thank you I'll get off my soapbox now.

Dave
Surfside 1640 Radio
www.Surfside1640.com
Click to expand...
 
Regarding STL freqs, a system could use the 2.4 ghz or the 5.8ghz. Also, there are other part 15 bands that can be used. perhaps a digital stl that used LAN freqs and part 15 limits would be better.

Yes IBOC splatters the AM band- but in the extended band 1610khz and above, not so much. Part 15 may do OK there and in rural areas.

Maybe an innovative antenna with great bandwidth and a built in ground would do us all a big service. Something you could connect to a rangemaster...
 
I agree a 2.4 GHz STL would definately be cheap and easy to do. a 100mW fed into a high gain grid antennas (look at Hyperlink tech for some possibilities) with a similar receive antenna could result in several hundred watts ERP if done correctly. A 5+ mile link (assuming line of sight and proper aiming) is possible. Using a lower gain omni transmit antennas and high gain receive antennas might allow you to use one 2.4 gig transmitter to feed all the stations. A computer could be used for not only the proccesing but the digital encoding. A shoutcast server or something similar could be used to transmit the data across the link, and then received at the transmitter site with another computer. Total cost should be less than $500 for the first transmitter, especially if you find a couple used computers to use for the link. Just make sure you purchase quality wireless equipment, some of the consumer models are pretty awful.

As for IBOC, its probably best to just wait and see what happens with the technology. I have this feeling that it will go the way of AM stereo. Few people are shelling out the money for IBOC radios, and those who want the extra choices are just going to go with XM or Surius. Even if the price goes down, with the relatively low power output of a part 15 transmitter, few people in your listening area will be able to hear IBOC broadcasts. If you're wanting to broadcast two audio streams just get two transmitters (it'll be cheaper too than paying for IBOC gear and licensing fees)
 
Part of the problem is the cost and R&D, for the return. To be honest, there is not a huge demand or profit margin to be expected on doing this for part 15 stations. While some companies have made lower end equipment, much of the time you get what you pay for. 2.4 and 5.8GHz gear exists already for spread spectrum. However, 2.4Gig is already congested and 5.8 will go that way pretty soon. In some places, it is already not usuable.
 
Surfside said:
It is my opinion that not enough time has been spent on STLs. For instance, what if...

Someone buil(d) [STL] that was part 15 compliant and DIDN'T cost $2,000...could go a mile or two and only costed a few hundred grand...IBOC (or IBAC/HD Radio) is coming for terrestrial radio. When it gets here, will we still be broadcasting in analog? Knowing that Ibiquity would charge us SOMETHING for the priviledge of broadcasting in digital, wouldn't it be nice if someone were working on this for part 15? Dave
Surfside 1640 Radio
www.Surfside1640.com
Click to expand...

HD Radio is dead in the water. The future of community radio is going to be on the internet, a place you already are. By the time the IBOC technology would become mainstream, it will have already been surpassed by WiMax here there and everywhere. Just like Cell Phones have taken over the world, so will the WiFi craze. There are already WiFi radios that tune in streaming stations gaining popularity. When wireless broadband is as readily accessible as cell phone signals, there will be no need for IBOC. So don't blow all your capital on STLs, Inovovics 222s and Rangemasters. Sure they are all good pieces that are neccesary for you to do what you are doing now. Save some of that capital however for Internet Bandwidth. You're gonna need it!

As for HD Radio...I'd do Kahn before id even consider HD. Just my lousy opinion though. -Leona
 
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