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Micro FM stations....

74IN

74IN

Well-Known Member
Feb 17, 2003
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I first noticed these transmitters on ebay.

I'm familiar with some of the uses that don't involve broadcasting, like drive in theaters and such.

I see some are advertised for use in retail stores, apartment or condo communities.

Some of them are using extra legal power, but I doubt the feds care much.

My interest is in broadcasting.

I have found some on the net that do just that.

I also am aware of one near Valparaiso, IN.

What I can't find, is the enforcement aspect of low power stations.

Too many broadcast stations are owned by too few. Local info and service is near nil, due to this and the large amount of $$$$ needed to conform to regulation.

I would love to see this sort of thing thrive. Low power TXers covering only a couple of dozen square miles, serving the local community, while respecting the frequencies that are established.

Any info?
 

The problem with that is that even a really low powered FM transmitter like 1 watt can interfere with a 100,000 watt station that is located 20-30 miles away. It is called capture effect and happens when one FM signal is ever so slightly stronger than another and causes the receiver to lock onto the stronger signal.Sounds hard to believe but trust me.I spent 22 years in the broadcast business in the station's engineering department.The control and regulation of power levels and frequecies is paramount to keeping order on the broadcast bands.
 
Many moons ago...(back in my CB days)....I knew a guy that lived in a small community just south of Atlantic City, he climbed the telephone pole outside his parent's house, and errected a small home made FM broadcast antenna, and ran a pirate FM station out of his bedroom.

The only FM station around that would play Frank Zappa.....(y)

He finally got busted, but not by the FCC, the local electric company had to do work on the pole and found an illegal device installed on their property without permission. The linesman traced the coax back to this guys house, and called the local police. Lucky for this guy the local police didn't know or understand that what he was doing was in violation of federal law, so he only got fined for trespassing on, and vandalism of electric company property.
 
Ah yes....having fun with radios (y) a little FM broadcastin' around the hood (y)

Ramsey Electronics, the famous kit & radio/stuff people, have this plug n' play box that might be interesting. Ramsey has carried this kind of stuff for years. Look around their site after checking out this unit

Http://www.ramseyelectronics.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?preadd=action&key=FM100b

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There have been several enforcement actions over the last 3 or 4 years with LPFM "community" radio stations..and they all pretty much go badly for the operators, with hefty NALs handed out.

If you go here http://www.fcc.gov/eb/FieldNotices/ and look at the items label "NOUO"--that stands for "Notice of Unlicensed Operation".

I don't think I'd risk it.
 
Yeah the FCC does pay more attention to pirate FM broadcasters because the commercial stations complain about them. Money talks. The pirate is "stealing a few listeners" from big business. Oh the shame of it all.

But us 11 meter pirates and even the shortwave pirates, run wild and remain ignored....because we're not bothering anybody (much) and there's no money in it.........except for the $350 I just shelled out for the new Galaxy 94
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When it comes to regulation and enforcement.......

I get a kick out of the QRZ radio lawyers that get up on their soap box and start preaching about the VHF Marine bands, and how amateurs don't belong on them, and we'll go to jail if we piss off the Coast Guard by using any of the VHF Marine frequencies.....blah....blah....blah.....

My reply to one guy over there concerning this subject went something like....."Are you freaking kidding me, have you ever listened to the non-commercial ship to ship channels during the summer here on the east coast, it makes the worst days on CB sound civilized. The FCC doesn't give a rat's hairy ass about the VHF Marine frequencies until someone calls out a false mayday, then and only then do they make any effort to enforce FCC law"....

There's no big business money behind the VHF Marine radio service, and either the Coast Guard, or State Police Marine unit usually has to file a formal complaint of emergency radio interfearance before the FCC will act on it.

What it all comes down to is picking the right frequency that nobody cares about, nobody else uses, doesn't interfear with any public emergency responder organization, or government operation, and your chances of not drawling unwanted attention to your activities will be greatly increased.

Before the days of Nextel, and the GMRS radio service, most of the road surveying crews used VHF Marine HT's to communicate, the ones that got away with it were the one's smart enough to pick channels not normally used by anyone, and used them on low power. The one's that got nailed were the idiots that used channels 16, or one of the Coast Guard channels, and used them on high power.

It's the differance between bending the rules a little, and out right abuse. Bend the rules a little, and you usually fly under the radar, commit out right abuses, and everyone notices. Step on the toes of big business broadcast conglomerates like "Radio One", and watch the wheels of government enforcement spin real fast.......
 

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