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Whole House FM Transmitter - Poor Range, how to extend?


mcmason

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I purchased the Whole House FM Transmitter from this site hoping that I could plug it into my mini-director w/MP3 player so that people could drive up to my house, stay in their cars, tune to a station and hear the show.

I plugged it in and cannot seem to get a good range outside of a few feet - I thought this was a "whole house" transmitter so I should be able to get at least 50 feet, or basically the street around my yard.

Is this transmitter powerful enough to do that? Do I need to get extra antenna or hardware to boost the signal? Or do I need a different type of FM transmitter all together.

I'm a little disappointed because this one cost $125 on this site and if it won't even broadcast from the yard to the street I'd like to return it and get something else.

Suggestions?

Thx in advance,
Mark

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I have the same transmitter and was pretty disappointed at first. I kept plugging away at different frequencies and found one that works really well.

Also maybe someone else can help with providing this link. There is a web site that lists all of the open frequencies in your area. I used that list and I just sat in my car flipping through channels to see which ones were static.

I found one that was static in my car and listed on the web site as open and it works pretty well.

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Does anyone come into this forum and read about FM transmitters? We (the guys who have been around for a few years) have been singing like canaries. The WHT are crap. Will all of you newbies wake up and smell the manure. Then maybe you all will quit waking into the cow paddies.

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Have you added the ariel extender??? I added this and can get signal 2 blocks away!! Also the higher it is the better, When it is low you get interference from walls and houses!! (I run my lights from the second story of my house so i get awesome reception)

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I didn't try that antenna extension. I'll try it tonight and let you know. Interesting that it says it is for international use only yet without the extension and with that default tiny antenna the product isn't really what it claims to be.

Thanks for the suggestion.

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I was in the same boat as you are, ordered it and got stuck with it.

Here are the things that helped mine, at least to be workable:
- use the extension antenna, there's some length recommendation but I did not do that
- make sure the antenna is outside of your house and, preferably, vertically oriented
- open the battery compartment, remove the white, usually QC sticker, you'll find a a slide switch - slide it to the other side (I read this from another thread in this forum)
- set transmission to mono (NOT stereo)

At this time now, I am happy with it's range of about 3 to 4 houses from ground zero.

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Max-Paul wrote:

Does anyone come into this forum and read about FM transmitters? We (the guys who have been around for a few years) have been singing like canaries. The WHT are crap. Will all of you newbies wake up and smell the manure. Then maybe you all will quit waking into the cow paddies.
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papap wrote:

I cut the antenna as directed. I have tried it in stero and mono an it works fine.
You sir are the 1 out of 10 exception. For every one of you we get 9 people who are very sorry that they bought one.

I am happy that you have had good luck and was able to put more money into your lights and not your radio.

Radio transmittion is part science and part voo-doo magic. I say that with some training by Uncle Sam. Each installation is different and one needs to know the rules and know some tricks to make each one to work properly.
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I used the WHT and it worked perfectly for me. Currently I use the Mobile Black Box V6000 which I am also happy with.

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Mine is great, I have mine up on the 2nd story of my house (Inside & Australia) and it works great with the extender on it.... I run it + my computer volume at 80% and on Mono with the aerial running up my window

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Max-Paul wrote:

Does anyone come into this forum and read about FM transmitters? We (the guys who have been around for a few years) have been singing like canaries. The WHT are crap. Will all of you newbies wake up and smell the manure. Then maybe you all will quit waking into the cow paddies.


Well said... Ditto!
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  • 3 weeks later...

open the battery compartment, remove the white, usually QC sticker, you'll find a a slide switch - slide it to the other side (I read this from another thread in this forum)


I am a first year rookie at this and also purchased a Whole House Transmitter. Couldn't get the darn thing to transmit and was ready to send it back. Until I ran across some threads discussing the topic noted above. I peeled the sticker away in the battery compartment, slide the little white switch, and BAM! I now have great transmission. I wish I new what that white switch did. It is not noted anywhere in the instructions. It only transmitts maybe a block, but that is all I need being in a cul-d-sac. Will eventually move to a better transmitter for a much better sound quality. I'm happy now though! These forums are great. Thanks guys!

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"First Things First"

Husker, I see this is your first post, let me be the first to welcome you to LOR Forums

now on to my "thoughts"

Those who know me on here know that I will always talk of the FCC rules on PART 15 broadcasting (non-licensed transmission)

even a 1/2 watt is way to much to be FCC legal, but its better than the 5 to 30 watts I seen on here, I'm not going to beat this dead horse, again and again

And how can you actually pay $100's of dollars for these transmitters? really
I paid $35 for this FM Modulator I been using this for 5 years now, and as my backup I got this from China and paid $75 (includes Shipping) I bought this and used it for 5 minutes and took it offline, it works great, just to much power even at a 100 milliwatt
I can pick this up 2 miles from my house, not good

Lets talk about loudness, a subject seldom spoken of when FM Modulators are mentioned

remember its not the "wattage in the cottage"
but it's the "power in the tower" Height is everything

and you need to make your station heard, remember FM stands for Frequency "Modulation"
That said I highly recommended Breakaway Live (no I'm not paid by these people)
Leif makes a great product.

it costs $30, and it has a full 30 day trial

I use the $30.00 version, it has low latency and does exactly what I want, Lief sells a FM Broadcast Processor but with the equipment 100% of you use on here, you don't need this, the $30 is fine

install this on your LOR Schedule Computer and go hear the difference on your car radio.

Loudness is everything, but distortion sucks

Play around with the presets, I found "zenith" to work very well

Merry Christmas Everybody, All Year Long

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Max-Paul wrote:

The WHT are crap. Will all of you newbies wake up and smell the manure. Then maybe you all will quit waking into the cow paddies.

Maybe it is not just the newbies that need to "wake up & smell the dong".

Anyhow, no matter how you word it or how many times you "put up a red flag" on FM transmitters you will get a thread on FM transmitters every few times a year on forums everywhere.
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