transmitter group buy for LOR members 8/2 thru 11/30

[mmaness]

John Hertig wrote:

Boy, soldering in that power jack is a pain. The holes are so big and the pins so small, you can't bend them a bit to hold it in place while you solder. The board topography is too convoluted to allow just supporting the jack on something (the board rocks when you try that). Various clips and clamps either popped off or wouldn't hold it close to the board.

I wonder if blue painter's tape would hold it in place while soldering? That's a suggestion in the LOR kit manual, and it's worked very well for me.

[Dennis Cherry]

mmaness wrote:

John Hertig wrote:

Boy, soldering in that power jack is a pain. The holes are so big and the pins so small, you can't bend them a bit to hold it in place while you solder. The board topography is too convoluted to allow just supporting the jack on something (the board rocks when you try that). Various clips and clamps either popped off or wouldn't hold it close to the board.

I wonder if blue painter's tape would hold it in place while soldering? That's a suggestion in the LOR kit manual, and it's worked very well for me.

PC Board assembly companies sometime have to glue components to the board so they do not fall off before going through the wave soldering machine.

You could just use a dab of hot melt glue to hold the power connector to the board. Do not get the hot melt in the solder pad holes.

Dennis

[John Hertig]

Well, the 'find vacant frequencies' web site didn't help much. It gave me 6 alleged 'best' frequencies in my area. 2 of them were in use, 3 were free but had a station on one side or the other, and 1 was tolerable (one adjacent frequency just barely had something on it).

So I did it the old fashioned way, tried every frequency there was. I found 2 'pairs' of frequencies which were ideal. Nothing on the frequency, nothing on the frequency on either side, AND, the 2 frequencies were the same except the last number differed, and not only that, could be easily changed to the later one. (one pair ended in 1 and 9, and the other ended in 1 and 7).

So I chose one pair and drove around the area checking both frequencies. Score, nothing on them, so I can set up for the one ending in 1 and if for any reason I have to change, move to the one ending in 9.

[John Hertig]

mmaness wrote:

I wonder if blue painter's tape would hold it in place while soldering? That's a suggestion in the LOR kit manual, and it's worked very well for me.

Tape, I didn't think of that. Perhaps, although there is so much 'stuff' sticking up from the board I'm not sure that there would be enough surface area for it to stick to. Still, worth a try.

[John Hertig]

Dennis Cherry wrote:

PC Board assembly companies sometime have to glue components to the board so they do not fall off before going through the wave soldering machine.

You could just use a dab of hot melt glue to hold the power connector to the board. Do not get the hot melt in the solder pad holes.

Dennis

That's a good idea too. Unfortunately, all the weird tools I have, a hot glue gun is not one of them. Perhaps a contact cement would work, and have less chance of clogging the solder pad holes.

[taybrynn]

John, I can appreciate what your saying ... but, respectfully :cool:, I will say that you are the first to bring up this issue in over 70 member transmitters sold.

I think it might be easy for others reading this to incorrectly conclude that the EDM kit is somehow difficult. I personally think it is very well done, considering how the FCC requires these transmitter to be sold as "kits" ... and require soldering. I think EDM made it really easy (for guys like you and me ... that can solder a little) to build a fine transmitter without being highly skilled with the soldering iron or knowing anything about how to read a schematic. I would agree a third hand would have been nice.

I believe myself to be about the least skilled soldering person I know ... and I did it ... which is saying something, I think.

Big picture: If you compare the 3 soldering points on the EDM kit with the Ramsey kit ... its like comparing a 5 piece Lego set with a ~ 300 piece lego set ... Just to put the overall kit difficulty level back into perspective. And most folks here don't consider the Ramsey kit to be beyond them (but I do!).

I know a lot of folks use those fancy soldering stands that hold the board for you and usually provide clips for holding parts while you solder them on. That would have been nice, but I like the hot glue idea a lot and the painters tape ideas ... for people like me, that really won't be soldering an LOR board together anytime soon.

[taybrynn]

Please NOTE: This is a private sale and is not affiliated with Light O Rama, Inc.



The details are the same as before.

How to purchase:

• 
  
• PM me a request for the sale link: http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/pm.php?send_to=taybrynn
  

• 
  
• I will PM you back the transmitter sale link where you can browse and purchase the transmitter directly from the mfgr using paypal. You are not obligated to buy.

• 
  
• Wait till 10 orders are placed ... then your transmitter will ship within 2 business days and typically takes 10-15 days to ship to your home.

Additional Information:

• 
  
• The EDM LCD is very comparable to Ramsey transmitters but at a much lower price point.

• 
  
• The LCD transmitter includes variable power control and should only be operated in a manner compliant with FCC Part15 regulations. This means making a wise choice of frequency, antenna and operating with the minimum amount of power required for your display. Typically, the included whip-antenna works just fine and provides plenty of transmission range.

• 
  
• The transmitters include a 2 year mfgr warranty std. compared to 1 year for Ramsey units.

• 
  
• EDM support is excellent and they also have a yahoo group for owners.

• 
  
• About 40 users have already purchased an EDM transmitter via. this members only sale in 2008. Feel free to ask them what they think and how the unit works.

• 
  
• The EDM LCD is a kit, but requires only very basic soldering skills, so it is appropriate for almost almost who can solder a power lead. The kit typically only takes 15 minutes (or less) to assemble.

• 
  
• If you are looking for a "kit experience", then the Ramsey may be a better choice for you. Many people are afraid of the Ramsey kits or simply cannot afford them ... the EDM LCD is a great "no regrets" alternative.

• 
  
• Shipping and handling is $12 per order

• 
  
• Each member can can order up to (2) transmitters.

• 
  
• Optional shipping insurance is available

• 
  
• Please don't wait too long to purchase your transmitter if your planning a show for 2008.

• 
  
• Keep in mind that a backup transmitter is often a good idea -- as the loss of your transmitter can basically be a show stopper.

• 
  
• Full specs from mfgr site: http://www.edmdesign.com/specs.html

• 
  
• Testimonials from mfgr site: http://www.edmdesign.com/index.html

• 
  
• EDM LCD review at radiobrandy site: http://radiobrandy.com/Transmitters.html

• 
  
• Find unused FM frequencies in your area: http://www.radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/vacant

Rules:

• 
  
• Once 10 orders are placed, all transmitters will ship out together, usually within 2 business days.

• 
  
• Each group of 10+ orders is called a batch. So if you miss the current batch, you can always place an order and will be part of the next batch.

• 
  
• Typically, the first 5 orders goes a little slower than the last 5 orders. I would advise you to place your orders ASAP, so that everyone gets their transmitted in the shortest # of days possible.

• 
  
• Typically, each batch completes in 1-3 weeks, but depends on member demand.

• 
  
• On the day 10 orders are received, you can still place orders up till midnight (SA time) that same day ... this is typically PST+9,MST+8,CST+7,EST+6 . So if 10 orders is say reached at 10am EST, then this would mean that the sale would end 8 hours later, or at 6pm EST, or 6+6=12pm SA time.

• 
  
• This is a "members only" sale, so I will not send you the sale link unless you are a valid member of LOR, PC, SCL or DIYC. New members joining just to participate in the sale will not be permitted.

• There is no manual included with the transmitter box. EDM has a "green" manual policy. You should be emailed a manual from EDM automatically if you decide to place an order. The manual is only 7 pages, but covers both installation (with pictures) and operating instructions. If you need the manual and did not already receive one ... you can find it attached on my last post near the bottom of this thread: http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/forum80/16823-3.html
  

We are at 7 or 10 confirmed orders for batch#6.

Only 3 more and this batch will be completed.

[John Hertig]

taybrynn wrote:

John, I can appreciate what your saying ... but, respectfully :cool:, I will say that you are the first to bring up this issue in over 70 member transmitters sold.

I think it might be easy for others reading this to incorrectly conclude that the EDM kit is somehow difficult. I personally think it is very well done, considering how the FCC requires these transmitter to be sold as "kits" ... and require soldering. I think EDM made it really easy (for guys like you and me ... that can solder a little) to build a fine transmitter without being highly skilled with the soldering iron or knowing anything about how to read a schematic. I would agree a third hand would have been nice.

Ok, let me be clear. Putting the kit together was trivial. I didn't even need to 'rock' the integrated circuit to get the pins straight up and down; they already were. The instructions were great. The only part which could be a problem for some people is holding the power jack in place while it is being soldered. And there have been 3 good suggestions (hemeostats, tape, glue) made for future people to overcome that. Actually, 4, since if I had a 'helping hand', I bet I could have figured out a way to use it to keep the jack in place while soldering.

[taybrynn]

John, your absolutely right. Thanks for raising this question and getting us so many good ideas on how to make this step easier. I'm about to put a couple together today, so I will probably try the hot glue or the painters tape trick myself!

BTW, here is an old post I did on how to assemble the EDM LCD. Its just gives people an idea on the steps involved.

http://planetchristmas.mywowbb.com/forum6/22473.html

Update:

Still at 7 of 10 on batch #6 ... only 3 more orders then that batch will ship!

PM me if your interested in the sale link:

http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/pm.php?send_to=taybrynn

[Scrubs63]

Hi Taybrynn,

Thanks for posting your old PlanetChristmas Forum:). Your Demo was much better than the PDF file;). I printed it and have been studing how it's assembled. You made it look easy:cool:. I hope to receive my transmitter this week, since seeing some of Batch 4 folks got theirs last week. Now I'm off to Home Depot and Radio Shack to check out their Soldering Irons:shock:.

Thanks Again Scrubs63/Wes

[taybrynn]

Thanks Wes.

Batch #6 - 8 of 10 confirmed orders. +1 more unconfirmed order

So get in soon if your wanting in on batch#6 with minimal wait.

Remember, this sale is for 'members only' and you must have 10 posts to qualify as an active member.

PM me for the sale link ...

http://lightorama.mywowbb.com/pm.php?send_to=taybrynn

[Richard Hamilton]

Sorry if I overlooked the point about transmission power in this long thread, but I thought it was worth mentioning here.

Regarding this comment in the advertisement for this transmitter;
"The LCD transmitter includes variable power control and should only be operated in a manner compliant with FCC Part15 regulations...."

A guy about 15 miles from here got himself a nasty little $1500 fine and a "shut-down order" from the FCC last Christmas for transmitting only 200 mW of power. After hearing that, I cranked down my signal quite a bit. This is the second one I know about in this area in the last 2 years.

This add mentions that the power is variable (I think they mean adjustable, not variable) up to 100 mW. That is 4 times over the FCC limit for transmitters. Well actually, the limit does not go by power, but the limit roughly equates to 25 mW of power, depending on antenna, connections, amount of standing wave reflections, etc.

Until last year I thought the FCC was too busy and too under-funded to worry about small-fry people, but due to popularity of things like LOR and real-estate home advertisements, it seems to be a problem in some areas with these transmitters over-riding local stations in neighborhoods. In the case of the guy I know in Danville, someone in the area complained to the FCC about not being able to hear their favorite Spanish station in San Francisco.

Summary, watch your power and choose your radio station wisely!
Hence, I am posting this link to a site where you can enter your zip code and see what stations to avoid in your area.

http://www.radio-locator.com/

[taybrynn]

Richard,

I agree that the risks can be real and perhaps folks get lazy (as you said) thinking the FCC is too busy to go after their company (selling illegal transmitters) or too busy to monitor their illegal or interference-causing transmissions.

I have posted previously, as have others, many tips on operating transmitters in a safe and responsible manner. I also would say that many use over-powered antennas that are not always needed. The EDM LCD would probably work with just the included 1M wire (test) antenna for most members, if not all. Mine at 10mW is plenty of range and saves me the cost of an additonal antenna.

It only takes one station complaining and they *might* decide to go after you ... you might get a warning if you are taking steps to operate it responsibly ... if not, you could get a fine and have your equipment confiscated. Most people I have heard of that recieved the knock from the FCC were doing multiple things wrong -- usually transmittering 24x7 on a channel used by a paid FM or AM station ... a big no no. Sometimes they caused interference with neighbors because they bought a transmitter too powerful or something cheap with un-intentional spurious transmissions that affected other things.

So I agree --- choose an empty frequency or one that is extremely distant. It also only takes one report of unintended interference to potentially get the FCC' attention. So that's why smart frequency selection and delicate (minimal power) operation is important. Folks -- don't leave it on when your not using it! If you run it 24x7 ... you are increasing you are taking a risks for no reason. If you have an X10 channel or a simple wall timer ... use it to turn of the transmitter nightly, after the show is over.

There are good transmitters, like the wholehouse transmitter ... which works fine, but offers very few frequency choices ... so you can see why this is so bad (for a transmitter) ... you need a transmitter that offers ANY fm frequence choice, ideally, to avoid interfering with another legitimate station. Part15 gives you a limited license to transmit ... and not interfering with others is the biggest part of it.

And yes, the adjustable power is a very important feature ... as you can adjust the unit down to a level that is within FCC limits and still works for the show. I say go as low as possible to work in the show. Just because the EDM LCD can do 100mW ... I don't think many folks will need to use much more than 10mW ... and many could in fact use less power. The EDM LCD can operate on as little as 1mW of power ... thats 1/1000th of 1 watt.

[taybrynn]

Ok folks -- 10 of 10 confirmed orders for batch#6 have been placed :dude:

= = = = =

Orders can still be placed (for batch#6) up till 12 midnight today (SA time).

PM for the sale link, if you are interested.

This is a fantastic opportunity if your lucky enough to see it today. I may post something in heads up as well, since this is time limited and just for today.

Here is a quick way to get the SA time:

http://www.worldtimeserver.com/current_time_in_ZA.aspx

So the batch ordering "day" ends at the following times, generally speaking, but look it up on the above link just to be sure.

3pm PST

4pm MST

5pm CST

6pm EST

After midnight, the ordering page normally goes offline for a few hours, to avoid possible problems or confusion.

Regards,
Scott

[taybrynn]

Batch#6 closes in less than 2 hours from now. Last call.

[John Hertig]

FCC limitations on LPFM is based on 'transmitted power at a specified distance', so the power of the transmitter is only one factor in being legal or illegal. Antenna type and placement is a major factor as well, as are the surroundings (things which might block the signal). The regulations also have something about the length of the antenna plus the cable between the transmitter and antenna being 10' or less. So it would be best of your antenna was plugged directly into the transmitter or had a really short cable.

Generally, there is not a practical way (requires specialized equipment) to be SURE you are legally transmitting. But there are ways to significantly increase your chances of being legal or at least not have problems for not being legal.

First is frequency. You want a frequency on which there is no signal detectable at all anywhere in your transmission range. Ideally, there will be little or no signal on the frequency on each side of this frequency. Next is range. The shorter the range, the safer you are. A rule of thumb is that 200' of range is almost always safe. The further you transmit, the higher the risk of being illegal or 'more importantly', being caught transmitting illegally. And finally, lack of harmonic interferance (transmitting a signal on frequencies other than you intended). The way to do this is to get a good transmitter, and have no unintentional kinks or bends in your antenna system.

The 'find free frequencies' web site may not be of use in your area. It gave me 6 'ideal frequencies'; 2 were in use and 3 had a licensed station right next to it. A more reliable method of finding frequencies it to park your car in the middle of your viewing area (or as close as possible without affecting traffic) and dial through every frequency on the dial (you'll need a digital tuner, of course). Write down every frequency which has no signal at all (nothing but 'hiss'), and note what is on the frequency on each side (clear signal, faint signal or no signal). It would be nice to find 2 frequencies which were completely clear, have little or faint signal on each side, and could be easily morphed from one to the other (like 95.1 and 95.7) This would give you a backup if you are requested to stop transmitting on your primary frequency.

Once you've got your primary channel and backup channel selected, drive around your transmitter location going everywhere you can up to about 1/2 mile in each direction, checking that both primary and backup channel have nothing on them. If they are clear, set your transmitter to your primary frequency, set the power to 10mw or less, and drive to the furtherest point in your viewing area. If you get a good signal, reduce the power until you just start losing the signal, then put the power back up a notch. Then check that you get a good signal throughout the viewing area. Finally, drive away 'line of site' from the antenna (if possible) until you lose your signal to find out what your transmission distance is.

Finally, the FCC is NOT going to go looking for you if you violate the LPFM restrictions. They will, however, respond to complaints, so your best strategy is to ensure that there will not be any complaints.

[George Simmons]

Got my EDM model put together tonight and it works great with the supplied whip antenna! I've got it set at the low power setting and it's plenty loud and clear for about two blocks in every direction.

Ditto to John's advice on finding a frequency. The locator site's ideal frequencies for my area - eight of them - were all occupied by strong stations. The "good" frequencies that my search turned up had only one that was actually open. Beware.

[taybrynn]

Great advice folks !

I also did the same thing ... searched for the the most quiet (and static free) frequency in my neighborhood ... then made sure by driving around for a mile in every direction to make sure it was still clear in those places as well.

I believe you can look up the frequency you then choose to see where it is within your state. That also helps you know how far away it is and thus your FCC safety margin to some extent. Don't pick anything that is effectively broadcasting over another station within 20 miles or less.

[Dennis Cherry]

George Simmons wrote:

Got my EDM model put together tonight and it works great with the supplied whip antenna! I've got it set at the low power setting and it's plenty loud and clear for about two blocks in every direction.

Ditto to John's advice on finding a frequency. The locator site's ideal frequencies for my area - eight of them - were all occupied by strong stations. The "good" frequencies that my search turned up had only one that was actually open. Beware.

The station locater is only to help you with possible open frequencies.

I have a problem with the frequency the locater suggested and found a radio station 100 miles away that comes and goes during the summer months and limits my range. Go figure?

Did a search and found a good possible alternative. Reset the EDM frequency and got double the range.

The best way to really find is wait till the weather cools off. RF Energy travels further in cooler weather, heat disapates RF Energy and so does tree leaves.

I am going to verify my frequency selection closer to turn on time and see what is really clear in my area. The DFW area FM frequencies are very crowded and not to many options open. If needed my Demented Elf and Tune to signs will have to change.

Until then I will wait and see.

[mmaness]

Dennis,

I live in the DFW area, and I've found that (thus far) 100.1 is the best frequency to use. There IS an FM station on 100.1 (listed), but it's well over 100 miles away, and I cannot hear it using any FM radio I have - including a pretty sensitive one. BTW - I live in Forney, which is about 30 miles to the east of downtown Dallas.

MTM