Jaynee Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 So I spent a ton of time on the FCC website researching radio stations within 100 miles of my house in order to find a free one to use with my transmitter. I determined that 87.9 FM is available (I also found a newspaper article recommending various homes in my metro area that do light shows and several of them use 87.9 as well - none in my particular suburb though). All that is well and good, I tested my FM transmitter and my stuff comes through loud and clear from outside the house. BUT - what I've noticed over the past few weeks since determining that would be my signal for the show, is that SOMEONE out there is broadcasting Howard Stern on that frequency. It's not a crystal clear transmission - lots of static, and by the time I get about 2 miles from my house it's gone. It is definitely his current programming because I heard him talking about Adele's song "Hello" a couple days ago - and the broadcast includes all the curse words uncensored. Looking online, it appears that his show IS available via online streaming, but for the most part he is on SiriusXM, which is satellite radio (I do not have satellite radio in my car). So that tells me that someone is broadcasting his stuff on their own. I suppose I'm not sure what my question is on this. Or maybe I have too many. Would you all agree that:1) Since the HS show is a satellite radio show, I'm assuming it should not be broadcast on regular FM radio - especially not with all the bad language, which is against FCC regulations.2) If #1 is correct, then someone is broadcasting his show illegally.3) If #2 is correct, then there should be no problem with my using that station from 5:30-11 p.m. each night to run my own program since it is not like illegal radio guy is going to turn me in because I'm blocking his broadcast. Again, the FCC website shows that there is NO radio station within 100 miles of my home using 87.9, so it is definitely an open station that I should be able to use. Lastly, I have a CZH-05B transmitter, and when it is on I can hear my music about 1/4 mile in each direction within my neighborhood - I cannot hear it outside my neighborhood. If I opt to get an attenuator to limit the signal to closer to home, is there a particular one I should get? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsMeBobO Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 (edited) There are times when I use my transmitter as my personal whole house station. I may wear a radio headset and walk around the house listening to a podcast of a show. Most podcasts have the commercials edited out so listening for a while, if you dont hear an ad then its a podcast of the show. Your neighbor may be using a transmitter to get SiriusXM into other rooms where he doesnt have a Sirius device. Or maybe sharing his subscription with his buddy next door. Edited November 30, 2015 by ItsMeBobO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 (edited) It is most likely someone taking either the internet streaming feed or the output from an XM radio and transmitting it on an FM transmitter just like most of us do. He most likely does it so that he can listen to Howard dip(redacted) on a portable FM radio around his house. Both you and him are operating under part 15 of the FCC rules, so you are on the same legal footing as far as the rules go. If you have a usable signal 1/4 mile away, you are likely exceeding the part 15 rules, but it sounds like he is too. No, it's unlikely that he would do anything legal about you with the FCC, but if the guy is a true ass, he could find you and vandalize your display. Again, not overly likely, but, you have more to lose... If I were to guess, he does not care about listening any further than his own property, so you are not going to bother him. As for an attenuator, I already had some in stock, and I guarantee you would not want to pay for the one I'm using (for the radio guys, I'm using a precision 3dB attenuator that is good to 6GHz that is part of a test set made by H.P.). --- edited to put the paragraph formatting that Tapatalk take away --- Edited December 1, 2015 by DevMike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaynee Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 Maybe I'll drive around tonight until the Stern signal is strong and clear - he has to be in one of the 2-3 subdivisions near my own - and then call home to have my husband turn on MY signal. If I can still hear his, and not mine, then I won't worry about my own signal. If mine cancels him out, I'll get the attenuator. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LORisAwesome Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 How about finding a different frequency? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaynee Posted November 30, 2015 Author Share Posted November 30, 2015 I tried to find another frequency, and the FCC listed another 5-6 options in my metro area, but when I got in my car to check them, I could hear stations broadcasting clear as a bell - I'd sit and listen for a while to hear call letters, and sure enough I'd eventually hear the announcer say something along the lines of "you are listening to 100.1 FM," with real call sign letters. The ONLY one that had nothing that served as a legitimate radio station was 87.9. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 That's because 87.9 is outside the FM broadcast band. BTW, just to be picky, the FCC part 15 rules that we all (in the USA) operate under does not allow low power broadcasting on 88.7 or 88.9 under any circumstances. Didn't think about that when I made my earlier post. That is one of the reasons I'm on 101.5. The other reason is that there is a "TV" station in my area that does not broadcast video on TV channel 6 which puts the audio sub-carrier on 87.75 which would likely interfere with me on either of those channels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
George Simmons Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Jaynee - your concern is admirable, but it seems that you're over-thinking things. If there's no licensed station on the frequency, you have as much right to use it as does the Stern broadcaster. It's not like he/she is going to call the FCC and complain about someone else's illegal signal stepping on THEIR illegal signal. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Psjoe Posted November 30, 2015 Share Posted November 30, 2015 Hummm, some of you put a lot of thought into this I just went out to my truck and scanned for a clear station, Set my transmitter to that. Think 103 something. Comes in great around the house and fades out in about a block. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Sarge Posted December 1, 2015 Share Posted December 1, 2015 hahaha I did the same thing... sit out in my truck and made a list of some clear stations... I found I can pretty well at any time use a few different ones with no problem.. like 96.5 / 98.1 / 107.9 / 87.9 / 96.9 / 101.5 and a few others... I mostly just want to make sure that I am not broadcasting down the mountain over the Palmdale Ca. Air Force plant 42, Boeing, NASA, Northrup etc. as they are all down the mountain from me and about 3 to 5 mi away as the crow flies. I do realize my sig gets out better as they are line of site from my place on the side of the mountain they are down in the valley... I have foil on the downhill side of the wall from where I have my transmitter... to help block the signal going that way... works pretty well.. I can just barely pick it up at the downhill side of my property 3 acres away.. the north side is fine no problems there or east and west.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaynee Posted December 6, 2015 Author Share Posted December 6, 2015 Tonight we began our show. I did the foil on a toilet paper roll idea but there was too much static. So I took it off and will just have to hope that the Howard Stern listener is okay not hearing his stuff for the next month during the hours of 5:30 - 11:30 p.m. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Old Sarge Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 unless your signal is stronger thenhis is he will still here his in his house... Maybe a little static at tims but shouldnt be a problem... Also have you checked for a clear channel.... They cant all be taken... check this link to see if it helps you out any. http://radio-locator.com/cgi-bin/vacant?select=city&city=90210&state=&x=12&y=2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaynee Posted December 6, 2015 Author Share Posted December 6, 2015 I used the FCC website to search and did find some open stations, but I would then get in my car and turn to those stations and hear stations broadcasting, And it definitely wasn't bleed over from other numbers on the dial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greenie95125 Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 That's because 87.9 is outside the FM broadcast band. BTW, just to be picky, the FCC part 15 rules that we all (in the USA) operate under does not allow low power broadcasting on 88.7 or 88.9 under any circumstances. Didn't think about that when I made my earlier post. That is one of the reasons I'm on 101.5. The other reason is that there is a "TV" station in my area that does not broadcast video on TV channel 6 which puts the audio sub-carrier on 87.75 which would likely interfere with me on either of those channels.Bummer. I've been broadcasting on that freq for 8 years now. Shhhhhhhh ;-) Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 Lots of people do, and I would be surprised if anyone got in trouble for it... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomsusie Posted December 6, 2015 Share Posted December 6, 2015 Make sure if you're looking for a clear channel with your car/truck radio that you check at night too. It might be clear during the day but signals travel further at night so that clear channel just may have traffic during the evening. I had to change my broadcast frequency this year due to a new station appearing on my previous channel -- again only at night. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaynee Posted December 6, 2015 Author Share Posted December 6, 2015 tomsusie - I did this for several weeks before we went live. I checked multiple times during the day and night to make sure it wasn't used by a real station. I pinpointed the home broadcaster on 87.9 to within a couple blocks of my house, in my subdivision. My signal is stronger than his, for sure. His has TONS of static even sitting outside what I believe to be his house (within 3-4 houses), whereas mine is clear as a bell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jefffrompawpaw Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 I have a question similar on this subject and would like to hop on this thread. My FM transmitter is very strong, like 2 miles strong. I don't know anything about the transmitter other than I plug it in set the station and it works really well. What am I to do about having that much coverage? My station is clear as well with no other broadcasts on it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaynee Posted December 9, 2015 Author Share Posted December 9, 2015 My suggestion would be to look up your transmitter model online to find the user manual and see how to change it from High to Low so that it attenuates the signal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Techster Posted December 9, 2015 Share Posted December 9, 2015 I have broadcast on 98.1 for the last few years, however, this year i am receiving interference from a station that is over 100 miles away and not listed as a station in my area and not supposed to be broadcasting in the my area (according to the FCC page I am even beyond the fringe of the transmission) - but my transmitter does drown out that station if you are in proximity of my house. The good news, I know I am within FCC regulation if you cannot hear my station down the block, the bad news I wish I could. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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