FM Transmitter Question

[captainron19]

I just bought a Ramsey FM30B FM Transmitter. As this is my first year of LOR I had a question regarding frequency use.

Is there any specific guidelines to follow to choose a frequency to use in order to assure the clearest transmission? Just wasnt sure if I need to keep a specific amount away from major radio stations in our area.

[friskybri]

http://www.radio-locator.com/ use this to find the station. click on the unused frequency's and it will give you the best ones to use. Then go out to your car and use the radio to make sure its unused. I had one that was used by a distant radio station. Good thing I checked.

[cmoore60]

You want to use a tool like this.

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

Try to determine where you can put your station and not create a problem for people listening to commercial stations. The last thing you want is someone to complain about your station and the FCC come knocking at your door.

Chuck

[captainron19]

Awesome - thanks guys

[John Hertig]

I found the radio locator site to be next to useless. Many of the channels they claimed were open weren't, and I later found some of the best channels to be claimed to be not open.

Really, the 'best' way is to sit in your car and go through every frequency. Look for ones which

A) have no signal on them (a requirement)

have no signal on the frequency on either side of them (very nice to find) or if none like that, have a very distant station on adjacent frequency(s)

and write them down

Once you have a list of all the 'possible' frequencies, look for 2 which can be easily 'converted', for instance, 97.1 and 93.1, or 104.1 and 104.7. This will make changing your sign from your 'primary' station to your 'backup' station easiest.

With your car radio tuned to your possible 'primary' station, drive around the neighborhood up to 1/2 mile in each direction, listening for any signal. If nothing, repeat the drive with the radio set to your backup frequency, otherwise start with a new 'primary' station.

[Max-Paul]

Let me make one more recommendation. Do this in the late evening after the sun has gone down. I found that I had a few further away stations skipping in. Not good enough qaulity that someone near would be interested in listening to. But if the skip siginal is just a wee bit stronger than your signal is. FM receivers work on the capture princible. Meaning that it has the tendancy to block out a weaker signal. What we hear is the times when both signals are about equal, that is when we hear the two at the same time. So, it is possible that if a skip singal comes in. Your music might be totally blocked.

I like the idea that John promoted. Have a back up freq. and one that would make modifying the sign a bit more easier.

Where is that spell checker? I know my spelling is weak and hence the need for the spell checker. Anyone know where to find it??

[captainron19]

John Hertig wrote:

I found the radio locator site to be next to useless. Many of the channels they claimed were open weren't, and I later found some of the best channels to be claimed to be not open.

Really, the 'best' way is to sit in your car and go through every frequency. Look for ones which

I had that problem also it gave me 2 channels as best on that site and when I tuned them in at home on the car there was a gospel channel on one and a talk show on the other.... the signal seemed quite low on both of them and I am sure my transmitter would of blew them away (especially for someone parked in front of my house)

Took your recommendation and found a frequency that had absolutely nothing on it and just did a test. I am using a Ramsey FM30B and when I used that frequency I went out into the car and it was crystal clear out front and actually had a pretty good signal almost 2 blocks away in either direction. I am guessing the signal will be even cleaner when I get the show set up because when i did the test I had the transmitter in the back of the house. When the lights are setup the transmitter will be at the front of the house near a window.

The weird thing is... the frequency I chose to go with didnt even appear on the Radio Locator Webs ite

[friskybri]

There might be one thing that people are not doing. At the bottom of the page you need to click fringe stations. That adds stations that might be just on the tip of the listening area. Also there is a feature that you put the frequency then put in the distance at the bottom of the page. for example 94.3 has a little station about 65 miles from where I live. That is the station I plan on using. Your going to find a station about 65 to 80 miles on every frequency.

[Steven]

If someone else in your area has been doing animated shows for a while, use the same frequency! They have already done the work making sure it's clear. The other advantage is that if a visitor visits their display first, their radio is already set for your frequency.

When I started, I used 104.1, because that's what Severex was using. He's about 2 miles from my house and has been using that frequency for years.

This year, sjmiller is going to use the same frequency. He's about 3 miles away. There are at least 2 other Christmas displays in the area that use that same frequency, including one at a country park.

[toddmoon]

I guess one advantage to living out in the Styx is I had lots of choices for my radio frequency. I live in a remote area in South Eastern Utah. There are not a lot of close by radio stations so my choice of 99.9 did not conflict with any radio station.

I went with a EDM 10mw/100mw. I tested the 100 mw from my basement and managed to get 7 blocks with it loud and clear. I imagine that if I setup a good antenna base I could easily get a mile out of it.

I have not tried that yet but maybe I will with my Halloween show. I could even broadcast directions to the show. Not that my town is so big that it would not take you long to find it anyway! Ha!

[Max-Paul]

John Hertig wrote:

I found the radio locator site to be next to useless. Many of the channels they claimed were open weren't.

Really, the 'best' way is to sit in your car and go through every frequency. Look for ones which

I have to fully agree also with John, That site was telling me that 93.7 was open. Yet on the way home the other night I thought that I better double check before I make up my yard sign. Sure enough there was a good strong signal on 93.7. So I started to tune around and found that 93.5 was for all purposes clear (some modulated static).

So, as far as I can see, that URL is worthless and if you take what they say as fact. And make a yard sign based on that info. You could be very disappointed in having to rework your "Tune to" sign.

[JBullard]

Max-Paul wrote:

John Hertig wrote:

I found the radio locator site to be next to useless. Many of the channels they claimed were open weren't.

Really, the 'best' way is to sit in your car and go through every frequency. Look for ones which

So, as far as I can see, that URL is worthless and if you take what they say as fact. And make a yard sign based on that info. You could be very disappointed in having to rework your "Tune to" sign.

Well, I respectfully disagree with the statements that the website is worthless.

Any database maintained by VOLUNTEERS and provided for FREE, will always have errors or delays in updating information. Many stations have construction permits pending and are running tests that would not be reflected in this database.

Also many more stations are erecting translators and boosters in nearby towns and citites from where they are actually located and transmit from. Many "rural, small town stations" some 60 miles from me, are putting up multiple translators in Chattanooga, (the largest city around) hoping to increase there ad revenue and establish a "large city" presence. These may also not be reflected in the database, although some are.

If you want to help this database be more accurate, the webmasters encourage you to send email to them (See item #1 on the FAQ)

I would never call a FREE Volunteer maintained website worthless, if you find an error, submit a correction to help maintain the accuracy of the resource. This website can provide a starting point to aid in selection.

I do agree that you the individual should do your own due diligence verification of any frequency that you may plan to use , just as any competent HAM radio operator will always listen before transmitting.

[mnkyboy]

try this link instead. I used both to find my radio station... http://www.fcc.gov/mb/audio/fmq.html



During the daytime there is a radio station in Tuscon that transmits on the freq I use, but at night either they drop their power so low its almost non existant or they stop transmitting. Tuscon is 90 miles away too. I tested this one with both my cars, my home FM reciever (with the TM100 I use connected to it as recieving antenna), and my portable FM radio and the freq is silent at night....

So in a way everyone is right, find suggested frequencies and do a little homework to make sure. Your neighbors will look at you funny for driving around the block a zillion times, but wait till you start putting up your lights!!

[John Hertig]

JBullard wrote:

Max-Paul wrote:

John Hertig wrote:

I found the radio locator site to be next to useless. Many of the channels they claimed were open weren't.

Really, the 'best' way is to sit in your car and go through every frequency. Look for ones which

So, as far as I can see, that URL is worthless and if you take what they say as fact. And make a yard sign based on that info. You could be very disappointed in having to rework your "Tune to" sign.

Well, I respectfully disagree with the statements that the website is worthless.

Any database maintained by VOLUNTEERS and provided for FREE, will always have errors or delays in updating information. Many stations have construction permits pending and are running tests that would not be reflected in this database.

It is wonderful that it is volunteer run and free, but as you say, it has errors and delayed information, so RELYING ON IT seems to be a bad choice. All I can say, is that I never would have found either my primary frequency or my backup frequency by using this chart. And if I had selected my primary frequency and backup frequency from the chart, they would not have worked (and I can say this with assurance because that is exactly how I started out; fortunately the very first thing I did after picking the frequencies was to verify that they were really available and found they were not).