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| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 99 responses total. |
raven
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response 56 of 99:
| 
Apr 16 05:30 UTC 2001 |
re #54 Did I say we didn't need rules Russ, I did not. What I suggested
was that the current rules such as no fm transmiters can be liscensed
under 100 watts (the elimination of the class d liscense) and the 4,000
dollar cost of a liscense to broadcast bias the process towards corporate
and NPR style radio stations at the expense of smaller more diverse radio
stations. I think this is a bad outcome and I would like to see it changed.
Nowhere did I say anything such as "smash the state dude," if you thought
that's what I was implying then that's all on you. :-)
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rcurl
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response 57 of 99:
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Apr 16 06:24 UTC 2001 |
Correction: stations are spaced at 0.2 Mhz in the FM band (at odd
decimals.. x.1, x.3, etc). This does not change any of the above
discussion to any significant degree.
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raven
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response 58 of 99:
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Apr 16 06:29 UTC 2001 |
re #57 true enough but it can fun to nitpick sometimes.
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rcurl
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response 59 of 99:
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Apr 16 06:37 UTC 2001 |
(Especially to pick one's own nits.....)
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danr
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response 60 of 99:
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Apr 16 11:57 UTC 2001 |
If someone can't come up with $4,000 for a broadcast license, how are
they going to come up with the money to buy equipment and run a
station? As I said earlier, I'm all for micropower stations, but the
realities of setting up and running one is going to limit the diversity
you seek. Whether you're in it for the music or for advancing a
particular politicial cuase, you'll get much more bang for your buck by
using a print media or setting up an Internet radio station.
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tsty
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response 61 of 99:
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Apr 16 13:42 UTC 2001 |
$4000 will buy a lot of radio shack stuff ... ham fests and other
technically oriented 'gatherings' and a few books (gasp! read!) on
antenna theory ....viola! $3500 left over for budweiser!
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raven
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response 62 of 99:
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Apr 16 15:31 UTC 2001 |
re#61 Thanks tsty that's that's the gist of what I was about to say.
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danr
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response 63 of 99:
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Apr 16 16:01 UTC 2001 |
You guys are really underestimating the time and money it will take to
run such an operation. Sure, you can buy cheap stuff at hamfests, but
what are you going to do when it breaks?
Where are you going to put the antenna? Chances are you're going to
have to pay some rent for that space.
Take a look at how much it costs us to run Grex. You better plan on at
least that much to run a radio station.
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danr
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response 64 of 99:
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Apr 16 17:30 UTC 2001 |
Here's what Nick Farr, General Manager of WCBN, had to say:
"Our budget is about $75,000; but that doesn't include rent or
utilities for our facility, transmitter or antenna, *or* staff
salaries. (Our staff is entirely student based, the exec staff
positions get a small stipend that covers books for the term.)
"Usually, a MINIMUM station budget is about $250-500,000, assuming that
the DJ staff is volunteer and there are three full-time positions
(General Manager, Program/Music Director and Chief Engineer). The
smallest budget for a completely independent station, that we've seen,
is $50,000 for a homebrew community radio station in Ohio run out of
some guy's barn. Their studios, transmitter, and antenna are on the
same small piece of farmland. His startup costs were in the $100,000
range.
"Commercial stations usually run budgets at minimum of $1,000,000. "
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flem
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response 65 of 99:
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Apr 16 20:05 UTC 2001 |
re 41: Are you *crazy*? What's wrong with you?!!?!
I mean, Budweiser?! Good God, man, you're sick. Sick!
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danr
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response 66 of 99:
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Apr 16 23:03 UTC 2001 |
Hey...remember it's tsty who posted that. :)
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raven
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response 67 of 99:
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Apr 17 08:00 UTC 2001 |
re #64 I suspect Stephen Dunifers budget for Radio Free Berkeley in a year is
closer to 500 than 500,000. He runs it out of a backpack and manages to
run a very tight on frequncy station at the same time being a former radio
engineer. You have just swallowed corporate line hook line and sinker Dan.
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scott
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response 68 of 99:
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Apr 17 11:20 UTC 2001 |
If you only want to run a few watts then you can stick an antenna out your
window. You only need a tower on some farmland if you are planning on pumping
thousands of watts into the air.
One full watt is pretty powerful, actually. At work we've used radio data
terminals which put out 1 watt around 400MHz or so, and that signal can go
a mile or two. At lower frequencies you can send a couple of watts quite a
ways (hand-held CB radios).
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n8nxf
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response 69 of 99:
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Apr 17 11:42 UTC 2001 |
Just put a good, tight, filter on the output. Mark From Michigan runs
a watt or more out of his junk yard out there on Dexter Pinckney and the
thing splatters all over the FM band! He needs a simple cavity to clean
that mess up. (He could use the barrel of a cannon or something.)
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gull
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response 70 of 99:
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Apr 17 12:24 UTC 2001 |
One of the (commercial) AM stations in Houghton is (in)famous for
pushing their transmitter a bit too hard. Every time there's a voice
peak, it splatters, and you can hear buckshot all up and down the band.
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danr
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response 71 of 99:
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Apr 17 15:56 UTC 2001 |
WCBN is a corporation? When did that happen?
I'm speaking both from my experience as an engineer, businessperson,
and Grex board member--not as a corporate lackey. The rule of thumb in
all those ventures is that it always costs more than you think it will.
And I've yet to run into a situation where that rule of thumb was
broken.
All I can say, raven, is go for it. If you think you can do it on the
cheap, and have it make an impact, be my guest.
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raven
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response 72 of 99:
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Apr 18 00:09 UTC 2001 |
Dan thanks to attitudes like yoursI can't for it without being criminal.
That is really my main point, IF a micro power boradcaster takes the
responsability to broadcast with a clean transmiter why should they
be criminalized?
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rcurl
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response 73 of 99:
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Apr 18 05:34 UTC 2001 |
They won't be, if they get a license (but I presume you mean,
without a license). Well, what right do you have to occupy that
frequency by yourself when others might want to use it? Someone
must judge your right compared to that of others, which is what
licensing is. Also, if you use it unlicensed, what basis do you
have for 'complaining' if others used the same frequency?
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goose
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response 74 of 99:
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Apr 18 05:43 UTC 2001 |
RE#69 -- does he actually transmit? I've listened a bit for that station,
but never heard anything. If I remember he's awfully close to WUOM, bot in
frequency and in location.
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scott
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response 75 of 99:
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Apr 18 11:29 UTC 2001 |
Re 73: But what if there seems to be plenty of frequencies available, but
no way (or even an application process) to get a license to use them? In the
last couple of years the FCC was about to allow micropower licenses, but a
heavy lobbying effort by the National Association of Broadcasters (including
NPR, which is disappointing) killed it.
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n8nxf
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response 76 of 99:
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Apr 18 12:06 UTC 2001 |
RE#74-- Indeed he does. Perhaps not all the time but I've listened in several
times. He must have some sort of robot playing music and adds on it. I've
heard spots for Mill Creek Sporting Goods, a gun show at the Saline Fair
Grounds, and a spot for that card store behind the Fox Village theater. The
last time I picked it up I was just scanning the FM band in the basement of
my house, located about two miles, as the crow flies, from his surplus museum.
To top it off, it was going even though he's in jail. (As do the Friday
meetings.)
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danr
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response 77 of 99:
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Apr 18 12:24 UTC 2001 |
re #72: I am FOR micropower radio stations. I want people to be able to
get licenses to run them. BUT, as Rane points out, licensing is
essential. All I can say is to keep lobbying your representatives and
senators and get them to pass a law forcing the FCC to allow them.
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rcurl
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response 78 of 99:
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Apr 18 14:50 UTC 2001 |
Are the objections of NPR, NAB or anyone else easily available on the
web? I've heard that they objected, but have not heard their reasons.
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gull
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response 79 of 99:
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Apr 18 15:03 UTC 2001 |
They objected on the grounds that it would create too much interference
for people trying to listen to their stations, basically.
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rcurl
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response 80 of 99:
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Apr 18 15:14 UTC 2001 |
I'd like to see the details of the analysis that demonstrates that.
If there are open channels at 0.2 Mhz intervals, how does the interference
occur if those channels are used for minipower stations?
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