teckniqs wrote:From my own personal experience and many others I've spoken to, I've found the FM signal reaches much further at the bottom of the band than anywhere else.
My rig builder explained that it was down to the specific components on the boards he is using that are "better-suited" to lower down the band. Something about how the components are designed for better performance in lower freqs than band 2? Can't remember exactly what he said now...
NOYB wrote:I wouldn't get too hung up on whether it is top or bottom of the band. There is an argument that middle is best because receive antennas and other tunable items in receivers are optimised for the middle and roll off slightly at either end of the band. But to be honest, top, bottom or middle will make naff all difference. The most important criteria by far is whether it's a clear channel, and the adjacent and next adjacent channels are clear or reasonably quiet. So take a scan up and down the band on a car radio and use your ears to get a shortlist of frequencies. Then take a tour round your intended coverage area and check which one seems cleanest on average. Be aware that 87.7 and 87.9 are used by RSLs from time to time, so may present more risk if one comes on nearby and complains about you.
Good point about the RSLs, Radio Ramadan is overmodulating at the moment, can hear it on 87.9, 88.00, 88.1, 88.2..... It's coming from Bradford.
http://www.ramadan.co.uk/radio-ramadan.php
I live nearer Bradford than Leeds so that explains why I can hear themso clearly now. My TX site will now be in a different location, so I've asked my rig builder to tune it to 88.1 as planned originally. I don't want any complaints or headaches from legals so back to plan A for me.
