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starting off.
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2020 2:05 am
by kambge
hello. i'm thinking of starting my own radio. My bread and butter is sound systems so radio is a slightly new world to me, im trying to get the basics figured out have a great place for antenna but need advice with where to go on transmitters and very limitd budget so any DIY tips would be great. Any links appreciated. cheers
Re: starting off.
Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2020 11:42 am
by BriansBrain
kambge wrote: ↑Wed Aug 12, 2020 2:05 am
hello. i'm thinking of starting my own radio. My bread and butter is sound systems so radio is a slightly new world to me, im trying to get the basics figured out have a great place for antenna but need advice with where to go on transmitters and very limitd budget so any DIY tips would be great. Any links appreciated. cheers
Hello
kamgbe 
You say your bread and butter is sound systems so...
I assume you have all your audio, playout & audio processor systems organized or planned.
So you just need advice in the transmitting department.
Well as you say it's all down to you budget for the Antenna, Mast, Cable, Transmitter, SWR/power meter and associated bits and pieces.
What are you talking £100 - £1,000 - £10,000 ?
Then we can go from there
Re: starting off.
Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2020 5:07 pm
by kambge
hello. thanks. Yes audio processing is fine, all set up in fact. Its the transmission that Im trying to get to grips with, i'd say the budget is low hundreds.... Its a very good inner city location fairly high up so just a 3-5 mile radius is the target with as clean a signal as possible...
Re: starting off.
Posted: Fri Aug 21, 2020 6:18 pm
by fmuser877
I have 15 watts which cover about 3 miles with its health wave aerial its not bad 30 watts covers about 8 miles
Re: starting off.
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 6:40 pm
by kambge
ok any links for where i can buy 15w or 30w online or second hand? cheers. And in terms of antennas where should i look for something cheap or could i build my own?
Re: starting off.
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 8:51 pm
by LeeCavanagh
Re: starting off.
Posted: Mon Aug 24, 2020 9:26 pm
by fmuser877
Re: starting off.
Posted: Tue Aug 25, 2020 3:19 pm
by ronald001
Keep away from chinese transmitters like this one - most of them are dirty and generates unwanted RF signals
Re: starting off.
Posted: Wed Aug 26, 2020 11:27 pm
by kambge
ok nice I will go for that pole antenna. In terms of transmitters what's a good option other than the made in china stuff you see on amazon , etc? I'm looking for 15, 30 watts.
In terms of avoiding of ofcom. I'm in very central London, is there any way to check I'm not interfering with other radio signals (apart from sweeping). And if I do get found out, what's the procedure do they need a warrant or will they just come climb the building and take it down?
ta
Re: starting off.
Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2020 1:21 am
by kambge
ok it seems ill also need a microwave link to protect my gear as where I'm thinking of putting the aerial is an easy spot. Any advice on how to make one, source one, much appreciated.
Re: starting off.
Posted: Thu Aug 27, 2020 3:41 am
by Albert H
30W in central London will go a few hundred yards at best! The RF noise in London is horrible. If you're in any way serious about doing this, you're going to need 300W on the output, and a good, secure link system. Forget microwave as the final part of the link - it's too easily tracked these days.
I just did a secure link system for a station that used a VPN and a web-based audio link for the first hop, microwave to get across a road and up to a rooftop, then UHF (around 620 MHz) for the final hop. The UHF part uses ordinary TV aerials, which you see on every building!
Re: starting off.
Posted: Fri Aug 28, 2020 11:34 pm
by TGillies
Albert H wrote: ↑Thu Aug 27, 2020 3:41 am
30W in central London will go a few hundred yards at best! The RF noise in London is horrible. If you're in any way serious about doing this, you're going to need 300W on the output, and a good, secure link system. Forget microwave as the final part of the link - it's too easily tracked these days.
I just did a secure link system for a station that used a VPN and a web-based audio link for the first hop, microwave to get across a road and up to a rooftop, then UHF (around 620 MHz) for the final hop. The UHF part uses ordinary TV aerials, which you see on every building!
Or save yourself some money, go yolo and run direct... worked for me for 2 years now. Ofcom don’t give a shit about a graveyard platform, certainly not in Scotland anyway
Re: starting off.
Posted: Sat Aug 29, 2020 1:34 am
by sinus trouble
TGillies wrote: ↑Fri Aug 28, 2020 11:34 pm
Or save yourself some money, go yolo and run direct... worked for me for 2 years now. Ofcom don’t give a shit about a graveyard platform, certainly not in Scotland anyway
I think Tgillies has a good point!
How frequent will you be broadcasting? And when?
Either way you look at it? You are taking a risk! As Sean Connery would say! "What are you prepared to do?"
Re: starting off.
Posted: Sun Aug 30, 2020 9:28 pm
by Undercover Neckz
Dont listen to these cowboys on here you need to do it properly and get a decent link system like this below. You cant run direct I should know!
Like I did from my nans shed in northolt until ofcom came knocking and she told them to F off. (true story)
Re: starting off.
Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 11:35 am
by BriansBrain
Undercover Neckz wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2020 9:28 pm
Get a decent link system like this below.
What sort of range can you get
Re: starting off.
Posted: Mon Aug 31, 2020 11:44 pm
by Bton-FM
BriansBrain wrote: ↑Mon Aug 31, 2020 11:35 am
Undercover Neckz wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2020 9:28 pm
Get a decent link system like this below.
What sort of range can you get
Now that's a 'how long is a piece of string?' sort of question.
Re: starting off.
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:56 am
by SOTS 87 7
Bton-FM wrote: ↑Mon Aug 31, 2020 11:44 pm
BriansBrain wrote: ↑Mon Aug 31, 2020 11:35 am
Undercover Neckz wrote: ↑Sun Aug 30, 2020 9:28 pm
Get a decent link system like this below.
What sort of range can you get
Now that's a 'how long is a piece of string?' sort of question.
Now we are almost up to DAB sound quality here lol.
Re: starting off.
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:21 pm
by LeeCavanagh
SOTS 87 7 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:56 am
Bton-FM wrote: ↑Mon Aug 31, 2020 11:44 pm
BriansBrain wrote: ↑Mon Aug 31, 2020 11:35 am
What sort of range can you get
Now that's a 'how long is a piece of string?' sort of question.
Now we are almost up to DAB sound quality here lol.
Ha, yes, wonder what the frequency range is on this, probably 1khz-2khz
Re: starting off.
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:24 pm
by Bton-FM
LeeCavanagh wrote: ↑Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:21 pm
SOTS 87 7 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:56 am
Bton-FM wrote: ↑Mon Aug 31, 2020 11:44 pm
Now that's a 'how long is a piece of string?' sort of question.
Now we are almost up to DAB sound quality here lol.
Ha, yes, wonder what the frequency range is on this, probably 1khz-2khz
After I’ve made my Lofi jungle beats, I run it through this link system and back into ableton just to make sure it has that Lofi grit.
Re: starting off.
Posted: Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:33 pm
by LeeCavanagh
Bton-FM wrote: ↑Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:24 pm
LeeCavanagh wrote: ↑Tue Sep 01, 2020 1:21 pm
SOTS 87 7 wrote: ↑Tue Sep 01, 2020 11:56 am
Now we are almost up to DAB sound quality here lol.
Ha, yes, wonder what the frequency range is on this, probably 1khz-2khz
After I’ve made my Lofi jungle beats, I run it through this link system and back into ableton just to make sure it has that Lofi grit.
Don’t forget the home made sweepers using tin foil as sound fx, lol, this made me smile,
