starting off.

[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

[BriansBrain]

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

[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...

[fmuser877]

I have 15 watts which cover about 3 miles with its health wave aerial its not bad 30 watts covers about 8 miles

[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?

[LeeCavanagh]

Antenna cheap:Slim Jim
https://www.superyagi.com/88108mhz_jpol ... 84551.aspx

Antenna expensive, buy a dominator
https://fmbroadcastantenna.com/dominator.html

[fmuser877]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3286662 ... hweb201603_

[ronald001]

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/3286662 ... hweb201603_

Keep away from chinese transmitters like this one - most of them are dirty and generates unwanted RF signals

[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

[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.

[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!

[TGillies]

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

[sinus trouble]

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?"

[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)

[BriansBrain]

Get a decent link system like this below.

What sort of range can you get

[Bton-FM]

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.

[SOTS 87 7]

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.

[LeeCavanagh]

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

[Bton-FM]

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.

[LeeCavanagh]

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,