Building A Low Cost FM Radio Station

COVERAGE AREA

FM 1/2 WAVE DIPOLE

AUDIO PROCESSOR

1 WATT MONO FM

THE STUDIO

BEHRINGER ULTRAMIZER PRO DSP-1425P

BROADCAST TRANSMITTER

SWR METER

BROADCAST ANTENNA

DIAMOND SX 200

THE ITEMS BELOW ARE PLACED IN THE ORDER THEY ARE USED IN A RADIO STATION

A DESCRIPTION OF THE EQUIPMENT AND IT'S COST IS LOCATED HERE.

THE EQUIPMENT TO THE LEFT WILL PRODUCE A HIGH QUALITY BROADCAST SIGNAL WHILE KEEPING COST LOW.

THE EQUIPMENT WAS CHOSEN FOR ITS LOW POWER DRAIN AND HIGH QUALITY SOUND.

USING A 400 WATT POWER INVERTER, WE ARE ABLE TO POWER UP CASSETTE DECKS, MINI DISC, MIXER, PROCESSOR AND TRANSMITTER FOR WELL OVER 18 HOURS USING A SMALL CAR BATTERY, CURRENT DRAW FROM THE CART MACHINES BRINGS THE TIME DOWN TO 4 HOURS.

COVERAGE AREA WITH ANTENNA AT 35 FEET ABOVE GROUND WAS 12 PLUS MILES USING A STOCK CAR RADIO AND A LOW QUALITY AFTER MARKET (Jensen) CAR RADIO. BOTH WINDOW AND ROD ANTENNA WERE USED IN THE TEST.

THE ANTENNA PICTURED IS A 1\2 WAVE BALANCED DIPOLE, THE BALUN IS MOUNTED IN THE HORIZONTAL PIPE. BECAUSE OF THE METAL MAST, THE PATTERN IS EGG SHAPED, S.W.R. FOR THIS ANTENNA IS VERY LOW 1.1.1, OUR METER BARELY MOVES. RG-8 IS USED TO FEED THE SIGNAL TO THE ANTENNA FROM THE S.W.R. METER.

THIS STUDIO SET-UP PROVIDES THE BASICS NEEDED TO PRODUCE A LIVE BROADCAST, A COMPUTER COULD BE ADDED FOR LIVE ASSIST.
CLICK ON PICTURE FOR MORE DETAILS

July-09-08

INSIDE THE CASE IS A 1 WATT FM
BROADCAST WAREHOUSE TRANSMITTER
B/W HAS CHANGED THIS TRANSMITTER
TO A SURFACE MOUNT DESIGN

LESS THAN $1000 WAS
SPENT BUILDING THIS
RADIO STATION FOR
RADIO OUTLAW

A LOW COST LOW POWER AM RADIO STATION COULD BE BUILT BY SWITCHING THE TRANSMITTERS AND ANTENNA