The problem with Part 15 FM is that the rules are so restrictive and the coverage area for a legal transmitter is so small, the FCC has all but rendered Part 15 pointless from a "broadcasting" perspective.
That's kind of the point. Part 15 was never intended to allow broadcasting, it was intended to prevent equipment from radiating RF and interfering with other services. "Broadcasting" with Part 15 is a loophole, and to do it right means you don't really get any coverage.
@Social Broadcast Engineer - As an electronics engineer who has worked in 2way and broadcast, the easiest way around this is to put the transmitter in the church, 10 watts or 5 or what is on the shelf, and run leaky coax along the light poles in the parking lot and terminate with a dummy load. There will be enough signal with leaky coax to be heard in the parking lot, but not enough to exceed the property and there is no antenna outside to cause problems. This is technically not an antenna, but is the best solution and will not become a squeaky wheel that will get greased from a complaint. This is the solution they use in hospitals for repeater systems, paging, and other radio services as to not produce strong enough RF fields that will bother equipment and other sensitive systems. We have done this inside 911 centers and industrial buildings with much success. This also complies with the 11th commandment (on the tablet that moses broke) Thou Shalt Not Get Caught :D
Ha! Yes indeed that is a solution. Most churches don’t have the resources or expertise to be able to do something like that. So they’ll buy the off the shelf kit and just go for it.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer - Its actually very easy to do. Buy really shitty coax and run it from light pole to light pole and put a dummy load on the end. The lousier the coax, the better this works LOL You are kinda bringing the transmitter to the cars by doing that while not being heard anywhere outside of the property. But you are right they don't know even who to ask. I guess that is why I am the idea man on many of these wild hair what the heck are we going to do with this mess kind of engineering projects. Its not my first time to the "we think we are screwed" corral.
Interesting topic. Drive in theaters have been doing this for years. The Drive In Theater in Riverside on Van Buren was running a low power FM transmitter at 104.7 FM. I picked it up on the 91 freeway. The signal went out about a block or two. The biggest problem these people are facing now is there are no available frequencies to use. With all the translators overlapping the main signal at another part of the dial, or the LPFM stations that overlap each other have left zero frequencies one can use in Southern California. I put a small transmitter on in our complex for our friends to hear my internet radio station at the pool. It was one of those Chinese transmitters. We are pretty high up here, and it caught the attention of Alpha Media. A former friend told on me, and they managed to come to my front door. They couldn't even see the antenna because it didn't clear the roof. Apparently this transmitter had a mind of its own with the amount of power it put out. I just turned it off. Most of our friends who we put the transmitter on for moved away. I know a lot of hobby broadcasters that use AM transmitters that put out the legal power of 100 mW. Of course with the proper grounding with radials these transmitters can get out up to three miles. I'm glad that we can worship together again.
Excellent discussion on Part 15 regs. Appreciated Rob's high integrity and extensive experience as applied in explaining how FCC regs affect drive-in church radio transmitters. It's evident that the FCC is not adequately funded to address changing social conditions. This discussion with worth spending the 46+ minutes.
@15:23 we in Australia have LPON, this permits 1w ERP in built up areas or 10w ERP is rural I know with the 1w you can get 3 or more kilometres from that at the roughly same AMSL altitudes, with antenna 15 mtrs up to a portable radio 3 feet off ground, cars easily 6 or so Km's in good terrain, there are some LPON tx manufacturers here who are 2w to 10w, how some 1w's comply is they use 15 metres masting, vertical colinear of 0db gain, but to "legalise" they use long runs of say rg58, the losses in coax alone get them compliant. Unlike US's part 15, these licences cost money and are very hard to get now days and come with restrictive criteria for granting of those licences. they just dont allow average joe citizen to experiment or educate themselves or whatever.
Considering the context, the best option is to have people stay home. As a boy I watched the Hour of Power back when Schuller was still soliciting funds to build his Crystal Cathedral. I can remember that he was very proud of his crowd size, with long panning shots of the large drive-in congregation. I don't recall how they got audio into all those cars, but I can guess that any operation that airs a live nationally syndicated TV program every week also had the resources to get on the air locally. The problem with using streaming for live sound reinforcement is digital latency. You could fix that by shooting video and adjusting the delay between audio and video, but that's called television. People can watch it at home. And in a pandemic, that's a good option. You don't get the fellowship of going to church, but in this case that's the one thing that needs to be sacrificed.
Hi Marcos. Do you remember back in 2012, the FCC did away with the LPFM plan or I think it was called LP-10s? The applicant would be able to file for 10 watts with the antenna at 50 feet. This was done away with under the FCC Commissioners in the Obama Administration. At the time, they didn't think a Covid Virus would hit the United States, and it's still here. As of this posting we are closer to 2022. If the LP-10s would have been allowed, instead of the FCC listening to the NAB, Big Corporate Radio Owners, and their Attorneys, perhaps LP-10s could have been a solution to Churches and Non-Profits during this COVID Delta Vanriant.🤔 I discussed this with a Semi Retired Consultant Engineer that worked for one of the Major Radio Ministry in the United States. He agrees with me 100% on LP-10s. It was in the LPFM plan.
I think you’d have the same problem with having quality content. Very few LPFMs have content that is not just technical quality, but content quality. How many of these LPFMs would be far right and far left? How many of them would be delivering content that could be trusted? It’s the problem with “big corporate” stations too.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer I agree. One thing I've been a witness of since the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is that the NAB has been no friend to the "mom and pop" broadcasters. I owned a 1,000 Watt AM Daytimer, which then Arbitron and now Nelson threw the station a part of the Nashville, TN. Market. The station didn't even have no intelligible signal into Nashville. It did well to cover the City of License. After 28 years, I threw in the towel on it. We were going broke. The bank had a huge lean on the building and property, which was worth way more than the AM Station's Daytime Only License. Me and my wife were able to pay the pay the bank off, got 20K profit made on the property and building, which our tower and transmitter was there. My Consultant Engineer, my "then" FCC Attorney, and my PCP Doctor (I have some health issues) advised me to turn in the AM License. We did this above 6 months before Covid hit the Country. We would have not made it financially during the 2020 Covid Lockdown. Marcos, what it did do was misplace all my Sunday Morning and Afternoon Religious Programming and Southern Gospel/Bluegrass Gospel Music programs. In 2020 during the Lockdown of President Trump, I got calls in my phone at home asking me, isn't there something you and your wife, Leslie can do? We said not really. We practically gave away airtime at a very cheap price because here in the south, small churches and their ministries can't afford it. They couldn't run a LPFM if they had a license to do it. There were a few I caught on the FM Band here in my town, broadcasting church services illegally using a small, Ebay purchased FM Transmitter in 2020. I told them to shut it off, the FCC had enough staff to come in and shut them down, then the Church or Preacher could get a fine! I got most all of them Streaming Online, but their complaint was the elderly in the Nursing Homes. I explained there was a remedy for this, and the elderly didn't need to touch a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. In the County we live in, there is one LPFM. They are not serving the community, all the programming is in Spanish, and belongs to a Spanish Church. I told them you can complain to the FCC on them, but the Commission sees them as a minority broadcaster, and they really don't have a audience. The FCC will do nothing to force them to broadcast in English and give the local "English Speaking Churches and Ministries" airtime. They got a Free Pass to do what they want, politically in my opinion. Finally Marcos, This was one of my reasons that I'm sort of feeling low for the FCC for doing away with LP-10s, however, you bring up a valid point. In our politics in America, we are so divided. There is no middle ground. It's either too far right like Alex Jones, or too far left like Al Sharpton. Sorry for my long story.
I live right down the road from a new outside church with two signals. Why they need two, I have no clue. I can get both for over a mile in any direction. I've wondered if they were doing it legally. This pretty much answers that question. I'm also a broadcaster, so I've been very interested in this subject, especially as of late. Glad I searched it up. Unrelated, but perhaps still of interest, the company I work for just bought an AM and two FM translators from a church.
I'm a broadcaster in the small town of Roanoke Rapids, NC. Several local churches have employed transmitters for their "drive in services". MOST seem to be using legal Part 15 transmitters, which basically cover the church property or just beyond. I know of one church, however, that covers nearly half of this town of 17,000 when they fire up. I also know of a FUNERAL HOME that prints in it's funeral programs, "tune your car radio to FM 97.1 to listen to our service". There are two problems. #1...there is no way they are using a Part 15 transmitter. I estimate it to be around 5 watts. #2. 97.1 is occupied by a 250 watt commercial FM translator in the same city. I can not figure for the life of me why a family hasn't complained because Rush Limbaugh is mixed with the service audio or why the owner of the translator has not complained. I think most churches and other organizations that employing illegal transmitters are just doing it without being aware that it is illegal. With that said, COVID has brought about a new kind of "pirate radio".
The process for getting the FCC to move on an interference complaint is long. As the broadcaster you have to bring them incontrovertible proof, then the FCC goes and does their own investigation...... it’s been like this for a while now and with field offices being closed down due to FCC staff downsizing it’s even more the case. They’re focused on public safety radio more.
And then there is the over powered Sirius Xm transmitters in cars on 88.7 blocking the local on air 88.7 for a significant distance around the car as they drive down the road. Totally disrupting the local station.
Ugh... those are one of my big frustrations. Because people will call us and complain and then I drive it and don’t hear it. Fortunately as we progress in technology those SiriusXM receivers are built in and there are less micro transmitters like that.
That's been going on for years. People with these little FM Transmitters that have a 1/4" male plug that goes into a tablet or especially a smartphone. That smartphone has downloaded the SiriusXM App, and that idiot is listening to the Howard Stern channel, using the little FM palm size transmitter to send the audio from the smartphone to the car's FM Radio. There was this guy on RUclips that had a video upload showing how to break open that FM Transmitter, short some resistors so the little FM Transmitter would do a bit more power. His complaint was the FCC had gotten into the manufacturer about the power of these little devices. The guy that upload the "Cheat Video" on how to get more power out of your micro car FM Transmitter got turned into the FCC! Lesson here, and I don't mean to be vulgar, "The dumb ass got online making a video and telling the world his secrets". If he would have kept his mouth shut, not uploading tutorials videos like that, perhaps he would have gotten away with it. Some people have little brains!😠
My friend gave me one of those Chinese FM transmitters to broadcast my Internet radio stream. I turned it on a got a noise-free range in my car of about 1/2 mile. So I concluded that it was way too powerful for Part 15. I've never turned it on again. When I was in high school we had a 10 watt licensed station WCNE, which got out fairly well.
spectrally speaking, the output of the cheap chinese transmitters is fine as long as the antenna dipole length is cut to the frequency being transmitted and the rf output is put through a low pass inline filter. If these transmitters are overloaded with volume, spurs will travel outside the selected transmitter frequency and cause havoc. The safety thing here is making sure it doesn't bleed onto commercial radio, fire, ems, or aircraft. At the same time that they suggest you do not hook up an aftermarket antenna, the rubber ducky antenna that comes with them is horrible for swr and thus causes spurs. You would be better off with an outdoor dipole matched well and just the half watt transmitter. Get into more than a watt without a proper setup and you're asking for trouble. You need to ensure that there are no spurs, or strong harmonics of rf other than the fundamental frequency intended to be transmitted on. Not every has knowledge of SWR, SPURS, HARMONICS. Therefore it is absolutely necessary to stay very low power. Do not buy these 7 watt + transmitters, it's not just that you could get caught, it's that you won't even know you're interfering with something. That could, in the worst case scenario, be tragic.
My opinion in the United States is that it's Pirate Radio. Outside the United States, it depends. In the United States AM Radio is dying. Why not let what is happening in certain countries in Europe happen. Allow one watt to Low Power AM. All the Biden Administration is about, they don't want conservative programs like Alex Jones going out because they call him a Conservative "Fake News" Conspiracy Theorist. To hell what Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Karine Jean-Pierre, and the Liberal Democrats think! They want Christian Radio "OFF THE AIR!" Look how the Liberal Democrats are raising hell at Elon Musk taking over Twitter! I heard Alex Jones say to The Pirates he didn't care if they broadcasted him, he's after "The Globalist" like Bill Gates, Klaus Schwab, etc. I don't think Klaus Schwab can control the FCC or The Pirates who want to blast him.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer I found where Rob Branch is. I too have a Conservative Consultant Engineer who has taken care of me for over 20 plus years. I would love to talk to Rob about the AM Band, the Laws of Physics, and why now AM Digital? I would love to get Rob Branch's email address off here. I owned a "Stand Alone" AM Radio Station for 28 years. I'm retired now.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer Good Question. Since I retired, the Commission on Former Commissioner Ajit Pai has put into place Voluntary AM Digital Broadcasting. I'm sure Rob Branch is very aware of it, but Radio Receiver manufacturers and sellers like Bob Crane and his Daughter of C. Crane Radio I'm sure is not for this. Also, look at the demographic of who is listening to AM Radio. The Demographic 13 to 35 does not know about AM or doesn't care to listen to it, especially car radios! I'm nearly 60 years old, and I grew up to AM Radio. There are former retired engineers who are playing with Part 15 AM around the United States. Look up the Hamilton Rangemaster Transmitter or the Chez Procaster Transmitter. They are both FCC Part 15 Certified. They are pricey, but if you know what your doing, those Transmitters are designed to use the 1610 to 1700 KHz part of the AM Band, and they do work very well. During the Lockdown Quarantine last year, AM would have been better than using the highly congested FM Band, just my opinion. This is the reason AM Analog needs to stay around with us! One more thing, I miss and loved so much my Small Town, 1,000 Watt, AM Station I owned for 28 years. Sundays was when Preachers came in to preach live, I had two live church services, and Southern Gospel and Bluegrass Music on in the afternoon until I had to sign off because we we licensed as a Daytime Only Station.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer I have a "Business Email", but I don't want to give it on You Tube. I made up junk email address for such occasion. It is sheldonlujack@yahoo.com Once me and Rob connect, I can connect him with my Consultant Engineer in Texas. My Consultant Engineer also spent time working for NASA. Also, I "kinda of" still have a FCC Attorney, but no need to use one now because they are very expensive! There are some of us who wanted LPAM, but the problem was, none of us were on the same page about things like power, antenna height, hours of operation, and the frequencies we could use if we want to stay on at night. Some say High Schools need us for their Football Games. The High Schools have gotten around that by Streaming on Facebook, a website for broadcasting school athletes called "The NHFS Network", and of course, the School's Website. It's all more cost efficient, you can teach students broadcasting, and the masses have access to the Internet by Smartphones, Tablets, Laptops, etc. Our only problem is the Cell Carrier Companies like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T need to bring down prices for Unlimited Data. Marcos, that's something me and my wife need as we are older, with a limited personal budget. Finally, if you know about "The Little Country Church" in the very rural areas, that is where I miss Small Town, Licensed AM Radio Stations!
question? How do big 100.000 monsters keep from screwing things up in 100 mile radius? The drive-in theater has those transmitters. Driving churches are kind of like driving theaters in a way.. too bad you can't have binoculars watching a movie screen without the security guard walking around the drive-in movie premises. Skip social distancing hop inside the church screw transmitter I guess the FCC rather you be inside church than sitting in a parking lot on a cold day listen to church on the radio. So Just throw out some super loud speakers and have at it. Ps who listens to the radio anymore 😀😂😂😂
The FCC doesn't care inside or outside for you, they want to protect those who made the investment for their licensed operations. Part 15 means you accept any interference and cannot create any. So if you picked a channel with a 100kW station on it, that's on you for not checking to see if the frequency was clear. Drive in theaters are subject to the same rules and regulations. But how many drive in theaters are around anymore?
@@TheBroadcastEngineer I know. I just had to pick. Albemarle North Carolina still has a drive-in but they are rare these days. But you do have some knuckleheads out there that will throw transmitter frequency to a radio station that is already in use that will get somebody in trouble. If they choose an empty radio frequency for example. 97.5 there is no frequency at least a good 125 miles away. If there is no 97.7 nor a 97.3 97.5 will be the perfect pick. As long as you don't override 97. 9 or 97.1 you should be fine. But if you are that won't be good. The Beatles fans on oldies 97.1 will not appreciate someone on 97.5 taking over their station or Lady Gaga fans over at 97.9 kiss FM won't appreciate interference from 97.5. If it is a license radio station they got to suck it up and deal with it. If you're lucky everybody likes what you are playing you'll be fine If not the license will save you If you have them.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer I just thought of something it's something it took quarantine for churches to decide to use a transmitter just like Facebook live stream most preachers were against it before then 😂😂😂😂
@@TheBroadcastEngineer I have a question what do you have to do inorder to get broadcast lessons for a radio station? I'll love to have my own radio station playing 80's 99's 2000's classic top 40 music. I love radio I can talk about it all day long. I'll check out your other videos and subscribe. I'll like to know how to become a licenses broadcast where do you owner?
Almost anyone can own their own station if you’ve got the money. The trouble is making it successful enough to not drive you into debt. You can buy existing stations (easiest way). Trying to get a new one licensed is near impossible these days.
Sorry about asking this on the wrong video but I couldn't DM you on Instagram. Is there any way to tell if the clouds at Santiago Peak will be below the top of the mountain. Maybe a cloud altitude website? Looking to get the perfect sunset picture. Thank you in advance.
You’ve never heard of the “Drive-In Church” concept ? Have you been living under a rock ? There is and has been, a drive-in church on what locals call “the beachside” of Greater Daytona Beach, in the City of Daytona Beach Shores for before I was born (1965). I know of at least three more throughout the lower 48. These are the ones I am familiar with and I’m sure there were/are more that were operating long before the pandemic. It’s pretty clear from your words and body language that you have something against this concept. Not sure why, but that’s your prerogative. While making a video such as this one is clearly your right to do so, IMO it’s been made and posted in poor taste. I appreciate that you address legal vs illegal transmitters in an effort to enlighten everyone on the subject but the way you present the concept isn’t very “christian like” and honestly not appreciated by this viewer. Good luck with your future endeavors.
Wow why so sensitive about the topic? To be clear I have nothing against drive in church, just churches who believe that they can flaunt the laws and just find some cheap Chinese transmitter and start broadcasting which inevitably causes interference and headaches for someone like me who has to track it down, document it, try to explain the issue to the church (which they typically just ignore me), engage the FCC and wait for the federal government to actually do something. The wonderful thing about the internet is that you are free to go anywhere you want at any time. I appreciate you stopping by to watch my video and listen to what I have to say.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer My reaction was in response to your constant facial and verbal responses every time you mentioned "concept" which comes across as extremely negative and your disapproval is painfully obvious. I agree, one of the great things about the internet is that I the viewer get to pick & choose who and what I watch. In this case, I won't be returning to your channel but wish you much success with your future videos.
@@johncase2974 Ah I see. So you're judging me on my inexperience of interviews and talking on camera. Sounds fair. Good luck with who ever you watch next.
You know what ill give my opinion about christian radio stations right now why the fuck is 95 percent of the SW band is christian stations cause thats a excellent way of getting the word of Christ out there using the SW band
Probably not the best way to reach a domestic audience, however, an international audience... we're seeing internet being cut off and filtered. It's hard to prevent SW from reaching.
The problem is some people (pirates) think “part 15” means 15 watts ERP
The problem with Part 15 FM is that the rules are so restrictive and the coverage area for a legal transmitter is so small, the FCC has all but rendered Part 15 pointless from a "broadcasting" perspective.
That's kind of the point. Part 15 was never intended to allow broadcasting, it was intended to prevent equipment from radiating RF and interfering with other services. "Broadcasting" with Part 15 is a loophole, and to do it right means you don't really get any coverage.
@Social Broadcast Engineer - As an electronics engineer who has worked in 2way and broadcast, the easiest way around this is to put the transmitter in the church, 10 watts or 5 or what is on the shelf, and run leaky coax along the light poles in the parking lot and terminate with a dummy load. There will be enough signal with leaky coax to be heard in the parking lot, but not enough to exceed the property and there is no antenna outside to cause problems. This is technically not an antenna, but is the best solution and will not become a squeaky wheel that will get greased from a complaint. This is the solution they use in hospitals for repeater systems, paging, and other radio services as to not produce strong enough RF fields that will bother equipment and other sensitive systems. We have done this inside 911 centers and industrial buildings with much success. This also complies with the 11th commandment (on the tablet that moses broke) Thou Shalt Not Get Caught :D
Ha! Yes indeed that is a solution. Most churches don’t have the resources or expertise to be able to do something like that. So they’ll buy the off the shelf kit and just go for it.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer - Its actually very easy to do. Buy really shitty coax and run it from light pole to light pole and put a dummy load on the end. The lousier the coax, the better this works LOL You are kinda bringing the transmitter to the cars by doing that while not being heard anywhere outside of the property. But you are right they don't know even who to ask. I guess that is why I am the idea man on many of these wild hair what the heck are we going to do with this mess kind of engineering projects. Its not my first time to the "we think we are screwed" corral.
Interesting topic. Drive in theaters have been doing this for years. The Drive In Theater in Riverside on Van Buren was running a low power FM transmitter at 104.7 FM. I picked it up on the 91 freeway. The signal went out about a block or two. The biggest problem these people are facing now is there are no available frequencies to use. With all the translators overlapping the main signal at another part of the dial, or the LPFM stations that overlap each other have left zero frequencies one can use in Southern California. I put a small transmitter on in our complex for our friends to hear my internet radio station at the pool. It was one of those Chinese transmitters. We are pretty high up here, and it caught the attention of Alpha Media. A former friend told on me, and they managed to come to my front door. They couldn't even see the antenna because it didn't clear the roof. Apparently this transmitter had a mind of its own with the amount of power it put out. I just turned it off. Most of our friends who we put the transmitter on for moved away.
I know a lot of hobby broadcasters that use AM transmitters that put out the legal power of 100 mW. Of course with the proper grounding with radials these transmitters can get out up to three miles.
I'm glad that we can worship together again.
Excellent discussion on Part 15 regs. Appreciated Rob's high integrity and extensive experience as applied in explaining how FCC regs affect drive-in church radio transmitters. It's evident that the FCC is not adequately funded to address changing social conditions. This discussion with worth spending the 46+ minutes.
@15:23 we in Australia have LPON, this permits 1w ERP in built up areas or 10w ERP is rural I know with the 1w you can get 3 or more kilometres from that at the roughly same AMSL altitudes, with antenna 15 mtrs up to a portable radio 3 feet off ground, cars easily 6 or so Km's in good terrain, there are some LPON tx manufacturers here who are 2w to 10w, how some 1w's comply is they use 15 metres masting, vertical colinear of 0db gain, but to "legalise" they use long runs of say rg58, the losses in coax alone get them compliant. Unlike US's part 15, these licences cost money and are very hard to get now days and come with restrictive criteria for granting of those licences. they just dont allow average joe citizen to experiment or educate themselves or whatever.
Very Interesting and informative video. Thanks for posting it!
Considering the context, the best option is to have people stay home. As a boy I watched the Hour of Power back when Schuller was still soliciting funds to build his Crystal Cathedral. I can remember that he was very proud of his crowd size, with long panning shots of the large drive-in congregation. I don't recall how they got audio into all those cars, but I can guess that any operation that airs a live nationally syndicated TV program every week also had the resources to get on the air locally.
The problem with using streaming for live sound reinforcement is digital latency. You could fix that by shooting video and adjusting the delay between audio and video, but that's called television. People can watch it at home. And in a pandemic, that's a good option. You don't get the fellowship of going to church, but in this case that's the one thing that needs to be sacrificed.
Indeed. That’s been the discussion (to put it nicely) with churches since March 2020.
Hi Marcos. Do you remember back in 2012, the FCC did away with the LPFM plan or I think it was called LP-10s? The applicant would be able to file for 10 watts with the antenna at 50 feet. This was done away with under the FCC Commissioners in the Obama Administration. At the time, they didn't think a Covid Virus would hit the United States, and it's still here. As of this posting we are closer to 2022. If the LP-10s would have been allowed, instead of the FCC listening to the NAB, Big Corporate Radio Owners, and their Attorneys, perhaps LP-10s could have been a solution to Churches and Non-Profits during this COVID Delta Vanriant.🤔 I discussed this with a Semi Retired Consultant Engineer that worked for one of the Major Radio Ministry in the United States. He agrees with me 100% on LP-10s. It was in the LPFM plan.
I think you’d have the same problem with having quality content. Very few LPFMs have content that is not just technical quality, but content quality. How many of these LPFMs would be far right and far left? How many of them would be delivering content that could be trusted?
It’s the problem with “big corporate” stations too.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer I agree. One thing I've been a witness of since the Telecommunications Act of 1996 is that the NAB has been no friend to the "mom and pop" broadcasters. I owned a 1,000 Watt AM Daytimer, which then Arbitron and now Nelson threw the station a part of the Nashville, TN. Market. The station didn't even have no intelligible signal into Nashville. It did well to cover the City of License. After 28 years, I threw in the towel on it. We were going broke. The bank had a huge lean on the building and property, which was worth way more than the AM Station's Daytime Only License. Me and my wife were able to pay the pay the bank off, got 20K profit made on the property and building, which our tower and transmitter was there. My Consultant Engineer, my "then" FCC Attorney, and my PCP Doctor (I have some health issues) advised me to turn in the AM License. We did this above 6 months before Covid hit the Country. We would have not made it financially during the 2020 Covid Lockdown.
Marcos, what it did do was misplace all my Sunday Morning and Afternoon Religious Programming and Southern Gospel/Bluegrass Gospel Music programs. In 2020 during the Lockdown of President Trump, I got calls in my phone at home asking me, isn't there something you and your wife, Leslie can do? We said not really. We practically gave away airtime at a very cheap price because here in the south, small churches and their ministries can't afford it.
They couldn't run a LPFM if they had a license to do it. There were a few I caught on the FM Band here in my town, broadcasting church services illegally using a small, Ebay purchased FM Transmitter in 2020. I told them to shut it off, the FCC had enough staff to come in and shut them down, then the Church or Preacher could get a fine! I got most all of them Streaming Online, but their complaint was the elderly in the Nursing Homes. I explained there was a remedy for this, and the elderly didn't need to touch a laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
In the County we live in, there is one LPFM. They are not serving the community, all the programming is in Spanish, and belongs to a Spanish Church. I told them you can complain to the FCC on them, but the Commission sees them as a minority broadcaster, and they really don't have a audience. The FCC will do nothing to force them to broadcast in English and give the local "English Speaking Churches and Ministries" airtime. They got a Free Pass to do what they want, politically in my opinion.
Finally Marcos, This was one of my reasons that I'm sort of feeling low for the FCC for doing away with LP-10s, however, you bring up a valid point. In our politics in America, we are so divided. There is no middle ground. It's either too far right like Alex Jones, or too far left like Al Sharpton. Sorry for my long story.
Thomas Jefferson-"When Tyranny Becomes Law-Rebellion Becomes Duty"
If everyone could do what they wanted there would be no peace. In radio, you would not be able to have any sort of usable coverage.
I live right down the road from a new outside church with two signals. Why they need two, I have no clue. I can get both for over a mile in any direction. I've wondered if they were doing it legally. This pretty much answers that question. I'm also a broadcaster, so I've been very interested in this subject, especially as of late. Glad I searched it up. Unrelated, but perhaps still of interest, the company I work for just bought an AM and two FM translators from a church.
Unfortunately it happens everywhere.
I'm a broadcaster in the small town of Roanoke Rapids, NC. Several local churches have employed transmitters for their "drive in services". MOST seem to be using legal Part 15 transmitters, which basically cover the church property or just beyond. I know of one church, however, that covers nearly half of this town of 17,000 when they fire up. I also know of a FUNERAL HOME that prints in it's funeral programs, "tune your car radio to FM 97.1 to listen to our service". There are two problems. #1...there is no way they are using a Part 15 transmitter. I estimate it to be around 5 watts. #2. 97.1 is occupied by a 250 watt commercial FM translator in the same city. I can not figure for the life of me why a family hasn't complained because Rush Limbaugh is mixed with the service audio or why the owner of the translator has not complained. I think most churches and other organizations that employing illegal transmitters are just doing it without being aware that it is illegal. With that said, COVID has brought about a new kind of "pirate radio".
The process for getting the FCC to move on an interference complaint is long. As the broadcaster you have to bring them incontrovertible proof, then the FCC goes and does their own investigation...... it’s been like this for a while now and with field offices being closed down due to FCC staff downsizing it’s even more the case. They’re focused on public safety radio more.
And then there is the over powered Sirius Xm transmitters in cars on 88.7 blocking the local on air 88.7 for a significant distance around the car as they drive down the road. Totally disrupting the local station.
Ugh... those are one of my big frustrations. Because people will call us and complain and then I drive it and don’t hear it. Fortunately as we progress in technology those SiriusXM receivers are built in and there are less micro transmitters like that.
That's been going on for years. People with these little FM Transmitters that have a 1/4" male plug that goes into a tablet or especially a smartphone. That smartphone has downloaded the SiriusXM App, and that idiot is listening to the Howard Stern channel, using the little FM palm size transmitter to send the audio from the smartphone to the car's FM Radio. There was this guy on RUclips that had a video upload showing how to break open that FM Transmitter, short some resistors so the little FM Transmitter would do a bit more power. His complaint was the FCC had gotten into the manufacturer about the power of these little devices. The guy that upload the "Cheat Video" on how to get more power out of your micro car FM Transmitter got turned into the FCC! Lesson here, and I don't mean to be vulgar, "The dumb ass got online making a video and telling the world his secrets". If he would have kept his mouth shut, not uploading tutorials videos like that, perhaps he would have gotten away with it. Some people have little brains!😠
I use 50 watts however only at certain times I get out about 15 miles and I love the buzz of being on the dial 😊
Pirate radio
My friend gave me one of those Chinese FM transmitters to broadcast my Internet radio stream. I turned it on a got a noise-free range in my car of about 1/2 mile. So I concluded that it was way too powerful for Part 15. I've never turned it on again. When I was in high school we had a 10 watt licensed station WCNE, which got out fairly well.
spectrally speaking, the output of the cheap chinese transmitters is fine as long as the antenna dipole length is cut to the frequency being transmitted and the rf output is put through a low pass inline filter. If these transmitters are overloaded with volume, spurs will travel outside the selected transmitter frequency and cause havoc. The safety thing here is making sure it doesn't bleed onto commercial radio, fire, ems, or aircraft. At the same time that they suggest you do not hook up an aftermarket antenna, the rubber ducky antenna that comes with them is horrible for swr and thus causes spurs. You would be better off with an outdoor dipole matched well and just the half watt transmitter. Get into more than a watt without a proper setup and you're asking for trouble. You need to ensure that there are no spurs, or strong harmonics of rf other than the fundamental frequency intended to be transmitted on. Not every has knowledge of SWR, SPURS, HARMONICS. Therefore it is absolutely necessary to stay very low power. Do not buy these 7 watt + transmitters, it's not just that you could get caught, it's that you won't even know you're interfering with something. That could, in the worst case scenario, be tragic.
We use 25 watts with a 1/4 wave antenna and we love it. Been broadcasting for over 15 years now.
That’s called pirate radio
With a license, right?
My opinion in the United States is that it's Pirate Radio. Outside the United States, it depends. In the United States AM Radio is dying. Why not let what is happening in certain countries in Europe happen. Allow one watt to Low Power AM. All the Biden Administration is about, they don't want conservative programs like Alex Jones going out because they call him a Conservative "Fake News" Conspiracy Theorist. To hell what Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Pete Buttigieg, Karine Jean-Pierre, and the Liberal Democrats think! They want Christian Radio "OFF THE AIR!" Look how the Liberal Democrats are raising hell at Elon Musk taking over Twitter! I heard Alex Jones say to The Pirates he didn't care if they broadcasted him, he's after "The Globalist" like Bill Gates, Klaus Schwab, etc. I don't think Klaus Schwab can control the FCC or The Pirates who want to blast him.
there is a drive in theater in my area that have 3 screens and 3 fm transmitters when i ride by i receive all 3 well over 200 ft.
Drive in theaters used to be a problem. Since the closure of almost all of them it hasn’t been as much of an issue.
Great talk and topic!
Rob is a very smart guy. I learn from him every time.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer I found where Rob Branch is. I too have a Conservative Consultant Engineer who has taken care of me for over 20 plus years. I would love to talk to Rob about the AM Band, the Laws of Physics, and why now AM Digital? I would love to get Rob Branch's email address off here. I owned a "Stand Alone" AM Radio Station for 28 years. I'm retired now.
Send me an email and I can get you guys connected. But that’s a great idea for a future video, “why AM all digital now?”
@@TheBroadcastEngineer Good Question. Since I retired, the Commission on Former Commissioner Ajit Pai has put into place Voluntary AM Digital Broadcasting. I'm sure Rob Branch is very aware of it, but Radio Receiver manufacturers and sellers like Bob Crane and his Daughter of C. Crane Radio I'm sure is not for this. Also, look at the demographic of who is listening to AM Radio. The Demographic 13 to 35 does not know about AM or doesn't care to listen to it, especially car radios! I'm nearly 60 years old, and I grew up to AM Radio. There are former retired engineers who are playing with Part 15 AM around the United States. Look up the Hamilton Rangemaster Transmitter or the Chez Procaster Transmitter. They are both FCC Part 15 Certified. They are pricey, but if you know what your doing, those Transmitters are designed to use the 1610 to 1700 KHz part of the AM Band, and they do work very well. During the Lockdown Quarantine last year, AM would have been better than using the highly congested FM Band, just my opinion. This is the reason AM Analog needs to stay around with us! One more thing, I miss and loved so much my Small Town, 1,000 Watt, AM Station I owned for 28 years. Sundays was when Preachers came in to preach live, I had two live church services, and Southern Gospel and Bluegrass Music on in the afternoon until I had to sign off because we we licensed as a Daytime Only Station.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer I have a "Business Email", but I don't want to give it on You Tube. I made up junk email address for such occasion. It is sheldonlujack@yahoo.com Once me and Rob connect, I can connect him with my Consultant Engineer in Texas. My Consultant Engineer also spent time working for NASA. Also, I "kinda of" still have a FCC Attorney, but no need to use one now because they are very expensive! There are some of us who wanted LPAM, but the problem was, none of us were on the same page about things like power, antenna height, hours of operation, and the frequencies we could use if we want to stay on at night. Some say High Schools need us for their Football Games. The High Schools have gotten around that by Streaming on Facebook, a website for broadcasting school athletes called "The NHFS Network", and of course, the School's Website. It's all more cost efficient, you can teach students broadcasting, and the masses have access to the Internet by Smartphones, Tablets, Laptops, etc. Our only problem is the Cell Carrier Companies like Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T need to bring down prices for Unlimited Data. Marcos, that's something me and my wife need as we are older, with a limited personal budget. Finally, if you know about "The Little Country Church" in the very rural areas, that is where I miss Small Town, Licensed AM Radio Stations!
i want to call out dance figures in a small rom sing a head set mike...what do need?
Probably just a small karaoke setup. Small rooms are easy to fill with sound.
question? How do big 100.000 monsters keep from screwing things up in 100 mile radius? The drive-in theater has those transmitters. Driving churches are kind of like driving theaters in a way.. too bad you can't have binoculars watching a movie screen without the security guard walking around the drive-in movie premises. Skip social distancing hop inside the church screw transmitter I guess the FCC rather you be inside church than sitting in a parking lot on a cold day listen to church on the radio. So Just throw out some super loud speakers and have at it. Ps who listens to the radio anymore 😀😂😂😂
The FCC doesn't care inside or outside for you, they want to protect those who made the investment for their licensed operations. Part 15 means you accept any interference and cannot create any. So if you picked a channel with a 100kW station on it, that's on you for not checking to see if the frequency was clear. Drive in theaters are subject to the same rules and regulations. But how many drive in theaters are around anymore?
@@TheBroadcastEngineer I know. I just had to pick. Albemarle North Carolina still has a drive-in but they are rare these days. But you do have some knuckleheads out there that will throw transmitter frequency to a radio station that is already in use that will get somebody in trouble. If they choose an empty radio frequency for example. 97.5 there is no frequency at least a good 125 miles away. If there is no 97.7 nor a 97.3 97.5 will be the perfect pick. As long as you don't override 97. 9 or 97.1 you should be fine. But if you are that won't be good. The Beatles fans on oldies 97.1 will not appreciate someone on 97.5 taking over their station or Lady Gaga fans over at 97.9 kiss FM won't appreciate interference from 97.5. If it is a license radio station they got to suck it up and deal with it. If you're lucky everybody likes what you are playing you'll be fine If not the license will save you If you have them.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer I just thought of something it's something it took quarantine for churches to decide to use a transmitter just like Facebook live stream most preachers were against it before then 😂😂😂😂
@@TheBroadcastEngineer I have a question what do you have to do inorder to get broadcast lessons for a radio station? I'll love to have my own radio station playing 80's 99's 2000's classic top 40 music. I love radio I can talk about it all day long. I'll check out your other videos and subscribe. I'll like to know how to become a licenses broadcast where do you owner?
Almost anyone can own their own station if you’ve got the money. The trouble is making it successful enough to not drive you into debt.
You can buy existing stations (easiest way). Trying to get a new one licensed is near impossible these days.
Sorry about asking this on the wrong video but I couldn't DM you on Instagram. Is there any way to tell if the clouds at Santiago Peak will be below the top of the mountain. Maybe a cloud altitude website? Looking to get the perfect sunset picture. Thank you in advance.
I think your best bet would be to look at aviation weather forecasts as they will give cloud information like that.
You’ve never heard of the “Drive-In Church” concept ? Have you been living under a rock ? There is and has been, a drive-in church on what locals call “the beachside” of Greater Daytona Beach, in the City of Daytona Beach Shores for before I was born (1965). I know of at least three more throughout the lower 48. These are the ones I am familiar with and I’m sure there were/are more that were operating long before the pandemic. It’s pretty clear from your words and body language that you have something against this concept. Not sure why, but that’s your prerogative. While making a video such as this one is clearly your right to do so, IMO it’s been made and posted in poor taste. I appreciate that you address legal vs illegal transmitters in an effort to enlighten everyone on the subject but the way you present the concept isn’t very “christian like” and honestly not appreciated by this viewer. Good luck with your future endeavors.
Wow why so sensitive about the topic?
To be clear I have nothing against drive in church, just churches who believe that they can flaunt the laws and just find some cheap Chinese transmitter and start broadcasting which inevitably causes interference and headaches for someone like me who has to track it down, document it, try to explain the issue to the church (which they typically just ignore me), engage the FCC and wait for the federal government to actually do something.
The wonderful thing about the internet is that you are free to go anywhere you want at any time. I appreciate you stopping by to watch my video and listen to what I have to say.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer My reaction was in response to your constant facial and verbal responses every time you mentioned "concept" which comes across as extremely negative and your disapproval is painfully obvious. I agree, one of the great things about the internet is that I the viewer get to pick & choose who and what I watch. In this case, I won't be returning to your channel but wish you much success with your future videos.
@@johncase2974 Ah I see. So you're judging me on my inexperience of interviews and talking on camera. Sounds fair. Good luck with who ever you watch next.
@@TheBroadcastEngineer Typical, trying to turn this around on me. Sad, very sad. Good luck, sincerely.
😂
You know what ill give my opinion about christian radio stations right now why the fuck is 95 percent of the SW band is christian stations cause thats a excellent way of getting the word of Christ out there using the SW band
Probably not the best way to reach a domestic audience, however, an international audience... we're seeing internet being cut off and filtered. It's hard to prevent SW from reaching.