TV transmitter Kits?

[wa2ise]

A decade ago I wasted $50 on the Ramsey kit

Yes you did.

I've never heard anything good about Ramsey kits.

[Jeffhs]

Almost 35 years ago I ran a 100-mw Part 15 AM radio station from the basement of my boyhood home (located in a well-populated Cleveland suburb), but that was radio, and the rules were rather clearly spelled out. Because it operated completely within the law, I had absolutely nothing to worry about as far as running afoul of the FCC was concerned. Now, I am 48 years old, live in a small town and am an amateur radio operator. I would not dream of putting my amateur license in jeopardy by running a television transmitter of any power level here; besides, I live in a TV fringe area. Even though most folks here have cable, I would not want to risk causing TVI (television interference) to the few still using antennas by running even a 100-mw (0.1 watt) television transmitter in this area. This is a very small town (1 square mile in land area), so if I did manage to foul up someone's TV reception, I would probably hear about it in very short order.

The suggestion another person made in this thread regarding running a high-power TV transmitter on a channel "no one ever tunes to" almost sounds as if it would work, but the FCC rules regarding unlicensed transmitters still apply, even at what used to be UHF channels 70 through 83 and all frequencies above 890 MHz. Ordinary viewers may not be able to tune to, say, channel 83 these days because all TVs made in the last 15 years or so, and all current sets, only tune UHF channels 14-69, but the FCC does monitor the frequencies above the top end of the present UHF television spectrum. Believe me, they can and will confiscate equipment and/or fine unlicensed persons, even if the transmitter being used is operating in the GHz range. Back in the late '60s, a couple of youngsters in New Brunswick, New Jersey, one of whom was an amateur radio operator, set up a bootleg shortwave broadcast station. The call sign was WBBH, and the frequency they used was in or near the 80-meter amateur band, a range where U. S. broadcasters are not allowed to operate under any circumstances. The station used an old 60-watt AM/CW ham transmitter, a couple of beat-up turntables and an equally old microphone as audio sources, and, IIRC, a wire antenna outside the home of one of the station's owners. To make a long story short, the station was put off the air by the FCC when a listener called in (on their usual telephone number--I don't think there was 1-800-CALL FCC in the '60s) and asked for information on station WBBH on 4.9xxx MHz. The FCC responded by saying they never heard of such a station (at the time), so they started an investigation, of course. Their RDF (radio direction-finding) gear eventually led them to the home of a young high-school student, in whose basement the FCC representative eventually found the WBBH studio-transmitter installation. Being unlicensed for broadcast use (on 4.9 MHz yet), the FCC rep informed the young man that he was operating an illegal transmitter and would be fined if such operations continued. The young man and his friend, the latter being the one with the amateur license, were also found guilty of misrepresentation of their small station on verification cards (representing the small 60-watt ham transmitter as a "Gates BFE-60C" broadcast transmitter) and several other violations, but amazingly, both kids got off with little more than stern warnings against further unlicensed broadcasting. Even more amazing, the amateur licensee didn't even lose his license over this; but that was then--this is now. Today, if an amateur licensee pulls such a stunt, he/she will either be fined or lose the license, no questions asked or allowed. There are no second chances, apologies the likes of "I'm sorry--it won't happen again" won't wash, and the Commission won't let anyone off with warnings. One goof and it's good-bye ham license, for good (no chances of ever having it reinstated).

BTW, the callsign WBBH is today assigned to a television station in Fort Myers, Florida. WBBH-TV operates on UHF channel 20 and a digital channel, is an NBC affiliate, and has been operating under an FCC license since 1968.

Wow Jeff, sounds like you learned your lesson!

Anthony

[Jeffhs]

Originally Posted by heathkit tv

Wow Jeff, sounds like you learned your lesson!

Anthony

Anthony, I don't quite follow you; in fact, I think you must have misunderstood me. The small radio station I had from 1970-72 was entirely legal, no license required under Part 15 regulations (the transmitter, a 3-tube Lafayette KT-195 "wireless broadcaster", only had 100-mw [0.1-watt] input and probably much less output). The station only reached 500 feet, give or take, and was located in my basement to boot, so I was playing records and things to myself most of the time. (The best reception report I ever received was in the spring of 1971 when a kid told me he'd heard the station down at the end of the street, just a short distance from my home at the time.)

That little station, which had many different callsigns (WADE, WNBQ, WYYN, et al.) and operated all over the upper half of the AM radio dial (1000, 970, 1330, 1460, etc. KHz--I used to operate on the dial positions of daytime-only stations after they would sign off for the night) was loads of fun while it lasted (I had to take it off the air in mid-1972 when I moved--it had nothing whatsoever to do with the FCC), but I had a lot more enjoyment when I got my first amateur license in the summer of '72, 32 years ago; I still enjoy ham radio today with a 100-watt rig (and a 1.5-watt battery-powered hand-held radio working through an automatic relay station), and am able to transmit a lot further than 500 feet, even using an indoor antenna.

That story about radio station WBBH appeared in Electronics Illustrated magazine in, IIRC, 1967-68. It may have been fictional.

Again, I need you to understand that my small AM station was operating entirely within the letter of the law, and I personally wasn't doing anything illegal by operating it. (I also had small 0.1-watt CB walkie-talkie transceivers as a kid; never got in trouble using them, either.) If I had been convicted of operating an illegal high-power AM broadcast transmitter, I would not have been able to get an amateur radio license or to have my present license renewed; the FCC does not permit anyone who has had previous run-ins with them (or convictions of certain other crimes) to obtain any kind of amateur license. This has been in effect as long as the FCC has been around, so it's nothing new.

[Sandy G]

Jeff's right in what he says. I've never had the pleasure of a visit from Unca Charlie's enforcers; but they really kick ass & take names. They are judge, jury & executioner all in one-and you are guilty until you prove yrself otherwise, & then you're still guilty anyway. Back in the CB days a few folks found out the hard way what running afoul of the FCC is like-it ain't pretty. Personally I think they're a bit TOO draconian in their fines & enforcement techniques, but on the other hand, if you never decide to "play radio" they won't bother you.-Sandy G.

Jeff, I was just grinding on ya.....I thought you were somehow involved in the story about that illegal station.

Kinda like when a mobster might say: "It would be a shame if "someone" were to break yer legs" Capeesh?

Anthony

[Steve D.]

Not sure this qualifies but.....I've been using the Recoton rf tv transmitter for years. It is impractical to run cable to my kitchen TV. I purchased the Recoton, plugged the output of a vcr's tuner located in the living room into it, and transmit the signal to the Recoton receiver which is connected to the kitchen tv. The picture and stereo sound are rock solid. Just Google search: Recoton V900SX.

[Charlie]

I have been one of these radio shack units for nearly a year now, and I've been pretty impressed with it...

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...2572&hp=search

It transmits from one room to the other pretty good. I've also taken the receiver part out in the garage while working on sets. Works well on b&w and color. Your remote control can be used with it as well. My parents have one also... transmitting from upstairs to downstairs.

So far, the only thing I've found that interferes with it is the microwave, and if I recall, the owners manual said that would happen.