HFU HF Underground
Technical Topics => Equipment => Topic started by: Capt. Kidd on November 28, 2017, 1946 UTC
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I recently attempted, and failed, to buy a sstran amt 5000 for $229. after two months of waiting I opened a claim with paypal to get my money back. After I received my refund I impulsively bought a Procaster AM transmitter for $696 with $55 for shipping for a grand total of $750 plus about $100 worth of pawn shop studio equipment as well as wires, ground rods, and a long aluminum pole to mount it on. The tx has amazing range of about two miles when well tuned and grounded and is connected to a audio and power source inside the house via a cable that i believe is nothing more than a length of phone cord. This allows for the tx to be almost entirely controlled from inside the house with the exception of the tuning and frequency selection. The only problem i have withe the tx is that there is no good way to ground it without breaking part 15 law. The instructions call for an eight foot grounding rod, however this combined with any length of wire would violate part 15 law leading me to believe that when the fcc was inspecting the tx for certification, it wasn't grounded at all. Bearing that in mind i, knowing i had to ground it for lightning protection, bought forteen feet of six gage wire and an eight foot copper ground rod and plan to add even more grounding in the future.
All in all I'm very pleased with the tx. Even with my minimalist approach to the part 15 hobby i can still cover my neighborhood as well as several others in the area. I haven't had any problem from ether the fcc or the tx and i don't think i will. if you're looking for a good part 15 tx the Procaster is what i recommend.
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$750!
I sell a 1W TX with a built in MP3 player for $150!
I can't beleive folk spend so much on a puny TX
I'd want a KW+ for that!
;)
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Agreed, for that much money I could probably build a 250W or better rackmount stereo transmitter. I do understand that a lot of folks want plug and play, however.
+-RH
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What's so costly is the FCC Certification. The dude behind, http://www.pll.gr/ , transmitters in Greece is having that issue. I bought the mono 20W AM transmitter for $550.00 two years ago with the USD and the Euro brought the price close for that. That transmitter is to add beefiness to my AM Carrier-Current station. Radio Systems wants $3,500.00 for their FCC Certified 10W transmitter, and I knew that price-wise I could do better. On Part #15 radiating, I made a 9ft 3/4" copper pipe with a capacitive tophat. My I Am Radio, http://www.iamradio.net/ , with the massive PEP of 92mW can be heard at 2 1/2 miles away, albeit weak, but listenable on a car stereo. Out that far, any electrical QRM and night DX totally obliterates it.
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Part 15 certification is not that expensive, and we all know how effective the FCC is at policing that anyway. In the end I believe the cost to be a combination of development, and a vendor that believes they have a corner of the market and can name their price. I am willing to pay extra for quality, but anymore that seems money wasted.
+-RH
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8) Dudes, please spare me. The FCC is nothing but a filter for Capitalistic Money Grubbers. Can you imagine what part 15 really says. Oh dear, lots of luck because it assures you that if you can hear it from your bedroom to the basement. Good luck!
As for type accepted, again just another road block the money elites throw up at anyone wishing to use space for communications. They over reach all the time and today HF is becoming more a dinosaur than not so many frequencies are open, but watch your step. If Busted 100 grand fines? Now, can you guess who the communication laws are written for? No YOU. :-X
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What's so costly is the FCC Certification. The dude behind, http://www.pll.gr/ , transmitters in Greece is having that issue. I bought the mono 20W AM transmitter for $550.00 two years ago with the USD and the Euro brought the price close for that. That transmitter is to add beefiness to my AM Carrier-Current station. Radio Systems wants $3,500.00 for their FCC Certified 10W transmitter, and I knew that price-wise I could do better. On Part #15 radiating, I made a 9ft 3/4" copper pipe with a capacitive tophat. My I Am Radio, http://www.iamradio.net/ , with the massive PEP of 92mW can be heard at 2 1/2 miles away, albeit weak, but listenable on a car stereo. Out that far, any electrical QRM and night DX totally obliterates it.
Yeah for some reason people like to use fcc certification as a selling point. I’ve been kicking around the idea of selling my own part 15 kits for around $75 for years.
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Bro, I think you should have bought one of these used.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/AM-TRANSMITTER/302556807153?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D44039%26meid%3D66df99fd980e4fa9a0b8e44b3d7d87cc%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D302556803139&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
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RedHat: Bro are you up for a 250 watt for 43 meters? One that is not a heap of junk, like QIX stuff and rack mountable? 8)
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Once I have three built for myself, I'll consider it 8)
Although, $1200 isn't a bad price considering someone had to design and build it....of course it is illegal to sell such things in this country...perhaps a trade is in order ;)
+-RH
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To red Hat:
In US certainly not illegal to build, but its how its used. Like Guns. So there is nothing to stop US receivers from getting these transmitters. heck 41 meters is just at bottom of the Hammer 40 meter band, and any AM transmitter can with a very basic Ham license be used on 40 meters.
So, its all in how its used.
But I have felt for years many countries have very draconian laws to protect the power of wealth and propaganda radio networks.
You can see I believe its the people's rights as long as no provable danger to the public exists.
FCC has made up garage excuses for years to get the public off their own Natzi backs when they bust a station. They always say, it might or did cause interference to aircraft etc. Liars they are. :'(
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Bro, I think you should have bought one of these used.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/AM-TRANSMITTER/302556807153?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D44039%26meid%3D66df99fd980e4fa9a0b8e44b3d7d87cc%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D6%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D302556803139&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851
Oh how I wish I could afford it!