Messages

1

Equipment / Re: After the transmitter what's next?

« on: May 27, 2014, 1241 UTC »

For basic transmitter protection, a behringer or equivalent compressor/limiter is required.  Hunt around pawn shops and online sites.  You should be able to find one for $100 or so.  If your really on a budget and are electronically inclined, build a simple limiter from a schematic on the web.  Parts should only run you a few dollars.  Making it RFI hardened will be the hardest part.

+-RH

I'm more on a budget as I've been known to 'ham' it up from time to time. I just bought a behringer 802 mixer. Im going to keep searching around for the compressor..just got a big spool of copper wire..going to build my dipole today..hope to get on the air soon!

2

Equipment / Re: After the transmitter what's next?

« on: May 24, 2014, 2139 UTC »

You'll want some sort of processing / compression - limiting. Otherwise, your station (if that's what you're building?) will sound very dry.  Even a guitar effects box compressor limiter between mike and transmitter will give it some improvement.

I've been on the hunt for the last 2 hours..this compressor is going to be a pain to get / find a decent one at a decent price..so I could try out a guitar compressor pedal and run it inline?...mixer,antenna,xmiter, thats the easy part haha..I'm going to do some more digging around..

3

Equipment / Re: After the transmitter what's next?

« on: May 24, 2014, 1901 UTC »

Keep your eyes on ebay for some sort of an am compliance processor.  Inovonics made all kinds on them, the 222 which is basically just a limiter and NRSC filter.  Their 230 I think was a 8 band mono compressor/limiter with AGC and filtering, can be made to sound very dense and loud.  I know a lot of the euro's use Behringer multidynes and ultramizers, but I've never played with one that I could get to sounding good.

If your state-side, look at rat-shack for a 4 channel mixer.  You can also pick these up from amazon from people like pyle pro (I know, I can't take the name seriously either).  For mics, Shure SM-58's will do, but need some EQ to sound right.  I've been running SM-7's for years and like them alot, but you can find a suitable dynamic mic from amazon or someplace for around $150, less if you watch sales through places like musicians friend or guitar center.

You'll also need either cd players, a computer, or both for song and music bed playback.  Everything now is on the computer, I use ZaraRadio for on air assist, but it won't run on Windows 7 or 8, XP is the only stable platform for it.  Some nostalgic pirates still use cart machines and turntables, and someday my fixed studio will have both.

If you plan on taking phone calls, you'll need a hybrid to get the audio into and out of the phone line.
There are bluetooth ones now that allow you to use a free redirect number to a prepaid cell, and thus get around the liability of having a land line.

A decent pair of speakers and an amp for studio monitors.

Lots more, I sure, but that's the basics.

Hope that helps!

+-RH

Very good I'm just trying to get the basic's right now..the audio chain is stock in the valiant so I don't plan on messing around d with that to much..so a compressor mixer and a basic mic. I'm going to hunt around now. Going to be using a inverted v ocf dipole with the ends being 50 or so feet off the ground. I'm in the hunt for a freq counter also. All trial and error I guess, I would like to take calls at some point but just want to run a basic  30min show once a week and go from there. I have massive amounts of music on my nas so I'm going to build a basic machine for the station. Going to check rat shack out asap on those mixers.

4

Equipment / After the transmitter what's next?

« on: May 24, 2014, 0827 UTC »

I need a basic list of audio gear, mixer I know is one don't know if I'll need anything else beside a mic. The transmitter I'm going to use is my mint 1956 efj valiant.